HIGH SCHOOL EDITION #11
By Heather Idoni
Added Monday, September 28, 2009
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The Homeschooler's Notebook
***SPECIAL SERIES - High School Homeschooling***
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Vol. 10 No 71 September 28, 2009
ISSN: 1536-2035
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Copyright (c) 2009 - Heather Idoni, FamilyClassroom.net
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Welcome to The Homeschooler's Notebook!
If you like this newsletter, please recommend it to a friend!
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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Notes from Heather
-- Adding a Twist for Credit
Feature Article
-- Take Credit for What You Know!
Helpful Tip for High School
-- Charlotte Mason Book List
Answers to Reader Question
-- Help with Transcripts
Additional Notes
-- Newsletter Archives
-- Sponsorship Information
-- Reprint Information
-- Subscriber Information
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Notes from Heather
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Adding a Twist to a Passion for Credit in a Regular Subject
---
Do you have a son or daughter who isn't particularly interested
in a subject that is "expected" to be on a high school transcript?
Let's take history, for example. Perhaps you have a child who
is much more interested in business. They have a bent toward
entrepreneurship and have been researching starting their own
business... or they've been running various small businesses
over the years and being their own boss has become a real passion.
It is getting time to think about a high school transcript and you
can see areas of weakness. Looking over what they've done for the
first few years of high school, it seems to you there are obvious
gaps. The math is there, and the language arts... a spattering of
science (enough to get by, you think) -- but you don't see a hint
of a traditional history subject -- and you'd like to fill out their
education with a few more credits, too.
For the scenario above, how about putting a "twist" on a topic?
A few years ago I taught a co-op class on the global economic impact
of entrepreneurs in Michigan's history. The students were encouraged
to expand on the course and given recommendations for supplementary
reading, projects, etc. Studying entrepeneurs throughout history
can give you a history credit -- or if you have enough history, you
have an economics or business credit!
American Heritage Foundation (one of our sponsors!) has a FREE
entrepreneurship lesson plan -- and one of the books which they use
as a source, "Myth of the Robber Barons", is by the same author who
wrote the book "Empire Builders" that I used to teach my Michigan
entrepreneurs course! Both books are well worth reading. You can
check out all of AHF's FREE high school level lesson plans here:
http://americanheritage.org/high_.html
What about a girl who designs and sews her own clothing? She
certainly might get more excited about studying costuming throughout
history than a traditional history text. The same goes for military
history, agricultural history (for the future farmer), and even a
more obscure topic like nautical history. Anything goes!
Have a son who loves science and inventing? Don't waste time dragging
through a general history topic he may not care about. Let him
recreate historical science experiments and read fantastic biographies
of famous (and even obscure) scientists! I have shelves of Messner
biographies -- fantastic high school level *living* biographies by the
best authors of the 1960s published by Julian Messner. All of these
living books about scientists delve deeply into the science and history
of the day. You can do history -- and almost any other subject --
by going deeper into a passion with more focus. It makes for a much
more interesting transcript, too!
Have you put a "twist" on a topic or does your son or daughter have
a specific interest that you are including on their transcript?
I'd love to hear about it!! I'd LOVE to hear YOUR story, and I bet
our readers would, too. Put "twist" in the subject line so I won't
miss it! :-)
-- Heather (who is 45 today and feeling very "mature"... LOL)
Write to me at: mailto:heather@familyclassroom.net
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The low monthly fee 'Gold Care Club' is like a personal high school
support group. A FREE 30-day membership is available with Lee Binz's
e-book 'The Easy Truth About Homeschool Transcripts'.
The Gold Care Club offers audio and video courses about high school,
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"I'd like to thank Lee for helping me gain the confidence I
needed to start teaching high school this year. Instead of
timidly requesting information from various sources, I simply
devoured everything I could find on her website and spoke to
her several times as part of a Gold Care Club membership.
I cannot stress enough how empowering it is to have this
important information up front! I am not worried about missing
test dates; I know when to start communicating with colleges.
Scholarships are not a big mystery anymore. Transcripts will
be a labor of love instead of a necessary evil. And if we
prepare well, we may save thousands of dollars by obtaining
college credit in high school.
Yes, high school is a lot of work for both student and teacher,
but what a difference it makes to have a plan and to know the
game rules. Thanks again, Lee, for being such a great mentor."
-- Dana in Oregon
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Feature Article
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Take Credit for What You Know!
Using College-Level Exams to Get a Jump-Start on College
by Janice Campbell
---
One of the nicest things about homeschooling is that there is
an option for everyone. From unschooling to unit studies to
accelerated education, homeschoolers are all over the educational
spectrum. What we have in common, however, is a willingness to
take advantage of tools that make education - and life - easier
or more interesting.
