Lovely, Graceful Crows Who Fascinate Me, Will Now Be Hunted Legally in Utah for Sport

My living room has 2 large windows. I have a large tree across the street from me. For years, I have enjoyed the late fall, winter and early spring scene of crows socializing in my window. Lovely crows and ravens in my window and in my yard, have fascinated me, enough that I love them with a great big passion. Their grace and beauty is astounding. My son and I watched a documentary about how they are smarter than dogs. My kids love them, too. They are beautiful. They are wonderful. I am so glad God created them.

http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2013/12/naming-of-birds-proves-baffling-at-times.html

Sadly, they are now going to be hunted, and quite likely to endangerment of species status. If not that, they will be hunted to near endagerment of species status. In my ten year old son’s words, spoken bravely today to 200 people, “We have no kdea what will happen with the food chain.”

Today, my children and I went to the Division of natural Resources Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. My kids and I spoke aganst crow hunting for sport, in Utah. 3340 people had signed a petition against the legalization of crow hunting in Utah. There were about 200 people at the meeting, from my estimation. Many special interest groups against hunting crows spoke. then many people spoke against the legalization of crow hunting.

One man said he does psychological research, studying birds. He said he could not even find 200 crows needed to do a conclusive study of the way the birds think and how and why they act. One man claimed he and his group of bird watchers have counted birds for many, many years, and there are not enough crows to warrant this. He said if just one person per day, for the crow hunting season in effect, killed the allowed 10 crows, 1200 crows would be killed in just one year. He said at this rate, they will become extinct soon.

I stood up with my 6 kids and, while breastfeeding my baby, stated that there would be too many bugs in our lawn, were we to hunt this many crows, and they are beautiful. We love to watch them in the fall, the winter and the early spring.

They thought my kids were cute and the DNR staff were eager to give us learning souvenirs about DNR. They showed us the vending machines, which were chuck full of expensive, non-vegan foods. My kids were starving, so they got some, then a staff member kindly notified us the meeting was beginning again.

The next part of the meeting was very boring for my kids. It consisted of the board members discussing possible solutions. It was voted that they would separate the decisions.

One decision to be made was that there needed to be a solution for farmers who did not even care enough to show up to the meeting. These farmers who had supposedly called in to the DNR, wanted to be able to shoot crows who eat their crops. The DNR has not presented any evidence about such people existing. It was discussed with experts and the experts said they have non-lethal ways, with laser beams, to scare the birds away from an area, when DNR is called upon by a farmer.

The other decision was whether to get rid of the law already put into place, that there would be a crow hunt in Utah.

These men voted for the crow hunt:
John Bair
Calvin Crandall
Steve Dalton

These men voted against the crow hunt:
Michael King
Bill Fenimore

Please write to Governor Herbert. http://www.utah.gov/governor

Tell him the names of the people on that board who did not listen to the people. Ask him to appoint people who reflect the beliefs of the majority of the people, and the people who came to this meeting!

If Governor Herbert will not listen, please do not vote him into office again next time! Please show up to vote, and vote against him.

Thanks!

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/58217288-78/utah-hunt-crow-wildlife.html.csp

United States History: What To Cover in Our Homeschool

In light if the new A.P. History Standards development, I do not know whether getting my kids college credit by A.P. Exam is worth the college credit. It also makes me wonder what I should cover and how. I am the teacher in my little homeschool, after all! There are so many things in United States History. There are many things I do not know. I know the values I have and I know what is important to me. I wish I could cover everything God would want me to cover, at least. What would God have me and my kids know?

New A.P. U.S. History Standards, 2014, by the College Board

I took A.P. American History in High School. Among all of the important things I learned, I learned that textbooks are not the best source for history lessons, but instead, articles and books written specifically about each period by historians who were specialists in a certain piece of history in a specific time period.

I have endeavored, so far, in teaching my children, to find primary sources and texts written by historians who are experts in a certain topic. This is much easier now because I can just download very old free kindle books typed up by groups of volunteers. I read the long books which are very detailed. Then I teach my children about what I have read.

