Youth Activism Gathering 2015

Visit maineyag for more information.

Annual Youth Activism Gathering
April 18-20, 2015
Friends Camp
Rt9/202
South China, Maine

Blunt Youth Radio is holding an Open House to recruit new members. The Open House happens during Blunt's regular live Monday night broadcast. Visitors will have the chance to see the live show and enjoy some free pizza and root beer!

Monday, May 13, 7pm - 830pm 

92 Bedford Street, USM Campus, Portland

Since 1994, Blunt Youth Radio Project has brought together teenagers from around Greater Portland to produce a weekly, call-in, public affairs radio show on WMPG-FM, 90.9 and 104.1, the non-profit, community radio station of the University of Southern Maine. The hour-long show features two teen hosts who interview guests on topical issues, interspersed with public radio-style feature reports, produced by the team's reporters. Blunt members get free training and handle all aspects of show production: reporting, on-air hosting, choosing topics and locating guests, studio production, and broadcast engineering. Work by members of Blunt has aired on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Maine Public Radio, This American Life, the BBC and other shows.

Find out more about Blunt at our website: Blunt Youth Radio.
View the Blunt Youth Radio Open House Invitation.

Maine Unschooling Mini Conference

photo by Laurie Wolfrum

Maine Unschooling Mini Conference: The Way Life COULD Be! Saturday September 29, 2012 Camden, Maine

Be sure to register by September 20 for this one-day conference! There will be interesting presentations and funshops. Don't miss it!

USM Youth Ensembles- Southern Maine Children's Choir

September Auditions for the Southern Maine Children's Choir

Wednesday, September 5, 2012 and
Wednesday, September 12, 2012.
Vocal auditions only

The Southern Maine Children's Choir
conducted by Paul McGovern

Southern Maine Children's Choir members should have an interest in and love of singing, and be able to focus in a rehearsal lasting one hour and fifteen minutes. They are expected to be able to sing on pitch with a pleasant tone quality, maintain their own part when singing in harmony, and have a welldeveloped tonal memory. Previous experience singing in a choir is preferred. Prospective members do not have to know how to read music in order to join.

Audition requirements: Candidate singers have the option of singing a prepared song or a familiar song, such as “Happy Birthday.” The audition will also include singing back pitch patterns and a range check. The audition will take approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

Date of Next Concert: The 2012 Fall concert for the Southern Maine Children's Choir will be Thursday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m.in Corthell Concert Hall on the USM Gorham campus.

Homeschoolers Prom 2012

Homeschoolers Prom 2012 -- hosted by greater Portland home/unschoolers, organized by Emi! Come Join Us For A Fun Filled Night! Come Dance, Make New Friends and just have fun!!



What? The prom will be for ages 13 ~ 18.

Tickets: $25 each.

We will have a DJ.

Its a black tie event so please dress your best! :D

There will be someone there taking photos.

The Theme is Masquerade, we encourage you to wear a mask although you don't have to.

There will be one chaperone there.

There will be free water, plus soda for sale.

When? Friday/May/11th.8pm ~ 12am.

Where? The Prom will be held at: NOTE: This is a change of venue from the Clarion Hotel in Portland to the Old Robie School in Gorham. Old Robie School at Little Falls668 Gray RoadGorham, ME 04038For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Portland Children's Film Festival

The first annual Portland Children's Festival is open to any resident of Portland, ages 4-11 and takes place March 29-April 1. To register click through to the Young Filmakers Contest page.

Southern Maine Children's Choir Seeks New Members

Hi folks! Letting everyone know that the USM SMCChoir is still seeking members for the spring term and will be hosting an audition on Wednesday, January 5, 2012 from 5-7pm in Corthell Hall on the USM Gorham Campus. Please contact Binney Brackett (207-780-5003; brackett@usm.maine.edu ) for more information or to schedule an audition time.

My two, Olivia, 14 and Adam, 12, just completed their first term and winter concert with the choir. If you want a peek at the music they covered, this post might interest you. They have both enjoyed learning and singing with Dr. McGovern.

It is interesting to note also, that out of the current sixteen members, eight are home or unschooled.

~Amy

Noteworthy

Visiting the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston just got easier (and affordable!) Plan your visit.

