This is our final edition of the Homeschool Convention series.

I volunteered to be the Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME) Convention Blogger this year. If you’re interested in reading prior posts, they are:
Homeschool Convention:Raising Boys
Homeschool Convention: Ben Franklin
Homeschool Convention: Musical Talents
Homeschool Convention: State of Our Education
Homeschool Convention: Healthy Community
Homeschool Convention: Writing & Cycling
Homeschool Convention: Creative Teaching

The final two workshop speakers highlighted here will speak about creation and the Civil War.

Paul Veit: Image of God vs. Image of an Animal

This workshop provides a moving study of the historical evolutionary attempts to turn man into an animal. It starts with Krao, the so-called ape/woman, shows the Human Zoos of the early 1900’s, and ends in the fields of Europe in World War II. In contract, it shows what the “Image of God” people are doing at the same time. The contrast is striking and shows the deeper issues of the Creation vs. Evolution debate. Many have said that this was their favorite of Paul’s presentations and it was the best-selling DVD at the Pacific Northwest Creation Conference.

Paul Veit is a graduate of Nyack College and Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary. He is pursing on-going paleontological training at the Mt. Blanc Fossil Museum. He is ordained in the Christian Ministry Alliance and is licensed as an evangelist. He is the Founder and Director of Declaring God’s Wonders, Inc., an evangelistic ministry, and The Dinosaur Encounter, a Creation Learning Center located in Bridgeton, Maine. Paul is married and has four children.

Blaikie Hines: Civil War: Preparing for War

Preparing for War explores what the average soldier took along with him as he marched off to the Civil War. What would you take? Civil War author and re-enactor, Blaikie Hines, dressed in a period uniform, demonstrates the essential items nearly every soldier took with him. Can you guess what they were?

Born in 1949, Blaikie Hines is a well-known fine arts conservator who specializes in 19th century paintings and frames. He is also a Civil War collector, historian, and author. Blaikie grew up in Connecticut in a family steeped in the history of the American Civil War. Blaikie’s first book was Civil War Volunteer Sons of Connecticut. His newest book, published in 2011, is The Battle of First Bull Run – Manassas Campaign July 16-22, 1861 – An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide. It is the only illustrated atlas and battlefield guide book for the first battle of the American Civil War. He makes his home in Thomaston with his wife, Judith.

Featuring the following two exhibitors:

“Protecting Children By Empowering Parents.” Their website is full of articles, research, news and other items pertaining to parental rights, the Parental Rights Amendment and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Click the logo above to learn more.

To fill you in on what Teaching Textbooks is, the following is taken from the FAQ section of their web site:

“Why choose the Teaching Textbook™ series over another homeschool math program?
A. There are lots of reasons, but here are the top 3.

First, because Teaching Textbooks™ were designed specifically for independent learners, they simply have more teaching/explanation than any other product on the market. We realized that independent learners needed a product that contains the maximum amount of teaching, so a Teaching Textbook™, with its approximately 700 pages of text and 120 – 160 hours of teacher instruction on CD-ROM, is both a teacher and a textbook combined into one. And the CD-ROM teaching isn’t just abstract lectures either. There are also down-to-earth, audiovisual step-by-step explanations for every single one of the almost 3,500 problems in the book. Using a Teaching Textbook™ is like having a friendly tutor available at the push of a button, but for only a fraction of the cost! Other products claim that they can be used without the assistance of a teacher, and this may or may not be true. But shouldn’t a truly ideal product for independent learners contain step-by-step teacher explanations for all those times when you might get stumped? We think so.

Second, given the amount of teaching that the series offers and the importance of junior high and high school math in college courses and on the job, our program represents an incredible value. For example, the Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry Teaching Textbooks™ contain far more multimedia teaching than the nearest competitors’ products.

Third, because the Teaching Textbook™ series was designed for independent learners, it introduces proper terminology only after first presenting the underlying concept in plain language. Of course, the series includes all the terms that students need to know for important standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, but our textbooks do not bog the reader down in highly technical language until students are ready to digest it.”

Click on the logo above to learn more.

HOME Convention is March 17-19, 2016
At the Samoset Resort, Rockport, ME
Visit the HOME web site for registration details

I volunteered to be the Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME) Convention Blogger this year. If you’re interested in reading prior posts, they are:
Homeschool Convention:Raising Boys
Homeschool Convention: Ben Franklin
Homeschool Convention: Musical Talents
Homeschool Convention: State of Our Education
Homeschool Convention: Healthy Community
Homeschool Convention: Writing & Cycling
Next Friday will be the final edition of the convention series.

