Revised Celebrate High School Has Arrived!

The revision--which increased content by almost two-thirds--is here and ready for purchase. Contact Cheryl at cheryl@cherylbastian.com or purchase on Amazon.

Natural Learning, Intentionally: High School- Part III- Cum Folders, Home Education Style

             Intentionality has paid off in the high school years. 

Thankfully, I realized early in my son's eighth grade year I would play the role of guidance counselor for my homeschooled high schooler. Meaning? I would be the liaison between school (us!) and college, the keeper of all things official. Yep, me, until the student was 18 (that is the topic of another intentional high school blog). No qualifications or degrees, "just" the mom who was overseeing the learning taking place in our home. If I didn't keep the records, no one would. The records I kept would influence my student's post secondary career (no pressure, right?)

Not much time was lost in regards to recovering the undocumented or potentially important information we needed to begin compiling a cum folder for our high schooler; not many tracks to retrace. And in the end, retracing was worth the effort. The folder became a gold mine, one of those things you tell people you would grab if the house were aflame.

Wow! Me, the keeper of the "cum folder", the folder about which school officials threaten and gloat, at least in the high school I attended. When things got serious students got the "that will go in your permanent cum folder" lecture; the file in which all things which hold the keys to the future reside.

When my son was in eighth grade I began researching the NCAA requirements. It became evident I would need specific documents for eligibility.

No one I knew had kept a cumulative folder of high school records so this was new territory for me. And, not a naturally organized person I was determined to start THAT DAY!  I purchased a 3 1/2 inch binder and some colored-tab separators to help me keep his paperwork organized. Armed with plastic protector sheets and a hole-punch, I sat down to begin compilation of the "cum folder". I started labeling tabs I knew we would need, and then added, trial-and-error, along our journey. Years later, as we began contacting colleges, I added tabs for copies of applications (yes, this was before they were online), scholarship applications, acceptance letters, and financial aid notifications.

At the end of four years, when writing the first edition of Celebrate High School, I decided to include the major section tabs we found helpful, knowing parents who read the book may find our tab titles helpful as they complied the cum folders for their students.

What tabs did we find helpful?

• Activities
• Awards
• Certificates and Certifications
• College Admissions Requirements
• College Applications
• College Major Requirements
• Community Service/Volunteer Hours
• Dual Enrollment Documents
• Financial Aid Applications
• Financial Aid Offers
• Grades
• Letters of Recommendation
• Medical Records
• NCAA Eligibility
• NCAA Home School Core Course Worksheets
• Scholarship Applications
• Scholarships Awarded
• Test Scores
• Transcripts
• Work Experience
• Writing Samples

*Note: These tab titles are our most recent (based on our experience with three unique high school students) and will be included in the revision of Celebrate High School. Not all tabs will be needed for every student. This list has been updated since the most recent edition of Celebrate High School and my blog post dated 07/29/2013.

Revised edition due out July 2015!

*The information in this blog post is not intended as legal or educational advice. It is simply a journal of what worked for us. Parents are responsible to oversee their child's home education.

Natural Learning, Intentionally: High School- Part II- Course Descriptions

              Intentionality has paid off in the high school years. 

The transcript provides a one-page snapshot of a young adult's high school course, grade, and credit summary. Course descriptions offer short synopses of the learning chapters in your student's story. Ideally, those course descriptions should complement--add value and give clarity--to the transcript document.

Why course descriptions? For students graduating from a public entity, course catalogs (also called course guides or curriculum guides) are available online (used to be paper and had to be requested from the guidance department) and follow the requirements (standards) of that state (or now in many cases, Common Core). Colleges know the set criteria and standards met in the classroom are standard for each course at every school in that state. So, there is no need for each school to write individual course descriptions for every class for every student.

Home education is different. A sculpture class in one home is likely to look entirely different than a sculpture class in another home. One student may enroll in a sculpture class at a local art studio. Another may have been invited to join an artist for weekly mentoring in a private studio. Yet another student may dual enroll a sculpture class at the local college. The same distinctiveness can be applied to a literature course (each home can choose their own literature selections) or a science course (where the student might be invited to take part in a research project at a local university). There is no standard way to meet course requirements (unless your state dictates differently--this post assumes parents have researched and know the home education statute for their state). Hence, some colleges use course descriptions to assess the depth and rigor of a home education course.

