2010-2011 Curriculum Picks

I've stated a few times I'm sure that Thomas Jefferson Education (TJED) is not a curriculum, it is a set of principles when used properly can result in a fantastic Leadership Education. When we view what type of education many of the great thinkers in history had, we find that they had many if not all of these principles in tact. I, for one, want this type of education for myself and my children...really, if I'm honest with myself, I would love to help everyone be educated in this manner.

That said, here is a glimpse of some of the curriculum items that are helping us along this path. We add more throughout the year as new concepts are sought, breakthroughs discovered, and our minds are expanded to new ideas.

Language Arts
Reading List - All books on the TJED for Teens booklist (pages 23-34) click here for a checklist download. In order to understand what the "levels" mean on the checklist, please refer to TJED for Teens pages18-22. I have asked my Scholar Phase children to look to this list first and work their way through the list that is appropriate for their age, also making sure they cover anything before their "age" that they have not read.

Read Aloud books - This year I plan to read aloud "The Hiding Place", "A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe", "The Taming of the Shrew", "Hamlet" and "The Making of America".

Grammar - Nayna is studying Latin and Chris is studying Japanese, which both cover and reinforce their English grammar. (see more under Foreign Language)

Composition - Each child writes essay's about the books that they read and daily journal entries. Nayna is in the process of writing another fantasy fiction novel.

Mathematics
Math is one of the areas in which I do buy "curriculum", we are still using Math-U-See.

Mathematical readings - "Mathematicians Are People Too" book 1 and book 2. "Flatland" which is largely geometry related.

History
We spend a great deal of time on history, especially American History. I purchased the American Classics Series (one recommended by Glenn Beck as well as the TJED books - pictured at the top of this post). We are hoping to get through all three over the next two years. We are also adding "A Brief History of Time".

Science
I think this is my most challenging subject to keep interesting. We are using a series of Discovery Channel DVD's from the library in addition to our Concepts and Challenges of Physical Science, Chemistry for Every Kid, Biology for Every Kid, and 150 Captivating Chemistry Experiments Using Household Substances books. One thing I like about the 150 Captivating Chemistry...book is that it also has the chemical formulas in the book and helps describe the actual reactions.

TJED Teens Club
I started a club for youth to meet together and discuss ideas on freedom, participate in simulations, and build friendships. We are using "The 5,000 Year Leap", "Robert Rule's of Order in Brief", "You Decide", and "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" as curriculum for this class. Nayna and Chris are very excited about this class as are the other youth involved!

Logic

I have looked at several logic books and curriculum packages. Some I purchased and thought they were OK, but not really teaching what logic is at a level even I can understand (feeling a bit dumbed down in this area). Then I ran across "The Fallacy Detective" and "The Thinking Toolbox". I really love these books! I have learned a ton from them myself. We just go over one lesson a week, reviewing past lessons as needed. I have found that I make a lot of errors in logical thinking. We have been able to pick apart several political speeches lately for fallacies...pretty interesting stuff!

Foreign Language
Latin - Nayna is studying Latin. We decided to continue with a video format with First Form Latin. It is more than I would like to spend, but she learns it so much better with the videos.

Japanese - Chris found a book at a garage sale last week for 50 cents, Japanese in Thirty Hours, and has not been able to put it down. He decided he does not want to continue with Latin, so I am still looking into more curriculum for him in Japanese language. This little book does a nice job and in combination with Chris' ability to find ANYTHING on the Internet, he is already finding his own way to learn the language.

The Beauty of Core Phase

I did not learn about Leadership Education (TJED) until my children were 13, 10, and 8 respectively. It took me another 2 years to fully get "off the conveyor belt" and begin getting myself in the right mindset to make sure we all had a solid Core Phase. I knew my youngest needed Core Phase for sure, and my other children had things to improve as well. The most difficult realization I came to was that I needed Core Phase work as well, yet I wanted a Scholar Phase. Now!

The Phases are Like A Planet
We often think of the phases of learning in a linear fashion. Our linear thinking would place the phases like this:

Core Phase ---> Love of Learning--> Scholar Phase-->Depth Phase--->Mission Phase--->Impact Phase

Phases of Learning like Earth

It looks as though you complete one phase and then move on to another. This model, however, is not correct. A more correct model is to think in a more "whole picture" fashion. I like to think of the phases as the planet Earth. In the center is the Core, then we add a layer of Love of Learning, then Scholar Phase, then Depth Phase, etc. The Core is still there. The Love of Learning is still there. We are just building upon prior knowledge and skills, adding each new layer to fulfill our creation as an educated person.

Without a strong Core, our planet-self would be hollow, or maybe only have half a core. If we continue our planet model, we know that Earth needs a strong core in order to have gravity work. It also needs the core in order to cycle around the Sun. With an out-of-balance or partially formed core, our Earth would wobble and make a very unstable effort to cycle around the Sun.

