Browngirl Speaks

Well, here’s a look at what we did today:

Reviewed colors and greetings in Spanish

Reviewed 1-10 in Swahili (this is just for fun)

Reviewed tree parts and how they grow with two worksheets

Played mancala instead of reviewing addition facts

Played sight word and phonics games online and reviewed with two worksheets

Handwriting practice letter E sentences

Read Curious George: The Dog Show(read alone w/ little assistance) and Knots on a Counting Rope (read to Zion by mommy)

Made tree craft and did some painting

Read bible story in Early Reader’s Bible

I may teach him to play crazy eights today also.  I have a set of kids’ cards called "Bible Eights" I got at a local dollar store a few years ago when I was a summer camp counselor.  Off to play more mancala, though he’s still learning and it’s really for ages 7 and up, it’s never too early to learn strategy.

Some educators do not "believe in" multiculturalism.  Some claim it is a way to further marginalize minority students by presenting information in a "dumbed down" manner.  They have it wrong.  My idea of multiculturalism stems from inclusion and relevance.

Children should be taught from the beginning from a non-Eurocentric point of view.  This is where the idea of inclusion comes into play.  The very notion of marginalized minorities comes, not only from how we are educated, but also gaps and one-sided perspectives in that education.  Our children should not only learn about minority groups and their key persons in chunks the way most social studies and history texts usually present them.  They should be fluidly and consistently presented in a manner that is not saying: "Hey look! Black folks have a few smart people in history and look what they’ve done" or "Oh yeah, Native  Americans happened to be here when the Pilgrims landed".  It should not be presented as an afterthought and given only in sparse detail.  

The need to be inclusive is definitely important in the early years.  Kids are still free of prejudice and any other hang ups, especially concerning people.  This is the time to nurture that behavior so that it remains intact for life.  My son is a kindergartner and I’m simply making sure that we not only read about different countries and people in the realm of social studies, but also reading literature about children from various cultures.

Now we have relevance.  Today Z is 5 years old and learning social skills.  So, we read books that relate these skills but they are not just books featuring only white children or even only Black children, but kids from all sorts of ethnicities.   Basic concepts are universal and reading culturally diverse literature will also parlay the message that at out cores, we are all the same–human.  What is not relevant and adds no value to anyone’s life is the teaching of such things as ebonics.  Thankfully though, I think it’s safe to day that that ridiculous idea has been lain to rest.

Finally, multiculturalism is about being celebratory.  Not just for those who identify with a particular culture but others as well.  I want my son to appreciate and respect all cultures, not just his own.  And I want him doing so from the beginning, not when he gets to high school or college when most kids truly discover the world outside of their box.  I think that’s why some kids feel the need to "find themselves" during or just after college.  They often have their worlds rocked to the foundation by the spectrum of new ideas, beliefs and people they are exposed to and in a relatively short amount of time, thus the need to re-evaluate and retrospect.  Am I saying this will lead to more kids going to college or out into the world knowing exactly what they should do with themselves?  No.  We are all forever evolving.  However, more children would be welcoming of this often more liberal and diverse environment than overwhelmed by it.  Again I’ll mention that I’ve started a Facebook group for this topic called Culturally Diverse Homeschooling.

This week’s library books:

The Colors of Us  Karen Katz

Yunmi and Halmoni’s Trip  Sook Nyul Choi

Not So Fast Songololo  Niki Daly

Knots on a Counting Rope  Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

Africa Is Not a Country  Margy Burns Knight and Mark Melnicove

Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions  Margaret Musgrove

This guy has broken it completely down on Palin.

Today we talked about trees.  It was a perfect day to be outside for a moment to look at trees and gather a few leaves.  We made a leaf print and did the old school leaf display using wax paper.

We visited a cute site with a video called  "Trees are Terrific…Travels with Pierre".  It explains trees, their parts, what they provide and being environmentally responsible with them for 5-8 years old.  There’s also a teacher guide page with enhancement ideas.

Also, I created a Facebook group for those who teach with an emphasis on diversity or want to but not sure how to incorporate multicultural materials, lessons, etc.  The group is called: Culturally Diverse Homeschooling.  I feel that there’s a need for discussing and embracing multiculturalism in homeschooling because we could so easily get caught up in a very narrow scope.  If you’re interested, join me in exploring this facet of education(you do have to join or already have a Facebook account).

“Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church” (1 Corinthians 14:34, 35).

As someone who grew up in a Christian church in the South, I am all too familiar with the notion, often upheld by scripture, that women should and cannot be “pastors”. Recently, 150 Lifeway Christian Stores pulled this major Christian magazine from their shelves because of ties to the Southern Baptist Convention. Why? Because the recent issue features five female pastors from around the country. Four of them are Black. Now, I don’t think ethnicity plays any role, only gender. However, I don’t think that’s totally coincidence.

I honestly believe that God can call a woman to help lead His flock just as easily as He can call a man. This move by Lifeway Christian Stores may have lost them a number of customers AND opened the door for some competition.

