MOOCs – how to use them for yourself and your teens

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

MOOCs How to use them for you and your teen

Episode 32: MOOCs – how to use them for yourself and your teens

 

Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast

And visit our sponsor FundaFunda Academy to see the classes they are offering for high school credit this summer.

MOOC = Massive Open Online Courses

The start of MOOCs is typically accepted to be in 2011 when Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig from Stanford offered an online course on artificial intelligence. Over 160 000 people from all over the world registered (including my younger son). There were a few MOOCs before this but this is the one that set MOOCs on the map.

Characteristics of MOOCs

  • Usually taught by college professors at a university level
  • Initially, they were typically free, but that is no longer the case though many are still free to audit, you will pay to get a certificate
  • Most start and end on specific dates, but some are self-paced
  • Tuition is via streamed videos but some classes will also have reading material and some live hangouts
  • Many will have automatically graded quizzes. Some also use peer reviews
  • Students can interact with classmates and teaching assistants in online forums

What are the main MOOCs?

EdX – started by Harvard and MIT offers some AP and high school classes as well as college-level classes.

Coursera – many of their short courses are grouped together to offer a “microcredential.” They monetize by a monthly subscription model. But they do still offer many courses that are free to audit.

Futurelearn is UK-based and owned by The Open University. Exams are behind a paywall and you have to pay for certificates but quizzes are usually accessible free.

Udacity is the MOOC provider that grew out of that first MOOC, but isn’t allied to any university. It offers “Nanodegrees” related to Information Technology which consists of a number of courses with human-graded projects, some mentorship and assistance finding a job afterward (ie an alternative to college). But they also still have individual free courses with basic quizzes and interactive coding assignments.

Best way to find a MOOC?

Visit Class Central and search for a topic you are interested in. This website clearly shows all the opttions, if a class is free, when it starts and how it has been rated by students.

Why parents should consider MOOCs

  • It’s a way for you to keep up with whatever you studied in college
  • You can expand your interests to new fields
  • You provide a role model for your children as they see you sticking to deadlines, not giving up with hard work etc

Why teens should consider MOOCs

  • They can get access to classes that will stretch them academically
  • You can use them as interesting electives (provide credit based on how many hours your child spends on the course)
  • See them as college-prep. Teens will get a taste of what college-level work is like.
  • Be sure they add them to their LinkedIn profiles or digital portfolios
  • They might use their experience taking a MOOC in a college admissions essay as it shows they want to be challenged academically and are ready for higher-level work.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review!

Contact Meryl via email on meryl@mediaangels.com or connect with her on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook

MOOCs How to use them for you and your teen #homeschoolonline #homeschoolhighschool #homeschoolpodcast #MOOC

HSHSP Ep 109: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This week on HSHSP Ep 109: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy.

HSHSP Ep 109: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy

HSHSP Ep 109: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy

The homeschooling community is famous for co-ops! What are co-ops? They are simply families homeschooling together in some format (co-operating on education).

Homeschool co-ops take lots of formats:

  • 2 families getting together to do fun learning activities
  • Huge co-ops that have 50 families with structured studies
  • 1 topic co-ops
  • There’s not ONE right way to homeschool co-op

What are the benefits of co-ops?

  • Experiencing other teacher’s styles, grading
  • Responsibility of a group setting
  • Fun of some subjects that are delightful in a group
  • Downloading teaching of subjects mom doesn’t like to moms who do like them

Here’s how to start a homeschool co-op you and your teens will enjoy:

  • Start with prayer together
  • Clarify expectations and goals (believe us it will save LOTS of storm and stress later on). Decide the goals co-operatively. Your goals might look like:
    • Aimed at middleschoolers and highschoolers that are science experiences and labs
    • Aimed at mostly reading and writing projects for highschoolers
    • Aimed for multi-subjects and multi-ages
    • Aimed at multi-ages as field trips to historic sites
    • And ENDLESS other goals
  • Decide here you’ll meet
  • Decide when you’ll meet
    • How often
    • Length of school year
    • Breaks
  • Choose class period lengths
  • Will you have a hard start? (Do we wait for everyone to show up? Do we start right on time? This determines who teaches what.)
  • What has God given us to work with?
    • Moms’ interests, gifts and needs
    • Teens’ interests, gifts and needs
  • Determine the costs per family or student
    • Facilities costs (even if you’re in someone’s home, there are expenses to the hosts)
    • Curriculum
    • Course resources and materials
    • What limitations are families experiencing?
  • Clarify logistics
    • Are set-up and clean-up chores assigned?
    • Are moms only involved?
    • Do teens help?
  • Clarify whether there will be a lunch break
    • How will that be organized
    • Beware everyone using the microwave (there’s TOO long a line)
  • Set group check-in times (evaluate yucks and yahoos of the co-op)
    • Also set your own checkins with your teens and yourself

Join Sabrina, Vicki and Kym for a helpful discussion about starting your co-op. Also, check out these episodes:

 

HSHSP Ep 93: How to Start a Homeschool Organization Interview with Carol Topp CPA

HSHSP Ep 85: Healthily Handling Homeschool Mean-Moms with Melanie Wilson

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
  2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
  3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily.
  7. Thanks!

