home
curriculum articles

2004/~ 2005 :
2006 ~ 2007

SUBSCRIBE

Homeschool Australia sponsored by Always Learning Books Quality books full of ideas to motivate and help parents get started by some of the most experienced Australian and overseas homeschooling pioneers. ABN 17 503 397 443 PO Box 371 , Yankalilla , 5203 SOUTH AUSTRALIA

read more articles
by Beverley on
home education

Advertise on this site

National Home Ed Conferences 2007

Learning Without School : Home Educating Families Share a Day in the Lives

edited by
Beverley Paine

If you.
...are thinking about taking your children out of the school system,
...want to avoid school altogether,
...are curious about how homeschooling parents balance relationships, work and leisure commitments, manage the housework - and - educate their children at home,
...already homeschool but are looking for fresh ideas,
...are interested in other homeschooling approaches,
...or perhaps simply long to be a 'fly on the wall' and see how other families organise learning at home .

this book is for you!

ISBN 1876651202:
92 pp, 260g, B&W photos and drawings
$20.00
ORDER ONLINE

Rumour has it...
www.snopes.com is my favourite site for debunking urban legends and science myths

Homeschool Australia Newsletter
18th March, 2007

Editor:  Beverley Paine

Hello again!

Try as I might, putting out a newsletter once a month is too hard for me: once again I have a full newsletter only a week or two after publishing the last!

Quick Notes

My friend Esther reminded me that by law, Telstra have to provide a FREE directory assistance number, because they are still majority owned by the government. They choose however not to pass this number on to the public. What's the number?.... 1223 Write this number on, or by, your phone. Using the Sensis number that's advertised for directory assistance may cost you dearly.

Here's an interesting project that's bound to stimulate a lot of thought and perhaps result in some changed behaviours in your family. 40 Hour Drought follows the format of the 40-hour famine, this is being promoted by the ABC, on 21st. & 22nd.March: read more and register at http://www.abc.net.au/water/40hourdrought/

My daughter, April, is looking for tenants for her house at Cape Jervis, about 100km south of Adelaide: http://beverleypaine.com/housetorent/. If you know of anyone interested in a 'seachange', Cape Jervis is a quiet country town on the coast with views to Kangaroo Island, would you mind please passing the information on? Thanks. There's plenty of room to grow your own vegies, keep a few chooks, a duck or two, etc. Rent is $160. There are four double bedrooms and two bathrooms and a huge open plan living area.

In this newsletter:

• Quick Notes
• New on Beverley's Websites
• Article: An Inconvenient Truth
• Favourite Quotes
• FAQ: "worried that we are doing enough..."
• News
• Homeschool Networking and Blogs
• Favourite Websites

If you are reading the newsletter for the first time, did you know you can subscribe to our Yahoo group to receive regular announcements of when we post issues online? Each week or so you'll get a brief description of the most recently posted articles together with the links. Grab a cuppa, print the articles if you prefer, and enjoy! You'll find my favourite resources and useful homeschooling links in the newsletter. Please email your group news, comments and feedback to be included (or not if you prefer) in the next issue.

Don't forget to make use of your local, regional or state homeschooling support groups on the Homeschool Australia Resource Index page.

The Homeschooling Trail - A Journey of Faith, the first book Robin and I have published by another author with Always Learning Books, is now available.

Christian unschooling mother, Michele Hastings echoes the doubts and concerns that plague almost all families as they journey through their homeschooling adventure, especially as they move from more structured learning activities to allowing children greater responsibility for their own learning.

You can order your copy for $19.50 (free postage) from Always Learning Books.

What's New on Beverley's Websites

• My latest blog asks "What is a Permaculture Lifestyle?" - I rarely feel like a permaculturalist. What do I need to do to get back on track, or am I simply having another blue day?

An Inconvenient Truth

"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving." Oliver Wendell Holmes

It was with some trepidation that we sat down to watch 'An Inconvenient Truth'. We put off watching this for months because; one, we didn't think it would tell us anything we didn't already know; and two, we knew it would depress us. I'm pleased to say we were wrong on both counts!

