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January Newsletter: Spring Semester Begins, Critical Thinking Special, Winter Olympic links,nd More!
Published about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Spring semester starts this month! We have reminders about spring classes and a special on a critical thinking self-paced class. We also have a new teacher spotlight, AI hints, and ACT tips for you. Plus, we have some cool Winter Olympics links and new podcast episodes. Finally, we included information on contest opportunities for writers and those who enjoy (or need to work on) vocabulary. We think you'll find something in this month's newsletter especially for you!
Disclosure: This newsletter may feature affiliate links, which means we will earn a small commission if you purchase through the links provided.
Teacher Spotlight
Rachel at Cape Point, South Africa
Rachel van der Merwe
Rachel Lara van der Merwe is an assistant professor of media studies at the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies at the University of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. She moved to the Netherlands in 2020 after finishing her PhD in media studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. (Rachel was homeschooled from 8th - 12th grade)
While she lived in Groningen for several years, she now lives in the port city of Rotterdam, where she can see the cube houses and Europe’s oldest skyscraper from her window. Besides the University of Groningen, Rachel also teaches a course on Culture and Environment at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, and she is affiliated with the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State in South Africa.
Rachel researches the relationship between media and national identity, particularly in her home country of South Africa. Her first book, We are not South African: Mediating National Identity in a Postcolonial and Postapartheid State comes out in April, but she has already dived into her new project, Gaming the Nation, studying the South African video game industry.
In her free time, Rachel reads an absurd amount of science fiction and fantasy and also loves to watch SF films and TV. Space opera is her preferred subgenre, and she loves series like Afrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time novels, Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire, and TV show The Expanse. In addition to researching video games, she also loves playing them and is a particular fan of puzzle-adventure games like Cocoon and Split Fiction.
But she doesn’t just spend time behind a screen. Whenever possible, Rachel likes to be outside in the sun. Rachel has been a cyclist for many years and has recently taken up running, completing her first half-marathon in October. She enjoys hiking and traversed about 900 kms of the Camino de Santiago (the Northern Route).
"Great Class! Would definitely recommend to anyone who loves critical thinking, and discussion. This class gives an engaging and in depth look at how visual media affects our world, how we perceive it, and how it changes out lives. Truly an incredible class!"
Benjamin Sebastian
JUST FOR YOU:
January Special
Critical Thinking for the Digital Age self-paced class for grades 8 - 12 is now on sale!
Full-year classes that can either be started in spring and completed in the fall or just the second semester can be taken (not dependent on doing the fall semester first):
World Geography
Earth Science
Writing Fun (middle school)
Foreign language classes that can be taken as self-paced but teacher-graded and started at any time:
French
Latin
Self-paced classes can be taken any time of year:
Intro to Adobe Photoshop
Computer Applications
Critical Thinking for the Digital Age (on sale through 1/19/26)
Graphic Design with Canva
Health
Intro to Theater
Intro to Photography
Beginning Music Theory for Teens
Middle School Anatomy
People have expressed interest in summer classes. This was an option in the past, but due to low registration, we stopped a few years ago. We could offer Programming, Canva, Health, Art History, Photography, Jane Austen, and Artificial Intelligence.
February Poll: How many books do your children typically read in a year?
Science fiction and fantasy writers have an opportunity to win cash prizes in this contest.
The contest runs all year, and you can enter once per quarter. AI is not accepted. You can enter a short story science fiction, fantasy, or light horror up to but not exceeding 17,000 words. No excessive violence or sex is allowed in the story.
All judging done by professional writers. Three prizes of $1,000, $750, and $500 are awarded every three months. From the twelve quarterly winners, a grand prize winner is selected to receive the L. Ron Hubbard Golden Brush Award and an additional $5,000 cash prize.
Try this prompt in ChatGPT or Gemini: "“My child is interested in ___." Suggest educational connections or mini-projects.”
Upcoming FundaFunda Events
Build strong academic vocabulary in January with our Vocabulary Challenge.
The contest runs January 19th-31st, and is for students in 6th-12th grades. Only 20 spots are available, and the cost to participate is $5 per student.
