A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Highschool

Switchback

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I was away visiting a friend, and while she was caring for her family I started reading Switchback.  I hadn’t seen this friend in a while and was eager to chat with her some more.  When she came back, I put my book away so we could chat, but every lull in the conversation had me longing to read more from Danika Stone’s newest book. 

Switchback

By the time we were done chatting it was much too late to continue reading so guess what I did when I woke up?  I READ!  Yes, I finished it in less than an hour.  🙂  Thoroughly enjoyed it!  So let me tell you about this Canadian adventure.

What I am Reviewing

Switchback.
Danika Stone.
Swoon Reads
320 pages, Age 12-18
Received Hardcover Copy
Adventure, Canada, Middle School, Survival, Canadian National Parks,
Gamer, Sexual Orientation,  Young Adult
Reviewed for Raincoast Books. 

Vale loves to hike, but kind of hates her classmates. Ash is okay with his classmates, but kind of hates the outdoors. So, needless to say they are both fairly certain that the overnight nature hike with their PE class is going to be a hellish experience. But when they get separated from the group during a storm, they have worse things to worry about than bullies and blisters.

Lost in the Canadian wilderness with limited supplies, caught in dangerous weather conditions, and surrounded by deadly wildlife, it’s going to take every bit of strength, skill, and luck they can muster to survive.

Switchback

The Details about Switchback

Middle School PE two day adventure hiking in the mountains.  Oh the fun!  The excitement!  The terror!  The “I don’t want to’s”!   Ash and Vale, two best friends, heading into a situation that neither wishes to be in. 

Vale, bullied for standing up to bullies and being a tad different than other kids.  Ash being caught between friendships. Both alone, and yet not quite.  Teachers and parents who don’t quite get it.  And a fall trip into the mountains of Waterton Park.   What could possibly go wrong?

Lost kids, a mountain, fall weather and before you know it a whole lot of trouble is happening.

Switchback is a quick read that you feel compelled to continue.  The fast pace ensures you don’t get lost in the details.  The awkwardness of teens, the love of the gaming world, the well-played examples of nerd-dom, combined with beauty, fear, and growth in characters. 

Switchback

Each chapter has a unique quote starting it out.  They come from different movies such as predator, eight below, gravity etc. 

I found the book comfortable to hold and read, the type was a great size for reading through a fast-paced book.   It was so compelling to know what would happen next, so having a good text size to facilitate that was great.

Switchback

My Thoughts

I enjoyed the story, immensely actually even though the sheer number of adventures/escapades seemed a little over the top. It was still well written and I wanted to know the end result. 

Most adventure loving young people  (upper middle school through young adult) would enjoy the story as well.  It’s well written with interesting characters, even with a bully I just want to whack upside the head a time or two. 

I do want to add a caution. Vale identifies as aro-ace.  The definition for those who didn’t know is feeling no romantic or sexual attraction towards anyone of any gender.

I struggled with this early labeling.  She’s young.  Knows her current self well but she doesn’t know her future self. Things can change. Labels don’t allow room for that coming change.

I am hesitant about encouraging youth to embrace such a limiting definition of themselves.  I don’t think it benefits youth to be encouraging them to internalize such a definition for themselves.  Reading a book may or may not reinforce that in young middle school readers.  It’s hard to know. 

Overall, Switchback is an excellent read to see a bullied youth stick up for herself and to have a friend realize some truths about himself as well. 

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Devotionals for Teens

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When my son was younger it was incredibly easy to find devotionals for him.  Easy worksheets on-line, whole curriculums, colouring sheets and more.  Now that he is getting older, it is more difficult to find free materials on-line for him.   This is what I have found when I looked for devotionals for teens.  

Devotionals for Teens

On-Line Free Resources

I am not going to say that every devotional on the sites below are good or have spot on teaching, but they do provide food for thought. They do provide fodder for good conversations. One needs to be careful in today’s religious clime to avoid encouraging false teaching, but we need to teach our teens to be discerning. They will need it to survive!

Josh McDowell Youth Ministries. 

Written for teenagers to use in their daily quiet time readings, this plan will make them laugh or cry. Some are fiction, some are stranger than fiction, but each will help you discover how to make right choices in the everyday ups and downs of life.

Student Devos.

A blog that posts a daily devotional geared at teens and young adults.  There is also a smaller section for youth and younger teens. 

Crosswalk

Posts a weekly devotional for teens on the theme Then and Now.

Wels.