Thus my children do not learn by textbook or by a pre-written curriculum. I try to give them an accurate picture of history. I try to give them a picture of history showing many different peoples and their unique perspectives. My children know that from the perspective of one group, it was thus, and from the perspective of this other, it was thus.

This method reminds me that I cannot possibly cover everything. The more detail with which I cover things, the fewer items I can cover. This begs the question, what shall I cover? An outline written by God wouod be ideal. He knows what my kids face in the future, and thus, what they, personally, need to know. I can ask God, but how will He answer? Will he tell me by leading me to certain books? I really need His help on this matter.

Another question I have is this: If what is covered for the A.P. Exam is changing, are the items for the CLEP also changing in the same way? I would assume so, as they are both created by the College Board. If this be the case, then what an I to do? I did want to teach my seventh grader now, things she will need to know to pass one of these tests for college credit, but I do not want to only teach her certain things, because they will give her college credit. Is the goal of getting College Credit, more important than to know what God wants her to know?

I can honestly say, I do want both. I want her to get college credit and I want her to know, that what God wants her to know, are these other things, and they are more imoortant things to know.

I do think that to teach her what God would have me teach her, is what I should do first. After I have covered those things really well, I think I should then guide her to study for the college tests, knowing that the things I will have taught her well already, will help her to have a strong foundation already, and will keep her from becoming indoctrinated whilst studying for the college test.

This in definitely a challenging time period in history. To explain all this in heaven will be interesting. When I get to heaven, hopefully, people will be pleased with what I have taught my children concerning the lives which they, those citizens of heaven, experienced. My goal is to please them.

Here is a web site I have also found. I am wondering whether it be accurate and a good place to start. http://www.ushistory.org/us/

Related

Re-Writing United States History is David Coleman’s Job

Homeschoolers and Weber State University Associates Degree

https://lisajacksondesign.wordpress.com/category/homeschool/early-college/weber-state-university/associates-degree/united-states-history/

When You First Start To Homeschool…

I just read this blog post. It was great! http://www.reallifeathome.com/advice-for-new-homeschoolers-just-taking-their-kids-out-of-public-school/

I thought I would add to it, what I think. Last week, a woman told me that she has a daughter who hates to read. I finally found out her daughter is homeschooled now, but has been only since school let out, in June. It was only mid-July at the time. There is something homeschoolers learn right at first–I learned the same things at the beginning, the first month of homeschooling. What are these first things learned when starting? They are the disappointments of the public and charter school system. She learned that her daughter hated to read. I learned that my kids had only been given free reading time 5 minutes per day, and usually had only gotten to go to recess, right after lunch. I learned that my kids had been learning every day, things like, cleaning up my mess is not my job. It is the janitor’s job.

After the first month of homeschool, you have learned a ton, but it is only a drop in the bucket compared to all that you will learn. The second month, you may do as I did and read up on all the styles and methods out there, because you have met some other homeschool moms and you have no idea what they are talking about when they use acronyms or names if people to tell you how they home educate their kids. After learning all you can, you decide what you want to do and tell other moms. You meet moms who do not like your decision and want you to do as they do.

Your third month, if it is like mine, you begin to feel that your system, to get kids to follow your schedule and chosen method, is not working. You either seek advice, read more, try a new system or give up.

Your fourth month, if you are like me, you begin to see that going longer than the 3 months which are the summer, is a good idea. Things are finally starting to work. You also begin to see the differences begween your kids and the neighbor kids. Those neighbor kids never get to go out and play in their own yard, during the day. You feel for them.

After about six months, if you are like me, you will begin to see a really big difference in your family harmony and in your kids. Although it has not become perfect, the behavior of your kid will likely be much better.

After a year, if you are like me, you will begin to change. You will have an epiphany and will begin to see that a lot of things that those crazy, weird unschoolers do, work. You will begin to have a new respect for unschooling families and will start to watch them, ask them questions, and read books about them. If you are like me, you will also begin to see that you are not just in this to catch your kids up. If in one year you were able to get them this far, then you would be able to accomplish even more with them, in two years! You also see how many more mom friends you have, than you had when you were friends with the other PTA moms. It is incredible how many great relationships you have now, after only a year! You will have to keep this going. You have to keep homeschooling until your kids graduate from high school.

