Open thread Sunday + Monday
We are a bit caught up in holiday preparations and a sick great-grandmother, so I didn’t manage to start an open thread yesterday. I am imagining everyone home baking and cleaning and making presents and wrapping...
In case you are around, however, here is an open thread to come say hello and happy holidays!
And we’ll have a good quote about work, too:
What work I have done I have done because it has been play. If it had been work I shouldn’t have done it. Who was it who said, “Blessed is the man who has found his work”? Whoever it was he had the right idea in his mind. Mark you, he says his work — not somebody else’s work. The work that is really a man’s own work is play and not work at all. Cursed is the man who has found some other man’s work and cannot lose it. When we talk about the great workers of the world we really mean the great players of the world. The fellows who groan and sweat under the weary load of toil that they bear never can hope to do anything great. How can they when their souls are in a ferment of revolt against the employment of their hands and brains? The product of slavery, intellectual or physical, can never be great. — Mark Twain
User login
Most Recent Entries
read the blog archive
get our free weekly newsletter
Book
“The book spells out the different steps in implementing student-directed projects, and every chapter has an inspiring list of specific ideas/formats. My only complaint is I want more — I can’t wait to read what Pickert publishes next.”
“[A] must read for all parents and educators who are interested in raising/encouraging children to take charge of their education and make learning a lifestyle and not just a chore. This book is filled with practical advice…”
“There is so much practical, useful information in this book. … Pickert gives us the tools to be great mentors to our kids.”
“PBH actually assisted me in focusing on my own unique style and listening more closely to my own creative voice (as well as that of my children, and being less seduced by everything new and shiny when things lagged in our learning), not just as a parent, but as an individual. The positive impact that this focus has had in my personal and family life is profound.”
“I’ve noticed big changes in my child’s play since I began doing the things suggested, and I am utilizing it for my own projects!”
“In addition to teaching how to do project-based homeschooling it’s like a manual on how to live.”
“Do yourself a favor and read this book with a highlighter and pencil in hand.”
“PBH is hands down my favorite book on homeschooling.”
“Although the title says ‘Project-Based Homeschooling,’ it is really something that any parent could incorporate into their lives, homeschooling or regular schooling.”
“Brilliantly written book, easy to read, easy to follow, well organised, stuffed full of easy to follow and idea-provoking tips for enjoying learning and supporting children of all ages. ... As a librarian and advocate of life long learning, I can’t tell you what a joy this book is to read — affirming, inspiring and practical.”
“Her writing style is really accessible, witty and flows beautifully; she paints a picture of a world you can’t help but want to be a part of. This isn’t a vague philosophy, this is a how-to book that empowers parents to empower their children.”
“For those new to homeschooling and even those such as myself, who have been homeschooling for years, this book will be the one you have on hand at all times. Easy to read, intelligent, heartfelt, inspiring and honest!”
“Wonderful resource! This will help every parent to keep their children’s love of learning alive. Project Based Homeschooling will be a favourite for years to come in our home.”
“It has been an inspiration to our homeschool and to our daily life.”
.
“I can't recommend it highly enough.”
.
“[H]er new book … synthesizes so much wisdom about homeschooling from a project-based perspective.”
“[O]verflowing with ideas for any parent who’d like to encourage more self-directed learning in their kids.”
“Do yourself a favor and read this book with a highlighter and pencil in hand.”
.
.
.
“Anyone who considers themselves the ultimate guardian of their children’s education … will find ideas to think about and act upon.”
“[A] rare book that both inspired me to make changes in the way I homeschool and gave me the practical means to make them.”
“[T]his isn't just a homeschooling book. It is a guide to parenting.”
“What Pickert has done with her book is explain in an easy-to-read and practical manner what parents can do at home to ensure that children will take charge of their own education and gain essential skills. If that sounds far-fetched, I suggest you read the book.”
“There are only a handful of books that I can honestly say have changed my life. This … is one of those books.”
DISCLOSURE STUFF
I do not do any sponsored posts nor do I have any ads on the site.
I do not offer consulting services, but I would be happy to help you for free if you want to e-mail me or join the forum!
I am an Amazon Associate and I have linked a lot of references on the site to Amazon; if you buy anything there (anything at all, not just the linked item) I get a referral fee.
Or you can just enter Amazon through this MAGIC PORTAL and I will receive a tiny kickback if you buy anything at all!
Thank you for supporting PBH!
32 comments
Love your blog! I blogged about it and included links, this morning.
Happy Holidays!
thank you, mary! :^) i hope you & your family have a wonderful holiday, too!
Wishing you a joyful and peaceful holiday.
thank you, mary, and you and yours as well!
yes much busyness around here.
i love that quote. i think mark twain is the best and only wish i had discovered him earlier in my life. he's genius.
hope you great grandmother gets to feeling better soon.
happy holidays!
thank you, gonzomama ;^) and you guys have a great holiday, too. we are baking and making and having fun. the weather is crazy!
Happy Holidays! Lori wishing your grandmother the best too!
Thank you for the quote. I am also a big fan of Mark Twain.
I am looking forward to joining in the conversation here more in the future. We are starting our home learning adventure this new year... really it has already begun! My daughter (5 years) is so elated to be finished with school I can't stop her enthusiasum for the projects she wants to do! It is really exciting but I am also trying to organize things to make them available for her and keep on top of all of her requests already... all in the middle of Christmas fun too! Let the adventure begin!