Some colleges ask for parents to write course descriptions.

It is part of their verification process.

Not all colleges ask for course descriptions. Some don't know they could, should or would even benefit from them. Others do not care because they have come to understand and prefer the quality students home education affords, and prefer to meet the student in person rather than on paper. However, with the eclectic mix of methods and means home educators utilize, the course descriptions do bring out the extraordinary opportunities homeschoolers have embraced.

I remember when I encountered the first college requesting course descriptions. Thankfully, we were still early in our high school journey so we could easily remember all the exceptional experiences our young adult benefited from in his courses, some variations of more traditionally taught classes (like the 10 dissections he completed in an Honors Biology class he took at a local co-op) as well as courses we designed based on independent study, research, and personal reading. The reading list he compiled on the computer helped tremendously as we reflected on all what was involved in each course.

From the first high schooler on down, I have diligently kept course descriptions current--with the exception of the year a baby was born in MAY! 

I have learned to:

Write course descriptions when the young adult begins the course (even if just the bare minimum is known: textbook, reading materials, anticipated experiential opportunities) and add significant educational highlights throughout the year. When I waited until the end of the year to write the whole description, I forgot some of the most beneficial learning blessings he experienced, no to mention getting my head above the project was monumental, or at least it seemed so when I felt I was drowning.

             Keeping current has saved me time and headache. 

I have to remind myself course descriptions tell the stories of the courses detailed on the transcript. It is the document college admissions personnel will reference as they consider offering admission and need more information to differentiate one student from another. A course description is not an outline of the course and will be less likely to read if lengthy. Course descriptions are chapter summaries, hitting the highlights, offering the concepts learned, the teaching methods and resources used, and exceptional experiences in which the student participated.

To capture the most significant, record keeping is essential.

Course descriptions are especially important if the parent and young adult are designing unique courses, courses not typically offered on local school campuses or courses not generally taught in high schools, for example Introduction to Equine Science, Survey of the Building Construction Industry, or Care and Concerns of the Elderly.

When I don't record regularly, I forget valuable additions. In our busy years, I found it helpful to open the course description document and add bullet points which I can revisit later and edit into cohesive sentences. Tackling course descriptions in this manner helps me remember important details and keeps me excited about what my young adult is accomplishing. When it is not in front of me, I tend to forget. 

I constantly must remind myself there are many ways to accomplish learning (this is true even of the state standards- the standard can be met with very different and unique methods). For example, think about American History. If two of the many learning goals for a high school level American History class are to understand the causes and consequences of the Civil War and the effects on the American people, and to understand the causes and consequences of World War II in the United States and abroad, the learning possibilities of how a student will understand those concepts is vast and plenty. Chapters in a text could be read and summary questions answered. On a family vacation up the East Coast of the United States, the family could visit and tour eight Civil War battlefields and National Parks and compare what actions were taken and who was involved at each location. The student could attend a local WWII veteran's meeting and listen to the stories shared by the members. Perhaps the local library hosts a presentation by surviving Tuskegee Airmen who share their wartime experiences from the perspective of African Americans serving during WWII (actual event we attended and it was AMAZING!). And then there are the plethora of primary source documents and biographical materials which could be read. Not only can the same learning goals be accomplished, but learning with this type of diversity allows young adults of different learning styles to retain information they might not otherwise remember. It is these exceptional and unique opportunities which can be highlighted in course descriptions, should a high schooling family choose to prepare this document or a college require it for admission. 

Being intentional about writing course descriptions proved most valuable for courses we designed or courses developed from internships and shadowing experiences. When designing a course, I felt it was important to keep a running log of educational experiences, online resources, and learning resources, just as I would if I were compiling a course as a traditional classroom teacher. 

As we progressed through high school and began researching colleges, I was thankful I had records of courses my student had completed. 