Be sure to get your hands on a copy of Clark Aldrich's Unschooling Rules. Learn more at his blog.

Replica ships of the Columbus voyage are coming to Maine, June 14. Learn more.

I just learned about The Port, a teen center serving the Freeport, Durham and Pownal area. I did call the director and he said that teens living outside the three towns are permitted to attend the center.

Auditions begin for USM School of Music Youth Ensembles, this week, May 25-27. About the ensembles. The Youth Ensemble brochure with rehearsal schedule.

Blunt Youth Radio Open House, Monday June 13, 7-9pm, at WMPG, 42 Bedford St. Portland. More about Blunt Youth Radio.

Teen volunteers wanted at Portland Public Library for summer.

Submissions are being accepted for the Unschooling Now Ezine.

Are you thinking of college? There are many helpful tips and resources at Homeschool Blog.
Perhaps you are questioning college? Then this article or this article may be of interest. What about uncollege? Check out Zero Tuition College and Khan Academy. Also, it's worth checking out Bhueler Education for some thought-provoking reading as well as a comprehensive list of resources and links.

Lastly, The Homeschooling Unschooling Daily, for current news, resources and commentary on all things home/unschool.

Dyscalculia Day: The Math Dyslexia

Today is Dyscalculia Day. Do you know what dyscalculia is? Do you know someone who struggles with math, numbers, order of operations, directions, locations, or even learning music, for instance?





From The Dyscalculia Forum:

The Basic Facts

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability in mathematics. Dyscalculia is a word you use to describe when people have significant problems with numbers - but still have a normal or above normal IQ. It seems that no dyscalculic has problems with math alone, but also struggle with problems being able to learn to tell time, left/right orientation, rules in games and much more. See the list of symptoms. Also, there are more types of dyscalculia, and all types demand specific learning methods aimed at the specific problem.

You Can Do It If You Want To!

Probably followed by "and if you try hard enough". This is a typical remark from teachers and parents to motivate the student - and although it can be meant in the BEST way possible, it is not true when it comes to dyscalculic students. The thing a dyscalculic wants most in this world is to be able to understand those numbers. Dyscalculics need different learning methods, in every aspect of the assignment. Dyscalculics are able to learn how to calculate something one day, only to discover that the information has been forgotten the next day. In other words programs like Kumon, where repetition is a major part of the teaching methods seem to have no result for dyscalculic students - they forget. Through different learning methods aimed specifically at the student and his/her version of dyscalculia can have great results.

Dyscalculia, or math disorder, is recognized by both the World Health Organization and is in the DSM-IV. It is officially a learning disability and anyone, as long as they know about it, can seek the help they need. That is why I am sharing this information today. I am dyscalculic. I was diagnosed while attending my first year of college in 1990. While I always knew my brain worked differently than other people's brains did, having the validation that came with a recognized diagnosis, would have saved me years and years of torment, pain and ridicule in my academic years. Had my teachers or family known that dyscalculia was real and not just in my head, I might have been able to get the help I needed and learning would have been better supported. Please share information about dyscalculia with others, you never know who might be helped.

~Amy Bradstreet

Teen Meet-Up Location Change for School Vacation Week

There will be no teen meet-up this week at Portland Public Library as it's
school vacation week and it's likely the library will be at capacity. However,
my kids and I are planning to be at Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth tomorrow from
noon-2pm and would love to meet-up with others there. It's supposed to be a high
of 31F and bright and sunny, so a couple of hours outside should be reasonable.
Directions to Kettle Cove.

February News

Greetings Unschoolers! I hope everyone is making the best of all our snow! If you are in search of something fun and interesting to do today, I urge you to check out the Chinese New Year Celebration in Portland, from 1030a-4pm. Admission is $6/adults, $4/ages 2-17. It's the Year of The Rabbit.



I recently created another blog called Unearth and Fathom at the request of my two unschoolers and it's where I strew, or leave information about varied topics in their paths. It's intended to be a fun way to learn together and we're happy to have you come learn with us!

Meanwhile, teens are still meeting regularly at the library. It's a great group and there are regularly about 7-10 unschoolers. Stay tuned for postings about other gatherings, coming soon!




Teen Gatherings @ The Portland Public Library

Teen Meet-Ups!