HSHSP Ep 109: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op Your Teens Will Enjoy

HSHSP Ep 105: Digital Learning Options for Homeschool Highschool

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This week on HSHSP Ep 105: Digital Learning Options for Homeschool Highschool.

HSHSP Ep 105: Digital Learning Options for Homeschool Highschool

HSHSP Ep 105: Digital Learning Options for Homeschool Highschool

Why use digital learning with your homeschool highschoolers?

  • It’s cool!
  • It’s available!

We can use digital resources because these days, in homeschool high school, parents are not teachers as much as they are resource managers. We gather the best resources we can get and make them available to our teens, so that they can learn. We provide:

  • Safety net if they need help
  • Check ins
  • Accountability
  • Usually, grading and credit-assignment

Digital Textbooks (like 7SistersHomeschool.com’s curriculum)

7Sisters provides curriculum in:

All of 7Sisters’ curriculum:

  • Is editable (btw- if you have an old uneditable version of a 7Sisters textbook and would like to update to editable, contact us at info@7SistersHomeschool.com for a FREE update)
  • Is readable on tablets or laptops, desktops OR
  • Can be printed out
  • Can be saved on the various devices if you have several teens using it and mom can grade on her device

We also have our very popular, truly interactive courses like 7Sisters’ Financial Literacy from a Christian Perspective, that includes google research and online simulations, creating their own budgets and financial planning,

Online classes (we are not affiliates for any of these, btw). Live or recorded. Here are a few:

Need help grading? There are resources like:

  • Grammarly.com
  • or hire tutors if you don’t feel competent

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). These are awesome courses from universities like MIT, UC Berkeley and more.

Teens don’t usually get course credit, so they should log hours. Some will grade and score if you pay a little. Here are a couple of them the providers:

  • EdX
  • Coursera

Through companies like Audible:

  • Great Courses (Teaching Company) (Be sure to log hours to earn the credit)

Dual Credit online from local college

Be sure your homeschool highschoolers are ready to do college-level work (at a college pace) because their grade stays with them through the rest of their college years.

  • Some courses transfer and some don’t. Ask the college that your teens will be transferring to. Remember: Ask questions!

Join Sabrina and Vicki for a fun chat about digital learning. In the meantime, check out these posts:

Interactive Financial Literacy Course: Why it is Awesome & How to Use it

Homeschool Highschool Podcast Ep 80: Highschool Math for Math-Impaired Moms

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO HSHSP VIA COMPUTER

  1. Follow this link to our iTunes page.
  2. IMPORTANT STEP: Under our Homeschool Highschool Podcast logo, click on View in iTunes
  3. This will take you to iTunes and our own podcast page.
  4. Click SUBSCRIBE.
  5. Click RATINGS AND REVIEW. (Please take a minute and do this. It helps others find us. Thanks!)
  6. Thanks!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE VIA iPHONE

  1. Tap the purple Podcast icon on your phone
  2. Tap the search icon on the bottom-right of your screen
  3. In the search bar type: Homeschool Highschool Podcast
  4. Tap the Homeschool Highschool Podcast icon
  5. Tap *Subscribe*
  6. Please tap *Ratings and Review* and give us some stars and a comment to help others find us more easily.
  7. Thanks!

 

HSHSP Ep 105: Digital Learning Options for Homeschool Highschool


We’d like to thank our Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network sponsor, Like Arrows!

FamilyLife’s first feature film LIKE ARROWS, explores the joys and heartaches of parenting with a story that spans over 50 years. Join us in theaters across America for a special 2 night showing of LIKE ARROWS followed by exclusive after-show content with the film-makers, including celebrated faith-based film-makers Alex and Stephen Kendrick as well as FamilyLife Today’s Dennis and Barbara Rainey and Bob Lepine. You’ll leave encouraged and equipped with powerful next steps to make Christ the center of YOUR parenting.

LIKE ARROWS will be in theaters for two nights only, MAY 1ST and 3RD. To view the trailer and find theater info, visit the link below. If you missed the movie in theatres be sure to check out the Digital, DVD and Blueray versions on the website, LikeArrowsMovie.com

Visit here to learn more.


HSHSP Ep 83: Homeschooled and Headed for College

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This week on HSHSP Ep 83: Homeschooled and Headed for College.

