One of my favorite, and most rewarding, questions to ask my children at the end of any event (or day) is "What did you learn?" I prefer this so much more than "What did you do today?" About 15 months ago I repeatedly asked my children everyday for a month, "What did you learn today?" and I posted all their clever responses here.
As a home educator, I am constantly seeking to create an environment of learning and discovery, regardless of the time and regardless of the day. Then, I want to celebrate with my children when we've learned something new and noteworthy. Little celebrations keep the joy in the journey. Memories of learning refresh my vision. Truthfully, my main priority as a homeschooler is that my children will love to learn.
So, I thought I would begin documenting those 'new learning' moments with photographs. Times when we've had an a-ha moment. Times when we've made a new discovery. Times when my children have taught me something (this often has to do with technology). Maybe it's a new game, a new song on the piano, or a new history fact. Maybe we learned of a new author or artist. Perhaps a math shortcut or a new recipe. Maybe my children learned a quicker way to complete their household chores. No lesson is too small.
If you visit this blog (even just once in awhile) you know that I firmly believe in documenting all the notable moments of your life. Even more so on your homeschool journey. Reflecting periodically on the learning in your children's lives will only motivate you to continue on this journey. Einstein said, Learning is experience. Everything else is just information. Let's document, share, and celebrate those experiences.
Last year, my friend Gina taught me how hashtags work when we began documenting all the happenings around our table. This year, I'm excited to add a new memory-keeping blog post series, #DailyLearningWithMyKids. Monthly, I'm planning on sharing new discoveries we've learned on our educational journey. I want to remember the daily-learning, so that one day I will look back and exclaim, "This was all worth it!" Here are a few new things we've learned over the past few weeks.
Denali National Park is the only national park with a working dogsled team. Their website boasts bios of each dog as well as provides a GPS tracker so that you can see the location of the team in the park. They also are training a summer litter of pups, and will post occasional Pupdates. We love dogs, and we long to visit Alaska one day so the amount of time we've invested into following the team has been totally worth it!
Somehow my daughter figured out that AAA batteries will work as AA batteries as long as you complete the circuit with a piece of aluminum foil. This is valuable information.
While reading about the Apollo 11 mission, my son informed us that NASA didn't provide Aldrin, Armstrong, or Collins with life insurance. Instead, the astronauts signed hundreds of autographs for their families to sell if the mission was unsuccessful.
We learned to play the 24game. This probably warrants its own post. This game has been ideal for quick thinking and drilling of math facts. Try to manipulate the numbers on the cards above to equal 24 using any operation. You must use all four numbers. I downloaded the app so we can play on the go. Yesterday, I rolled it out in my Essentials class.
I'd love for you to accompany me in taking note of the new learning happening in your lives. I'm excited to learn new things from you. I'm documenting on Instagram using the tag, #DailyLearningWithMyKids. Monthly, I'll recap on my blog. Follow along and share your learning. Enjoy the experiences and enjoy the journey. Let's celebrate and encourage one another.
Plus, as I've repeatedly stated before on this blog, if you have to provide a year-end homeschool assessment, this is a simple way to document and remember educational moments!
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