-By Mimi Rothschild

Whether you find that your homeschool needs conflict with the use of the family computer for work or play, you have enough students that you feel the need for a second computer, or you’ve had your computer for so long that you just need a new one, there comes a time in the homeschool career when you need to buy a new computer.

How can you choose the best one for your needs?

“Your needs” is the important phrase there. It is possible to pay for features that you won’t use, or to end up feeling frustrated with your new machine. Before you shop, spend some time thinking about your needs.

• You watch online videos and lessons. You’ll not only want to be sure to have as much memory, or RAM, as possible (for speed and smoothness) and a good video card, but also a good set of headphones so students can comfortably watch lessons without disturbing others, and possibly also sound cards and speakers that allow all students to listen and watch together.
• You use the internet for research. Make sure you get the fastest processor for your money. Graphics cards, hard drive space, and software bundles aren’t so important if this is your main use of the computer. Instead, go for speed – and watch for deals that include a printer so you can print hard copies of the information you find.
• You use the computer to produce papers, web pages, and art projects. You may not need speed, but make sure you have enough memory for all the programs you want to install, and hard drive space enough to store large projects. Bypass the DVD burners for software bundles, but only if they include programs you really need, and are really less expensive than buying the programs individually once you subtract the programs you don’t need.
• You like to work in lots of different places. If it’s important for little brother to do lessons at big brother’s soccer game, in the car while traveling, or at dad’s office, then go for a laptop. If you stay in the schoolroom till it’s time to go out and play, then a desktop machine will give you more for your money.

Computers are becoming more and more affordable, but you still have choices about where to put your dollars. The clearer your ideas about how you want to use your new machine, the better your stewardship can be.

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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of Learning By Grace, Inc. the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.

Online Education Experiences #2: Opening Doors

Hear how this Master’s student learned valuable lessons from classmates, then applied them at work the next day. Find out more about online courses and online education for homeschoolers at www.TheJubileeAcademy.org

Student Testimonials
High School Students on online homeschooling.

RIT Online Learning Showcase

An overview of RIT Online Learning’s activities in 2006 includes the usability evaluation of Pachyderm, a product of the New Media Consortium (NMC), myCourses courseware management, Breeze web conferencing software, and blending learning

by Mimi Rothschild, Founder of Learning By Grace, Inc. the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.

In spite of the fact that we are never too old to learn, I believe it is true that the best learning for human beings is when he is in its period of immaturity. The longer the period of childhood, the greater the possibiliies for learning.

A few summers ago, I was walking through a wooded park. Seeing a strange gray and white object lying in the path, I stopped to pick it up. It was full of hexagonal cells and curiously crunched up with paper covering over one of the cells. Out flew a hornet, who knew exactly what to do and it promptly. No one had instructed his newborn creature in the art of self-defense. It was born at sure knowing all of it ever need to know, and caring within itself the exact pattern of all that it could ever be or do. A dog’s puppyhood lasts about three months. The old saying that it is “hard to teach an old dog new tricks” is not without its foundation in truth. After weaning, the earlier the trainer gets the puppy. The more he can do with the puppy in 12 or 14 months, the dog has reached maturity and its best learning period is over.

The term instinct has largely fallen into disuse by modern psychologists, but it is a fact that the lower the form of life the more completely equipped for existence when it is born. Wasps, bees, flies can perform at birth without practice or learning, with all that they need to do is survive. The higher the form of life, the more helpless the incident is at birth and the more prolonged is its period of immaturity. The human child still has much to learn. There are no moral or spiritual qualities to be developed in a hornet or in the puppy. Not only must the human infant be taught the rudiments of self preservation, but also he must learn to live in a social and moral world. He must learn that his wants and needs follow up while of the utmost importance to him, must on occasion give way to the creature needs of others. An only child who sees his mother’s lap and breast preempted by the new brother. That place which until now has been his own place of comfort and refuge, learns that hard lesson early. The child is aware of others in his world with rights and privileges equals to his own. If he comes from Christian parents, he should have learned that God made his world and in His laws govern it. The child has begun to discover that it is a world in which cooperation works best, but he can work with the Supreme Being and that those who share the world within and so make it a happier and safer place in which to live.

All of this learning is possible because the child can think, as his experiences increased in number and kind, he recalls many of these and reflect upon them. He exercises judgment in connection with them and comes to certain conclusions, which helped him to make judgments and adjustments in his contacts with the natural world and with other people as the child learns and grows, he masters the techniques of knowledge and thought that make the world safe for, more beautiful, more convenient for himself and his friends. He finds that thought mocks the universe, and that a lifetime is too short to learn all there is to know. Who can doubt that the long period of human child and a definite part of God’s plan for those creatures whom he has made and equipped to think and to work with himself?

by Mimi Rothschild, Founder of Learning By Grace, Inc. the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.

Objective observation of children at play is highly rewarding. To those who have never watched children at play, the first observation may be a startling experience. Though there are exceptions, most two or three year old children, free to choose their own activities, usually do so without fear. Their need for supervision is obvious. Yet the experienced homeschooling parent does not guide their boundless energy with endless “do’s” and “don’ts”. Instead, she proactively provides opportunities to explore and investigate. She encourages the homeschool children to try out materials and equipment, to do what is safe at the same time she leaves them free to venture and to experiment with what she has made available.

It is helpful to study the equipment provided by those who know and understand the physical needs of children. Note the large but lightweight box, but push and pull toys, the big boxes that can be climbed into, that can be filled up, emptied out, pushed over on their sides, all through the use of the larger muscles. Note, too, how careful the homeschool parent is not to cause fear or uncertainty in the venturesome child who is about to scramble up the jungle gym for the first time. She noticed that children are often better judges of what they can do that are anxious adults. She does not continually warn “Look out, you’ll fall”! That is a frightening thought to implant in the mind of the little adventurer. Instead, she said, “go slowly”, “Hold tight.” With these encouraging suggestions, a climber reaches the top successfully. He shouts in triumph, “See what I can do!”

Observation of older children is just as rewarding. The older child is greater skill in handling himself. There is evidence of purpose in every act, but he is more cautious in attempting what is new to him. Older children do not reveal their curiosity as frankly as little children do, nor do they call attention to their successes as openly. They are most humiliated by their failures, and often struggle with surprising determination to overcome physical difficulties.

Watch for signs of beginning cooperation in little children. Notice, to have the understanding leader of older children forestalls difficulties through sick gestures for cooperative action. She notices, for example, that France is an undertaking to move the bookcase away from the wall and that it is too much for her. Before temper blazes, or discouragement stopped efforts, both homeschooling parent suggests to Edith, “Francis needs help”. “Will you see what you can do?” She turns her attention to a couple of juniors who are growing weary or bored and says that’s too something else to do. Perhaps you end Mali would like to help clean our supply closet or would you rather work on our castle?

No single trait is more essential for effective Christian living, and the ability to live and to work with others cooperatively.