Apps, Online, and STEM Learning
September 30, 2020
In This Issue:
Mercy Every Minute  
Make Technology Work for You, Not Against You

One of the prophecies of the end times is that knowledge would increase (Daniel 12:4). In my lifetime, just in the area of music, we have gone from listening on the radio, then to record players, eight tracks, cassettes, CDs, and now to streaming music through a myriad of devices. And that is just one area! 

So much has changed as technology has not only helped us be more productive in less time but has increased our knowledge of the world and connection with its inhabitants like we have never been able to do in our history. Our children are seeing a new generation of technology. 

There are always pros and cons to technology in the area of education. We want our children online learning great things, but we don’t want them online all day. There are amazing educational resources and apps, but we must monitor their technology use so as not to distract from other important things like creative play time, nature studies, and time for reading great books.

STEM learning seems to be popular in these technological times. If you are teaching your children a mix of science, technology, engineering, and math, then they are receiving a great STEM education. And there are many apps out there to help learn these things. Technology can work for you and not against you as you allow your children “screen time” by keeping it positive and educational. 

Be careful with all the games that are available out there. They can easily become an addiction for the children or for you! Use your time wisely and ask the LORD to show you how you can help your children make a difference in this fast, busy, anxious, and angry generation. As much as the current culture would like to believe it, more or better technology is not the answer. Jesus is the answer.

In the midst of all these advancements, we need to go back to the earliest wisdom of the Bible. Teach your children that there is true knowledge and understanding for life and godliness between its pages as you keep them Home. Where They Belong. 

~Deborah

Apps in Home Education by Sharra Badgley
Getting a Head Start with STEM by Rebecca Wilson
Online Learning Success by Brandy Chandler
Have you checked out SchoolhouseReport.com yet? It’s a daily news aggregator having to do with EDUCATION IN THE NEWS. Lots of stories about homeschooling and its recent growth. Sign up for the daily digest so you never miss the news. This is a product of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
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Why is it important for young children to participate in musical activities and learn to play an instrument? How does online learning play a part in that? First, it’s important to know that bringing music to children’s lives means allowing them to experience the sensitivities of life. And it can help create emotions, like no other activity can produce. Speaking physically, just as the gross motor skills are important to develop through running and jumping activities, the fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination that develop through playing the piano are just as important and could be “more useful” in everyday life. Therefore, if young children have both experiences, the more balanced they will become in life skills, physically and emotionally. 

Science tells us that the younger our children start consistently practicing a musical instrument, the earlier their brains engage in what we might think of as an aerobic workout, which leads to better cognitive functions, increased coordination, and eventually better performance in school and other areas of their lives. The challenge is not IF a child should have music lessons at 3 years old, it is IF you can find a qualified teacher and program for that preschool age. 

Imagine what happens when children incorporate an online music program that provides excitement to their practicing with age-appropriate musical games, activities, even listening to an online music teacher? Add a digital piano where even a preschooler can add an orchestra to a simple melody. Well, you have just expanded the brain workout exponentially, and the best part, the children have fun with the entire experience.

Pianokids is a piano program using age-appropriate materials for 3 to 6 years old. Using technology to support the curriculum, the online Piano Studio includes an energetic Virtual Piano Teacher to guide children and parents through the lessons. There are fun games and reward activities when songs are learned, and prizes sent right to the children when practice stickers are selected online. Pianokids is a proven piano method that provides parents with creative tools they need to start their preschool children on their musical journey.

Enroll your child today at pianokids.com.
Using Apps in Your Homeschool

I think apps are good, and I’m sure there are about a billion out there that offer oodles of engaging learning. Here’s my warning: sometimes “apps” transition into game playing, video watching, or time frittering.

Kids can be stealthy, too. They ask to play an educational app on your phone or iPad and a while later they’ve quit that app and are doing something else on it instead.

As parents, we tend to justify time spent on apps because we think that any time our child can learn while playing is a good thing. Don't let it become a replacement for time spent with you or playing real games with each other though. Any screen time we give our kids of any kind tends to feed their appetite for more screen time.

My concern about apps is that although they can be awesome tools, left unchecked or unmonitored, they can easily be a gateway to something less-awesome and possibly even something bad.

Do not let your kids access the app store alone. There are some mighty bad apps out there that can be found with just a couple of innocent (or not so innocent) clicks. Those risks aren’t worth taking, not when it comes to your child.

So, go find those good apps and then control when they are used. Learning apps should be part of your school plan, NOT a convenient babysitter to be brought out when you want your kids out of your hair. And keep an eye on those app users, making sure they’re doing what you expect them to do and where you expect them to do it.

Be real (there’s no app for that!). . .
Todd

P.S. My small book with big truth How to Choose Relationship When There's so Much to Do answers the question that a homeschool mom once asked me: "What is relationship?" We'll follow the tale of TWO homeschool moms, one who chose relationship and the other who missed out on the relationship right under her nose. The book is easy to read with practical steps to choose relationship even with a never-ending list of stuff to do (60 pages).
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The Big Fat Notebooks series from Workman Publishing is beloved by homeschool families for its fun, interactive format.
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A Private Music Teacher App

Our youngest son plays the electric guitar for our worship service at church. He started playing on stage at age 15 with adults. I love seeing him up there, serving the Lord in his gifting. For a mom, that's a pretty exciting thing to watch.

We first started homeschooling when our youngest two boys were going into first and second grade. The things I worried most about when we brought them home from a well-supplied Christian school were losing constant access to the library, the science lab, and the music room.