The message of Al Gore's much publicised documentary is well known: Robin and I have been aware of climate change for over twenty years and to be honest, felt more than a little guilty that we haven't done more to mitigate our contribution to the growing greenhouse effect during those decades... Watching the documentary together with our now adult children as Gore outlined the damage humanity has created on planet Earth made us cringe in our seats. It's not the legacy we wanted for these young people, or their future children.

However, I've learned that feeling guilty is not constructive. It's much better to acknowledge that simply knowing isn't enough. This is something I've learned through homeschooling. Memorising and understanding maths facts is a neat trick; knowing what to do with those facts when faced with a problem that needs to be solved is true learning. As a child I was brilliant at remembering facts and formulas but inept at putting them to good use. Working out ways to use the knowledge and the insights and understandings we derive from them to improve our situation and that of others is, I believe, one of the reasons we are alive.

Most of our readers would know that Robin and I have dabbled, some might say extensively, in establishing greenhouse gas reduction strategies in our lives. Bungala Ridge Permaculture Gardens documents some of that journey. Home educating our children was an integral part of that process. We were determined to protect our children from the 'hidden agenda' of school: the ever present pressure to conform; to become consumers rather than producers; to reduce their ability to think critically about what they hear, see and experience.

That may be a harsh judgement on schools, but Robin and I are both products of the school system. Two decades of, more often than not, ignoring an inconvenient truth, betrays our social conditioning: we've stuck our heads in the sand like millions of others and ignored the scary message. Like sugar addicts we sought comfort food: when hints of despair and confusion arose we went shopping. Isn't that what we were supposed to do? What the ads tell us to do? We wanted to believe the message that school and our parents' generation pushed down our throats, "continued economic growth is good for the country, material wealth is security, the planet is a endless resource..."

It's easy to see now that our education did little to prepare to connect the dots, to create the links between knowledge, understanding and action. I see and hear many people in conversation about so many issues and problems. But where is the action? We are generation of people content to talk, to write reports, to endless discuss options, to review those options and to write more reports! In every area of our own lives I am amazed at how quickly Robin and I act to secure a 'fix': like addicts we work exceptionally hard to feed the craving while ignoring the underlying problem. It's taken me years to recognise and acknowledge this behaviour. But that's not enough. It takes a huge effort to change it. Effort means action. It's time to act.

Visit the An Inconvenient Truth web site for ideas on what we, as individuals, can do to alleviate this pressing global problem. There is also An Inconvenient Truth Educators' Resource. You will need to register to access free, downloadable lesson plans.

Get Up are sponsoring an AustralianYouth Climage Coalition a non-partisan coalition for teenagers and young adults determined to mobilise an entire generation in the struggle for climate justice and a clean energy future. Download a four page ASEN Climate Change Guide. The Coalition have a Climate Change Declaration and an action plan for young people to use. From the website: " The Coalition is planning for 'youth climate conferences' aimed at training young people from a variety of different backgrounds to be effective youth climate advocates, especially those who will be most affected by the impacts of climate change (low-income; Indigenous; and coal-affected communities)."

How can we, as home educators, work together to fix the problem of global climate change?

Reducing our personal greenhouse emissions is a start but perhaps it's time to examine the very nature of homeschooling and ask some uncomfortable questions. For a long time I've felt concerned that home educators, in their quest to provide adequate learning activities and materials for their children, consume a massive amount of resources. I wonder what the effect would be on natural resources if every school child in the world had the same kind of access to resources that we provide to our children. Do we inadvertantly consume too much? Are there better ways of achieving our goals? I believe so. Working together, sharing resources, without recreating school-like environments for our children, has long been one of my cherished dreams. Many homeschooling families are already doing this...

In the meantime here are some ideas for reducing our impact I brainstormed this morning:

1: A wise person once said to me: "eat off a smaller plate if you wanted to lose weight". I've yet to apply that principle to weight loss... My house looked like a kindergarten most of the time with well organised shelves loaded with useful resources in every room. I liked to have things on hand, just in case they were needed. Perhaps I could have had a 'resource room', or used only one wall of shelves... thus restricting our intake of resources.

2. Live in a smaller house so that we have less 'stuff'. Or specify uses for different areas and rooms and train ourselves to not spill activities into neighbouring areas. The resources we use for each area could be kept in each area, and hopefully returned if used elsewhere. Instead of expanding areas if they become full, it would signal the time has come to go through what is there and make a committment to use it or pass it on to someone who will...