Students will join a private contest classroom, work through assigned vocabulary lists, and earn points through interactive practice.
The students with the two highest scores win a prize ($20 Amazon gift card for first place and a $10 Amazon gift card for second place). Plus, all participants receive full Vocabulary.com Premium access through June 30, 2026 ($39.99 value).
Register here, and remember, registration is limited to the first 20 students.
The Winter Olympics start February 6th! Check out these resources for Winter Olympics fun!
FundaFunda has an Olympics: History and Culture Mini Unit Study you can use to learn about the Olympics from their beginning in Ancient Greece to the present. This mini unit study is designed for 4th-8th grade students and will take approximately one week to complete.
Olympic Soup has a free fine motor skills artwork activity where younger students can create their own Olympic rings!
Did you know the Olympic rings represent five continents? Teach Starter has a free world continents brochure you can download and use with older students to take your study of the Olympics to a deeper level.
ACT CORNER
ACT BYOD
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is available for ACT online testing. Students testing online will have the option to bring their own computer or a school-managed computer to the ACT test site.
Students will need to install the ACT Gateway application and ensure the device meets all requirements.
The ACT Gateway application is currently supported on school-managed Chromebooks, Windows and Macbook. iPads and tablets are not supported at this time.
Using a device they know can help students feel more comfortable and confident on test day when choosing the online test format.
In our Homeschooling with Technology podcast, we explore new and different ways of using technology in homeschooling. There is an episode released every week!
You can start listening at any time. Just click on a link to listen in a browser, or find the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Email me if you need help! We have a tab on our website to browse through all our past podcast episodes easily. Check it out!
Learn how to make this an AI-Powered Holiday Season! If the holidays feel overwhelming, especially for moms carrying the mental load, AI can help you offload decisions, plan your days, generate gift ideas, create activities, and more.
Code.org has transformed its annual Hour of Code into the Hour of AI, offering a wide variety of free, interactive activities that help students understand artificial intelligence—not just coding. Some of the resources we tried out are: AI Quests, Two Truths and an AI, AI Quest Bot (By Magic School), Vibe Coding, and more!
Meryl discusses why STEM gifts matter for kids and teens—and how choosing the right ones can build creativity, problem-solving, and curiosity. Whether you’re catching Black Friday sales or shopping any time of year, today’s episode is packed with practical ideas for skill-building gifts.
In this episode, Meryl talks with Matt Dalio, founder of Endless Studios, about why game creation—not just game playing—can equip teens with powerful, real-world skills for future careers.
In this episode, we explore the alarming rise of AI companion usage among teenagers and the serious risks these tools pose. While AI can be incredibly useful for education and productivity, AI companions designed to fulfill emotional and social roles present unique dangers that most parents are unaware of.
Free Resource Library for Subscribers
Access the Free Resources Library HERE. Password: edufun
Spring semester has started - but it's not too late to register for our classes! We have reminders about spring classes and a special on a critical thinking self-paced class. We also have a new teacher spotlight, AI hints, and ACT tips for you. Plus, we have some cool Winter Olympics links and new podcast episodes. Finally, we included information on contest opportunities for writers and those who enjoy (or need to work on) vocabulary. We think you'll find something in this month's...
We have links for last minute gifts and the opportunity to receive a free teaching resource in this month's newsletter. We also have updates on our regular features like AI and ACT tips. And, we have new podcast episodes. It's a busy time of year, but you need a break, so grab a cup of coffee and browse this month's newsletter! Disclosure: This newsletter may feature affiliate links, which means we will earn a small commission if you purchase through the links provided. JUST FOR YOU: December...
We have links for last minute gifts and the opportunity to receive a free teaching resource in this month's newsletter. We also have updates on our regular features like AI and ACT tips. And, we have new podcast episodes. It's a busy time of year, but you need a break, so grab a cup of coffee and browse this month's newsletter! Disclosure: This newsletter may feature affiliate links, which means we will earn a small commission if you purchase through the links provided. JUST FOR YOU: December...