Our kids have many different learning styles and learning curves. As homeschool teachers, we need to get creative and use various strategies to effectively teach. Sometimes it’s that we have learning-abled kids and sometimes we have gifted kids. There are many nuances to both scenarios that can make educating our kids challenging.

Kathi Kearney will be presenting two workshops at convention:

Kathi has served on the HOME Board for many years. She has worked with homeschooling families in Maine for more than 30 years, and helped to author Maine’s homeschool law. Kathi teaches gifted & talented students in Maine, is a Professional Associate with the Gifted Development Center in Denver, and teaches online courses for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Homeschooling Gifted Children

Staying one step ahead of a child who is a perfectionist, intense and passionate about learning can be difficult. There are some strategies and teaching methods that can help you to accommodate their high interest needs and abilities, and continue to move them forward! Gifted and talented teacher, Kathi Kearney, will provide some insights!

When Children Struggle

Families with children experiencing learning challenges often feel overwhelmed, inadequate and uncertain at times. But homeschooling offers parents the ability to create an individualized plan to work through those struggles! Learn more about what you can do to make your home learning environment a positive, loving place where unique needs are met and children thrive!

Our children learn in differing ways – some may love to be in nature or love to draw.

Raylene Hunt, homeschool group leader and nature enthusiast, will present a workshop:

Raylene is from Camden, Maine. She has been homeschooling since 2001, when she withdrew her oldest child (who graduated homeschool in 2010) from public school. Raylene continues to homeschool her teenage son. She has been serving with HOME since 2005 in a variety of capacities. She is currently a local homeschool group leader, and serves HOME as a Virtual Office Assistant helping to coordinate many projects. Raylene is also the founder and lead educational facilitator of Creation Exploration Ministry.

Nature Journaling Across the Curriculum

Feel like you don’t have time to add one more thing, (like nature study), to your school day? Not sure how to document outside time as instruction? Come and learn how nature journaling can help you document instruction in all subject areas required by law in Maine, and a few that aren’t. Homeschool group leader and nature enthusiast, Raylene Hunt will explore this as well as various styles of journaling with families, including hands-on exploration time outside (weather permitting) and journaling. Be sure to bring a notebook or journal and something to write with to this interactive workshop.

The featured exhibitor this week:

“Curriculum designed to teach the whole child.” They cater to a variety of learning styles and environments. The Logic of English® endeavors to improve English literacy worldwide through curriculum development, books, educational software, and training. They unveil the reasons for English spellings and provide educators and parents with answers to their students’ questions about why words are spelled and read the way they are.

Their mission is: “We as a company seek to become a leader in reversing and solving the literacy crisis in America. Our goal is to make the Logic of English common knowledge among English speakers and increase awareness about sound, effective teaching methods through books, curriculum, software, and training. We seek to build collaborative relationships with other literacy organizations and support research and product development for the service of English speakers and learners worldwide.”

Click on their logo above to learn more!

HOME Convention is March 17-19, 2016
At the Samoset Resort, Rockport, ME
Visit the HOME web site for registration details

I volunteered to be the Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME) Convention Blogger this year. If you’re interested in reading prior posts, they are:
Homeschool Convention:Raising Boys
Homeschool Convention: Ben Franklin
Homeschool Convention: Musical Talents
Homeschool Convention: State of Our Education
Homeschool Convention: Healthy Community
I will be writing these posts on Fridays for the next two weeks.
Please hang in with me!

Yvonne Blake, Author & Writer

Yvonne Blake, author and educator, lives in Searsport, Maine. After raising her family and teaching school, she developed her writing skills by completing the Journeyman Course of the Christian Writers Guild and participating in the Faithwriters Organization. She continues to teach children how to write with tutored lessons on her Polliwog Pages and also writing workshops at schools and libraries. Yvonne has published a variety of books, including a missionary biography, God Talks in Tenek Too, and two middle-grade historical novels, A Home for Phoebe and Going Home with Phoebe.

Yvonne’s Workshop: Be Sense-ible in Your Writing

Learn to observe and describe sensations so that your reader will be able to experience them. Increase your store of descriptive vocabulary to improve your writing skills.

John Sommo, Cyclist

John Sommo has been teaching bicycle safety for almost 20 years. He has completed several bike adventures including a cross country trip. John leads bicycle and kayak trips for LL Bean. He is a nationally certified instructor through the League of American Bicyclists, as well as a registered Maine Guide.