After the second year, if you are like me, you become a bit of a conceited jerk. I sincerely hope this does not happen with you, but it did with me. I began thinking that my way to homeschool was most certainly the best way, and everyone else who homeschooled with a different method, was just pig-headed, stubborn and/or just foolish. I got a bit too preachy.

Hopefully after two and a half years, I am not coming off that way quite as often. I do have my way and I like it. I have learned, however, that to judge others on their style, thinking their choices are wrong, is very ill-conceived. They have a different family dynamic. Their kids and the parents, also, have different personalities than my kids. They and their kids have different needs. They and their kids have different learning and teaching styles. It is all o.k. It is fine that they do it differently. In fact, as an eclectic homeschool mom, I may even learn something great from them. I may learn quite a few great things from them! This new attitude of the acceptance of the methods of others, has helped me a lot in homeschooling. It helps me with friendships. It helps me with homeschooling. It helps me to become a better human being!

I tell you with utmost sincerity that I am so excited for the things I will learn before three years of homeschooling. I am excited for the behavioral changes I will make, which will change my life! I am so pumped up about a new year coming on! I know my kids will learn and become, too. I am so happy about it.

Standard Examiner (Ogden): Utah Online Charter School

I just read an article written by the Standard Examiner about this online school, Utah Connections Academy. My two sisters were part of this school. I will summarize their experiences myself. This will be from my perspective, and from what they told me. I will call them Sister A and Sister B, to protect their names and privacy.

Sister A had been thinking about homeschooling for years, but did not know where to begin. She did not want to make lesson plans. She wanted all lesson plans to be written and prepared for her already. Sister B had felt that through many talks from General Conference, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Holy Ghost was whispering to her, that she needed to homeschool her kids. Sister A found out about Utah Connections Academy and told Sister B all about it. Both joined their kids up.

Sister A received her box of materials for the school year and set up her homeschool room. She took our parents and me on a tour of her homeschool room, and was very excited to begin on the homeschool journey. Sister B registered later, so she received her supplies later.

We went out to eat together and mostly, I listened to them talk about this school. They were very excited that not only did they not have to worry about lesson plans. They also did not have to worry about socialization, because field trips were aplenty, paid for, and fun, for the academy.

They discussed how to log in, doing their first online reviews of lessons, and participating in virtual class sessions with the virtual teachers. Even though it had been only a week, they also discussed being behind and needing to catch up.

Three days into it, Sister B sent her kids back to public school. Ater two weeks of trying trying it, not feeling that catching up was ever going to happen, feeling overwhelmed, and knowing there was a better way, Sister A quit and became a full-on, no-Charter-School, homeschool mom.

What happened?

The school was asking the moms to teach each kid a different lesson for each subject each day, count and track hours for every subject, and teach a certain number of hours per subject per day. It was impossible. The school was not allowing them to do what homeschools have to do to survive.

Homeschool is a different beast, than public or charter school. In homeschool, the homeschool mom must teach one lesson to all her kids at the same time, and let the older kids do more work. She cannot teach “school at home” in a formal schedule, and track a certain impossible number of hours per day on each “subject.” Homeschooling requires that mom teach without tracking hours or subjects. Homeschooling is a lot more relaxing, and has to be, for the mama and the kids to survive.

All this change from public school? How can they learn, then? Learn they do. Please read my other blog posts about homeschooling, by using “search” to find out more about what interests you, or click on a subject link on the right side of the page. Thanks!

Amazing Article!