Thanks Lori for all of the resources you have available here. I am going to be catching up on the reading over the holiday while Dad is around more!
thank you, dawn, and happy holidays to you & your family!
check out the latest posts in the forum -- there is some good stuff going on!
http://www.whiteoakschool.com/project-based-homeschooling/post/615523
http://www.whiteoakschool.com/project-based-homeschooling/post/610308
thank you for your kind words re: the blog, and i’m glad you’ll be joining the community!
Ah, such a good quote! I'm going to be posting that one in our study/craft room.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Lori. So grateful to have found this treasure of inspiration and resources you call Camp Creek:-)
deirdre, merry christmas to you & yours. :^) thank you!
Just letting you know that as a new reader of your blog I am absorbed and fascinated by what I am finding here. I wanted to say thanks for all the great stuff.
I will be hanging around on my break reading through your posts.
Thanks again,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
barb, thank you so much. have a wonderful holiday!
Love that quote!
This part..."The product of slavery, intellectual or physical, can never be great," really says volumes, doesn't it? We can do some good things when we are doing what we have to, but great things? Those are the result of doing what we choose to, what our passions dictate.
I have to be reminded of this every once in a while, thick-headed as I am. When I start requiring work of my children and get only mediocre results, it only serves to form a stark contrast to what I get when I let them lead.
What a good, real and true quote - thank you for bringing it to my attention. I do love the tiredness of having worked a solid, but happy day of my work, as opposed to an easy (or hard) day of someone else's work.
Take care and enjoy your Christmas. I hope you have some lovely family time, and with your Great-Grandmother too.
Thank you for your inspiration, advice, sharing, kind words and thoughtful wisdom. I enjoy visiting here for your warmth and your knowledge - and your ability to put things back into perspective. (Can you read my mind? You seem always to remind me exactly of what I have been battling that day with myself or my children! You are so very perceptive).
Merry Christmas Lori.
-Ellie xxx
I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!
Aimee
Merry Christmas!
I've got several question for ya mulling around in my head right now but I think I may just post them in the forum when I get a chance to organize my thoughts a bit more. As always, thanks for the inspiration. Have a wonderful Christmas.
What a great quotation! And so true.
Your photo promises some beautiful holiday craft yet to be -- lovely.
This is one of my fav quotes about work. I'm sure you already know it, Lori. "Work is not man's punishment! It is his reward and his strength, his glory and his pleasure." George Sand
Love the Mark Twain one! Thanks
Sorry about your great-grandma. Hope she mends soon!
I hope your great-grandmother is well soon. :-)
hello there! my daughter just turned two. When's a good age to start documenting her activities and interests on a daily basis? Right now I'm pretty informal about it all, just playing it by ear, really. She is just starting to talk in sentences, so thinking this may be a good time to start doing a bit more consistently. But, I don't know if she's ready for any full blown projects yet. Your thoughts?
***
happy holidays!
“When I start requiring work of my children and get only mediocre results, it only serves to form a stark contrast to what I get when I let them lead.”
Beautiful, Theresa!
Merry Christmas to you & your family! xoxoxo
ellie, thank you so much, that is so kind and you brought a tear to my eye!
i agree re: working hard for myself vs. working not-so-hard for someone else .. being self-employed, i’ve explained to family and friends that even though i worked more hours, it was better than working a regular job for someone else any day of the week!
have a wonderful christmas with your family!
thank you, aimee -- i hope you & your family have a wonderful holiday, too! :^D)
thank you, michelle and shaun, and merry christmas to both of you & your families! :^)
i love that quote, jill!
it’s actually my grandmother and the boys’ great-grandmother. she is hanging in there for now.
i hope you & yours have a wonderful christmas -- and you're not *completely* covered in snow! ;^) we have the thinnest sprinkling of snow but it’s covered with ice to preserve it for christmas!
happy holidays & xoxoxo
thank you, MoM, and happy holidays! :^)
barbara, it’s hard to say, since all children are different, but i have done project work with older two’s. i wrote a bit the other day about toddlers and how you can start setting the stage for project work by creating an environment that lets them access their toys and put them away independently, letting them do open-ended art, etc.
getting into the habit of paying attention to your child’s interests and how they play, what they say, etc. .. that can only benefit you as they get old enough to begin doing project work .. and you will really be aware of where they are skill- and interest-wise, since you’ve been paying attention. :^)
i promise to write more about toddlers in the upcoming year!
happy holidays to you & your family! :^)
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and New Year
Hi Lori & family! We wish you a merry christmas, as well! I'm sorry to hear that your grandmother isn't any better. She's in my thoughts, as you are, and I wish you all a peaceful, uneventful holidays (to me, that would be a blessing). Take care,
*steph
thanks, lori! Look forward to reading more about the little ones on here. Great photo up there, too!
Enjoying your blog. Love the Twain quote. Work should always be play.
merry christmas, friends! sorry about my tardy response but we have been marooned without internet and sometimes without power due to ice storms. it is making for a very quiet little house on the prairie-style holiday! :^)
my best wishes to you all for a wonderful holiday with your families!
Post new comment