Apologia: iWitness - A Schoolhouse Crew Review

In late August, the Crew learned that Apologia Educational Ministries was going to have the Schoolhouse Review Crew do reviews of three of their iWitness books: iWitness Biblical Archaeology, New Testament iWitness, Old Testament iWitness. In light of what we were going to be studying in our other courses, this was a great fit for our home school, so I "raised my hand" and asked our Crew leaders to "Pick me! Pick me!" And they did!

I want to preface this review with the statement that I have still never met an Apologia book that I did not like. This review period is complete, and my statement still stands!

The books in the iWitness series are written and designed by Doug Powell. Mr. Powell had a degree in graphic design, but who was making a living as a professional musician. He found, however, that he could not make an adequate living at this. He went back to college and studied apologetics. He was asked to write an overview of apologetics for Biola University and was also a contributor to the Apologetics Study Bible. Then he got the idea to combine his understanding of apologetics with his skills at graphic design, and the iWitness book series was the result.

Our school year actually began the last week in August, so we had started before these books arrived. When we received the package, I began our work in them the very next day. I knew that these books were laid out in a format similar to books my son has read in a genre called a "graphic novel" (not that these are novels), so I was hopeful the style would pull my son in.

I started our studies with iWitness Biblical Archaeology, because I thought this would have the most appeal with my son. I quickly saw

Menu Monday for 10/13/14

Here is my vegan/carnivore blend menu plan for this week:

Sunday (10/12):

Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread (vegan crumblies with sauce, whole wheat noodles)

Monday (10/13):

Pork & Slaw sandwiches (bean soup, vegetables)

Tuesday (10/14):

Chicken Caesar salad, Italian bread (faux chicken patties, flat, salad)

Wednesday (10/15):

Tacos, tortilla chips, refried beans (bean burrito or soft whole wheat taco with veggie crumbles instead of beef in the taco "meat")

Thursday (10/16):

Company pot roast, rolls (veggie "burger", carrots, onions, celery, potato)

Friday (10/17):

leftovers

Saturday:

leftovers

Fortuigence - A TOS Crew Review

As my son began his 9th grade year, I was painfully aware that we have not focused adequately on the skills of essay and composition writing. I was very happy when I learned that Fortuigence was offering the Schoolhouse Review Crew four writing courses, and that my son and I would be given the opportunity to review their Essay Rock Star Expository Essay Writing Course!

Fortuigence is an online company that was founded by a former classroom teacher named
Lily Iatridis. Ms Iatridis taught school for ten years before taking some time off to stay home and start a family. Fortuigence was born of a brainstorm to think how she might begin to offer online writing courses on her own. She has great respect for homeschoolers, and the largest portion of her clients are homeschoolers. Her goal is to help equip students to write effectively while equipping the parents to walk through the writing process with their students.

I approached the Essay Rock Star Expository Essay Writing Course with my son with a bit of trepidation. This is the third student I have homeschooled high school with, so you might expect me to have a bit of confidence. What you may not know is that my older two students were in a co-op in high school, and the co-op included writing as one of its subjects. My daughters were not only not accountable to me for getting their writing assignments done, but their papers were also not graded by me. I found that to be a huge help. I either corrected everything (not giving them freedom to express their own thoughts, but trying to get them to express my thoughts) or else I thought everything they wrote was wonderful (with blinders that prevented me from helping them to improve their writing). Having an impartial 3rd party do the paper-grading was what I needed.

So along came this son that God gave me. He is so different from me. If I ask him to write an essay about "Topic X", he says he wants to write about "Topic Q" that I know nothing about. This leaves me feeling 1) like I cannot score his papers because I don't know if the material is correct or not and 2) like he's never going to learn to write on a topic that is assigned to him. Along came the Essay Rock Star Expository Essay Writing Course.

The Expository Essay Course is broken down into bite-sized pieces. Each step along the way teaches the student (and the parent) how to approach that segment of the essay-writing process. It also gives links, PDF files, and ideas to help the student every step of the way. Each of the following steps was one lesson. After each lesson the student completes a related assignment, submits the assignment to the teacher, and receives feedback on the written work before continuing. Here are the steps/lessons:

1) Course Introduction, Rubrics, and Pre-Assessment (child sends in a sample writing assignment from previous work);

2) Purpose and Description; Brainstorming;

3) Organizing Ideas;

4) Free Writing;

5) Revision;

6) Editing;

7) Wrap-Up.

So we started off with the Pre-Assessment. That doesn't sound too difficult, right? You just send in a previous writing assignment. Well, scroll back up to that first paragraph where I said I have neglected writing and composition. Did you think I was kidding? I didn't have a previous writing assignment. This young man has never before written an essay or a composition. He has written answers to questions in workbooks, and he has kept a journal. Fairly Charlotte Mason in our previous schooling, I have often had him narrate to me orally. I tried to get him to do written narrations one year, but that flopped (he was unwilling and I did not fight with him). He now understands that learning to write essays and compositions is necessary to move forward into college and is willing to learn, but there was no "previous writing assignment". He had to start Lesson 1 by writing an essay to submit for the assessment.