My Adult Core Phase (Work and Play)
I needed to correct some "damage" from my past, you know, the things we often call "baggage". Yes, I had some, most of us do. I heard a fantastic speaker, Julie Early, who talked about Adults in Core. I found that her talk was very correct in that I handled my Core Phase in much the same way as she describes it. I focused on figuring out what I needed to repair from the lessons of Core Phase in "Right and Wrong", "Good and Bad", "True and False". I read a few self-help books and applied them in my life (this was work). I put my focus more towards my family in organizing our home life (this was work). I tried to create wholesome family time to nurture relationships (this was play). I studied my central canon and applied the principles of my faith in my life (this was work and play).

The result: a happier life! 

Core Phase - Going Back or Moving Forward?

As my children were already "past" Core Phase ages, I would often refer to "going back to Core Phase" for them, when really we were working on both Core Phase and Love of Learning at the same time. You see, our linear model would make it seem as though only one phase can take place at any given time. This is a fallacy in our conveyor belt thinking. If we embrace the "whole picture" model, we realize that we are always working on the various phases, only adding new layers as we become more mature and ready for the next one. As infants we start out as small planets with only the need to build a strong core, then we add the following layers as our planet grows and matures.

If we are adults and just now learning about the four phases of learning, we have some of those layers already, but we can go inside and fill those layers with the right knowledge and skills while still building our Scholar and Depth phases. At some time we may have lost our Love of Learning, yet we can regain it! We gained some knowledge from our conveyor belt education, but we can round out our Scholar Phase and build upon what we retained by adding more of the classics.

The Beauty Revealed
Being an Adult working on Core Phase is nothing to feel ashamed about. Having youth in Core Phase is nothing to hide or worry about. It is part of the normal progression of life. Leadership Education is not about making sure you are in the "right phase" at the "right age". That is conveyor belt thinking! Rather, we only need to look at the "whole picture", making our main priority to fulfill the measure of our creation.

Cross-posted from In the TJED Trenches.

Chris' Binder - Practice Scholar

Chris has been Transitioning to Scholar Phase the past 6 months or so. It has been an exciting thing to see as he begins to value studying more and he has asked me to oversee his work more - a sure sign of him turning himself over to a mentor! (See Leadership Education pages 193-211.)

Chris studies the following subjects:

• Fractions (Math-U-See)
• Literature - American frontier stories and settling of the West, mythology, and some science fiction.
• Grammar - Winston Grammar for review to help him in his writing.
• History - The Middle Ages - He is learning about the Anglo-Saxons and the various wars and turnovers of leadership.
• Science - Chemistry from a Creationist point of view.
• Physical Education - Chris is studying various sports and how to train to be an athlete.

Books on his "To Read" List Include:

• Finish the Ender's Game series - Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind.
• Louis L'Amour's Sackett series - Sackett's Land  and Too the Far Blue Mountain 

I encouraged each of my children to "own" their binders this year and organize them as it suits them best. 

Chris's Binder Tabs:

1. Compass - His personal plan for the next 6 months.
2. Weekly Planner - This is the first year that Chris is keeping his own weekly planner. When my kids are in Love of Learning, I typically keep their records for them. His planner includes - yearly calendar with vacation dates marked, weekly schedule of subjects and the materials available for those subjects, daily record keeping planner for recording each day's work by subject.
3. Book lists and records of the books he has read and when.
4. English - Winston Grammar practice and vocabulary notes.
5. Handwriting - He is improving his cursive writing.
6. Scouts - He keeps all his Merit Badge worksheets here.
7. Mentor Log - This is a weekly meeting log where we can each write what about how the week went and if there are any improvements that need to be made. It is a quick way for him to look back over his progress and for me to remember what each meeting is about.

Marly's Binder - Self-Directed Scholar

During the Scholar Phase, I have noticed that my youth really do naturally follow the progression through the different levels as Oliver and Rachel DeMille describe in Leadership Education pages 193-211. I believe that Marly has been in Self-Directed Scholar Level for the past few months. She initiates almost all of her own learning.

She studies the following subjects:

• Latin (First Form Latin) - Covers Latin as well as the English language and grammar for both languages.
• Pre-Algebra (Math-U-See)
• Literature - Science fiction, fantasy, mythology, and American literature are her focus right now.
• History - Early Modern Times - She is beginning the Agricultural Revolution and the Colonial War.
• Science - Chemistry from a Creationist point of view.
• Music - Piano and homeschool choir.
• Sign Language

Books on her "To Read" List Include:

• The 5,000 Year Leap (second half)
• The Fourth Turning
• Joan of Arc
• and to work on the TJED for Teens classics list.

I encouraged each of my children to "own" their binders this year and organize them as it suits them best.

Marly's Binder Tabs:

1. Compass - Her personal plan for the next 6 months.
2. Book lists and records of the books she has read and when.
3. Weekly Planner - She records all of her own work every day for record keeping - yearly calendar with vacation dates marked, weekly schedule of subjects and the materials available for those subjects, daily record keeping planner for recording each day's work by subject.
4. Cursive writing pages - One of the areas she wants to improve.
5. Latin - All her notes on vocabulary and grammar.
6. Mentor Log - This is a weekly meeting log where we can each write what about how the week went and if there are any improvements that need to be made. It is a quick way for her to look back over her progress and for me to remember what each meeting is about.
7. Classes - She has her notes from the various classes, seminars, and conferences we go to.
8. Projects - A place to hold her current project notes, plans, and results.