Weekly devotionals geared at teens. 

DS2

Has a variety of topically based devotions.  

Youth4Him.

About 45 devotionals, I was unable to get the rest of the board to work. 

Devotionals for Teens

Now imagine my surprise when a link I was looking at took me to youtube.  I didn’t expect to find teen devotionals there.  I shouldn’t be surprised I gust in this digital age. 

What We have used

For the past year my son has been familiarizing himself with the books of the bible and their major passages and themes.   We’ve been using Teach Sunday School’s curriculum.  You can find my review here. He has been enjoying going through it, and though it isn’t free, it is well worth taking a look at. 

Devotionals for Teens Books of the Bible

Over this upcoming year we’ll doing working through Max Anders’ book 30 days to understanding the bible.  My review is here. 

Always Check for Error

Now remember… just like with anything.. read or watch or listen to what your teens might be listening to.  If only so you can talk with them, generating discussions to help them make their faith their own.  Thinking through issues, learning and discussing is the way to go eh?  🙂  You don’t want your teens believing things they shouldn’t about God’s word and the Christian faith.  Guide them.  Help them to seek after truth thoughtfully. 

Other Ideas?

I do love the idea of using a daily devotional to help encourage children and teens to dive into God’s word. It’s an easy way for them to interact with God’s word on a daily basis.  I sometimes struggle with the simplicity of most devotionals. Wanting to teach my son (and myself) how to just read God’s word for themselves.   This is a skill I hope to teach my son over the next year.  Different ways that he himself can explore God’s word on his own so he can more truly make it his own.

Want to Learn Some Specifics?

Review: Transcripts Made Easy

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Did you know that my son is going into grade nine? GAH! I am trying NOT to join in with frantic homeschooling parents getting bent out of shape over highschool. Trying hard but not necessarily succeeding! 🙂

Everyday Education has come to my rescue… at least in the area of transcripts and grading. Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler’s Guide to High-School Paperwork has been a boon to quieting my mind over this important part of record keeping.

Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

What I am Reviewing

Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler’s Guide to High-School Paperwork.
Everyday Education.
Janice Campbell
Digital ebook, PDF.

$24.95
138 pages.  4th edition. 
high school transcripts, homeschool transcripts, homeschool high school

Transcripts made easy is a comfortable read filled with a wealth of information. It comes as a PDF document easy to store on my laptop. At 138 pages I chose not to print off most of it, but I will be printing off some of the record keeping pages.

This is the fourth edition of this helpful guide for making highschool transcripts. You will find helpful tips from the following experts included: Professor Carol Reynolds, Judith Munday, and Kathy Kuhl.

The six sections of Transcripts Made Easy are:

  • Meet the Transcript
  • Plan with the End in Mind
  • Keep Simple Records
  • Grades, Credit and GPA
  • Create the Transcript
  • References, Resources and Reproducibles
Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

Transcripts Made Easy Details

Janice Campbell starts off by explaining what a transcript is (a record of what a student has studied.). She walks us through the different sections of a transcript, what to put into them and why they are important. SUPER helpful.

Transcripts Made Easy is designed so that you can jump in at any point and use only the parts you need. If you pick up this ebook from upper elementary school you would start at the very beginning. If you are just finishing highschool though, you might want to just skip to how to actually fill out the transcript.

Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

From just learning how to keep records, what to record, how to track hours and more, there are many options provided. When it comes to transcripts, regardless of where you are in the process you can still come up with a usable transcript, so fret not. Help is here.. make full use of it!

One of the Things I most appreciated was Ms. Campbell’s careful explanations as to why we need to be careful how we put our transcripts together. When explaining why grading on transcripts is important, she helped me understand the mindset of the person who would be looking at that transcript. She then proceeded to walk me through the different ways of grading material, extremely helpful to someone who has never graded her child in his work. 🙂

Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

Section Details

As much as you can just jump into the area that you most have need of, really the whole book is helpful.

  • Meet the Transcript: Talks about what a transcript is, the different areas, and what needs to be included.
  • Plan with the End in Mind: How to plan out your highschool education, sample methods, how to make sure you are meeting requirements, developing study skills and more.
  • Keep Simple Records: Simple is best right? Why by complicated. Keep good records to make the end product easier to manage. I only skimmed the special needs section, just know it’s there.
  • Grades, Credit and GPA: How to grade, how to manage grades if you are an unschooler, different ways to mark, and a helpful writing evaluation rubric is included.
  • Create the Transcript: different types of transcripts are given, along with directions on how to create them. Pros and cons are listed for each helping you make an informed decision.
  • References, Resources and Reproducibles: forms you can use to make your homeschooling journey easier. Forms I intend to use are the class profile, the subject worksheets, and the line transcript.
Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

My Thoughts

Janice Campbell writes with a personal tone. I LOVE how she disseminated her information in an easy-going, practical format. She even reminded me that if I have a question about how to do something with a document, just ask google and there will be an answer. Sometimes I forget that!