This is an amazing article! http://www.spiritualsoapbox.com/2014/04/education-manifesto.html

Multiply and Replenish the Earth

I just read about this organization. It makes me boiling mad. Sustainable development means population control. It means more if this, it means this is what will be pushed in the media. http://smallfamilies.us/

This organization wishes to spread the word that it is o.k. to “plan” your family. What they mean is to plan when your family will be finished growing. What they mean is, plan without God. They say, you need to look at finances, career, lifestyle, etcetera. It makes me wonder, whether they think I did not plan my family. I did. My plan is to have my quiver full of them! My plan is to make a plan with my husband in prayer. That means that our plan is to listen to God and have regular communications with God on the matter. Our plan is to let God make the plan. That is the lifestyle I want. I want to be a mother. That is the career I want. I do want a paycheck. My paycheck will come in hugs, cuddles and love.

God said His thoughts are not our thoughts and our thoughts are not his thoughts. That would apply very well to this movement. If you watch the video at this link by clicking on YouTube, at the end, the father of only two by choice says, “You are not the King. You are not God,” as his argument for not ruining the earth (by not having too many kids). I responded in the comments, that he is not King or God, either.

This is not going to make God happy. It will make God very sad indeed. God told Adam and Eve to multiply and replenish the earth. My ancestors had many kids. Many of them had as many as 14 kids, and from what I understand, that was normal then. It is not only no longer normal, but now it is considered selfish, even to bring into this world over 2 kids. This is very sick and twisted.

Years ago I read this book. It is called “The Third,” and is written by my friend, Abel Keogh. This book changed the way I have seen things happening ariund me ever since I read it the first time. It is about a family exoecting a third child, in a time in the future when they cannot legqlly have a third child. It is a very good book. It is a good book because it is a page turner, thrilling and exciting to the point kf your house going “to pot” while you finish it. I do see things coming closer to the way they are in this book, every year, and this is not good news. It is very scary! It is very sad!

Test Your Way Through College in Homeschool

If you do not wish to go attend classes at the University, but want to get University Credit, you can buy study packets or books, for AP, DSST or CLEP test.

Find out more details on these tests here.
http://www.weber.edu/admissions/aptests.html

You can study for the test, then take the practice test within it. When you pass, you can then go to Weber State’s Testing Center and take each test. I have to give credit where credit is due. I learned this from this meeting, but I learned to ask about it from books. One was “The Brainy Bunch.” The other was, “How to Homeschool College.” These are great books. They are chuck full of good stuff. Get them and read them!

Homeschool Transcript Using High School Graduation Requirements of Utah

Requirements Grades 9-12: 24 credits total (21.5 required, non-elective, 2.5 electives)

Fine Arts
3.0 credits. Choices: dance, theater, visual arts, film, music, Choir, piano, dance

Social Studies
3.5 credits. Choices: U.S. History, Government & Constitution, Geography, 1/2 year World Civilizations

Math
3.0 credits. Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Advanced Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, ACT math, pre-Calculus, Calculus, statistics, accounting

Science
3.0 credits. Earth science, Life science, Physical science, Chemistry

Physical Education
3.0 credits. Team Sport/Athletic Participation (Basketball, softball, dance, gymnastics, archery, track, swimteam, martial arts team, dance)

English Language Arts
4.0 credits.

Technology
2 credits. Choices: Word Processing & typing, graphic design, family and consumer sciences

 

Make Your Own High School Transcript

Name of Student
Name of your homeschool
Phone number and address
Year long courses: Child Care, Child Development, Pre-School Teaching, Political Science
Semester courses:
Include Dual enrollement, early college, community college, co-op, honors, A.P., C.P., name of test
Grades: List semester grades and end of year totals
GPA
Credits, list per semester and cumulative
Letter Grades
SAT scores &/ or ACT scores
Parent name annd signature
Date

leadership
Jobs
extracurricular activities
Awards
One page max, to describe each course

How to get into Early College at Weber State University as a homeschooler.

Sources: wikihow.com, “the Brainy Bunch”, books by Lee Binz, books by Cafi Cohen

Homeschool and Early College at Weber State University

I just got back with my daughter from a meeting at Weber State University, about getting in to Weber State as an Early College student.

I learned a lot. (Note: This was accurate as of Summer, 2014. I do not guarantee it still is.) This is what you need to get in:

–No High School Transcript is needed.