When: Every Tuesday, 12Noon-2pm

Where: Portland Public Library in the Teen Lounge. (The Teen Lounge is located behind the circulation desk). 5 Monument Square Portland, Maine 04101. Directions.

Who: Unschooling Teens, ages 11-19.

Teen Gatherings @ Portland Public Library Resume January 11, 2011

Teen Gatherings @ The Portland Public Library

Teen Meet-Ups!

When: Every Tuesday, 12Noon-2pm

Where: Portland Public Library in the Teen Lounge. (The Teen Lounge is located behind the circulation desk). 5 Monument Square Portland, Maine 04101. Directions.

Who: Unschooling Teens, ages 11-19.

Many Voices: A Multicultural Book Fair For Families & Educators

Many Voices: A Multicultural Book Fair For Families & Educators

Breakwater School
865 Brighton Ave.
Portland, ME

Saturday, November 20, 10am

BROWSE & SHOP 100's of CHILDREN’S BOOKS (K-12) depicting the cultures of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, as well as Asian American, African American, Native American, Latino American, Muslim American, and immigration books. CASH & CHECKS ONLY.

MEET AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR Charlotte Agell, the creator of the chapter book about a Chinese adoptee growing up in Maine, The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister.

EAT yummy Chinese dumplings.

EDUCATORS offered 10% off.

SALES BENEFIT the Chinese & American Friendship Association of Maine.

BOOKS HAND SELECTED by Curious City & provided by BORDERS.

Third Annual Grave Rubbing @ Evergreen Cemetery

It was a fine fall day on Monday and though it was a gathering on the small side, we all definitely enjoyed our time making rubbings and adventuring at Evergreen Cemetery. You can find more photos and words from unschoolers here, here and here.

Third Annual Grave Rubbing @ Evergreen Cemetery, Oct 25

Join us for our third annual grave rubbing get together at the Evergreen Cemetery in Portland on October 25th @ 1pm! All ages!

Evergreen Cemetery is located at 672 Stevens Ave. If you haven't been, it is a beautiful place to spend the day this time of year! We will meet at the duck ponds, at the far end if the cemetery. There are trails through the woods, great frog catching ponds, and some great hills to go "summer sledding", (sliding down the hill on pieces of cardboard).

If you want to participate in the rubbing, please bring paper (thin paper such as large newsprint works the best), crayons, pastels, or charcoal, and some masking or painter's tape. I'll provide a spray fixative to prevent prints from smudging. And PLEASE come prepared to help your child if needed! Some of the stones are very old, and VERY heavy! We must be very careful to make sure we are using sturdy stones, and to not get any crayon, or other medium on the stones. We also must be diligent to clean up after ourselves.

This is a fun event, and a lot of families usually join in! Please join us!

~hosted by Monica

AP Biology Offered In Casco

Olivia, 13 and Adam, 11 have been having a great time exploring AP Biology with Lisa and I highly recommend checking out her course offerings, as Lisa is a very informed and enthusiastic facilitator.

~ Amy Bradstreet

From Lisa:

Bio tomorrow will be very cool with some surprise "guests" borrowed from the bio labs at USM!! We are focusing on invertebrate metamorphosis, which is very fascinating. Remember, bio lab is "drop in", so if you haven't been coming, and are considering trying it out, tomorrow might just be the day for you!


More Biology Class Info:
Hello from Lisa Willey,
I am starting up Biology labs classes primarily for high school, but many middle schoolers will also gain much from these labs. Classes will be drop in style,
occurring on Thursday mornings, 9-11. Most classes will be at my home, with
some occurring elsewhere depending on subject. Each class will be $10 per
person, which includes all materials; feel free to show up for any or all
classes that interest you. I will publish a class subject list for 8 weeks at a
time, available at the first class. I have taught science to homeschoolers for
several years, mostly in Portland or Casco. My daughter took the AP
Environmental Science exam last spring. She is going to be taking the AP
Biology exam next spring. The first lab will involve pillbugs and animal
behavior! I will base all labs on AP Biology recommended material.
The first class will be held Thursday, September 2nd.