She takes what would seem to be an overwhelming task and breaks it down into simple record keeping. Some for the homeschool parent to do, and some that the student can do. I have been pleased to talk through some of her material with my son. His first question was “Is there a sheet I can fill out?” I could happily tell him “yes!” 🙂

Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

The loads of examples provided, to show the variety of transcripts and type of record keeping amazed me. There is more than one way to do it all, it’s just a matter of finding a system that works for the parent.

An excellent resource for anyone looking at how to put a transcript together for their student.

Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

Suggestion:

Something I would LOVE to see is .. oh, how do I put it? With PDF’s you can use the fill and sign feature. So I would love to either see separate PDF’s for each of the forms that can be filled out OR….

Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

A link to a google docs folder with pre-made forms already to use. That was my first thought when I saw the sample diploma along with instructions on how to recreate it. It was like… OH.. if only this were a google doc so I wouldn’t have to recreate it! I could then just fill in my son’s name and the name of our school. THAT would be the best! (YES, I admit to having a lazy side!) 🙂 I don’t know which would be better. Separate PDF forms could get cumbersome, but be really useful. BUT the google docs aspect could simply be an embedded link. I don’t know. I just LOVE the idea of having ready made forms that are fully editable, and available as a separate file.

My Recommendation:

If you are homeschooling highschool, regardless of your methodology, go get this book. It’s chock full of important information to consider in regards to homeschooling. It’s more than just transcripts, it’s grading, legal requirements, options, how to grade and so much more. It is well worth your time invested.

Everyday Education

50 members of the Homeschool Review Crew have looked at the offerings of Everyday Education. Click here or on the banner below to go read the reviews.

Transcripts made Easy by Everyday Education

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#hsreviews #highschooltranscripts #homeschoolhighschool #homeschooltranscripts 

How I Resist

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You know how sometimes you just want to DO something about a wrong you see in the world.  You know how sometimes you can’t figure out just what you should do about it?  How I resist is a book filled with inspiration to help you make good decisions about what to do when you see a problem.  This is a book geared toward helping teens make a difference in their society.

How I resist

From the Cover: 

Now, more than ever, young people are motivated to make a difference in a world they’re bound to inherit. They’re ready to stand up and be heard – but with much to shout about, where they do they begin? What can I do? How can I help ?

How I resist is the response, and a way to start the conversation.  To who readers that they are not helpless, and that anyone can be the change.   A collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews about activism and hope. 

How I resist

What you Get:

Stories, poems, and interviews.  30 in all. You get a book filled with the stories and thoughts of people pushing for change.   Authors who write novels to show how a change is needed in society, parents who are raising their children to THINK about how politicians affect lives, people who stop those who are laughing and saying “my friends will suffer because of this decision” to help bring a face to a political decision, and more.  Some of the stories are just stories showing how people are affected and one thing they do deal with that.  Others are almost like letters of instructions.. you want to fight?  Here are some steps to take.  Yet others are people just talking about how they fight for what they want to see happen. 

How I resist

My Thoughts: 

This is a very American focused book.  Granted… I didn’t read every story or interview, but I read about 1/2 of them and they were all American focused.  Many talking about the current president, and I didn’t really find it helpful.   I didn’t.  Perhaps it’s my mindset.  If you want something changed, talk about it, work towards, get elected officials involved if you can, but talk and write and paint and work hard in your corner of the world to make a difference.  You don’t like that black people are treated poorly then model good behaviour and challenge those who need to be challenged.  You don’t like that abortion happens… get involved with folks who are fighting to make a difference.

I saw some of this mindset portrayed, but often times it seems like the suggestions were subtly hidden.  This leaves me questioning would teens really make that connection?  My lad, I know, would miss a lot of it.  Giving my opinion on this book is rather difficult in fact. I would recommend that you read through the book before giving it to your younger teens… a couple of the articles had me going hmm… no.. don’t think I want my lad reading this piece. But I’m a Canadian, reading a book very much geared to south of the border with many of the troubles mentioned, ergo it seems all just a bit distant to me. 

