Using SchoolhouseTeachers with BlueTooth - Teaching Family Style!

SchoolhouseTeachers has a vast array of classes that covers just about every subject and teaches to every modality.  In the past, we've talked about how to convert text-based assignments into Google Classroom for your students, but what about image or video-based courses?

You can teach family-style easily by using bluetooth!  With multiple ages, you can still teach science, geography, history, foreign language, and electives as a family, leaving math and language arts (which require building blocks to be done in a certain order) for individual work.

If needed, you can print the questions and worksheets to accompany videos, and give each student their own slim notebook.  Then, connect your computer to the television using bluetooth so that it projects the image and audio onto the larger screen.  This gives everyone a better view of the video, image, or demonstration.

See also: How to Use Google Classroom with Schoolhouse Teachers

Connection Options

Smart TV

Not nearly as expensive as a few years ago, the Smart TV is now an affordable option for many families.  It allows you to stream from a variety of websites, including streaming services, but also lets you access the internet browser.  You can log into your SchoolhouseTeachers account, access bookmarked classes, and then stream from there.  Also, if you'd rather, you can simply mirror your computer or tablet on the smart tv.

We started with the Smart TV because it's one of the best options, especially if you're already in the market for a new tv.  It allows you to either stream or cast; you can make a YouTube playlist and access it right there on the screen; and you can browse the internet right from the same device.  There is a lot of flexibility in use here, and the prices have come down considerably in the past few years.

Amazon Fire Stick

The Fire Stick allows you to plug into an HDMI port on your television, and then access a menu that lets you connect to your streaming channels.  This is not a good option for streaming directly from SchoolhouseTeachers, as it doesn't work that well with visiting websites, but it is good for streaming video from YouTube, Amazon Prime, or other educational video channels.

HDMI cable

If you don't have the ability to bluetooth, you can still connect via an HDMI cable, by connecting one end of the cable to your PC and one end to your TV.  This allows the TV to display as a computer monitor. It’s pretty fail safe since equipment is hard-wired, but since it's hard-wired in, you’ll need to have your computer right next to the TV.

You can also use bluetooth to stream audiobooks for the entire family when car-schooling!

Classic Wireless Speaker

This JAM speaker is tiny, so it won't be the focal point of your living room, plus it produces a great-quality sound.  You will need to be within 30 feet of the speaker, but that should be more than enough for most homes.  This is a good option for audio-only material.

How to Use Audible:

You can easily buy audiobooks through Audible on your Amazon account (no, you don't have to sign up for the subscription). When you buy an audiobook, it will appear in your 'library.' To listen, you just need to download the FREE Audible app to your chosen device. Tap to download the book, so that you can take it anywhere, even offline.

Finding Audible books:

Though not as easy as finding FREE Kindle Books, it is possible to find Audible deals, particularly if you are interested in classic literature.  You can try a subscription for thirty days, absolutely free, and get two free titles to keep (even if you cancel your subscription).  Some of my kids' favorites include The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and the Rick Riordan series.

Connecting your computer to a television is not that complicated, but it can be intimidating to the new user.  No matter what device you choose, it should include instructions and tutorials to walk you through the setup process.  And if it doesn't, you can almost always find a tutorial on YouTube.  😏 You've got this, mama!!

High School Chemistry - Apologia vs. Berean Builders

Choosing a high school chemistry course was one of the most important decisions we made for our juniors.  One of them knew he wanted to go into a scientific field....and we knew that we (the parents) were not chemistry-minded!  The other one just wanted to get through the required course.  After talking to parents, poking through curriculum at conventions, and trying out a few, we finally settled on these two.  We're usually all about saving money....so why would we spend money on two different curricula?

