About

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Welcome to HyperHomeschool! My name is Ashley Allain, wife of Dr. Rhett Allain and mother to four wonderful children. I hold a B.S. in Secondary Math Education from the University of Alabama (ROLL TIDE!!) and a M.S. in Mathematics Education from N. C. State University. I have taught high school math as well as introductory College Algebra courses. Although I enjoy teaching, my first love is curriculum development. I love to figure out new and exciting ways to help students develop a genuine understanding of concepts by utilizing a variety of resources. I love technology as long as it is intergrated in the learning experience in a meaningful way. My goal as an educator is to help students become crititcal thinkers so they are more fully prepared to tackle any situation. I developed Hyperhomeschool as a way to share resources with both the homeschooling and greater education communities.

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HYPER-

1: above : beyond : super- <hypermarket>

2 a: excessively <hypersensitive> b: excessive <hyperemia>

3: that is or exists in a space of more than three dimensions <hyperspace>

4: bridging points within an entity (as a database or network) nonsequentially <hypertext>

According to Webster's, hyper- is a prefix with a four-fold meaning. Homeschooling our children affords us the opportunity to go above and beyond the traditional, classroom setting and expectations. The world is our classroom! Secondly, in our family, we have excessive energy. In all honesty, you have to in order to survive life with four kids and a dog. Hopefully, though, we can channel this energy into a form that best accentuates the talents each of our children possess. Third, our approach to education is multi-dimensional: exploratory, creative, hands-on, and integrated with technology. Our goal is to create an environment that fosters inquiry, creativity and a genuine love of learning while highlighting each child's unique abilities. Finally, we are truly a 21st-century family. Technology plays an integral part in our education and the education of our children. Therefore, many of our activities involve computer programming, webquests, and online research and exploration.

This site has two main components: my journal and the St. Francis Homeschool website. The journal represents my contribution to the homeschool community. It is a blog dedicated to creativity, exploration, and the kookiness of life. I hope to share valuable resources for those who homeschool as well as share in our daily adventures. St. Franics Homeschool is our school website representing the hub of our daily activities. Anyone is welcome to stop by and see what we are doing. I will gladly share any of the resources I have put together.

So, as you can see I tend to be a bit of an overachiever. If one blog is fun, two must be out of this world!! I know! I know! I have flawed logic. At this point, you should probably refer back to the second meaning of the prefix hyper- (excessive!). Anyway, I am quite passionate about our school, our family, and sharing what I have discovered with others. While I am new to blogging, I hope to make a contribution and have a little fun along the way.

I welcome any suggestions and would love to here about educational resources you have found. Being that I am an optimist, I hope this latest endeavor has a very happy ending.

Have a blessed day!