Lisa can be reached at gaiagirl2003 at yahoo [dot] com

Lobster Tales And Unschoolers At The Gulf Of Maine Research Institute

Last week, about fifteen of us met at the GofMERI for the Lobster: Untold Tales lab. The facility is impressive and the kids had an opportunity to collect data to help with the GofMERI's research. The program feels overall, a bit rushed, however and the staff focuses on the school groups the entire time. For example, at the introduction, the staff presents Google Earth to the participants, zooms in on an inland area and a river, asking the kids if they recognize the area. I could see the home/unschool group wanting and struggling to answer and looking a bit dismayed at the whole exercise, especially when by the end, the staff zooms to the school that the other half of the group came from (which happens to be a location at least two hours from the greater Portland area, where most of the home/unschoolers were from.) I thought this was unfortunate and it needlessly excluded, as I wrote, a half of the entire group participating in the lab. (see other complaint)*




Moving on, now. As stated, the facility is amazing and the kids were all able to participate fully and I think it's fair to say that our group thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Adam, 11, did say, however, that had they had a chance to really dig into the data and ask lots of questions, he would have.

The kids were sectioned off into teams and assigned stations that would be rotated with other teams so everyone had a chance at each station.





The lab consisted of taking videos of the lobsters in the tanks to observe behavior and determine what conditions the lobster preferred, using an interactive game. Then the kids used microscopes to examine and photograph the lobsters in all its life stages as well as the food it eats. At one point, the kids also examined a live lobster. At yet another station, using another interactive program, the kids determined the best and most profitable number of traps per lobster catch. Through their testing and data collection, the kids determined that overall, the best method is to set out a reduced number of traps, which, in turn, gains the fishermen the most profit.









The final step in the lab was to collect the data and present their findings in a video and then all the teams' data was compiled and presented to the entire group at the end, showing the results of their work.





Each participant then received a digital code to the website so they can view their data results. It's a pretty fabulous resource and the institute is very well-equipped with materials and the knowledgable staff offers a unique program. I advise the home/unschoolers to be proactive in getting their group into the the programs and making the GofMRI aware of the home/unschooling community as a whole, so that all kids in this age range can benefit from this fabulous program.

*one more complaint--because the GofMERI relies on sponsership and grants, the program is at times tainted with some commercial plugs. The worst offender was the unnecessary Poland Spring bottled water provided for each kid leaving the program. This was especially ironic given the opening discussion about Maine's invaluable watershed. Many of the home/unschoolers in our group simply left the bottles behind, to the apparent dismay of the staff, knowing as the kids do that drinking bottled water is not good for Maine's watershed. It seemed yet another instance where the program is overlooking how knowledgable and informed many of their participants truly are. Learn more here and here.

~ Amy Bradstreet

Mycological Fun

A few weeks ago, Adam and I had a great walk in the woods at my parent's farm in central Maine. While walking over and under and through the woods, we came across many different types of fungi, and snapped these pictures.
Adam with calvatia cyanthiformis, purple spored puffball - not edible at this point, but good when younger.



Lobster Mushroom - this is actually a mold which makes a russula or other mushroom non-toxic - although this looks amazingly like a chantarelle, not growing on wood, not real gills, etc. We'll have to check back a bit earlier in the season next time, not just for the puffball above but also for this little guy.



Green Jelly Club - leotia viscosa - any of the slime molds are gross IMHO.



Large, Brown, Mystery Mushroom - no idea if the gills are attached or detached, veil or no veil, shape of the base, etc. It was about the size of a small dinner plate.



Based on what we learned at the Maine Mycological Foray on September 18, I've taken a stab at identifying them. The Foray was fun, although the blazing hot afternoon sun made it hard to concentrate on the identification speakers. At the start of the day, we looked at examples of some things we may want to find.

• hiricium americanum, which I know I've seen in my parent's woods before. Here is an excerpt from the University of Wisconsin - Fungus of the Month website: "It's quite delicious, with a taste reminiscent of lobster if it's properly prepared. We like it lightly sautéed in a mixture of olive oil and butter, with just enough heat to turn the teeth a golden brown. It also makes a fine ^TM. You might also try it in soup, as a substitute for rice, noodles or ancini de pepe (or other little Italian pastas). It's great in stir fry. "Lobster Helper


• calvatia gigantea, someone brought a beautiful specimen that they sliced into sections and handed out to certain people - I guess its who you know.