It became necessary for me to instruct him just to get started. I discussed with him the basic five paragraph composition that starts with an introductory paragraph, is followed by three supporting paragraphs, and concludes with a paragraph that restates the introductory paragraph and wraps up all the loose ends. Initially we had some difficulty figuring out how to submit the essay. I tried to attach a document, but my computer was generating different document formats than the Fortuigence site wanted to accept. I finally figured out how to submit a ".doc" document.

We submitted my son's essay, and I waited with anxiety. I had forced myself not to read the essay, not to make corrections or comments. Later the same day, his instructor (who was Lily Iatridis herself, by the way) sent my son a note telling him he is a "competent writer" and had us move on to Lesson 2. Who knew? My son and I were both pleased and relieved.

So we watched the video for Lesson 2 and then read through the documentation that followed the video. There was a link given to a website that offers (limited) free support for brain-storming. I had to prompt my son to give him ideas on what to write on. I suggested he write on something he knows a lot about, and we both thought about that. He picked his topic and went to the brainstorming page and created lots of sub-topics. He had selected a "process" style topic, so I let him know he did not need to be constrained by the five-paragraph format of the previous essay.

Somehow I got lost in what I was reading and I directed my son, incorrectly, to submit a rough draft as his assignment for the brainstorming. He did the work and we submitted his writing.

Ms. Iatridis received this rough draft with surprise. We had by-passed four lessons or something. She read what he had written and responded to him with an email of glowing praise, suggesting that he didn't really need the course, and that if we weren't reviewing the course she would probably give us a refund. What? I mean, this is the second writing assignment in his life. My son responded to me, "Does this mean I never have to do another writing assignment?" I had to let him down gently. There is still so much for him to learn!

So we walked our way through the additional lessons, resubmitting the same essay after each lesson, until the lessons caught up to where my son was, having written his rough draft. Finally, after Lesson 6, his writing was reviewed with a fine-toothed comb. This is where the capitalization was scrutinized, punctuation, unfamiliar words, awkward wording, etc.

My son went over the teacher-markups and is making final adjustments to his composition, to create a great finished product. And I, meanwhile, have saved copies of all the tools and materials provided during the course, so we will have them in our arsenal for future writing assignments. 

While I don't know if my son will ever enjoy writing (especially writing assigned to him by someone else), I think I can honestly say that he and I have both been totally pleased with our experience with the Essay Rock Star Expository Essay Writing Course. The constructive praise and comments made by the teacher were helpful, encouraging, and anything but shallow. And I totally feel this course was as beneficial for me as the teacher as it was for my son as the student.

The Essay Rock Star Expository Essay Writing Course is a perfect fit for 12-18 year old students. It is a "short course" (to be completed over the course of one month) in the Fortuigence offerings, and is priced at $57, counting as only a small fraction of the writing my son should complete this year. The company offered me the opportunity to get the rest of the essay program at a 40% discount, and I am mulling that idea over and will discuss it with my husband and my son. Right now I am thinking I have the skill and ability to teach Essay and Composition to my son, but not the confidence. So purchasing the entire course is a definite possibility.

So go to the Fortuigence website and look around. Be sure to check out the free resources page while you are there. To see reviews by other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, click the button below. Crew members reviewed four different products, so you can learn about all of them.

Letters from Esther - #8

I am writing up a series of letters my grandmother, Esther, sent "home" to her siblings in North Dakota as she traipsed around the world working for the State Department as a working woman before it was chic. Letters were chosen over phone calls because long distance calls were expensive, and it was sometimes difficult to hear well at a distance.

This letter is the next letter I have from Esther by date.

No envelope. Hand written letter dated Sunday, Aug. 6, 1961

Dear Jennie & all:

I've just finished writing to my offspring & if I don't get writer's cramp will try & get a few lines off to you too.

Got here safe & sound tho we did have to turn back when we were about 1/2 way between Tokyo & Seoul. One engine caught on fire but they got it out right away. That was the only plane that wasn't a jet. Then we had a 4 hour wait & took a jet & got here at 6 instead of noon. My friend Ruth ws pretty upset cause they didn't know what happened to us.

I think I'm going to like it here perhaps even better than Saigon. The country-side is lovely - mountains all around, rivers, lush looking rice fields, trees & flowers. There must be a great improvement since Rupert was here as I have not smelled an unpleasant odor yet. The city is much like all oriental cities with slums & nice modern looking buildings side by side.

