I just read an article by the education blogger about a family who felt humiliation might be the key to get their child to try harder in school. The family punished their kids for bad grades by making him stand on a corner for six hours with a placard announcing his bad grades and that his “future=shaky”. As homeschoolers we also have times when we feel a child is not putting forth his or her best effort academically. The thing is that lack of academic effort is usually a symptom of a bigger problem. As parents we must ask ourselves: … Continue reading →

Were you aware that students print cheat sheets in a very small font, then tape them to the inside of a water bottle label. The water magnifies the text, and walla! They get an easy A? Were you aware that students scan a coke label, and then edit in a graphic design program to have information on the exam instead of the ingredients? Neither did I? Did you know that you can purchase a pen that you can tape cheat information in and each time you click the barrel, it reveals more information? I am amazed. Did you know you … Continue reading →

In a time of mass failure of standardized tests, and children finishing high school unable to read or do college level math, it seems that schools are spending more time and money worried about behavior and tracking kids than actually teaching them anything. In a case of innovation gone awry, a school district in Sutter California has mandated that students wear radio frequency badge/transmitters so the school can keep track of the children. The badges show the name and grade of the student along with a wireless transmitter that beans their ID number to a teacher’s handheld computer when the … Continue reading →