What are your thoughts?

So, I was reading about some money saving tips for homeschoolers online that prompted me to look up cloth diaper patterns. I thought about making them for organizations who provide them to new moms with limited means. I’m talking the fitted cloth diapers–very cute. Well, I came across a pattern for a reusable cloth pad. I’ve seen these before; several sellers on Etsy make them. Now, this was something that would definitely save me a few bucks as I don’t have an infant in diapers anymore but I still get my moon every month.

I’m always in search of some service work I can do and, preferably, from home because my current situation doesn’t allow me to get out much. So, I’m all excited that I’m finally going to open the box my brand new sewing machine has been in for um….well, a really long time and make myself a stash of these and a cute bag for clean and soiled pads. I could even make some for friends and family to encourage less waste and save them money as well. Then, I thought about Always’ project to supply girls in Africa with pads so that they can go to school when they have their period. I figured there might be something similar but for cloth pads. I was right. Goods4Girls donates reusable cloth pads to girls in Africa as it’s more environmentally friendly for those in areas that don’t have adequate solid waste management and it cuts the need for continuous aid for this particular need.

Now, I’m not a great sewer. This is actually my first machine and I sewed my first moon pad last night. The one I made last night will probably be used as a pantiliner as it doesn’t have wings. I’ll make several for myself first, mainly for the practice. I want the ones I send those girls to be near perfect. I’m so excited about this opportunity to save myself some money, cut my eco footprint and help some girls and women simply live their lives uninterrupted by their menses.

Here are few sites to get patterns and info on making your own moon pads:

Adahy’s Cloth Pad Patterns
Jan Andrea at home on the web
Sew Green

of course there are dozens more, just Google “cloth pads”.

Free World U is a great flash card program for grades K-12.  This site encompasses all the core subjects for elementary grades and required high school courses and is very user friendly.

Homeschool Buyers Co-Op is an excellent resource for those wanting to purchase curriculum without breaking the bank.  Membership is free.  They have contracted with a number of the top publishers of homeschool curriculum like Alpha Omega Publications and Click N Read Phonics to allow bulk purchasing of their products so that each family will spend less.  Yes, this works just like your farmer’s co-op.  You can even opt in on an offer when it gets to a specific discounted amount that suits your budget, though there’s no guarantee this will always work it’s good to have that bargaining option.  There are also exclusive discounts that don’t require group buy-ins and points are awarded for a number of activities that can be redeemed to purchase curriculum through the co-op.  Once you become a member, you can order for a nominal fee or print for free a homeschool ID. This is a site well worth utilizing.

Starfall is a site specifically for reading and writing.  Geared towards first graders, they insist that PreK-2 can benefit as well.  My son loves this site.  It’s very interactive and includes read aloud stories with audio and videos  on phonics that are like modern School House Rocks. 

If you’re like and that about describes you, I have finally found salvation. W3Schools is a site truly for anyone with almost any level of computer knowledge. It has tons of free tutorials on all that website building gobbledygook. What’s neat about them is that there’s a “Try Me” page. Like, I wanted to put an image on my blog and there is a specific tutorial for that and the “Try Me” page has the format already in place and you can simply cut and paste the image location, hit the “click me” button and voila! your image shows up. Then you can just cut and paste the whole thing onto your site. Playing around with it on the “Try Me” page is helping me make more sense of HTML thus, I’m actually remembering the different formulas.

Most of the freebies I found for lesson plans and such are for printing.  Even the templates that allow me to type the info. in can’t be saved, I have to print it on the spot.  Now, these are great forms for those who like a paper trail and maybe don’t have access to a computer all the time.  But, once I started to go through all the forms I liked to see which one would work best, I realized what needed was something electronic.  So, I designed my own on a spreadsheet. 

Also, I downloaded this free basic version of Homeschool Tracker.   There is a paid version which is customizable for $50, but the basic version gets the job done.  It tracks assignments, grades, attendance and has lots of reports that can be printed out to various specifications including report cards.  It also has a journal, a reading log, tracks field trips and can handle multiple students.  Trust me, the free version does quite a bit for FREE!

And in, yet, other news….Palin totally blows her chance to lend herself some credibility as McCain’s running mate. She was too busy responding to harsh criticism, in an obnoxious high school girl manner, instead of simply telling folks what she plans to do if she did manage to get into the White House. McCain supporters scrambled to find a niche for her and settled on “the working mom” and “regular folks” niche. Palin never seemed to harp on the working mother fact herself until members of the GOP did so. Now, I would think she would use that as strategy, she’d talk about some things she’d do to ease the strain on working moms. Alas, she did not. I still don’t know her stance on any issues aside from anti-abortion, pro-gun and anti-sex education(I know family’s off the table, but we see how well that antiquated notion worked out). So here’s some advice Palin in case you’re ever given such an opportunity as to be a VP again and you don’t seem to know what the position entails:
#1 Have a stance on major issues
#2 Pick a particular issue or two to champion so you can tell the folks what you’ll bring to the table