One tool we have at our disposal is the College-Level Examination
Program (CLEP). (There are other college-level exams, such as
the DANTES, available, but to keep things streamlined, I'll just
refer to CLEPs in this article). Adult students have used college
level exams for years (I earned over 40 credits toward my BA with
exams), but homeschoolers have just recently begun to see the many
advantages they offer. Many colleges grant credit for acceptable
scores on college-level exams, making it possible to earn a year
or more of college credit while still in high school. Of the many
good reasons why homeschoolers might want to take a few college
level exams during the high school years, the most compelling are
credibility, time savings, and the cost/benefit ratio.
Credibility: Prove What You Know
While diversity is one of homeschooling's greatest assets, it
can also be perceived as a liability. Pity the poor college
admissions officer who has to wade through hundreds of applications
and transcripts each week! When dealing with an accredited public
or private school, he has some idea of the standards each is using
to assign grades. When dealing with a homeschooler's application,
though, he has no idea how objectively or by what standards grades
have been assigned. It makes it difficult to measure a homeschooler
against someone who has been more traditionally schooled. When a
student is hoping for an acceptance letter, he doesn't want to be
seen as a problem by the admissions officer!
So how can a student measurably and credibly demonstrate his learning?
A parent-created high school transcript is a start, but it doesn't
tell the whole story. When an admissions officer sees on a transcript
that a homeschooled student has taken English Literature and earned
a 'B', he has no way of knowing the scope and depth of the student's
work. However, if the transcript lists a CLEP score along with the
grade, the admissions officer immediately understands what the student
has studied and how well he understood the material. This gives him
an objective point of reference, and as a bonus, may also impress him.
Time: A Minute Saved is a (Credit) Hour Earned
I recently read a study reporting that it's taking longer than ever
to earn a four-year college degree. Some students are juggling jobs
and school, while others have had difficulty settling on a major.
Imagine what an advantage a student would have if he or she entered
college with a year or two of college credit accumulated during the
high school years! This credit cushion would provide the student
with several wonderful options.
The student could:
-- Choose to graduate early
-- Spend a year exploring classes that look interesting
-- Opt for a double major
-- Spend time as an intern or volunteer
-- Travel
By learning deeply and purposefully, and investing some time in
testing during high school, a student can make the most of the
high school years, and open up many interesting options for his
or her future.
The beauty of the CLEP exams is that they don't cause a lot of
extra work. Any high-school subject can be broadened and deepened
to college-level, especially a subject in which the student has a
natural interest. The exams measure whether a student has acquired
knowledge and understanding that is approximately comparable to
what he would learn in an introductory-level college course. If
a student loves a subject and has read extensively on his own, he
may be ready to pass a CLEP without much further study.
My two oldest sons took their first CLEPs at sixteen and fourteen.
The oldest enjoys history, so he chose to take the U.S. History I
exam, while the 14-year-old took the Analyzing and Interpreting
Literature exam. Neither did any special studying before the exams,
but both passed with remarkably high scores and percentile rankings.
This doesn't mean that the exams are easy; it just means that it's
possible to learn at a very high level by reading and studying
independently. They each went on to accelerate their bachelor's
degree through additional college-level exams.
When a student feels ready, it's convenient to take CLEP exams.
They are offered at hundreds of test centers on college campuses
nationwide. Most test centers are open to the public and offer a
testing session at least once a month. The test itself lasts
ninety minutes, and is taken on a computer. An hour and a half is
not a bad time investment for 3-6 college credits. I especially
loved the days when I spent three hours in a testing center and
walked out with twelve credits for less than $150. You just can't
beat that!
Money: A Penny Saved is a Dollar Earned
CLEP exams are an incredibly cheap way to earn college credit. Each
exam costs $72 plus a test center fee of $20-$25. Compared with
other credit-earning options such as distance learning or community
college classes, CLEP exams come out way ahead! If a student happens
to not score high enough to earn credit, the exam can be retaken
again in six months. It's not nearly as expensive or time consuming
as having to retake a whole class.
So What's The Catch?
It's true that the best things in life are free, but some of the
cheap things are pretty good, too. CLEPs are convenient - you can
take them when you're ready. They're cheaper than most other ways of
earning college credit. They're objective, they're widely accepted
(most, though not all, colleges accept at least some of the CLEPs -
check first if you have your heart set on a particular college), and
they make the most of your time. And your scores are maintained on
a CLEP transcript for twenty years so that you can have them sent
to any schools you wish at any time during those years. The only
potential downside I see is the pain of missing out on all the intro
level college courses that your fellow freshmen have to take, and
starting out in more advanced classes. Wait - that's actually
another asset! Higher-level classes are usually more specialized
and interesting than the survey-level (introductory) courses.