I filled the house with books and science supplies. We took nature walks and started notebooking. There were long read alouds, and I hauled musical instruments I found at garage sales into the house. We had fun exploring on our own together, and we enjoyed the curriculum we used.

Over the years, we've also used some wonderful tools we found online, in the app store, and on streaming services to help us further explore. When my boys wanted to learn to play the guitar, we found a free app (Yousician) to teach them. Later, our youngest moved to apps with libraries of guitar tabs. The apps could hear him play and would help him correct his tempo and notes. We've used online services to help the kids study for CLEP tests, for the SAT, and to learn to code several languages. We've taken a virtual tour of the Tabernacle, and used Google Earth to explore geography all over the world.

I'm a huge fan of books, notebooking, nature walks, and curriculum. Our family watches maybe one movie per week (no TV), and we don't own a gaming console—on purpose! We take limiting screen time seriously. However, the internet has been an incredible tool in our homeschool. We love the important things we can learn from amazing people. With a little research and some setup, your family can really benefit from the resources available to you. Who knows? Maybe one of your kids will find their passion for serving the Lord through a free app.

Danika Cooley is an award-winning children's author. Her upcoming books include a guide to help your kids learn and love Scripture (Bethany House, 2021), and a new line of Christian history for 3rd to 5th graders (Christian Focus Publications, 2021). Grab your complimentary three-week sample of her popular Bible Road Trip™ curriculum.
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Discover the Power of Play! Are you tired of endless hours with online instruction? Are you desiring more family time? Excellence In Education has developed a complete curriculum based on the effectiveness of Board Games. Check out our website www.GameCurriculum.com for a complete grade/subject selection of board games. Discover Play!
Trim Healthy Mama
Serene Allison & Pearl Barrett, https://trimhealthymama.com
Insulin 

Insulin carries the nutrients from your food to the storing places in your body. This is a good and necessary thing, but when insulin produces too much, it can cause your body to create excess body fat, which leads to many health problems. God didn’t design insulin to harm you; it was designed with the very important task of transporting glucose, proteins, and fats out of your bloodstream and into your cells so your body can use them. Insulin works hard to transport excess glucose out of your bloodstream to keep your blood sugar level at a safe range! 

Without insulin, the protein in your foods couldn’t help your muscles repair. The fats would not have a way out of the bloodstream to nourish your skin, brain, and nervous system. Glucose would stay locked in the bloodstream, which would be extremely harmful to your body. 

You want to make sure that insulin is working FOR your body, not AGAINST it, causing damage. Eating too many blood sugar spiking carbohydrates, such as foods made from sugar or white flour, is what causes these spikes of insulin to happen. Carbohydrates are changed into glucose much more quickly than fat and protein. 

The Trim Healthy story started with sisters Serene Allison & Pearl Barrett who wrote a self-published book about food freedom and called it Trim Healthy Mama.

The message caught on as people shared their health transformations with others, and now millions have reclaimed their health and slimmed down living the family-friendly Trim Healhy Mama lifestyle. Serene and Pearl have 19 kids between them and have homeschooled all of them.

The sisters, their husbands, and families all work together to run the Trim Healthy Mama company, turning a lifetime of experiences into a movement that is transforming lives every day.

Their new Trim Healthy You homeschool curriculum is now available at TrimHealthyYou.net.

Trim Healthy Mama is produced by Trim Healthy Mama LLC. This company is not owned by The Old Schoolhouse, LLC (TOS), and TOS is not responsible for the content produced by Trim Healthy Mama. TOS may not approve of or endorse all content, resources, and other companies promoted by Trim Healthy Mama in its columns. The views and opinions expressed in this column or newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TOS on any subject matter. The nutritional, health, and exercise advice and recommendations promoted by Trim Healthy Mama are not a substitute for medical advice. You should consult qualified health professionals for health, nutritional, and exercise guidance tailored to your individual needs. 
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in the fall issue of
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
Congratulations to Jennifer Chandler from Alabama who won our June giveaway!
Contest Corner
for the month of September

The Hidden Message of the Great Seal

Michael Kanis

The Hidden Message of the Great Seal is a well-researched historical book about the United States’ great seal. The author, Michael Kanis, goes through each image and word within the seal and explains the meaning behind it all. Through the author’s explanations, he seeks to show how significant the great seal is and the implications it has today.

This soft-covered book is just over 250 pages. It contains numerous images of historical documents, paintings, and drawings. Various charts and graphs scattered throughout the book help organize information nicely.

Here's part of a review of The Secret Life of Homeschoolers from a Review Crew member.

As you read The Hidden Message of the Great Seal: How Foundational Truth from the Dawn of Liberty May Rescue a Republic in Peril, you will see there is a trust every one of us has inherited as a keeper of this great republic. What a journey we can go on, with our children, as we explore different places, uncover the meaning behind historical symbols, and find the message hidden within.

See how Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin not only designed these symbols for a seal but also used allegory to place a hidden message within them. As each page is turned, find clues to piece this puzzle together and find a powerful truth. 

The message of freedom expands as we go back to see how it relates to the covenant God established with Abraham. Learn about the roots of democracy and how they draw us ever nearer to the love of God. 

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This is a shortened description of The Hidden Message of the Great Seal. You can see the whole description and 53 reviews from homeschool moms describing their families’ experience with this book on the Homeschool Review Crew site. 

Go to the contest page of our site where you can ENTER TO WIN this engaging historical book.

Enter the contest for your chance to win The Hidden Message of the Great Seal. You can enter several times!
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