Today was a quiet Sunday. Church in the morning, a friend over for lunch, working on some EO stuff in the afternoon, some tidying up and stuff. As for the boys, more of their online learning, emails, no blogs today, and playing with the Hot Wires again.
Talking of blogs, today I drafted my first post for Teachers TV! I think you can view the blog even if you aren't an Associate, but I'll post it here for your opinions!
Don't forget, whilst I intend to write it just how it is for us, I am extremely conscious of the "audience" and think it would be remiss of me not to consider that, in both what I write and how I write it. So you may find it a bit "grand" but hopefully you'll see why I'm writing the way that I've decided to:
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Well, this week's blog is going to prove a bit different!
I am one of the growing number of home educators who are Associates with Teachers TV. Yes, I *do* see the irony, but actually I welcome the way that we are recognised as educators and facilitators by the folks running the Associates programme.
As well as educating my own children at home (I've got four boys), I also organise a support group based in the south east of England. We currently have 105 families who enjoyed going on outings together, regular local meetings and events, friendship and community.
In addition to that, I am a local contact volunteer for Education Otherwise, the home education support charity and the largest such organisation representing home educating families in the UK.
On top of *that* I sit on their Government Policy Group, and am their National Media Coordinator.
It keeps me busy!
I find it fascinating, actually, as in these roles I come across such a wide range of parents and children that I have come more and more to believe in the absolute essential of personalising a child's education to (as the law puts it) "their age, ability and aptitude". No two children are alike; no two children are raised identically (even my 4, due to their different personalities, receive/interpret my parenting differently); no two set of families' circumstances identical. These lead to unique outcomes for every family.
In that vein, did you see the recent Teachers TV programme on home education (http://www.teachers.tv/video/22401)? I didn't see this the first time it came out in 2002. At that time, I didn't know anybody who home educated their kids (my two eldest boys were in school). I'm not sure how I would have reacted if I had seen it, to be honest, other than perhaps to feel that it reinforced my view at the time that only certain types of people could, and did, home educate. I wasn't even sure at that time that it was legal.
Three years later, in 2005, I was forced to find out more for myself when a variety of situations led us to realise that school was not the best place for our two lads. Having then discovered the legal validity - and the potential benefits - of home education, we removed the boys from school, and haven't looked back since!
I hope this week will give you just a flavour of the way that *one* family has chosen to achieve that education suitable to age, ability, and aptitude, for the children. I also hope that it may dispel some of the many myths and mysteries surrounding home ed, and give you an insight into the way in which our community operates.
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Hmm. So what do you think?!
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1 comment:
For what it's worth, I think you've managed to write a concise opening blog, in which you very clearly describe what you do and why you do it. I think it's very suitable for your target group, who - generally speaking - usually know very little about home ed. I personally feel it's very important that *we* keep working on informing *the public*, educate them towards a growing understanding of home ed. I so often meet people who think they know what home ed is, but then when you get talking, they only know very little and are not aware of the bredth and depth of the home ed field.
Well done you for taking on this challenge, on top of everything else you already do! Have you got a link to where you're posting? I'd be interested to follow it and read the commments!
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