Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts

Thursday, August 30, 2012

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!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Unschooling and Technology: A Key To Learning?



Come on over to our unschooling, strewing blog at Unearth and Fathom where we're discussing technology and learning. We'd love to read your thoughts! Does technology enhance your learning? What tools are you using? Do you think technology has an impact on your unschooling? Let us know!

Monday, May 23, 2011

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.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

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