HyperHomeschool

I was recently inspired by a tweet by @ktenkely in which she mentions her hope of shedding subject areas in schools and eventually grade levels.  How wonderful!  As I began to reflect on this type of learning environment, I realize that I have this opportunity each and every day with our children.

When I first began homeschooling, I was actually doing public school at home.  I followed the same school schedule, the same incentives, and even tried to mimic the accelerated reading program (which I didin't even like!).  I think this was done to provide a sense of structure to our lives and to serve as a transition from a private school education to homeschooling. Slowly, though, we have stepped outside of the box and truly began to homeschool.

Each day I teach four very different children who are technically in four different grade levels (preschool, 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades).  However, each day, the lines between where one grade ends and the next begins becomes more blurry.  We are breaking through the boundaries established by polite society and truly beginning to learn for the sake of learning.  For example, we have a first grader (who would have been forced to be in Kindergarten due to when her birthday falls) who can keep up with her fourth grade sister when discussing Medieval history or our fourth grader can push her quest for knowledge in science and math without being held back.  Our children are blessed to have the opportunity to explore, imagine, and create while working at their own pace and, oftentimes, incorporating multiple disciplines at once. I realize now, this was often missing when they were in school.

With all of the talk about digital learning, web 2.0, and global classrooms, one thing is for sure, the landsape of educaiton is rapidly changing.  While the basics are still the same, educators of today face great challenges while be presented with great opportunities.  For example, technology has opened many doors, yet educators have to find ways to integrate these new tools in meaningful ways.  Classroom teachers are constantly complaining of not having enough time to complete tasks or engage in meaningful activities.  Finally, let's not forget the dreaded end of course exams or yearly standardized tests!  Too much each year is determined by these scores and, many would agree, they are not the best indicators of student achievement.  Whether you homeschool or teach in a traditional classroom, we all face these issues to a certain degree.  

For our family, homeschooling has been a blessing.  Don't get me wrong, we have our moments of stress!  However, I am excited we are breaking through boundaries and moving forward.  It is far from perfect and each day we face new challenges.  I face the same struggles as many teachers who are trying to make sense of everything and find ways to integrate the digital world into their classrooms.  While the task is daunting at times, I find it exciting!  The classroom of today (whether it's held at the kitchen table or not) needs to rethink assessment, look across disciplines and think "outside the box" as they strive to prepare our students for the world of tomorrow.

Good luck and Happy Learning!