How I ResistHow I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation
Editor: Tim Federle and Maureen Johnson
Wednesday Books
Trade Paperback, 224 pages, 13-18 years
Activism, Social Issues, Prejudice, Teens

Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

Other books on Activism:
Teen Trail Blazers

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Unshakable Hope Promise Book

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I have long enjoyed the writings of Max Lucado, so when BookLookBloggers offered this as a review I snatched it up. It’s been a while since I’ve read one of his books and I wanted to know if it was still up to snuff. In this softcover book, Max wants to help the reader understand that the promises of God are real, and he continues to keep them.

unshakable hope promise book

From the Cover:

Get to know the God who keeps His promises. Unshakable Hope Promise Book, by bestselling author Max Lucado, explores the promises God made to His people throughout the Bible and how they are relevant to your life today. Get ready to discover the amazing plans and promises God has just for you!

What would you do tomorrow if you had no fear? How would you live your life if you knew that the promises in the Bible are for you? What if God Himself put promises there meant for you and has an amazing plan for your life?

In Unshakable Hope Promise Book: Student Edition, Max Lucado shows you how God has kept His promises in the lives of His people for all of history. Using examples from biblical characters and current examples from teens like you, Max will help you explore and understand the ways God has kept His promises then and how He keeps them now.

Embrace an exciting faith-filled life as you work through stories, Scripture, and journaling questions in Unshakable Hope Promise Book.

What You Get:

30 chapters, approximately 6 pages each.   The set up for each chapter is the same.

Title page with a bible verse.

unshakable hope promise book

This is followed by an almost two page devotional which is generally based around the text and then draws you more into seeing the impact of God’s promises in everyday life.  Thinking points are pulled out of the text and highlighted. Each devotional includes a several bible verses of promises

‘

. 

unshakable hope promise book

The next two pages include supporting bible verses of God’s promises and a time to reflect on what you have read.  Four questions with each lesson.

unshakable hope promise book

Each chapter concludes with a promise the reader can make. A promise that leads them to live more for God. 

unshakable hope promise book

My Thoughts:

I have not read through every devotional, but the ones I read through didn’t raise any red flags.  The devotionals all seemed to connect well to the bible verses selected. They aren’t complicated.

I tried to figure out what the target audience is and I haven’t quite fully determined that.  I’m going to say grade nine and up.   

I have to admit that I struggled with the promises the way they were written. I would have rather they be prayers asking God to help you stay close, or remember his promises to his people.  It’s hard to make a promise like the ones listed, so easy to break them without meaning to, and where would that leave the student?

unshakable hope promise book

 

Unshakable Hope, Promise Book
Student Edition
Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson
Trade Paperback, 192 pages
Faith, Study, Devotional,
Reviewed for BookLookBloggers

Find it on Amazon.

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Record Keeping Worries

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Did you know that I have a boy in grade 8?   I KNOW… it’s been an amazing journey that we’ve been on for the past 8-9 years, learning and growing together.  As he gets closer to grade nine (gasp) I start to wonder about keeping grades and records and have to admit.. I haven’t a clue.  Beyond making tests and marking them, just how does one keep grades?

How does one mark a project?  How does one judge if a student has passed a keyboarding class?  I don’t know! 

I’ve been doing some research (not much at this point to be honest) I still don’t know much.. so why am I even writing this post eh?  To share my lack of knowledge?

Well not really.

Record keeping worries, text over open books

Reassurance

I just want to talk to moms (or dads) out there who are in the same boat that I am in.   My goal is to ease hearts as mine have been.

I was talking to the highschool guidance counsellor two weeks ago and asked her how they handle it when a student comes in when records haven’t been kept well.  “Oh, we just figure it out”.  To my quizzical look, she continued “We had a student come into grade 10 just this past week, no records for anything up til this point.   We talked with her, figured out where she was at and we have the ability to just plug the details in.   We can adjust as we see how she does at grade level as well”.

You know what that did?  WOW.. it eased my heart.   To know that I don’t have to panic if I don’t have it all figured out by next September.  And honestly WHY should I panic?  Having or not having grades for grade nine is not the end of the world.  Colleges/universities aren’t going to hold it against him?

Support is Available

I also know this… there is a HUGE support community out there for homeschoolers.  On-line or in person.  

