Monthly newsletter packed with info on free and paid resources for homeschool parents wanting to prepare their children well for college and careers.
Share
March Newsletter: Self-Paced Sale, Crossword Creating Contest, and More!
Published about 1 month ago • 5 min read
This month we have a self-paced class sale and an announcement about new self-paced classes. We also have a new teacher spotlight, some cool science resources, new podcast episodes, information about a crossword-creating contest, and more! Enjoy!
Teacher Spotlight
Bryce Canyon National Park: Navajo Loop Trail
Lea Bosse
Lea contributed to the development of our health course and has produced several of the unit studies we offer; however, around here she is best known as our ACT tutor.
Lea earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from The Ohio State University, but she should have ventured into an education degree! Lea homeschooled her three children and has been teaching and tutoring in the homeschooling community for over 20 years. Helping students reach their true potential is a deep passion of hers!
Line dancing, photography, hiking, Monarch butterfly tagging, and spending time with family and friends are the activities she enjoys when she's not busy filling students with encouragement! Be sure to stop and say hi if you catch sight of her along a trail in one of our amazing National Parks!
"Lea is an amazing tutor! She helped me to learn and understand every subject. She was able to give individualized instruction that I would not have gotten through my school's ACT prep course. She took my weakest scores and turned them into my highest. Timing was an issue for me and she gave me techniques to overcome this issue. My ACT score was raised considerably after my tutoring with Lea. I greatly appreciate the effort and encouragement!"
--J. Simpson
JUST FOR YOU:
March Deal
Take 40% off our self-paced courses in March! Take as long as you want with these - perhaps use them over the summer. Parents grade the assignments - all rubrics and answer keys are provided to make it easy to do. They can also be used by all your children - so these are our budget option.
Intro to Photography -- Homeschoolers in 7th-12th grade will learn the basics of photography in this course which uses fun assignments to teach the fundamentals. (1/2 credit)
Computer Applications -- Learn computer applications and digital literacy in this course, which is designed for students in 7th–12th grades. This is a full year (1 credit class)
High School Health -- Learn relevant information and cover the basics of the human body, diseases, nutrition, exercise, etc. Assignments will be engaging and designed to help students in 9th-12th grades make good decisions about their health. (1/2 credit)
Intro to Theater -- The 7th-12th grade student will learn about acting and technical theatre in this course. At the completion of the course, the student should have a selection of monologues they can use for an audition. (1/2 credit)
Intro to Adobe Photoshop -- Learn fundamental techniques for image manipulation in Photoshop. Students in 9th-12th grades will develop skills in editing photographs through a basic understanding of the toolbar, filter gallery and the layers and adjustments panel. Students will also learn to utilize both global and local adjustments while developing an understanding of sophisticated layering and masking techniques. (1/2 credit)
Middle School Anatomy -- There are 32 modules in this course to engage 5th-8th grade students with videos, games, and hands-on activities to learn how and why our body systems work.
This summer we'll be adding three new self-paced courses for you. These 1/2 credit hour classes will be for 7th-12th graders.
Exploring Jane Austen
In this self-paced class students will explore the world Jane Austen lived in, read three of her novels and compare them to film versions. The class is for homeschoolers in grades 9-12.
Art History
In this self-paced class students will be introduced to the basics of art history from prehistoric times up to the present day. The class is for homeschoolers in grades 9–12.
Graphic Design with Canva
In this self-paced class students will be introduced to the basics of using a free Canva account to create graphics for presentations, infographics, posters, social media, and more. The class is for homeschoolers in grades 7–12.
April Poll: What type of AI class would you like us to create?
Instead of the typical essay, this scholarship is awarded for the best 15x15 newspaper-style crossword puzzle!
The scholarship winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship and a lifetime subscription to My Crossword Maker. Five finalists will also receive a lifetime subscription to My Crossword Maker.
The scholarship is open to current or incoming (fall of 2025) undergraduate students.
The scholarship contest deadline is April 30, 2025.
AI Tip / Resource of the Month
Notebook LM allows you to upload documents and links and then create a podcast, study guides, quizzes, and more. It will use the resources you provide (you can upload up to 50!) and it is free with a Google account.
Explore these cool links to find fun and educational science simulations and activities!
PhET has fun and interactive science (and math) simulations covering atoms to waves and everything in between!
Visit planets and asteroids in the solar system, and examine the spacecraft exploring them with immersive real-time 3D web-based apps from NASA.
Explore science videos, lessons, and interactives at PBS Learning.
Kristin Moon Science has some excellent ideas and resources for those looking for alternatives to performing dissections on real specimens.
Image by jcomp on Freepik
ACT CORNER
Test Info and Updates Fast Facts
Next test date is April 5, 2025. (The first to offer the new format--online testing only)
ACT My Answer Key (formerly known as the TIR) can be purchased for up to 6 months after your test date if you took the December 2024 and/or February 2025 test.
Future ACT test dates for this school year are June 14 and July 12, 2025.
The ACT enhancements are live for the online version of the ACT starting in April. Click below to make sure your child has the latest and greatest free practice for the ACT!
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!
In this episode we explore the many ways homeschoolers can use Khan Academy. There are many subjects available and various tools that can supplement and enrich a homeschool curriculum.
Whether you’re looking for a free art curriculum, a quick educational activity, or a resource to supplement your homeschooling curriculum, Google Arts and Culture is a treasure trove for learners of all ages.
Teen guest Matthew Jurison joins us to share his experiences using Blender, a free 3D modeling and visual effects software. Matthew, a self-taught Blender enthusiast with years of experience, discusses how he got started, the skills he’s developed, challenges he's faced, and much more!
Free Resource Library for Subscribers
Access the Free Resources Library HERE. Password: edufun
This month we're taking a look at computer courses and online grammar/poetry resources. We also have a special offer for you on a Scratch coding class and a poll about a new AI class. To round things out, we have new content in our regularly featured areas. Enjoy! Teacher Spotlight One of Kristin's all-time favorite things to do is snorkel. Kristin Moon Kristin earned her PhD in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology from the University of Florida; she intended to pursue a career in scientific...
This month we introduce a new feature: Teacher Spotlight. We want to give you the opportunity to get to know our teachers! In addition, if your family loves escape rooms, you will like our deal this month so scroll on down! And don't miss our other regular features! The AI tip will be really helpful if you don't know where to start with AI in your homeschool. Teacher Spotlight El Zócalo in Mexico City on Día de los Muertos Suzette Laporte-Ayo Suzette was born and raised in Cananea, Sonora,...
The New Year has arrived and we have some new things for you: a new newsletter layout, a new blog post, new newsletter regular features, and, of course, new podcast episodes. Sprinkled in among the new are some old features with new style. So, take a break and take a look at the January newsletter...you will probably find something new to use in your homeschool. NEW BLOG POST Empowering Public Speaking at Home: A Family Guide Public speaking is a critical skill that benefits children and...