About the Courses

Apologia - Exploring Creation with ChemistryThis college-prep course is designed to give your student an excellent foundation. The accompanying high-quality spiral-bound notebook is essential for successful independent study. A daily schedule is included in the student workbook to keep students on track. Additionally, lab report pages enable students to document their lab work in a manner that prepares them for college labs.
Includes:Textbook & Solutions ManualStudent NotebookInstructional DVD (optional)Audiobook (optional)
Berean Builders - Discovering Design with ChemistryThis independent-study, college-prep course covers fundamental aspects of chemistry. Weaving together concepts and their mathematical applications, the course teaches students how to think as a chemist so they can analyze the major changes that occur in matter.  The accompanying student workbook helps students document their studies.
Includes:TextbookStudent WorkbookDigital Labs (optional)Audiobook (optional)

Comparing the Courses

• Berean Builders has comprehension questions built right into the text, so that the student can easily reference the region of the chapter if they have difficulty.  These answers can be found at the end of each chapter.
• Apologia has two full pages of comprehension questions at the end of each chapter, along with the answers (not on the same page).  This makes it more difficult to find the answer if there is a struggle.

• Berean Builders has a student notebook with comprehension questions.  This is a new addition to the course, and we have been using a separate notebook for taking notes, doing lab reports, and answering questions.
• Apologia has a student notebook with a course schedule, comprehension questions, two sets of practice problems, note-taking pages, and lab pages for every experiment from the text.

• Berean Builders is considerably more visual when it comes to illustrating concepts.  If you have a visual learner, this is a huge factor to consider.
• Apologia has a lot of text and more text description of concepts, but is not nearly as visual.

• Berean Builders has recorded instruction overview and labs that are available to stream with vimeo.
• Apologia has a DVD of instruction that covers exactly what is in the text and the experiments.

• Berean Builders has the tests built into the test book (you can make a copy of them for your student), along with review solutions and test solutions.
• Apologia  has a separate test booklet for students, with practice problem and test solutions in the answer key.

• Berean Builders is done at a slightly slower pace, and the concepts are broken down more.  It is still rigorous and college-prep, but could be a better fit for the student that needs more explanation or struggles with math.
• Apologia is very fast-paced and math-based, plus it includes more stoichiometry.

• Both courses should be completed once the student has completed Algebra I.
• Both require an additional lab kit to perform experiments.
• Both have extra 'helps' on their respective publisher websites.

Peek Inside & Conclusion

Apologia

Berean Builders

Either of these chemistry courses will prepare your student to upper level studies, but which one works best is going to depend on your child's learning style and strengths.  If you have a visual learner or one that needs more assistance, Berean Builders is probably a better fit.  If you have one that loves math and learns through text, Apologia is probably a better fit.  We have one child that falls into each category, and for this particular course - though it is highly unusual for us! - we sprung for different course materials for this reason.

**We didn't receive any compensation for this post.  It just took us forever to find a good fit and we're hoping to help other families do it in a fraction of the time!**

Enroll your student in the teacher-led co-op class, using Berean Builders Chemistry, through Sparks Academy!  (There is also a self-paced option.)

This one year course will introduce students to the concepts of chemistry. This is a high school chemistry course designed for students who have completed Algebra I. This independent-study, college-preparatory course covers fundamental aspects of chemistry such as the classification of matter, atomic structure, spectroscopy, chemical bonding, molecular geometry, physical change, chemical change, stoichiometry, solutions, ideal gases, acid/base chemistry, reduction/oxidation reactions, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, and chemical equilibrium. Weaving together concepts and their mathematical applications, the course teaches students how to think as a chemist so they can analyze the major changes that occur in matter.

Classes will include teacher-led instruction, facilitated discussions, demonstrated labs, and an overview of the coming week’s lessons.  Students will also have the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other, discuss the class material, and ask questions.  Additional activities may be suggested to help reinforce the learning, but are not required.  Course lessons are pre-recorded, with weekly, facilitated interaction occurring through a private discussion feed.  Students will be able to digitally show off lab results as well.

Sparks Academy does provide an official grade for students.  This covers feedback on discussions, the lab report, and online unit quizzes. You may enroll up to two kids from the same household in same class at same time.  The second student is deeply discounted through the Second Student option.

You can learn more about how the course will work, and other available courses, at Sparks Academy.

REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR HERE!

The History Behind Valentine's Day Traditions

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. Who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? 

Who is St. Valentine?

The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred – none of whom were associated with roses OR chocolate.

Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. During this time, around 270 A.D., emperor Claudius ll prohibited marriages for young men, claiming that bachelors made better soldiers. Valentine continued to secretly perform marriage ceremonies but was eventually apprehended by the Romans and ordered by Claudius to be put to death. But his courageous blessing of the bonds of love may have earned him a notable place in history.

Another legend has it that Valentine, imprisoned by Claudius; fell in love with the daughter of his jailer who visited him during confinement. Before he was executed, he allegedly sent her a letter signed “from your Valentine” an expression that is still used today. We could say this marked the very first Valentine’s Day.

Possibly the most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine and his day is one not focused on Eros(passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion. Subsequently, his love for his god may have gone down in history.

Our final possibility for the origins our our holiday: It could be that we celebrate Valentines Day on the 14th because this is the day that St. Valentine died. However, some believe that the celebration of Valentines Day was an attempt by the Church to civilize the celebration of the pagan Lupercalia festival – held on the 15th of February. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day around 498 A.D. The Lupercalia festival was deemed un-Christian and outlawed.

Valentine’s Greetings

The oldest known valentine gift still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. The greeting, written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) 

By the seventeenth century, handmade cards were oversized and elaborate, while store-bought ones were smaller and costly. In 1797, a British publisher issued ‘The Young Man’s Valentine Writer’, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own.

Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called “mechanical valentines,” and a reduction in postal rates in the next century ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing valentines. That, in turn, made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse in an era otherwise prudishly Victorian.

The burgeoning number of obscene valentines caused several countries to ban the practice of exchanging cards. In Chicago, for instance, late in the nineteenth century, the post office rejected some twenty-five thousand cards on the ground that they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.

The first American publisher of valentines was printer and artist Esther Howland. Her elaborate lace cards of the 1870s cost from five to ten dollars, with some selling for as much as thirty-five dollars. Since that time, the valentine card business has flourished. With the exception of Christmas, Americans exchange more cards on Valentine’s Day than at any other time of the year. Just thinking about it brings memories of red construction paper, and little boxes of heart candies that say ‘Be Mine’!

And Who is this Cupid?

Another valentine icon you may be wondering about is Cupid (from Latin cupido, “desire”). In Roman mythology Cupid is the son of Venus, goddess of love. His counterpart in Greek mythology is Eros, god of love. Cupid is often said to be a mischievous boy who goes around wounding both gods and humans with his arrows, causing them to fall in love. The Romans believed white roses grew where the tears of Venus fell, as she mourned the loss of her beloved Adonis. Her son Cupid, while being stung by a bee, shot arrows in the rose garden; the sting of the arrows became thorns. Venus pricked her foot on a thorn, and the droplets of blood dyed the roses red.

Sending Roses on Valentine’s Day

Why should you send roses to your loved one this Valentine’s Holiday? The rose is the symbol of love, of magic, of hope, and of passion….perfect to let your loved one know how you feel about him/her! The rose represents ultimate beauty and perfection. It is the messenger of Romance!

A dozen red roses remains the classic Valentine’s Day favorite (ok, it’s a toss up between roses and chocolate). However, many women report that they adore roses in other colors just as much. There are hundreds of colors to choose from. The choices are endless and it’s easier than ever to select a rose that is as unique as your sweetheart.

Read

• Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Valentine's Day
• A Year With You

Watch

• My Smurfy Valentine
• Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown

Make / Do

• Whip up some homemade chocolates!
• Learn how chocolate is made in this roadschool adventure
• Study math with Chocolate Economics
• Visit the Valentine Corner for more hands-on fun!
• SchoolhouseTeachers has a collection of activities, worksheets, videos, and more for nearly every holiday -- major and minor ones -- in their Holiday Corner!
• Pick up the complete History Behind Our Holidays collection for year-round fun!

Pick up the entire History Behind Our Holidays unit study bundle!

Includes eight American holidays. Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student the holiday’s history and customs.

•  Introduction
•  Valentine’s Day
•  St. Patrick’s Day
•  Easter
•  Mother’s Day
•  Father’s Day
•  Halloween
•  Thanksgiving
•  Christmas

In addition to text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students. You will also find a short list of reading books and fun hands-on activities!

Product Samples:   Valentine's Day & Christmas Traditions