There are blessings to writing course descriptions. For us, the original course descriptions from my first high schooler could easily be cut, pasted, and edited to the unique experiences and opportunities of the high schoolers who followed. Second, though not all colleges asked for the description document, I sent them anyway. It was done and I wanted officials to have the document should they have questions. I know some parents feel this is a controversial and dangerous precedence for future home educated applicants, but in at least one situation those descriptions placed our young adult in a better position of acceptance in an honors college (because we couldn't document any of his courses as Honors or IB, which most of the applicants had earned). When the descriptions (which included reading materials) were read, the depth and expanse at which our young adult studied most of his courses could be realized. Our homeschool high school experience was just as rigorous as those students who had completed accredited IB programs. Note: Realizing that our student had the ability and desire to qualify for an IB or similar program, I researched the contents and reading materials utilized by these programs and then wove them into our studies. Again, this is our experience, not something I am advocating for every home schooled high schooler. 

Being intentional with writing course descriptions has served us well, in many cases. The work was done as we studied, and saved on the computer, should we need it. We did need it for our first applicant. With our second, because of dual enrollment and then an easy transition to the state college (and eventually a four-year university), the course descriptions were not necessary. On a side note, had our first and second grads followed their aspirations to play competitive collegiate sports (hence registering with the NCAA) having the course descriptions complete would have saved me a huge amount of time filling out their Core-Course Worksheets. Keep in mind as you consider NCAA and course titles, they prefer specific titles. Be aware.

This information (and more) is included in Celebrate High School. which is currently undergoing revision and update with an intended release date of late summer 2015. The revised edition will contain every thing in the original publication as well as some new features (including middle school sections) parents will find helpful as they celebrate high school.

*The information in this blog post is not intended as legal or educational advice. It is simply a journal of what worked for us. Parents are responsible to oversee their child's home education. 

Intentional High School Years- Part I- Transcripts

Intentionality has paid off in the high school years. 

Before I began the high school journey with my oldest, I was determined to start it off "right". I attended everything from panel discussions with home school grads and moms to transcript seminars with guidance and educational professionals...before my first son ever started checking off credits. I know, perhaps a bit intense.

There were many reasons for my jump start before the high school years. 

Perhaps the first reason was my interest and passion for all things education. Even with my confidence in what I knew about education there was, down inside my mind, a nagging voice: "you will mess up your first-born, home-educated guinea pig". Regardless the main reason for my jump start, the varied motivations (right or wrong) along the journey made me seek answers.

Empowerment: one of the greatest gifts I have given myself as a mama of high schoolers

This remains true today as I journey with my third high school young adult. Yes, some information remains relevant, however, legislation, college admission trends, unique interests of each student, change. So, even after two home graduates, I still seek answers.

Most of what I learned in 2003 when I began the high school journey (wow, has it really been 12 years on the high school journey?) about the layout and contents of transcripts has remained constant. I haven't had to adjust my approach to transcript design and development, thankfully. (Though I will admit, I changed layout a bit for the current student to highlight specific strengths.)

The challenge today, however, is not a lack of information or empowerment. 

Instead, I now fight full days and the looming end of a semester...and it's time to update my current high schooler's transcript! WHEW!

This week, I need to pull up my boot straps and make room in my schedule for what I have learned-- and now advise others to do when I teach workshops or do individual consults. Sometimes it is hard to follow our own advice...ugh!

What have  I learned (and still intentionally apply) regarding keeping transcripts up-to-date? 

After my high schooler and I map out a four-year plan in pencil, I create a template for that young adult's transcript (a snapshot of the high school years) as soon as my student begins high school level classes, if possible. I add courses as they are started and fill in credits and grades as they are earned (or at least try to keep up as best I can- you never know who will ask for this important document)

With one of my high schoolers, due to the birth of a new baby, I got behind on recording, and oh my, it was hard to catch up. Catching up, however, is still easier than starting from square one when the local sports team or auto insurance company request a copy. YIKES! Been there, too!

As our first eighth grader enrolled in high school level courses, I began the process of researching transcript formats and contents. Once I had compiled a list of "transcript essentials" colleges were requiring, I typed anticipated courses into the document in progress. This intentional preparation was a great help as the semester and the year ticked on. I was tired and spring baseball season was in full force. The last thing I had time and energy to do was to sit, research, and create with a clear mind. After all, in the spring of that year I was already planning for the next school year.

