High School cruiser schooling

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

My wife is a teacher and I have no experience of homeschooling. I think two things come to mind. If home schooling is being done in the belief it can bring a better and different education , and the parents are capable , then I see no objection.

However I have concerns that on a boat, homeschooling is being done to facilitate the parents cruising plans. Now I begin to become a skeptic.


One cannot compare homeschooling like Tellie has , which is am organised home based activity obviously carried out by dedicated and capable people and two parent just doing it on a boat , so they can cruise with the kids ( not say the OP falls into either category by the way )


Dave

On that I cannot agree more.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

It seems there are some super negative social interactions in HS these days. Of course you have to join the real world some day, perhaps best to do when everyone has matured a bit.

the other concerning thing about home schooling in general is all the evangelicals not wanting to expose their children to the liberal school system. even in upstate SC we have relatives concerned with this! While this may not be a majority of homeschoolers it is mainly the far right politicians that most openly support homeschooling. In my mind they are teaching there kids to be exactly as radical as the extreme Muslims they fear so much.

With this I cannot respectfully disagree more.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

the other concerning thing about home schooling in general is all the evangelicals not wanting to expose their children to the liberal school system. even in upstate SC we have relatives concerned with this! While this may not be a majority of homeschoolers it is mainly the far right politicians that most openly support homeschooling. In my mind they are teaching there kids to be exactly as radical as the extreme Muslims they fear so much.

Yes, some people can't seem to leave their politics out of discussions, even when the matter being discussed is totally unrelated to politics.

[Smokingator]

I completely agree with Tellie and respectfully disagree with Technav. My qualifications are similar to Technav: 13 years of college, masters, doctorate, engineering and biology. Using resources mentioned by Tellie, my wife (not me) homeschooled all 4 of our kids, before the internet. They're fluent in English and Spanish or German, one all 3. And now they in turn are homeschooling their children. College prep high school is actually so easy, because the standards are so low. Plenty of support services through networking and the internet for classes such as trig and precalculus. You dont need to be a math teacher yourself. My kids only needed a couple hours a week studying, sometimes less. Tested at the top, graduated college with honors. Plenty of social interaction. Florida is very supportive of homeschoolers and many states accept the Florida system (some states require some system be followed). Plenty of club and sports opportunities. But, absolutely, the kids must buy in.

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by Smokingator

But, absolutely, the kids must buy in.

That's the one great thing with our family. My kids are in. I have opened a "nothing is set in stone yet" discussion with them. They are excited. My kids are exteremely adventerous anyhow and love to travel. They have been asking question about the potential new plan every day. They are excited about the prospect of making new friends in other cultures and I have explained to them that they will also have other cruiser friends that they will see from place to place and that we will go out of our way to meet up with others and hang out for as long as we can so that they can have some form of peer social connection.
They are also excited about being able to have a say in where we go next and what we do. My son has been asking to visit Alaska for quite some time now and they all want to go to Australia and pet kangaroos
My daughter loves the idea of doing her work on a computer baised curriculum. I explained to her that she will have to stay on target and get the work done without anyone (me) having to nag her to do it. She said, "Mom, I do this now anyway". Which is true. She is great about getting homework and assignments done without any reminders. Luckily, the school system that they are in now is a very good one and my kids have been doing their assignments via computer for a few years now so they are familiar with this way of learning. I have also told them that I will set up a blog for them so they can document their travels with entries and video. This can be part of their extracurricular involvement.
I can understand that some would be skeptical of cruiser families boatschooling their kids solely for the purpose of fullfilling their own cruising needs. My kids needs will play a huge part in our lifestyle choices as they do now on land. We live in a particular neighborhood that was specifically chosen for the school system. We take kid vacations to Disney and amusement parks. When we go out to eat, we go to kid friendly restaurants that my kids love. So, our travels will follow suit. Our cruising experience will revolve mostly around the kids and their needs in terms of where to explore, how long to stay, who we will meet and what we will learn. It won't be adults doing as they please and dragging kids along. It will be about the family planning our adventures together and everyone being involved.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

That's the one great thing with our family. My kids are in. I have opened a "nothing is set in stone yet" discussion with them. They are excited. My kids are exteremely adventerous anyhow and love to travel. They have been asking question about the potential new plan every day. They are excited about the prospect of making new friends in other cultures and I have explained to them that they will also have other cruiser friends that they will see from place to place and that we will go out of our way to meet up with others and hang out for as long as we can so that they can have some form of peer social connection.
They are also excited about being able to have a say in where we go next and what we do. My son has been asking to visit Alaska for quite some time now and they all want to go to Australia and pet kangaroos
My daughter loves the idea of doing her work on a computer baised curriculum. I explained to her that she will have to stay on target and get the work done without anyone (me) having to nag her to do it. She said, "Mom, I do this now anyway". Which is true. She is great about getting homework and assignments done without any reminders. Luckily, the school system that they are in now is a very good one and my kids have been doing their assignments via computer for a few years now so they are familiar with this way of learning. I have also told them that I will set up a blog for them so they can document their travels with entries and video. This can be part of their extracurricular involvement.
I can understand that some would be skeptical of cruiser families boatschooling their kids solely for the purpose of fullfilling their own cruising needs. My kids needs will play a huge part in our lifestyle choices as they do now on land. We live in a particular neighborhood that was specifically chosen for the school system. We take kid vacations to Disney and amusement parks. When we go out to eat, we go to kid friendly restaurants that my kids love. So, our travels will follow suit. Our cruising experience will revolve mostly around the kids and their needs in terms of where to explore, how long to stay, who we will meet and what we will learn. It won't be adults doing as they please and dragging kids along. It will be about the family planning our adventures together and everyone being involved.

