Embedded Files
by Julie Schneider
When my husband and I decided to homeschool we made a decision. It was a commitment to a modest life - comfortable and privileged but modest. My husband would remain in his career; I would forgo mine. Well...maybe forgo isn't the right word. I had to reimagine what my career would have to look like. However you cut it our decision meant that we would have to homeschool without oodles of money to invest in curriculum.
This blog is about our most-used and favorite resources that support learning that don't cost a dime.
Subjects include: Reading, Communication, Music, Foreign Language, Math, Science, Computer Coding, Art, and more!
Photo by Harli Marten on Unsplash
CONVERSATIONS
CONVERSATIONS
I believe the purpose of education is to allow children to become kind, thoughtful, and productive members of society. Since communication is at the heart of being part of society, I place "Conversations" at the top of my list of important ways of learning. Not only is it imperative for developing cognition, it is also how humans come together to connect, solve problems, and work together. And it is free!
There are three places Conversations typically take place in our homeschool:
1. At the table.
2. In the car.
3. On a "Walk and Talk" - outside walking.
Not sure what to talk about with your kids? You could start by offering something you find interesting. You could ask them what they find interesting. But sometimes it is easiest if you have a third thing for you both to turn your attention to - so you could read a book together and talk about it, or watch a movie, or go for a walk....
Photo by Iñaki del Olmo on Unsplash
LIBRARIES
LIBRARIES
You can read books, magazines, and newspapers, listen to audiobooks, and watch movies for free thanks to the many libraries in the country.
Pick something that interests you, let your child pick something that grabs his or her interest, or find recommendations online! Anything goes. You're just looking for something to share.
Here are some of my recommendations:
Or check out the National Day Calendar and find a theme of your own. Then use the library's catalog to find books about the subject. (We recently learned a lot about noodles on National Noodle Day!)
Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash
OUTDOORS
OUTDOORS
Not only is spending time outdoors good for your health, it is also a free way to find something interesting to ponder or discuss. Find flowers growing in the cracks in the sidewalks; look at the facade of a building and consider who built it, how and why; simply allow yourself to give you attention to your surroundings and be curious.
WWW Resources
WWW Resources
If you are reading this blog then you have access to the technology needed for the following online resources...
Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content.
Kids love his creativity and humor. Adults appreciate his clarity and step-by-step style. Everyone loves the feeling of success as you learn to play real songs from the first lesson. He’s been called the “Mr. Rogers of piano.”
The Hoffman Method offers the most complete foundation in music you can find online. With the Hoffman Method, you’ll become an empowered musician who can play, read and understand music.
Note: All you need is a piano. I've seen several free pianos listed on Craigslist.
Learn a language for free. Forever.
Learning with Duolingo is fun and addictive. Earn points for correct answers, race against the clock, and level up. Our bite-sized lessons are effective, and we have proof that it works.
Create, play and print beautiful sheet music.
WORLD’S MOST POPULAR NOTATION SOFTWARE.
Note from Julie: It is a sandbox toy for composing instrumental songs!
BrainPOP was founded in 1999 by Dr. Avraham Kadar as a creative way to explain difficult concepts to his young patients.
Today, we’re a trusted learning resource supporting core and supplemental subjects, reaching millions of learners worldwide.
Expanding our learning tools, and helping kids create, construct, and collaborate as they explore their world.
Engaging learning games, animated movies, and activities. Designed with relevance, depth, and humor to encourage kids on their own unique learning paths.
With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community.
Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.
Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge.
THE EASIEST WAY TO LEARN GUITAR, PIANO, BASS AND UKULELE
Play the music you want - your way.
SHEET MUSIC, TABLATURE, METRONOME, GUITAR TUNER, ALL MUSIC GENRES, CHORD DIAGRAMS, TEMPO CONTROL
STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIALS
Yousician guides you with easy step-by-step tutorials and gives you exercises that fit your level.
