Office Deport CONTEST: Project Backpack

Here's a great way to keep an artistic kid busy this summer: Office Depot just launched a competition to design a backpack using Sharpie Markers. The winning entry will be produced and sold and there will be $10,000 in prizes.

Customers can enter the contest by creating a design on one of four Office Depot canvas backpacks that can be purchased ($14.99 each; available in blue, pink, olive and green khaki, that will include two free individual Sharpie markers of your choice) from a participating Office Depot store, or by downloading an official contest template from www.myprojectbackpack.com. After designing the backpack using Sharpie markers, participants can upload a photo or scanned image of their backpack to www.myprojectbackpack.com along with their official entry form.

The contest launches June 28th and all entries must be received by September 19, 2009.

VIDEO: Myths About Homeschoolers

Hilarious YouTube video put together by a couple homeschooled young ladies; very clever and entertaining AND definitely makes a good point! Nice job.

LD OnLine :: Making It Stick: Memorable Strategies to Enhance Learning

We all use strategies throughout our day to remember the variety of facts and ideas we need to retain. Strategy use forms a critical part of our learning experience. Strategies help us organize information into patterns and encourage purposeful learning. Our brains are selective. Brains tend to remember information that forms a memorable pattern.

It is valuable for us, as teachers, therapists, and parents, to have a basic understanding of how we remember information so we better appreciate the need for strategies. As we understand the purpose, we become better equipped to help our students understand and use strategies.

How to Let Homeschooled Children Study Languages?

by Audrey Morales

Foreign language learning is considered to be one of the most important and advantageous endeavors that learners of any age can invest their time, money, and effort in. For families who are homeschooling their children, they are often asked about how they put foreign languages in their children’s curriculum. At this age of advanced technology, homeschooling parents don’t need to worry since there are many available tools online which they can easily choose from.

Homeschooled children have the advantage of choosing which languages to learn and they can choose the ones which are not commonly taught in regular schools. There is a growing need of learning Oriental and critical languages, why not let your children learn those languages?

Studying foreign languages at home could be challenging: children may have a hard time in learning pronunciation and accents unless the teacher of languages is a native speaker of the languages being taught. There are available downloadable software and educational sites on the internet which provide audio tools for language learning however; there are some feedback on some tools that say that some are not spoken by native speakers of the language being learned.

The good thing with learning foreign languages at home is that children can learn them at their own pace; they can progress to another level once they have covered all aspects and finished all lessons of the language on the level that they are in. They don’t have to worry about keeping up with their peers as how it usually happens in regular classrooms.

Another option for homeschooled children to improve their foreign language skills is to study languages abroad. This may literally take children away from home but this will give them an experience they will treasure for the rest of their lives. Having the opportunity to study languages abroad will help them build confidence within themselves as they tackle tasks in language learning in a different place, a place where the language they are learning is spoken as a native tongue by the people around them.

Studying languages abroad will give young learners the chance to be immersed in the language they are learning, the culture and history of the city and country; as well as have the opportunity to meet new people both locals and foreigners who are also learning languages like them! They will be learning not only about the culture of the place but also of other nationalities.

The experience of studying language abroad will also help young students become independent; they will be living in a different place for a period of time and they will learn how to take care of themselves. Most programs offer homestay options where language learners will be living with host families while other programs offer dormitories where they will be staying with other language learners from different parts of the world.

Several researches have found that children are fast and efficient language learners and they become aware of more things and cultures if they learn foreign languages. Let your children study languages and help give them a better future and a better outlook towards the world.

A Note from MEET ME AT THE CORNER, Virtual Field Trips for Kids

Natalia Paruz and the Musical Saw A Virtual Field Trip from MEET ME AT THE CORNER Natalia affectionately known as the "Saw Lady", has spent over a decade bringing the rare art from of playing music on a carpenter's saw to audiences around the world. Television appearance include FOX ( Good Day New York), ABC ( Good Morning America), VH1 ( Behind the Muisc, and  NPR's  A Prairie Home Companion. Take a virtual field trip with  MEET ME AT THE CORNER to the The New York Library of Performing Arts and learn about the history of the musical saw and hear Natalia play Amazing Grace.

Big Universe Taking Book Website to the Next Level

Big Universe Taking Book Website to the Next Level: "Big Universe Inc., an award-winning Internet newcomer, is taking its educational service to the next level with the launch of its premium subscription, which multiplies benefits on this children's picture books website.

The premium subscription enables online members to read the most beautiful story books in children's publishing in their entirety, as well as print the books they have written using the site's innovative Big Universe Author tool. The website is a cost-effective option for educators struggling with budget cuts during the current economic crisis.

"The buzz this company is making is phenomenal," said Anil Hemrajani, founder and CEO of Big Universe Inc. "Publishers, educators and parents can't wait to get involved with this new service, but that's not that surprising," explained the website's creator. "We have put together a really strong value proposition for teachers and parents, as well as for the children's book publishers, who are partnering with us on this venture."

Members have created more than 5,500 books to date -- stories which can be shared with other site users once the books have been submitted and approved by a review board. Users can track reader feedback and stock personal favorites on virtual bookshelves. Kids can share their favorite books with others and improve their reading, writing and computer skills, as well as their hand-eye coordination as they learn to place text, pictures and animation in self-generated e-books."

New Book Helps Kids Stop the Bully Machine

New Book Helps Kids Stop the Bully Machine: "Parents, teachers, and other caring adults believe that kids deserve to feel safe, secure, accepted, and valued, whether at home or at school. Yet every day too many kids are being teased, called names, harassed, or threatened--or worse. To the kids being bullied, it can feel like a powerful machine has taken control of their lives: the Bully Machine.

GOOD-BYE BULLY MACHINE by Debbie Fox and Allan L. Beane, Ph.D., (Free Spirit Publishing, $6.99 softcover, $12.99 hardcover) was written to teach kids ages 8 and up what bullying is, why it hurts, and what they can do to put a stop to it. Part of the Bully Free Classroom™ line of resources, GOOD-BYE BULLY MACHINE engages kids with clear messages and unique collage art."

How to teach your kids 'fractions', with a tape measure

How to teach your kids 'fractions', with a tape measure | eHow.com: "Ask any carpenter to add or subtract fractions, and it will seem like he's a mathematician on the subject. It's because he is so familiar with fractions as he uses them every day. It's a procedure we use in the trade known as 'cross taping'. We'll show you 'how to'."

How to Learn Fractions

How to Learn Fractions | eHow.com: "Learning fractions can seem scary when you're looking at all those numbers. However, even preschoolers can learn fraction basics."

Getting Started With Home Schooling

Getting Started With Home Schooling | Homeschooling: "Home schooling had provided many advantages and benefits to both parents and children. That’s why many parents have opted for home schooling in providing their child the indispensable education that their children need.

However, some parents find home schooling a daunting task. So, for parents who find home schooling a bit of an overwhelming task, here is a list of some tips on how to get you started in home schooling your child"