Java -- teaching/learning options

Benjamin really wants to learn Java. Now I need to find some alternatives:

Sun Microsystems talks about learning/teaching Java:
http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/comm_invest/jgp/bhs.html

BlueJ was designed to teach Java:
http://java.sun.com/features/2002/07/bluej.html

Wake Tech has some 6 week online courses, including a great sounding one for Intro to Java:
http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/oic3/newcrsdes.cgi?name=waketech&course=jab&title=Introduction%20to%20Java%20Programming&departmentnum=WP&path=1

Non-traditional, interest-based options for MS

After talking with Bridget last night, my challenge to myself is to come up with a list of options for how to get middleschoolers involved in learning activities with others that would involve meeting/getting to know other kids, and furthering their interest in a certain area.

TEAM COMPETITIONS
Team competitions are great for a number of reasons. The competitive aspect works for some kids but I don't think it does for most. However, there are many other reasons to get involved in team competitions:

• It's a great social opportunity with a purpose so the kids can get to know each other better without all of the focus being on finding common ground
• It gives the team members a goal to work toward with parameters laid out and a rough plan on how to get there -- but still lots of opportunity for creativity
• It gives them something to work on with others who are interested in similar topics
  
• It gives a deadline so there is pressure to get something done and a time when it's over
  
• It gives the kids a feeling of being part of something bigger
• It gives endless opportunities for developing team building skills, learning how to work with different learning styles, learning how to brainstorm as a team, etc.
• It gives them a reason for improving their skills and knowledge -- not knowing how to do something, not following through will hurt the team, not just them
• It gives a reason for a deadline that isn't just to respond to a teacher's request -- it's the team's deadline, it's for the end result, they're helping their peers
  

1. FIRST Lego League (which I can talk endlessly about the benefits of -- see the results for my middleschooler at: http://water4tomorrow.org ). This is for 9 to 14 year olds: http://firstlegoleague.org ).
   
   
2. FIRST also offers a middle/highschool option of programming VEX computers (FTC http://www.usfirst.org/what/FTC/default.aspx?id=380)
   
   "The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) is a mid-level robotics competition for high-school students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics Competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit. The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering. "
   
   
3. FIRST's major highschool program involves big robots -- again, bringing in programming, design, marketing, technical writing, presentation, working with the public, mentoring kids, etc., etc...
   
   
4. Math Olympiad, Science Olympiad
   
   
5. Envirothon (http://www.envirothon.org/) -- very cool slideshow to watch. I think this would be a great option for Benjamin at some time (for Grades 9 to 12) and I know that the Wildlife Center at Centennial Campus has classes for envirothon teams. Might be fun to go to their Nationals in 2009 in August in Asheville since it's close.
   
   
6. Here are some very interesting technology competitions (individual and team) from the Technology Student Association but I don't know if they're open to homeschoolers. Might trigger some ideas to look up, though:
   http://www.tsaweb.org/Middle-School-Competitions
   
   
7. EV Challenge -- a middle-school competition where a team builds a solar car and races it each spring. I don't know if homeschoolers can compete or not but it looks like a fun challenge. http://smarttchallenge.com/Schools/Middle_School/
   

I'm sure there are multiple other competitions but that's a start.

Non Competition Options
I think you can meet some of these characteristics with other options like forming a small coop to explore one topic. Maybe have the kids involved in deciding what topics will be explored for 6 weeks at a time and do classes (sharing with each other) and field trips on those topics. Another option might be to buy a kit and work on it together (like a solar car kit). Or form a "technology club" and have a list of options available for them to work on. Or be involved in a service project of some scale (Habitat for Humanity, Save the Rainforest, or something like that?). More of a challenge to come up with a topic but still doable.

The big thing is to find an interest, identify a goal, and find some other kids who want to be involved (& who have similar interests).

Local places for kids -- preliminary

Downtown Raleigh:

Natural Science Museum


NC History Museum

Marbles Museum
(IMAX for all ages but most of the museum is for the 10 and under crowd)


Durham:
Life Science Museum
Lots of inside and outside things to do -- most of the day

Duke Gardens/Cathedral



Chapel Hill
Planetarium

Asheboro
NC Zoo

Grammar Checks: Dr. Grammar

Easy to find grammar/word questions... Different from or different than...?

http://www.drgrammar.org/faqs/

A couple more simple and clutter-free websites

Just because one can dream... (more important when life is swamped!):

The Simplicity Habit
http://simplicityhabit.com/

My War on Clutter:
http://www.43folders.com/2007/07/02/clutter-discard-not-organize

Website design for kids

Kompozer: tutorial:

Blog with info about statcount, creating a website with Kompozer, etc.:
http://wysifreeauthoring.blogspot.com/2007/11/counting-kompozer.html

StatCounter (free):
http://www.statcounter.com/

HTML Tutorial:
http://www.w3schools.com/html/
http://www.w3schools.com/web/ (cool example of different CSS style sheets)

Learning HTML for kids:
http://www.goodellgroup.com/tutorial/

IPL Kidspace: Learning HTML
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/kidsweb/

Beginning Homeschool Links

An email I sent to a new homeschooler today who has a middleschooler. Some good websites to keep in mind...

Also, here's a website about deschooling -- written by Sandra Dodd who is a big unschooler. Even if you don't think you'll be an unschooler, it's helpful to read ways to shift your paradigm about what learning is and isn't!
http://sandradodd.com/deschooling


LEARNING STYLES:
This is the questionnaire we used to determine learning styles:
http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm

And a great book about it: How Your Child is Smart by Dawna Markova (you can read a lot of the book at the following website):
http://books.google.com/books?id=Zl8pJ6r5sJkC

Another great book about different types of learning is by Cynthia Tobias: The Way They Learn

RIGHT BRAINED LEARNERS:
I should say that I don't know if Alex is a right brained learner or not but it sounds like he might be. If you were to draw a huge venn diagram, there is a big circle of overlap for ADHD/ADD, right brained, dyslexia, and those who benefit from vision therapy....

A great summary of the Right Brained/Left Brained resources:
http://www.throwingmarshmallows.com/right-brained-links/

and a book (I have it if you want to borrow it):
Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your Add Child by Jeffrey Freed

Right brained learning cards for states/capitals:
http://www.arty4ever.com/right/brain.htm

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Local email loops:
http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/spice-line/

http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/WakeHSConnections/

A website about a workshop a friend and I organized in June this summer (I have booklets available for $5 each to cover the cost of printing if you want one):
http://www.freewebs.com/stayingthecourse/

Dayspring Home Educators (monthly meetings -- 3rd Monday of each month -- open to everyone):
http://dayspringhomeeducators.com/

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Other animal/wildlife resources for classes/field trips -- let me know if you need help on how to organize any of these and keep your sanity!:

Hemlock Bluffs will set up any classes you want if you organize a group/age group. Just email them and tell them what you want -- age range (11 to 13?), topics, if it would be a standalone class or a series.
http://www.townofcary.org/depts/prdept/facilities/snchome.htm

Natural Science Museum classes (only $35 -- up to 30 kids -- still a great price if you limit it to 10 kids)
http://www.naturalsciences.org/education/tropical_connections.html

Duke Primate Center (lemurs):
http://lemur.duke.edu/

A very cool tour of carnivores:
http://www.cptigers.org/

NC Wildlife Programs at Centennial Campus:
http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_08_education.htm