When summer break arrived, I finished adding grades and credits to the document. As we discussed courses for the upcoming year, I added those anticipated courses to the document, later deleting and reformatting as the semester progressed. This was a valuable lesson for me to learn, especially when I had littles learning to read or middle schoolers who needed a paragraph edited. The little work up front paid dividends in the end. 

I have learned the transcript is gold when applying to colleges. It is typically the first document in the college application pile and sets the tone for the entire stack of paperwork. If admission officials like what they see, or are curious about those out-of-the box courses no other applying student has completed, the college application stands a better chance at a second read. With that weight of importance, my intentional efforts are worth the early start and purposeful additions each semester. 

Creating a professional, concise, clear snapshot of your young adult's high school years is worth the time and energy of research and document design. When I speak to parents about transcript creation, some of the least common questions relate to the intentional steps of keeping the document current. Most parents want to know the nuts and bolts of the "must haves" which we cover in my workshops. However, when time comes to sit in front of the computer and get it on paper, fear resurfaces and often causes procrastination. 

Empower yourself! Go to workshops. Search online for example templates. However, also be intentional to take time to add, delete, and making necessary, timely changes. This document deserves your attention, and you will be thankful for your intentional steps forward. You can develop a transcript of home learning that catches the attention of future college officials and employers. It is possible and you are able!

*The information in this blog post is not intended as legal or educational advice. It is simply a journal of what worked for us. Parents are responsible to oversee their child's home education. 

Natural Learning, Intentionally - Part II

Intentional. It is my mantra, whether teaching my littles (and bigs) or embracing life. Intentionality has served me (and my family) well. 

How can I be intentional this minute to make a difference in the minutes yet to come?

The word intentional means (back to definitions):

From the 1957 Webster's New 20th Century dictionary, intentional was defined as

• Having to do with intention or purpose
• Intended; designed; done with design or purpose; not accidental

According to Dictionary.com, intentional is defined as

• done with intention or on purpose
• of or relating to intention or purpose

What proceeded the afternoon (minutes, hours or years before) contributing to the fruit of the day featured in Part I?

These were all lessons in and of themselves.

• Art supplies were purchased, then organized and stored in a manner accessible to the children with the developmental ability to determine appropriate use for said items (don't want acrylics on my walls, unless it is first on a canvas).

• Prior expectations and boundaries were set as to where the acrylics could be used (easel, kitchen table).
• Prior instruction was given as to how the brushes and tools were to be cared for, cleaned, and stored (otherwise brush hairs would be haywire and my house would become a paint palette). 
• Painting was an intrinsic interest I observed and fostered, something that mattered to them with the ultimate goal of spending time with my Dad (who loves to paint with them) and entering arts and handcrafts into the local county fair. 
• A library visit was scheduled and carried out where children checked out books of interest.

• Prior to that visit, children were given a tour as to where their books of interest would be shelved. For one child instruction was "this is where you will find animal books". For another, "this is the biography section". 
• Years ago, we discussed choosing appropriate materials, library etiquette, and check-out procedures.

The end result of many intentional decisions: I scheduled appointments, two learners finished fair projects, and two learners created three entrees in their writing notebooks. 

So, though natural learning occurred last week, there was intentional thought and instruction that proceeded the fruitful afternoon.

Natural Learning, Intentionally Part III coming soon!

Natural Learning, Intentionally - Part I

Definitions change. New editions dictionaries printed, new words added. In with the new, out with the old. I know it's cliche. But it is true (even if I personally prefer an older definition).

In twenty years of home education definitions have changed. Well, maybe not changed, perhaps understood and implemented differently.

I recently pondered comments made and questions received by parents who have entered the home education journey within the past five years. My conclusion: natural learning (sometimes referred to as delight-directed or interest-led) of yesteryear can be quite different from natural learning of today.

Natural learning of yesteryear, as I understood and lived it, was learning that happened as a result of a intrinsic interest but was often preceded by intentional actions, with lots of cheering on the sidelines. 