GET REAL FEEDBACK
Get instant feedback on your accuracy and rhythm as you play along with interactive tutorials.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
See how you improve from the very first session and store your musical achievements.
LOCAL RESOURCES
LOCAL RESOURCES
"Since 1989, Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) has distributed funds from a 1/10 of 1% sales and use tax to cultural facilities throughout the seven-county Denver, Colorado metropolitan area (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties). The funds support cultural facilities whose primary purpose is to enlighten and entertain the public through the production, presentation, exhibition, advancement and preservation of art, music, theatre, dance, zoology, botany, natural history and cultural history."
The SCFD provides free admission to a variety of places on certain days of the year. See the calendar to the right for more information.
You should know that Denver Art Museum offers free admission for children ages 0-18 every day.
The mission of the Open Space and Mountain Parks Department (OSMP) is to preserve and protect the natural environment and land resources that characterize Boulder. We foster appreciation and uses that sustain the natural values of the land for current and future generations.
The Open Space & Mountain Parks Department manages permanently protected land and area that is now approximately 45,000 acres, contains approximately 150 miles of developed and maintained trails, and receives approximately 5.3 million human visits per year based on the 2004-2005 Visitation Study data. The department is divided into five divisions:
Every Monday and Tuesday, Sombrero Marsh Environmental Education Center is open to the public for a hands-on self guided exploration. Come in, chat with an educator, grab an exploration backpack, and head out to the marsh to identify grasses, listen to songbirds, and catch critters in a net. We have lots of exciting indoor exhibits too!
Touch a cloud, consider chaos, steer a hurricane, explore climate, and take a look at the Sun, and browse art galleries. They are all part of the exhibits at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.
The Colorado Scale Model Solar System shows both planetary sizes and distances in our solar system at 1 ten-billionth actual size. (I.e., model scale is 1 to 10 billion.) The Sun and inner planets are located in front of Fiske Planetarium on the campus of the University of Colorado, Boulder. The Colorado model is one of only a handful of walkable scale model solar systems in the world that use a true scale; that is, models that have the same scale for both diameters and distances. Read more in this article from Physics Today.
The Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum, home to one of the state’s two Goodwill moon rocks collected during the Apollo 17 mission, was started in 1874 and displays mineral, fossil, gemstone, meteorite and historic mining artifact exhibits on two floors.
The museum serves as the state repository for Colorado’s mineral heritage and promotes its importance and understanding to the university community and the public. It aims to inspire scientific curiosity through education and research while encouraging appreciation of the earth and responsibility for its mineral, fossil, meteorite and historic mining treasures.
The Open Studios Tour is a free self-guided tour that invites the public into 147 artist studios in and around the City of Boulder, Colorado.
For 23 years, we have operated with a simple goal: connect artists with people who love art. For the first three weekends in October, the Open Studios Tour opens the doors of artists studios in our community, so they may share their process and work. It also encourages conversations, develops understanding between art appreciators and creators, and creates relationships that extend far beyond the tour itself.
THE KNOWN BUT UNKNOWN
THE KNOWN BUT UNKNOWN
All the stuff listed above keeps us pretty busy. I know that there are great YouTube Channels (Smarter Every Day), Podcasts (Brains On), and Writing Courses (NaNoWriMo & Camp NaNoWriMo) out there but I haven't gone mucking around in them yet.
What more do you need?
What more do you need?
When she writes, Julie draws from both her formal education (MSE Electrical Engineering, MA Curriculum and Instruction - Science) and her informal education in Early Childhood Education and Special Needs Parenting that arose when she became a mother and shortly thereafter a blogger. Julie’s blog, Preschool Engineering, is where she advocates for children (and adults) as playful, independent Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math learners. Her experience and interests are a natural fit for her work Free-Learning in Colorado. Julie lives in Superior, CO with her husband of 16 years and their two children. In her spare time she reads, hikes, and practices kundalini yoga.
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