In this blog I will be talking about my experiences, ideas, curriculum and resources for home schooling kids. I have two sons: 10 and 12 year old. My daughter is 3.
The curriculum that I developed (and continuously evolve) for my sons is focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). I feel that fields of study entailed by STEM, while being quite broad, belong to very few areas that give kids a solid chance to be successful in the future.
I'm aware that my point of view presented in my posts will be heavily skewed towards STEM. This is a result of my academic background and experience in high-tech business.
There are a few reasons I made my decision to write about curriculum development for homeschoolers. First, parents who are interested in the inner workings of the educational system are often reading about inexplicable decisions made by the governing bodies. Perhaps the last straw was the article cited below:
"Why '5+5+5=15' is wrong under Common Core" posted on: http://www.businessinsider.com/tricky-common-core-2015-12
In normal circumstances, I would dismiss such information. I would never believe, that the current educational system would try to invalidate one of the most fundamental laws of mathematics i.e. the commutative law of multiplication. I'm not so sure now after hearing other critical opinions. I feel that parents need to look very closely into curricula at all levels and make sure that the foundation and general direction of the learning process is sound.
The second reason for writing this blog is my belief that in the next decade the economic environment and the job market will be much tougher for young professionals trying to start their careers. A good illustration of my worries is the final remark in the piece published in the techrepublic.com "How will AI (Artificial Intelligence) impact jobs? High-powered panel tackles the big question"
In conclusion, I do not see very many promising career avenues in fields of study outside of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Obviously, it is quite possible that my children will develop interests in a field that does not exist yet or pursue their own interests. If that happens, my kids will have my full support.
This blog will be divided into several broad sections that constitute the curriculum followed by my sons, and soon, by my daughter:
- Mathematics - from basic algebra to calculus and applications in science. I listed this field on the top of the list. Mathematical problem solving is the foundation of STEM.
- Programming - my goal is to develop in my children problem solving skills and deep understanding of algorithms. We are not focusing on any specific technology. However, Object Oriented techniques are key.
- 3 dimensional (3D) modeling - creating virtual worlds (a.k.a. advanced geometry). This interest of my boys is obviously sparked by video games. They both excel in this area. Their ability to visualize and build complex objects is remarkable.
- General education - humanities, fine arts, physical sciences, life sciences
- Music - we started music very early. My kids are on their way to be technically advanced musicians. Music, at this age, is a very important brain development tool. We focus on two instruments: keyboard and guitar.
- Physical education - tennis and martial arts
- Basic homesteading - understanding of healthy lifestyle, gardening, sources of food, understanding impact and benefits of raising farm animals on the homestead