Today's natural learning is expected to happen instantly with no direction or prior foundation, no thought given to the natural interests of the child. In fact, I talk with parents who just "hope" learning will spark and children will "take off" but no time is allotted to provide training or significant resources.

There must be groundwork laid to make learning all it can be.

Don't get me wrong, there is truth to both perspectives of natural learning, and there is also truth in the matter that children will learn from life. However, children also need direction, tools, and intentional placement of resources in their environment for learning to move deeper, to "take off".

Last week, natural learning "took off" in my house. It wasn't planned. It was not on the "lesson plan" of the day, surely wasn't on my radar. After a morning of typical routine (you know teeth brushing, breakfast, and bed making), math and language arts instruction, and lunch, I had to sit with a calendar and phone to make several doctor appointments. I told the children I needed thirty minutes (so they knew the expectation) to make phone calls and than we would move on with the day.

A few phone calls and thirty minutes ended in a few more phone calls and an additional fifteen minutes. When I emerged from my calendar, I was amazed at what transpired in my kitchen and living room. So amazed and pleased, I let the rest of the afternoon play out and didn't interrupt with my plans. In the end they learned significantly more and were proud of their accomplishment to devise a plan to be productive while I was on the phone and carry it out....a plan that lasted hours and produced much fruit. They knew it and understood they were capable of self-learning even when I wasn't available to direct every step.

The afternoon of natural learning would not have transpired without prior intentional actions built on the intrinsic interests of the children. 

Those intentional actions will be Part II of this series. 

Learning Not Measured by Paper

"What if there is no paper trail to our learning? What do I write on my log? How do I show progress?" This is a great, three-prong question, one I have been asked for years.

According to statute in our state (in regards to our portfolio of records- click on link for more details regarding other portions of the statute):

(b) The parent shall maintain a portfolio of records and materials. The portfolio shall consist of the following:

1. A log of educational activities that is made contemporaneously with the instruction and that designates by title any reading materials used.

2. Samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or developed by the student.

This parent understood what records she was required to keep according to statute and she knew educational progress was being made. As she and her children played Pizza Fraction Fun, one child figured out two halves made a whole pizza. Another discovered two quarters was equal to one half. But how would she log the learning?

The activity was the playing of the game and the game was the "material used". The mom could simply write "Pizza Fraction Fun game" (in the math column if her log is broken down as such) or just write "Pizza Fraction Fun game" under the date of the week it occurred. Her children could draw picture representations of the fractions they learned or which fraction combinations could be created (adding fractions) to make a whole pizza (drawing a visual representation is an essential part of expressing math).  Photographs could be taken as the "samples" or "creative materials" if the mom wanted to include so in her portfolio of work samples. These are only suggestions of ways the learning could be noted. There are others, I am sure.

Another parent, a parent of a high schooler, inquired:

"We spent two hours researching bank accounts for high schoolers. We compared what banks offered, discussed minimum balance, ATM draws, debit cards, and interest. I know we learned valuable information, but how do I log what we learned."

Parents have many options. There are no specific ways regarded to log. A simple sentence could be written. If notes are kept during the research, those could be added to the portfolio. The major points of discussion (bank account discussion- minimum balance, ATM draws, debit cards, and interest) could be noted under an appropriate course- life skills, personal finance. A photo of the teen holding her first deposit slip. Something that denotes the discussion taking place. Remember, if the high schooler had to explain what they learned, they would be able (due to the intrinsic nature of the lesson) to recount what was discussed and subsequent actions taken, if there were any.

Logs and samples, and how those items contribute to progress, will vary from family to family. Embrace what you are learning alongside your children. When learning cannot be measured in paper, be creative (but honest!) Tape the parts you dissected from a flower to construction paper. Photocopy a handwritten letter to grandma to show composition, grammar, spelling, and handwriting abilities. Take a picture of the geography puzzle siblings worked together to solve. Ask your children how they could document what they learned. They sometimes have amazing ideas, perhaps recounting something you did not realize they learned. Do not limit learning to only those activities which can be measured in paper. So much more learning potential awaits our children.


*This blog post is not intended to be legal counsel. As home educators, parents hold the responsibility as to the education of their children.