I have an apartment (2-room with Kitchen & bath) on the second floor of a building that looks like the reenbelt row houses - not bad at all, & nicely finished. Good bed too.

The PX and commissary are huge & like state-side super markets. They seem to have everything. The water doesn't need to be boiled & there are several army-run radio stations with American music & the latest news, including sports, on the hour. We are not restricted to the military compound where we live either but can go about freely in the city, etc. Its warm just now but no worse than Washington -- I do intend to get an air-conditioner first chance as Ruth's place is more comfortable with one.

Oh, Hawaii was just swell. I swam every day & took 2 very interesting tours. Its like the U.S. but ropical & with many orientals. I think you better plan on meeting me there 2 years from now.

Well I won't over-do it this time but more later. Hope you are all well. Give my love to everyone & tell them to write --

Love Esther

address:
USOM/K
APO 301
San Francisco, Calif.

Thoughts this Tuesday

This YouTube video is powerful. When your loved ones are near, tune out of the electronics and tune in to the IRL people!

Menu Monday (Tuesday) - 10/6/14

Here is my vegan/carnivore blended menu plan for this week.

Sunday:

Chicken pot pie, rolls, salad (vegan: faux chicken patty)

Monday:

Chili, salad, corn bread (vegan: pot made with faux "beef crumblies")

Tuesday:

Broccoli cheddar soup (bowls), salad and cold-cut sandwiches (vegan: broccoli soup, salad, whole wheat roll)

Wednesday:

Chicken Caesar salad, Italian bread (buy kits same day as eating salad) (vegan: faux chicken patty sandwich, salad)

Thursday:

Tacos, tortilla chips, refried beans (vegan: bean burritos with diced onion)

Friday:

Salmon, spinach, noodles (vegan: leftover chili)

Saturday:

Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread (buy ingred next week (vegan: spaghetti sauce with faux "beef crumbles" over whole wheat noodles, salad)

Letters from Esther - #7

I am writing up a series of letters my grandmother, Esther, sent "home" to her siblings in North Dakota as she traipsed around the world working for the State Department as a working woman before it was chic. Letters were chosen over phone calls because long distance calls were expensive, and it was sometimes difficult to hear well at a distance.

This letter is the next letter I have from Esther by date.

Envelope:

Esther Holien
USOM Box 32
Navy 150, c/o FPO
San Francisco, Calif.

Mar 20 9:30 AM

PAR AVION  VIA AIR MAIL  CORREO AEREO

Miss Jennie Efraimson
Perth
North Dakota
U.S.A.

 Saigon, March 19, 1959

Dear Jennie and All:

I just had a new ribbon put into my typewriter -- sort of hurts your eyes, doesn't it? And I'd better not make any mistakes cause they would be impossible to erase.

Well, the main purpose of this letter is to wish you a happy birthday. Of course it will get there late but at least I didn't forget it completely. How are you all? Is it getting spring-like yet?

Did I tell you I got a letter from Aunt Aina? Well, I did a couple of weeks or month ago and yesterday I got one from Uncle Alex -- both are quite excited about our visit. I had told them on my Christmas cards that I would stop there [Finland] on the way home in July 1960 and that you and perhaps Dad too, would also come.

I was going to tell you what he said, but will just enclose the letter instead. [It is no longer together with this letter.] I must answer both of them one of these days. I wonder how Rupert is making out on his plans -- to go to Finland this summer.

I write so many letters to my children that I can't remember whether I've told you some of the things that I've been doing. One of the highlights of the latter part of February was that I acted as a reporter for the Far East Mission Director's Conference that was held here. There were about a hundred people attending and three other girls and I took practically verbatim notes of everything that was said. I was a little afraid I might not be able to do it any more as its been some time since I took any dictation of any kind and especially that fast, but I did alright. I took some of it home at nights and borrowed a portable typewriter from a friend on mine and worked till one o'clock a couple of nights. Anyway I got a nice letter of thanks from the Mission Director. I'll quote it for you: Dear Mrs. Holien: As a conferee at the recent Director's Conference I was able to observe the efficient service you rendered as a conference reporter. I have been informed that you transcribed your notes accurately and expeditiously at the cost of considerable overtime hours. Your efficiency during conference hours, as well as the time you expended in typing for individual conferees, contributed to the overall satisfactory manner in which I think the conference was conducted. Please accept my thanks and appreciation. Sincerely, signed Arthur Z. Gardiner, Cirector." Pretty nice, eh?

Another recent endeavor of mine that I'm getting a big kick out of is learning to play the accordian. It belongs to the same girl whose piano I have on loan. A fellow here borrowed it but decided he wasn't getting anywhere with it so asked if I wanted it and of course I did. So for the past week I've been making quite a racket in my spare time. There's a book of instructions and I can now play a couple of easy pieces in C quite well.