HSHSP Ep 83: Homeschooled and Headed for College

HSHSP Ep 83: Homeschooled and Headed for College

Many homeschool highschoolers are planning to attend college. How about yours? We know there’s not one right way to homeschool highschool AND there’s not one right way to do life after highschool. Some teens are call right into the workforce, military or missions. Others must go through college.

For teens who are homeschooled and planning for college, we’ve got some helpful information to think about. As experienced homeschool moms and community leaders, we’ve learned some insider tips. What experience do we have?

  • We’ve graduated all of our homeschool highschoolers and all the college-interested teens attended a college of their choice.
  • Vicki has served as academic advisor for local homeschool upperclassmen, helping hundreds graduate and gain acceptance at a college of their choice.
  • Sabrina and Kym have, for decades, taught homeschool co-op and group classes and mentored college-bound students (including writing many, many college reference letters).
  • However, we can’t say that Quella the seeing eye puppy has helped many teens get into college yet. Maybe someday…

From our feet-on-the-ground experience, we’ve got helpful information for you regarding the questions we often receive:

  • How can you and your teens manage the stress of the college hunt, preparation and application process?
  • Why is junior year important for college-bound students’ transcripts?
  • How many colleges should homeschool highschoolers apply to?
  • Why fill out FAFSA?
  • What is FAFSA anyway?
  • What is the importance of college visits?
  • What are some secrets of scholarships?
  • What do you need to know about the application process?
  • Why are application essay important?
  • How to politely ask for reference letters?

Join Sabrina, Vicki, Kym and Quella the seeing eye puppy for a lively and helpful discussion about college preparation and application!

Also, check out these resources:

Mindfulness Activity: Progressive Relaxation VickiTillmanCoaching.com

Click here to download freebie how-to.

How to Request a College Recommendation Letter

 

Homeschool Highschool Podcast Episode 53: Starting the College Search

 

Need some support and guidance on how-to write an eye-catching college application essay? 7SistersHomeschool.com has what you need.

HSHSP Ep 83: Homeschooled and Headed for College


Special Thanks to our Network Sponsor!


We’d like to thank our Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network sponsor Sony and their new movie, The Star, the Story of the First Christmas – Coming in Theaters November 17th!

Visit TheStarMovie.com to learn more.


HSHSP Ep 74: Nuts and Bolts of Starting Homeschooling in Highschool

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This week on the HSHSP Ep 74: Nuts and Bolts of Starting Homeschooling in Highschool.

HSHSP Ep 74: Nuts and Bolts of Starting Homeschooling in Highschool

HSHSP Ep 74: Nuts and Bolts of Starting Homeschooling in Highschool

More and more families are beginning the homeschool journey during the highschool years. Do you know anyone who is just starting out in one of the highschool years?

If so, let them know about this episode: Starting Homeschooling in Highschool!

Many parents feel intimidated when they start homeschooling highschool with their teens, especially if they are bringing their teens home from traditional schools. Don’t fear! 7SistersHomeschool.com’s own Sabrina, Marilyn and Kym share from years of experience the nuts and bolts of homeschooling highschool.

In this episode the Sisters share:

  • What credits do your teens need for graduation?
  • What credits do they need for college attractiveness?
  • If you’re bringing your teens home after they have already started highschool, how to transfer credits.
  • What do STEM students need for college attractiveness?
  • How to show transfer credits on the transcript.
  • Choosing which credits to cover and how to cover.
  • Will there be holes in their education?
  • How do you handle World Languages?
  • How complicated is it to choose Language Arts credits? Elective credits?

Join us for fun and encouragement in starting homeschooling in highschool!

 

 

Homeschool High School Transcripts- the 26 Credits Needed for Graduation

How My Teens Made College-Attractive Homeschool Transcripts

Did We Miss Anything? Plugging the Holes in the Homeschool Transcript

 

HSHSP Ep 74: Nuts and Bolts of Starting Homeschooling in Highschool

HSHSP Ep 72: Newbie Homeschool Highschool Moms: Nuts and Bolts to Get Started

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

This week on HSHSP Ep 72: Newbie Homeschool Highschool Moms: Nuts and Bolts to Get Started.

 HSHSP Ep 72: Newbie Homeschool Highschool Moms: Nuts and Bolts to Get Started

HSHSP Ep 72: Newbie Homeschool Highschool Moms: Nuts and Bolts to Get Started

In Episode 71, Sabrina, Vicki and Kym discussed the many things newbie moms will need to think about as they start to homeschool highschool with their teens.

Now, on Episode 72, we share the nuts and bolts (or nuts and chocolate) about the actual how-to’s of beginning your homeschool highschool.