As you can tell, I'm sold on the benefits of college-level exams,
and CLEPs in particular. As outsiders in the education establishment,
homeschoolers often face a credibility gap. While this needn't affect
our educational choices, it's nice to be able to provide objective
proof of learning in a way that is non-intrusive. CLEP exams are a
cheap, accessible way of earning college credit and proving that
homeschoolers can teach themselves nearly anything they want to know.
---
Copyright 2006, Janice Campbell. [CLEP testing fee updated 2009]
This article by Janice Campbell first appeared in the November/December
2001 issue of HELM magazine. Janice is an alternative education
specialist, writer, and speaker, and the author of 'Transcripts Made
Easy: Your Friendly Guide to High School Paperwork' and 'Get a Jump
Start on College! A Practical Guide for Teens'.
For more information and to see all of Janice's helpful high school
resources, just visit her website through our special Homeschooler's
Notebook link:
http://FamilyClassroom.net/JaniceCampbell.htm
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Helpful Tip
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I enjoy looking at other people's book lists; being a book lover, I
find them inspiring. Here is one mom's "High School Un-Official
Charlotte Mason Type Book List":
http://homepage.bushnell.net/~peanuts/HSbooklist.html
---
YOUR tips are needed! It is hard on me trying to make up my own all
the time... LOL. I know there have been cool high school "discoveries"
you've made. Get to work writing them down and emailing them to me! :-)
---
Do you have an idea, experience, or tip to share? Please write!
Send to: mailto:HN-ideas@familyclassroom.net
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High School Question
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"We have begun searching for good advice and resources regarding
transcripts. What should be in a transcript and how it should be
presented? Both of our homeschoolers are college bound and the
younger one wants to be a doctor. We expect the transcript could
make a big difference. Just looking for some experienced help!
Thanks to any and all who respond." -- Ed and Debbie
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Reader Responses
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"I can't tell you what state I was in about a month ago, when I
had the exact same question. My son is in 8th grade, but doing
2 high school courses, so I wasn't sure how I was supposed to keep
track -- it seemed way too complicated. But I did some research,
I went to a H.E.R.I. seminar (Florida homeschool support), and I
am now confident in what I need to do. There is a great website
I found that helped tremendously:
http://donnayoung.org/forms/high-school.htm
She explains all the basics to keeping records, making transcripts,
figuring GPA. Not only that, she gives you print-outs to help you
get started. That link is to the beginning of several very
informative pages." -- Tammie
---
"We have graduated four of our eight children. Three of these
went straight to a 4-year university, and the fourth is attending
a local community college. Also, our daughter-in-law worked in
the admissions office at the university while she was a student
there. My husband designed their transcripts using Excel.
When it comes to transcripts, there is no one perfect way to set one
up. Every high school is different, and the university must evaluate
each student from the information contained in the transcript, not
whether it is done according to a certain format.
Donna Young's website has some sample transcripts and good info:
http://donnayoung.org/forms/planners/transcript.htm
Hope this helps." -- Sarah
---
"Ed and Debbie -- I am reluctant to give advice, especially to
your student who intends to be a doctor, but we do have a 16 year
old son who is probably in his senior year, and so I will share
our plan with you.
Our plan is to collect as many college credits as possible this
year and next year through CLEP and possible dual enrollment at
a local community college.
Our understanding is that if he has some college credits at the
time that he applies to the college of his choice, his application
will be handled more like a transfer, and his transcript will be
much less important or may not even matter at all.
The CLEP practice tests are available on line for a very small fee,
so it is pretty easy to find out if a student is ready for these
tests or if they still need more study. A student who applies
themselves can collect quite a few college credits in this way,
although some colleges do not accept an unlimited number of these
types of credits, and there are normally fees involved.
Please do not take my word for this, but I would encourage you to
do your own investigation and talk to the colleges in which your
child might be interested.
God bless your family. I hope that both of your students turn out
to be 'mighty in the land'. (Psalm 112:2)" -- Rick in Michigan
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New Reader Question for Next Regular Issue
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"As all homeschoolers can relate -- it seems we have many things
we have to tell our kids to do all day long. It can take some of
the joy out of our relationship (can't just be there waiting for
them after school with milk and cookies!). In light of that, I
get weary of reminding my kids/telling my kids to do all the other
stuff -- like cleaning their rooms. It seems I have to remind them
so many times not to leave stuff out, etc. My question is, for
those of you who might tend toward the 'neat freak' side like me,
how do you relax about this -- or how do you encourage your kids
to do this without feeling like you are barking at them all the time?
Thanks!" -- Amy
---
Do you have some ideas or practical help for Amy?
Please send your answer to: mailto:HN-answers@familyclassroom.net
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Ask YOUR Question
=====================
Do you have a question about homeschooling high school?
Send it to mailto:HN-questions@familyclassroom.net and we'll see
if we can help you out in a future issue!
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