3. Focus more on 'being' instead of 'doing' and 'making' in our lives. After all, sensory delights are what make life rich. It's the 'doing' and 'making' that end up cluttering our lives. We like to hold onto things too - keep them as evidence of past joys, achievements, etc. Do we really need artefacts to help us remember? I have boxes of 'bookwork' that the children did two decades ago that I can't let go of... and I remember needing to collect anything and everything that demonstrated my children had learned something. I needed to trust more and collect less!

"Live simply so that others might simply live." Gandhi

4. the first step to getting out of a hole is to quit digging. Stop shopping for resources. Look around - what do I already have that I can use? Resolve to consider alternatives before making any purchase of $10 or more. Pause. Wait a couple of days. Look carefully at what is already on hand that I can use in all areas of your life. A wise friend once told me that community begins where I am: it's no good going somewhere else to find it! We don't need to read another book about how to change our lives. All we need to do is take those first few small steps - we need to stop researching and start acting!

"Many of you will be familiar with the term "Reduce, Re-Use, Re-cycle" . Maybe you are not aware that those instructions are stated in order of priority. That is, it is more important for us to reduce our consumption than it is to re-use items and re-using items is more important than re-cycling our waste." Sally Lever

Queensland homeschooling mum and regular blogger, Belinda Moore, alerted me to the http://www.thebigswitchoff.org/. Like Belinda's family we're going to give it a go! The challenge is to leave no environmental footprint for one day: to switch off, have a day off of consuming and not emit any greenhouse gases! Check out the big switch off website for how you can be involved too.

"I have read much and found nothing but uncertainty, lies and fanaticism. I know about as much today of the essential things as I knew as an infant. I prefer to plant, to sow, and be free." Voltaire

"If only we could take the lead from Voltaire and simplify our lives, pull back from an ever-deepening dependency on materialism in order to pursue something far nobler - a sane life. In our post modern age we are increasingly pushing ourselves into busy-ness, too much busy-ness that is harming our bodies, our minds and our planet. We need to slow down more, take time out to reflect on the important issues of life. We weren't built for a 24 / 7 existence as if it was the only way of being in this world. There is simply too much preoccupation with ' doing ' and not enough simply with ' being. ' Part of this modern, hyper activity is, I suspect, evasion - an escape from confronting thoughts that could challenge us personally and the economic system we are involved with. If only we could give ourselves time, precious time to contemplate on this wondrous gift of life we have been given and the tremendous purpose we could serve in this world. A purpose that is large enough to embrace the wellbeing of the planet and all of its inhabitants."

Michael Lewin 2007, first published in The Simply Living Newsletter, March-April 2007

Favourite Quotes

In 1854, when the Chief of the Dwamish surrendered his Indian lands to American Governor Isaac Stevens, the Indian observed bitterly: "We know that the White Man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same to him as the rest, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He kidnaps the earth from his children. He does not care. His fathers' graves and his children's birthright are forgotten. He treats his mother, the earth, and his brother, the sky, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His appetite will devour the earth and leave behind only desert."
From "Colonising Australia", an article b y Alfredo Roces, editor of Australian Geographical Magazine , Vol. 10, No. 1, March-May 1988

"Clearly the problems we suffer cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them." Albert Einstein

FAQ:

Mishell wrote:
"I think I get a little stressed and worried that 'we are doing enough'... and I think we are probably doing too much 'book stuff'..."

It takes a family beginning homeschoolting time to find the right balance between doing too much and doing enough - think in terms of months instead of weeks here!

Be assured, you are 'doing enough' right now. In the early days of escaping school 'doing nothing' is actually enough. Don't worry about how much you or your children do - watch what you are all doing, make a few notes each day about what is done and what is learned and you'll be surprised just how much you are getting done when you 'slack off'. Busy periods are a natural product of homeschooling but they must be balanced with quieter, less hectic times - we and our children need time to consolidate and reflect on new learning. This isn't always available in school, which is why we forget so much of what we've learned there...

Why do we need to be doing something all the time in our society? At the age of forty something when we start to wear out we suddenly start thinking, ohhh I should meditate or relax or go for a walk to get in shape, take time out... From childhood we're pushed to be busy all the time, lest we look like we're shirkers, no hopers, good at nothing. The drive to achieve and succeed is implanted deeply in our consciousnesses and the pity is that our schooling has taught us only one way to get
there!