In-person, some of my options are:

  • One of the curriculum supply places will be doing a “going into highschool seminar” in a few weeks so I can take advantage of that.
  • I can go to a spring homeschooling conference and someone there will be doing a highschool workshop.  (at least there has always been one every other conference).
  • Talk to those who have gone on before
  • Talk to the library about resources they might have on hand

On-line I can

  • Research how to do it via the world wide web
  • Talk to the local homeschooling community
  • Go to forums and ask questions
  • Talk to people connected with the Homeschool Review Crew
  • Talk to individuals I’ve gotten to know in the homeschool community like Kym, Lori, and Carol.  
  • Reach out on social media.

Please do share, I really do want to know what my options are.  Even to learn HOW to grade.  My lad is good at letting me know what he does know, but that doesn’t always tell me what he remembers long term you know?  I can see how he puts his research skills together, but I can’t always judge how well he sees the bigger picture. 

Your turn

How about you? What ways can you learn about grades and record keeping for YOUR highschool student?   What have you learned works for keeping good records of your students’ activities?  Share, help me out eh?   You are part of my community!

This post has been linked with the Homeschool Review Crew Round up.  You can find it here. 

keeping records

Teen Trailblazers

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You know how it’s great to see people you can look to for inspiration?   To see possibilities shown to you that maybe, just maybe, you haven’t considered before?   In Teen Trailblazers we find 30 girls for young teen women to look to for inspiration. 

teen trailblazers

From The Back Cover:

True stories of young women who made a big difference! From authors to activists, painters to politicians, inventors to icons, these inspiring teenagers are proof that girls can change the world.
Joan of Arc. Anne Frank. Cleopatra. Pocahontas. Mary Shelley. Many of these heroines are well-known. But have you heard of Sybil Ludington, a 16-year-old daughter of an American colonel who rode twice as far as the far better-remembered Paul Revere to warn the militia that the British army was invading?
This fascinating book features 30 young women who accomplished remarkable things before their twentieth birthdays. Visually compelling with original illustrations, this book will inspire the next generation of strong, fearless women.

What do you get?

teen trailblazers

30 Stories of young ladies engaging actively in the world around them: 

Imagine….being a slave and writing poetry in a time when such things weren’t welcome.
Imagine… being 16 and riding for your life to get military assistance in the middle of battle.
Imagine…being pregnant and fighting side by side with your husband in battle.
Imagine….inventing a product still used a century later

Each chapter is set up in a similar manner, the individual, what they are known for, birth/death if known, notable things they did, and a quote. 

teen trailblazers The rest of the chapter goes on to talk about the work that this young lady did and why it is notable.  Presenting information to help the reader consider all the factors involved, like the slaves involved in making indigo, how Paul Revere gets remembered for his ride and yet a female counterpart isn’t known, what difference might it make if the reader got involved in their community and more. 

teen trailblazers Each chapter has cut outs that talk about additional factors to consider, or points of action, or other people who engaged in similar works who might be better known.   In the copy that I received all images were in grey scale, I don’t know if in the final copy the images will be in full colour or not.   I would hope that they would be, but I really can’t tell you for sure. 

teen trailblazers

My thoughts:

There are many notable people found within the pages of this book.  I loved how ideas for becoming actively involved in one’s community were presented.  My hope had been for more variety in people presented like inventors, doctors, teachers, but found many were activists, authors, and actors. The desire I hold dear is that our young ladies to see their intellect and bravery is just as important as their heart for various causes. I wanted to see more balance, 10 activists, 7 authors, and several actors and war heroines, leaving only a bit of room for inventors, business women and the like. Oh wouldn’t it be good to inspire all of our girls, regardless of their interests, to be teen trailblazers, ready to act now?

I suppose if the point of the book is to ensure that young ladies know they have a voice, showing activism and the power of the word spoken and written is a good thing.  I’m trying to understand the mindset behind the choices made.  It’s good to know that speaking up and doing things matters whether you are male or female. I just want to see more balance presented in the different ways girls can make a difference in today’s world. 

This would be an excellent book to leave lying about the house, or using with a careers course, to show girls different options they as they look forward to what they want to do.

teen trailblazers

 

Teen Trailblazers
30 fearless girls who changed the world before they were 20
Jennifer Calvert, author
Vesna Asanovic, illustrator
Castle Point Books
softcover, 128 pages, ages 12-18
Middle School, High School, Careers, Women,
Activism, Inventors, Authors, Actors

Reviewed for Raincoast Books.

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