Easy Steps:

1) Attend the introduction to Early College information session (1 hour) at Weber State. (Sign up for the class at weber.edu/earlycollege .)

2) Get an ACT composite 21 or SAT score 990 (you can take the test at Weber State, but your score will then only be valid at Weber State).

3) Fill out the Early College Admission form online (you will need to get a username and a password).

4) Pay a $30 application Fee.

5) Fill out and sign online, the Parental and School Counselor consent forms.

6) Set an appointment with the homeschool early college Advisor, to discuss with her your personal plan and needs. Make a plan with her, for which classes you will take.

7) If you want a special Associates Degree, go to weber.edu/advisors to find out which classes will be required for it. You can download an app with advisors listed, called “Weber State Academic Advising.”

8) Attend Orientation session for Early College (1 hr.). Register for this at weber.edu.

9) Pay Tuition and Fees, and Register for 7 credit hours, maximum, in 2 classes, maximum, for the initial semester. They recommend that one of these two classes be “UNIV 1105 Foundations of College Success.” In this class, students will learn about possible career and degree options, note taking strategies, study strategies, research strategies, learn about the campus, learn about what is available to them at the University, exam preparations, etcetera.

10) Apply for financial aid. This is to be done before applying for scholarships.

11) Apply for Early College Scholarships. There are scholarships just for Early College students only. Some are needs-based. Some are merit-based.

 

Scholarships for Early College:

1) First, they recommend that you try to get a scholarship that is needs-based. This will depend on your financial aid application.

2) ACT composite on ACT or 1550 on SAT. GPA not valid or looked at for homeschooled kids for Early College Scholarships. Testing alone determines your place on the grid. It is as if you have the lowst GPA possible. (This seems very unfair to me).

 

Scholarships because of Early Associated Degree:

If you complete your Associates Degree by the same time you would have normally graduated from High School and have a 26 ACT or a combined GPA for the entire degree, and ACT score, composite score of 100 or better, you can apply for the New Century Scholarship.* If the New Century Scholarship is awarded you, it would pay $1250 per semester, and may be used at almost any University. It is a stackable scholarship, meaning you can apply for others to use along with it. This is at NewCenturyScholarship.org.

*[They have a chart, where you find your GPA on the top and your ACT or SAT score on left. You see where they come together, and they have made values for where each GPA/ test score combination, meet. The value where they meet has to be 100 to qualify to apply for this scholarship. If you go to this early college information session, they will give you this chart and they will explain this to you. An example is: You have taken all classes for an Associates degree before High School graduation time. Your University courses averaged over the entire time working in this degree, wverqge out to w 3.2 GPA. You re-take the ACT test. You score a 21 on the ACT test. This gets you a score of 101 on their chart. You may apply for the new Century Scholarship!]

 

Costs of Early College include:

1) $30 application fee (no fee for concurrent enrollment)
2) $10 student I.D. Card
3) Parking Permit
4) Books and/or supplies required and/ or needed
5) Tuition and Fees

If you want to know how to make a homeschool High School transcript for Utah, check out how, here. https://lisajacksondesign.wordpress.com/category/homeschool/homeschool-high-school/

Test your way to an Associates Degree with Weber State.

I wish you the best! Thanks for reading!

Eclectic Homeschooling: A Family- Created Mix

I consider myself an eclectic homeschool mom, and my favorites are 1) religious, 2) unschooling, 3) iPad learning, 4) school at home, 5) TJED Vanguard group, co-ops and field trips, and 5) Montessori. Every eclectic homeschool has a different mix. Every year, my mix has changed. It is called eclectic because it is a mix of styles.

You will find in meeting people who consider themselves eclectic homeschoolers, that every eclectic homeschool has a different mix. Also, you will find that this mix changes, to “roll with the punches.” My mix started out with 1) school at home, 2) religious, 3) Unit studies, and 4) learning games.

My second year, my mix was 1) whole language language arts and Constance Kamii math 2) montessori, 3) religious

I love being an eclectic homeschool mom. This means whatever works best that year, we do. It means I do not shove away something different that I hear about. If it works and we love it, we embrace it!