• laetiporus cincinnatus, the Chicken Mushroom, because it, you guessed it, is supposed to taste like chicken when cooked properly.

Then they sent us into the woods and fields. In addition to finding the ducks, and some skeet we also found some mushrooms. The kids have been taking an AP Biology course, so they knew all about finding and collecting mushrooms. We spotted this huge purple mushroom, and learned later that it was ganoderma tsugae, the Hemlock Varnish Polypore. And it was growing on a hemlock too!



We also found a whole bunch of piptoporus betulinus (whitish tan in the center of this photo) growing right up a dead birch tree. From further reading, I understand that the fungus can be treated to make an excellent fire starter - like one spark from a flint and whoom! (that is the sound of a huge fireball resulting from this most excellent fire starter being lit).



When I saw this one in the woods, the kids told me right away it was poisonous, so we handled it carefully and brought it back for show and tell. It was the Destroying Angel, amanita bisporigera. Beautiful but deadly.



Since then, the kids and I have cultivated a growing interest in all things Fungi and we're on alert for further finds on our walks in the woods, like the many we saw on our evening walk in Ferry Beach last night.



This is a great time of year to get out and do your own mushroom foray and being in the Maine woods in October can't be beat. Good hunting!

~Alex, unschooling with Olivia, 13 and Adam, 11 in Old Orchard Beach

Teen Meet-Up @ Portland Public Library on Tuesdays

Teen Gatherings @ The Portland Public Library

Teen Meet-Ups!

When: Every Tuesday, 12Noon-2pm

Where: Portland Public Library in the Teen Lounge. (The Teen Lounge is located
behind the circulation desk). 5 Monument Square Portland, Maine 04101.
Directions.

Who: Unschooling Teens, ages 11-19.
_______________________________________________

I understand there is now the fundraising group taking place at the same time
and place as the Teen Meet-Up, so we'll have to see how this works. If anyone
has thoughts about that, please let me know, as I am seeing that some of the
same people are interested in both events. I may have to move the day and time,
and I will keep you posted.

Olivia and Adam will be at the library for Teen Meet-Up tomorrow.

Thanks!

~Amy

Update & Repost: Sign-Up For LabVenture! Program

UPDATE: There are a few spots left! Please be at the Gulf Of Maine Research Institute no later than 830am, Thursday, Sept 30. You will have to allow time to fill out a permission form. We will meet in the lobby. Thanks! If you need to make a change of plans, I have to know by Wednesday evening, Sept 29, at the latest! This is very important. ~Amy

What: Lobster: Untold Tales The program is free.

About the Visit (from the site)
What to expect
Maine's 5th and 6th [ages 10-12] grade students will be immersed in a world of marine science. They will be welcomed with a dynamic presentation about the Gulf of Maine and will learn how they are connected to this biologically rich area through the larger watershed. As students take on the role of marine scientists, they will visit four interactive LabVenture! stations to explore and discover why lobsters are important to the Gulf of Maine. A "scientific conference" will summarize what they have learned by displaying student-generated data and tying this into current research. All students will leave this experience with a personal website that displays pictures and videos they created during their visit. This allows students and educators to extend the experience past GMRI and into students' homes and classrooms.

What students will learn
Maine's 5th and 6th grade [ages 10-12] students will be engaged in the scientific process as they ask questions, make observations, develop hypotheses, collect data, and draw conclusions. While exploring the importance of lobsters, students will view larval lobsters under microscopes to study life cycle and food web, handle live lobsters to gather evidence about adaptation, experience marine science research methods at GMRI's benthic tank, and consider the role of science in larger community decisions. Each of the activities at the LabVenture! stations is aligned with the Maine Learning Results and National Science Education Standards.


Where: Directions to the Gulf Of Maine Research Institute in Portland.

When: Thursday, September 30 9am-1130am

Who: kids ages 10-12. There is room for 19 unschoolers (at-home learners) in addition to the school group that will be there.

How: Please sign up by replying to this post, or emailing me at amybradstreet@hotmail.com . If you have further questions for the Gulf Of Maine Research Institute about this program, please contact:

Ros Goldsbrough
Visit Administrator
Gulf of Maine Research Institute
350 Commercial St
Portland, Maine 04101
(207) 228-1650