John’s Workshop for Teens: Pedestrian & Bike Safety

Using materials prepared by Maine’s Department of Transportation and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, participants will learn legal and safe ways to walk and cycle on our Maine roads. This is a hands on class covering concepts including: pedestrian rules, helmet fit, bike check, clothing and rules of the road. This program aims to get kids outdoors safely!

Featured exhibitor this week:

Living Waters Camp

“A kid won’t remember their best day of watching TV,
but will remember a great day at camp.”

Along with our family camp, we offer youth camps, sports camps, teen camps and wilderness adventure trips. Each week is packed with waterfront activities, horseback riding, fantastic evening events, and most importantly, the teaching of God’s word. Whether you are looking for a weekend retreat, a family get-away, or facility rental for your christian group, we are waiting for you, ready to serve.

Their mission is to provide a safe atmosphere where children and adults can have a great time of physical activity, refreshment, relaxation, and can hear the Gospel and be challenged on a spiritual level.

Click the link above to learn more!

HOME Convention is March 17-19, 2016
At the Samoset Resort, Rockport, ME
Visit the HOME web site for registration details

I volunteered to be the Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME) Convention Blogger this year. If you’re interested in reading prior posts, they are:
Homeschool Convention:Raising Boys
Homeschool Convention: Ben Franklin
Homeschool Convention: Musical Talents
Homeschool Convention: State of Our Education
I will be writing these posts and scheduling them to post on Fridays for the next three weeks.
Please hang in with me!

Zach & Kim Mazone: Speaking on health and wellness

The Mazone family believes that healthy lifestyle choices prevent and reverse many life-style related diseases experienced by Americans. Zach is a Family Medicine Physician at Central Maine Medical Center and Kim is a health educator and fitness trainer. Sienna is a teen chef who was the 2014, Maine state winner of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge Recipe Contest and has appeared on Love Maine Radio, Good Day Maine with news anchor Jeff Peterson, and in many newspapers. Lucca and Sienna teach “Kids2Kids”, healthy cooking classes for young people in Lewiston. The Mazones are a homeschooling family and part of the Homeschoolers of Maine Leadership team.

They’ll be presenting these workshops for teens at the HOME Convention:

Fit for Life (Teens)
Come dressed to exercise and have fun! After a brief discussion on the amazing benefits of lifelong exercise and new research that will bust the belief that you must exercise for long periods of time daily to see benefits, we will work through a fun, effective exercise circuit that you can go home and teach to your family.

Teen Track Warm-up AND You Are What You Eat!
It is estimated that the average person spends 6 years and ten months of a 70 year lifespan eating! Make that time count! WHAT you eat will impact HOW you experience life. Explore how we can live life to the fullest and treat our bodies as the “temple of God” (1 Cor. 3:16, 10:31) through discussion of balanced meal planning, smart shopping, and healthy food demonstrations.

Chris Wilcoxson: Speaking on building community among homeschoolers

Chris and his wife, Tiffany, are founders and pastors of Life Source Ministries in Brunswick, ME. They have served within HOME’s ministry as coordinators in various areas for a number of years, and currently serve as HOME Board Members. For Chris and Tiffany, homeschooling was a decision of faith made together before having children. They have a heart for helping families build healthy homes, as well as fighting for parental rights. Chris and Tiffany reside in Georgetown, ME with their seven children.

HOMEschool Community Building
As homeschoolers, we have certain values in common. However, our style, approach, and ideas are as different as our families. We can learn from one another and grow together. We can also move forward together as a community. Come be a part of this interactive community discussion on how we can pass on the values (the why) behind what we do to the next generation. Perhaps even remind ourselves the ‘why’ behind the ‘do’.

Featured exhibitor this week: FreedomProject Education

From their web site:

“Founded in 2011, FreedomProject Education offers a first-rate, classical education for Kindergarten through 12th grade. In our first year, FPE opened the virtual doors to 22 students. Today FreedomProject Education is excited to be celebrating its fifth year of enrollment with a student body that seems to be expanding exponentially each year. FPE is also happy to provide a fully accredited curriculum recognized for its authenticity and excellence, without any need to compromise our beliefs or high academic standards.

FPE is grounded in the Judeo-Christian belief system as promoted in the Constitution by our Founding Fathers, who strove to guarantee the preservation of our God-given liberties. Our classes are delivered live online through interactive classrooms to students across the world. FPE is one of the fastest growing private schools in the country and is also at the forefront in the fight to educate families about Common Core and its agenda.”

Click on any of the links above to learn more.

HOME Convention is March 17-19, 2016
At the Samoset Resort, Rockport, ME
Visit the HOME web site for registration details