Also I now have English classes every night in the week except Sat. and Sun. Have three new Korean pupils, for which I will get paid at 300 piastres an hour -- that's a little over $4. They are working for a Japanese electrical firm here and their employer is going to pay for their lessons.

And then I still have my little Vietnamese friends. The Koreans speak much better English and seem to understand it better than the Vietnamese. One of the Vietnamese has been absent for about six weeks and I was getting real worried cause none of the others had seen him either and didn't know where he lived. He finally showed up at noon today and has been quite sick. It was just amazing how much he had forgotten in that little while -- English seemed very difficult for him and he used to be one of the best ones. He's coming back to class on Friday but has no job just now and if he can't find one soon, said he was going to another city.

Well, with all this activity, plus the choir and regular work and parties and scrabble games, etc. the time really does go by like a whizz. Its hard to imagine that in two weeks I will have been here 9 months already. I still like Saigon very much and if I don't suddenly develop a terrific yen to be back nearer to my family, might even come back for another tour.

I guess I'd better close for now -- got some work I really must tend to. Write soon -- and I do hope you had a nice birthday.

Love,

Esther

Upcoming Reviews I Will Be Sharing With You!

I am so excited about the review materials I am currently working on, and I wanted to clue you in so you will watch for the reviews that will be coming down the road. [By the way, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Homeschool Review Crew will soon be accepting applications for folks to apply to be reviewers -- what I do!]

My son is in 9th Grade, and we are currently teaching to graduation requirements in our state, as well as teaching to college entrance requirements.(I also teach Bible as a requirement of the umbrella I am a member of.) I am going to show you how the Homeschool Review Crew is providing materials for us right now, my current and past reviews, such that I could homeschool without spending a penny if I like and continue with materials we review.

Here are our subjects and materials we are reviewing that teach to these subjects:

1) Bible:

• If He Had Not Come:
  
• iWitness books: iWitness Archeology, iWitness Old Testament and iWitness New Testament, by Apologia. 
  

2. Algebra I:

• IXL Algebra I
  
• Standard Deviants 
  

3. Biology:

• Standard Deviants; 
  
•     New Liberty Videos: Teaching Origins Objectively
  
  
• Fascinating Education (picture shows Chemistry review) 
  
  
  

4) English:

• Composition: 

1. Fortuigence: Rock Star Essay  
   
2. Standard Deviance Accelerate: Composition

• Literature:

1. For the Temple Recorded book by Jim Hodges Productions 
   
   2. Other recent reviews - Veritas Press; Moving Beyond the Pages; Roman Roads Epics, etc.

• Grammar: 

1. Fix It! Grammar, just posted yesterday;
   
2.  IXL  
   

5. Social Studies/History

•  :Standard Deviants American History  
  

6. French - Middlebury Languages  

So, what do you think?

Let me list it another way in case I missed anything. Here are my upcoming reviews:

1) Apologia iWitness book series;

2) Fortuigence Rock Star Essay course;

3) David Nicholson: If He Had Not Come;

4) Jim Hodges Productions: For the Temple

5) Fascinating Education: Fascinating Biology

6) New Liberty Videos: Teaching Origins Objectively

7) Middlebury Languages: French

8) Standard Deviants: American History, Biology, Algebra, English Composition

9) IXL Algebra I and Language Arts 8

Watch for my upcoming reviews! And watch for The Schoolhouse Review Crew to announce that they are accepting new applications.

A Few Special Items for your Attention - 10/1/14

My Wednesday post was once slated to be "Wednesday Words", and I was posting George Washington's Rules and a translation into English for the 2010's. I was not getting comments. I don't think anyone cared. I don't know if anyone was reading those posts. I did not get all the way through his Rules.

So, here's a small glimmer into me. I watch for comments from my readers. I really do! I don't mind not getting comments on most of my posts, especially when I know they have value. I know we read a lot of posts and don't have time to comment on everything. I get it. But please know: I read all of your comments! They make my day!

So if there is something you like or don't like, send me a comment or an email. I will take your point of view to heart. Honest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I toyed with the idea of making Wednesday's post a nature post: Wednesday's Walk or something catchy. The thing is, I live in suburbia. I don't come by my own nature photos easily. The thought of having 52 posts for the next year on a new nature find each week seems unattainable.

This morning it seemed the Lord was impressing on my heart that it might be a place for me to share "gems", when I have any. I was impressed that way because of a gem in my inbox this morning. I will try to add to the first one before I post, but this morning's gem (click on over and read it) is a post by Time Warp Wife:

31 Days of Prayer for our Marriages -- Day 1

Amy Puetz: Amy's Corner: Self-Sacrificing Heroines - Click here.

Handbook of Nature Study – October 2014 Newsletter- 2014-10-01