  • Capturing your why’s
  • Setting long-term goals
  • Deciding this-year goals
  • Including your teens in the process
  • Exploring format for each course
  • Choosing curriculum
  • Record keeping
  • Earning credits

We know it may seem overwhelming, but really homeschool highschool years are the best years yet. You’re going to love them!

Have some laughs and relax with your big sisters from 7SistersHomeschool.com and Homeschool Highschool Podcast. We’ve helped hundreds of homeschool highschoolers graduate and go onto healthy, productive adult lives with appropriate college and/or career. (We’ve also done the same with our teens!) HSHSP is where you can find the support and encouragement you need!

We’ll help you get started with lots of helpful info and lots of great encouragement. You CAN do it!

Tips for Writing Homeschool Goals

HSHSP Ep 44: Including Teens in Highschool Planning

How to Plan and Schedule Your Homeschool High School Year

HSHSP Ep 72: Newbie Homeschool Highschool Moms: Nuts and Bolts to Get Started

HSHSP Ep 23: What’s Included in Career Exploration?

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

HSHSP Ep 23: What's Included in Career Exploration?HSHSP Ep 23: What’s Included in Career Exploration?

Career Exploration is a necessary life preparation course in highschool! (It may not be mandatory, but it certainly is important!)

Teens don’t need to know everything about the future when they graduate homeschool highschool- but they will be off to a MUCH better start if they have a sense of direction!

That sense of direction comes from knowing themselves and looking for God’s guidance. That’s what Career Exploration is all about!

Join Vicki and Kym as they share about their work with homeschool highschoolers on the Career Exploration journey in this week’s Homeschool Highschool Podcast: What’s Included in Career Exploration?

 

Here are some links to helpful 7SistersHomeschool.com posts about Career Exploration:

What Is a Comprehensive Career Exploration Curriculum?

 

10 Tips for Career Exploration for Teens

3 Ways to Turn Transcript Courses into High School Career Exploration

 

 

HSHSP Ep 20: Making the Most of Homeschool Highschool

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

HSHSP Ep 20: Making the Most of Homeschool Highschool

HSHSP Ep 20: Making the Most of Homeschool HighschoolHomeschooling highschool years are the best years of all! There is so much to do and to learn and so much adventure to be had!

Join us for an interview with homeschool graduate, Ezra Tillman, as he shares about the ups and downs of homeschooling highschool- and how to make the most of those precious 4 years!

Ezra homeschooled through highschool graduation. He is also a college graduate, having earned a double degree from Lancaster Bible College. Ezra now teaches middle school history, geography and Latin at the prestigious Tome School in North East, Maryland.

His highschool years were filled with adventures like film-making, speech, trips and more. Some adventures were awesome, some were well, REAL.

Join us for all the details on making the most of homeschool highschool.

Here are links mentioned in the podcast:

Speech I Public Speaking and Practical Life Skills

Advanced Guide to High School Short Story Writing: Myth-Fantasy second edition

The highschool cinematography project explaining why guys should take ballroom dance lessons:

Why A Guy Would Want To Take Ballroom Dance Lessons

The video for the local homeschool umbrella school:

 

Here’s a college project:

 

HSHSP Ep 18: How and Why to Show Rigor on the Homeschool Transcript

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

HSHSP Ep 18: How and Why to Show Rigor on the Homeschool Transcript

HSHSP Ep 18: How and Why to Show Rigor on Homeschool Transcript

 

Many homeschool highschoolers are college bound. How do they create a transcript that is college attractive?

One important feature of college-attractive transcripts is showing that your teens have done well with rigorous academics. Why just record “Language Arts” when you can let those college advisors know that your homeschool highschooler has done some AMAZING word?

How do you show academic rigor? There are some simple ways to make do that.

Join Vicki and Sabrina on this week’s Homeschool Highschool Podcast as they share the how’s and why’s of recording academic rigor on the homeschool transcript!

 

 

Will My Kid Get into College?

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Will my kid get into college?

The-Homeschool-Highschool-Podcast-Episode-3-Will-my-kid-get-into-college?The Homeschool Highschool Podcast Episode 3

Will My Kid Get into College?

Will my kid get into college? That’s the question that’s burning on many newbie homeschooling highschool parent!

Join Vicki and Sabrina from 7SistersHomeschool.com as they share insider tips on helping your homeschool high schooler develop a college attractive transcript (but still have fun while they’re being so awesome)!

Vicki has served her homeschool community for 18 years as academic advisor to the local homeschool juniors and seniors. She’s helped hundreds of teens get into college. Sabrina has guided the local homeschooling high schoolers for years as teacher and reference writer.

So don’t miss out! Sabrina and Vicki will help you feel a confident “YES!” to the challenging question, “Will my kid get into college?”