You'll do fine and your kids will do fine. Two books that might be worth a read for your kids. Tania Aibes Maiden Voyage and Peter Jenkins Walk Across America. Though Peter Jenkins book is not about sailing it captures the spirit that people who want to sail far appreciate.

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by Tellie

You'll do fine and your kids will do fine. Two books that might be worth a read for your kids. Tania Aibes Maiden Voyage and Peter Jenkins Walk Across America. Though Peter Jenkins book is not about sailing it captures the spirit that people who want to sail far appreciate.

Tellie,
Thanks for the encouragement. I'll check out those book suggestions.

[jrambo316]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

Tellie,
Thanks for the encouragement. I'll check out those book suggestions.

Have a look at "The Well Trained Mind". Don't be slavish to it, but very solid.

[alaskalograft]

Go Galaxy Girl Go! Huge misconception (it seems to me- opinion here) that home schooled kids have difficulty with college. (or other careers- not every kid needs to go to college, at least not directly out of high school. There are many great trades that young people can go into for their career such as boat building, marine mechanics, commercial fishing etc etc ad infinitum) I'm taking my son out of school next fall, his senior year. We plan to cruise from the West Coast of USA to the Marquesas. We'll figure out how to get his diploma. In fact, that's how I discovered this thread- would love any info from other cruisers regarding school credits/diploma at sea for my son. I have an older son, my first who spent one semester with me in a dirt floor log trapline cabin in Alaska. Didn't seem to hurt his education much as he graduated from RPI and now has his doctorate. He's a physicist now. ( I never went to college, well, I did, but drank my way out of it, and I've had a great life. Traveled all over Alaska and many other places in the world, ran the Iditarod twice, boated and rafted many of Alaska's rivers, etc etc etc- I don't have any problem with people who do go to college but it ain't necessarily a requirement for happiness in life. Now I'm 65, in great shape and looking forward to more adventure at sea. I'm not a bit worried about my son missing senior year. He's a great kid and this adventure will add way more to his education than another year of HS tedium. Wish you and your kids the best Galaxy Girl.

[alaskalograft]

Originally Posted by Tellie

With this I cannot respectfully disagree more.

"Boatguy"
...HUH?

[alaskalograft]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Yes, some people can't seem to leave their politics out of discussions, even when the matter being discussed is totally unrelated to politics.

Touche!

[Gemini Dreams]

Galaxie Girl,

Plus one with Tellie! Your plan with take two leave one is excellent. So you have the separation a year early for one.

I wrote a long post but deleted it simple summation would be

DON'T TAKE ADVISE FROM THOSE THAT ARE NOT OR HAVE NOT HOMESCHOOLED HIGH SCHOOL! THEIR OPINION HAS NO REALITY.

Life is simple, don't complicate it.

Wes

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Are you qualified to teach all subjects covered in High School? I suggest that you let your kids attend a normal High School. If they get excellent grades, they can be admitted to the college of their choosing with full scholarships and grants. In addition, the social interaction in HS is nowadays necessary for college admissions. Mauritz

1.
After 4 years of home schooling, and now having my kids in "normal high school"...frankle....the public school system is a complete JOKE and we are in a top school district with plenty of money and oportunity. We would have been better off staying in Mexico and home schooling than the mistake we made in coming back so they could to go "normal high school".

2.
Home school kids get into top schools at just as high or not higher rates than kids in the public schools. Do you know how many "normal" kids with 4.0 are applying to the tops schools? But how many kids have a STORY of spending a year cruising, seeing and experiencing other cultures...THAT is what school admission teams are looking for these days.

3.
The socialization argument against home schoolers is a bolderdash in my humble opinion. Sure we need Miley Cirus type peers educating your kids....ha ha ah

I have 3 teachers in my family and all of them has the same above concerns...and now when they see our kids they will even admit they were wrong (a miracle).

Save your kids....get them out of the Public schools if you can...what they will learn while out Cruising even if just for a YEAR will change their life for the better. We meet a lot of people that cruised as kids and I have NEVER met one that didn't think it helped their lives.