Your children will need time to find their self-motivation - they've been used to being told what to do and when to do it all the time they will naturally want to be 'taught', but will treat you like they treat
their teachers... showing the usual apathy, resistence, boredom that children in school during lesson time!! Time off from learning in this fashion helps them to realise that their learning is as much their responsibility as yours...

It's a tough time for us parents but it is a transitory one. Some children take six months or more to 'settle in' to homeschooling. Most homeschooling guides say to allow a year.... :-)

Have a look at some of the articles on the How To Homeschool page of my Homeschool Australia website. Some of the Managing Homeschool Life articles might be reassuring too.

You are most welcome to subscribe to the Homeschool Australia FAQ online support group. We rarely stray off topic and don't get into long and frustrating debates. Our aim is to stay respectful of diversity and celebrate all forms of homeschooling.

"I have only recently discovered this group also and have received much support from all the ideas put forward by so many intelligent, wise and open minded people. The practical support is very thorough and realistic too." Sophie

The more we chat the more comfortable about home educating our children we become!

News

National Downshifting Week : 21st - 27th April 2007. What steps can you take this year to downshift your life for a more sustainable future? How about making a start in the lead up to National Downshifting Week. See the website for further details on how you can take part with your business, your friends and family.

Don't forget to register for the 2007 National Home Education Conference - places are filling fast! Visit the conference website at http://www.nhedconference.com or email conference administration on info@nhedconference.com or telephone 07 3843 1782 to register or for further details.

There has been a change of dates and venues for the Tasmanian Conferences:

Homeschool Networking

Design Your Homeschool is a new website by Sydney homeschooling mother, Marianne. Use the website as a guide to planning and creating a tailor-made Christian Homeschool.

Barinya - an educational and information site for every family! Barinya is an Australian Aboriginal word meaning Star. It is our aim that our site will become a Guiding Star to families everywhere, wherever they are in their journey through life. One of our main areas of focus is to help awaken a love of learning throughout life, by providing educational activites with a difference. Our educational activities are designed to stimulate a child's natural curiosity and creativity.
We believe that learning and discovery are an adventure... learning is ongoing... learning is life! New educational activities will be added all the time, so check back regularly. If you have any of your own acitivities, or other material, that you think might be of interest, please contact us .
We will also be offering useful information on family concerns, travel, products, books, movies, competitions and much more. So, join us here at Barinya!

Favourite Websites

Ann McLaughlin sent me this link to Erik Dammann's Future in Our Hands network in response to our need for a dramatic rethinking of how the rich 1/8th of the world impacts the poor 7/8ths of the world.

Robin and I thank all our customers for purchasing from Always Learning Books in the past. If you are looking for great unschooling titles you can now find these at Eleanor Spark's Real Homeschool Bookshop. We will continue to sell my books on our ALB website, as well as new homeschooling and learning naturally titles over the coming years.

Homeschool Australia is delivered to you by ALWAYS LEARNING BOOKS

As homeschooling parents with over twenty years experience, Beverley and Robin Paine write and publish several books teeming with practical information that will helps you get started or continue to feel confident with your homeschooling adventure. Enjoy!

 to UNSUBSCRIBE to this newsletter send a blank email to:
HomeschoolAustraliaNewsletter-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Beverley began writing for home educators in 1989 an continues to add to her growing collection of homeschooling and unschooling titles. Her aim is to demystify the education process and make it accessible to all parents. She began home educating her children when it was almost unheard of in Australia and is a passionate advocate of true educational choice for families. She shares her perspective as well as great ideas to motivate and help you enjoy this wonderful family adventure through articles and books and online at www.homeschoolaustralia.com . Enjoy!

Beverley Paine's
HS DIARIES

Spiral bound, clear plastic cover, 225g, A5... $8.50
ORDER ONLINE

We do not to charge membership or subscription fees or accept paid advertising. We are funded solely by modest sales through our on-line store and, more importantly, by generous donations. Education Choices

Text on this site Copyright © 1999-2007 Beverley Paine. All rights reserved. All copyrights are retained by original authors. Please report broken links to the webmaster.

Help | Disclaimer | Copyright | Privacy