Tips for Preparing for College
2008-10-10

D.E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, MDiv
As a high school teacher, it always amazed me the number of juniors and seniors really had no plan for the future. Usually, they had a career goal in mind but no plan for achieving it. Other times the dream career was unrealistic. Other times I would see otherwise, good students enroll at the local community college only to leave after few semesters never really accomplishing anything. One common thread I observed was that the students had never really planned or thought of the future. I believe homeschoolers have advantage in helping their child prepare for a future career because freedom in selecting curriculum. This freedom makes planning for the future even more important homeschoolers.

Begin planning early. I think sixth grade is a good time to begin planning for many reason. Find out what types of careers your child is interested. Spend time exploring careers. Help your child develop a plan to achieve their desired career goal. Also, get your child involved in planning curriculum for middle and high school. This helps your child take ownership of their education and future.

Select high school and middle school courses that give you a head start in college. It is good idea to be well informed of high school courses required for college admission. Most colleges include a list of suggested and required courses students need to take in high school for admission. This is especially helpful if your child already has a college in mind. It is not uncommon for students to take pre-algebra in seventh grade and algebra in eighth grade. This makes it easier to meet the math requirements for college admission. This first year of Spanish or another foreign language are often taken in eighth grade. While taking algebra or foreign languages in eighth grade give you high school credit, they do not count in the high school GPA. Taking AP courses, dual enrollment and/or CLEP not only help get college credit they also reduce the cost of college.

Be a well-rounded student. The trend in college admissions is to de-emphasize test scores and consider other credentials like course selection, grades, community service and extra-curricular activities. As a note on community service, many colleges do not consider mission trips or other church actives as community service. One guideline I discovered is that nothing through church that involves teaching religion or evangelism will count as community service. Church sponsored service projects or even a mission trip spent building a orphanage or similar activities will count. It is advisable to describe what was done on the mission trip and not call it a mission trip.

Have a plan for paying for college. Don’t count on getting scholarships espec...
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Yom Kippur
2008-10-08

D. E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, MDiv,

Literally, Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement. For Jews it is the most important holiday of the Jewish year. The establishment of the Day of Atonement is found in Leviticus 16:29-30. The purpose of Yom Kippur is to atone for the sins of humans towards God not other humans. Atonement for sins is made by seeking reconciliation with that person. It is necessary to seek reconciliation with other prior to Yom Kippur. (1)

Yom Kippur is to be a time of reflection and focus on one’s spiritual condition. Five prohibitions intended to draw one’s attention away from physical needs and instead focus on spiritual needs:
* Eating and drinking
* Bathing
* Anointing (applying perfumes, etc)
* Maritial relations
* Wearing leather shoes (2)

Observance begins on sundown of the day before. Yom Kippur ...
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Technology Talk: Excel
2008-10-06

D. E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, MDiv
Today begins the first in a reoccurring series of ideas for integrating computer skills with content lessons. My goal is to go beyond the obvious of using Word or another word processor to type reports.

I taught computer in Christian school for about 8 years. I was responsible for teaching all grades. During that time I the standards being taught were changed greatly. The biggest change was on the Elementary level. Around 2000 our accrediting agency wanted elementary computer classes to focus on learning computer skills. This meant no games but rather teach them how to use applications like Microsoft Office. I could easily see teaching PowerPoint and Word. However, it was with much skepticism that I began teaching Excel especially in the lower grades. After, all it was difficult for many of my high school students to grasp. I selected some of the easier lessons from the material I had been given. Much to my surprise not only d...
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Review: Fireproof
2008-10-03

By D.E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, MDiv
We saw Fireproof this weekend. Fireproof tells the story of firefighter Capt. Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron). At work Holt is a hero who rushes into burning buildings to save others and is committed to adage “never leave your partner behind”. However, things at home are quite different Holt’s marriage is in a tailspin. Holt and his wife Catherine (Erin Bethea) are in a state constant conflict and headed for divorce.

Fireproof may be the best non-animated Christian movie I have seen. Fireproof is the third movie by Sherwood Pictures and the first one intended for theatrical release. Sherwood Pictures is affiliated with Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA its mission is to create quality family friendly movies. Th...
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October Theme Ideas
2008-10-01

by D.E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, MDiv

This is the first installment in a new monthly feature at HomeschoolBenefits. Each month will feature a list of themes, holidays and teaching resources for the month.

Holidays/Special Days/Birthdays
I have provided a theme for most days of the month. Also, include is a lesson idea, teaching tip or suggestions.

Oct 1: Homemade Cookie Day -- Math Lesson Idea: Bake cookies. Cooking is a great practical math lesson. It is a fun way to teach measurements and fractions.

Oct 2: Farm Animal Day -- Take a field trip to a farm.

Oct 3: Music Lover’s Day – Study a famous composer. Attend a concert or better yet put on your on concert. For added fun try making your own instruments

Oct 4: Golf Lover’s Day – For P.E. play a round of golf, par 3, mini-golf or even Frisbe...
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Library Can be Key to Success in School
2008-09-26

Thursday, August 21, 2008
K.G. Wilkins

The start of school is always exciting and sometimes very stressful. Fortunately, the library is here to help children and their parents or guardians.

High school students are going to be asked to learn things independently, and the library is the gateway to knowledge. With a library card, they can use the public computers for up to one hour a day. If they use a computer at home or school, they can use their library card number and personal identification number to access the many online databases the library provides. Professional and experienced librarians are available to help in person, by telephone and online.

Students 13 and older may obtain a library card if they have a photo ID and bill or other document, which can be in their parents' name, that includes their current address.

Middle school students are at a crucial stage in their education. Encourage them to get in...
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Creating a Home Library
2008-09-24

Starting a home library for your child shows her how important books are. Having books of her own in a special place boosts the chance that your child will want to read even more. Here are some ideas for creating your own home library.

Finding books
• Become a treasure hunter! Browse book store sales, garage sales, flea markets, used book stores, and sales at your local library

• Organize a children’s book swap with friends, community groups, or your school

• Encourage family and friends to give books as gifts for birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations

• Don’t forget quality nonfiction and children’s magazines!

Building your library
• A cardboard box or small wooden packing crate that you can decorate together might make a good bookcase. Or you might clear one of the family bookshelves.

• Pick a special place for your child's books so that she knows where to look for them – in a...
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