Famous Homeschooled People in the World

I came across this very interesting list of Famous Homeschooled People and thought I would share it. Its great seeing things like this as it helps build confidence in a parent's ability to home educate their child, especially when you see the names of some of the inventors and scientists. 




Some famous Home schooled people:
Bindi Irwin (Steve Irwin's daughter) 
Maria Sharapova (tennis player) 
Venus Williams (tennis player) 
Serena Williams (tennis player) 
Pro Hart (Australian artist) 
Hanson (band) 
Moffats (band) 
Christina Aguileria (singer) 
LeAnne Rimes (singer) 
Justin Timberlake (singer) 
Hillary Duff (singer/actress) 
Whoopi Goldberg (actress) 
Dakota Fanning (actress) 
Jennifer Love Hewitt (actress) 
Alan Alda (actor) 
Frankie Muniz (child actor) 
Agatha Christie (author) 
CS Lewis (author) 


HS'ing parents: 
Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt- actors
Michael Card - contemporary Christian songwriter 
Duane G. Carey - NASA astronaut 
Mike Farris - lawyer and co-founder of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Robert Frost - Pulitzer Prize-winning poet 
David Guterson - educator and author of Snow Falling on Cedars 
Kimberly Hahn - Catholic apologist and author 
Gregg and Sono Harris - pioneers in the modern Christian homeschooling movement Barbara Howe - Libertarian activist 
Eric Jackson - Whitewater paddler 
Christopher Klicka - attorney and Senior Counsel, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) 
Len Munsil - attorney, President of The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), and gubernatorial candidate 
Paul Overstreet - musician, songwriter 
Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith - actors  
Kelly Preston & John Travolta - actors 
Rick Santorum - U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania 
Mike Smith - lawyer and co-founder of HSLDA 
R.C. Sproul, Jr. - pastor, author of When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling 
Stefan von Trapp - grandson of Captain von Trapp from The Sound of Music  
Darrell Waltrip - NASCAR racer 
Lisa Whelchel - former actress, "The Facts of Life", now a pastor's wife and author 


Famous Artists:
Claude Monet 
Leonardo da Vinci 
Jamie Wyeth 
Andrew Wyeth 
John Singleton Copley

Inventors:
Alexander Graham Bell 
Thomas Edison 
Alec Issigonis 
Cyrus McCormick 
The Wright Brothers

Scientists:
Blaise Pascal 
Pierre Curie 
Albert Einstein 
Booker T. Washington 
George Washington Carver

Statesman:
Winston Churchill 
Konrad Adenauer 
Benjamin Franklin 
Patrick Henry 
William Penn 
Henry Clay

Composers:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 
Anton Bruckner 
Felix Mendelssohn 
Francis Poulenc 
Conlon Nancarrow 
Irving Berlin 
Yehudi Menuhin

Writers:
Agatha Christie 
C.S. Lewis 
George Bernard Shaw 
Noel Coward 
D.H. Lawrence 
Hans Christian Anderson 
Charles Dickens 
Mark Twain 
Margaret Mead 
Sean O'Casey 
Rumer Godden 
Brett Harte 
Phillis Wheatley 
Mercy Warren 
Pearl S. Buck

Miscellaneous: 
Charles Chaplin - Actor 
Florence Nightingale - Nurse 
John Burroughs - Naturalist 
Charles Louis Montesquieu - Philosopher 
Albert Schweitzer - Physician 
George Rogers Clark - Explorer 
Andrew Carnegie - Industrialist 
Bill Ridell - Newspaperman 
Will Rogers - Humorist 
Tamara McKinney - World Cup Skier 
Jim Ryan - World Runner 
Ansel Adams - Photographer 
John Stuart Mill - Economist 
John Paul Jones - father of the American Navy 
Clara Barton - started the Red Cross 
Abigail Adams - wife of John Adams 
Martha Washington - wife of George W. (a distant relative of mine, so my Mama says)
Venus and Serena Williams

Religious Leaders:
Joan of Arc 
Brigham Young 
John & Charles Wesley 
Jonathan Edwards 
John Owen 
William Cary 
Dwight L. Moody 
John Newton


If you know of any people I can add, let me know.




Thanks to The Educating Parent for sharing this.

How Homeschooling is done legally in South Australia

I do hope this post isn't too dull but I've had a lot of people ask me about how it works down here in Oz with regards to homeschooling. So I wanted to cover the process of getting started and the legalities involved with home education in SA.

I know here in South Australia (and all of Australia) it is legal to home educate your children. But of course there's a process to it all. If your children are currently enrolled in school then you need to let the school's Principal know your intent to homeschool, verbally and in writing, to ensure sufficient documentation of your intent. Make sure to let the school's Principal know that you've already contacted DECS regarding home education.

You will have to register your children with the Department of Education and Children's Services (DECS). The Ministry of Education's Project Officer will mail you a packet of papers including the "Application for Exemption from Attendance at School." Once the forms are completed and mailed back to her she will then contact you to schedule an in-home interview to further discuss your application and how you'll go about homeschooling. Once permission is granted (which it usually is) then you have a 12 month exemption allowing you to legally homeschool.

However before the 12 months is up, in order to be approved for the next year, you will need to complete a review process to show samples of work and discuss how your children did during the year.

Technically children are suppose to remain in school until the entire process is complete however it is my understanding that once you've made contact with both DECS and your children's school regarding home education that DECS does not have any issues with you beginning to homeschool immediately.

Some people (so I've heard) simply skip registering their kids with the Dept. of Education. The idea of possible Gov't interference doesn't sit too well with some people. Not because they have something to hide, but because they simply don't want anyone telling them how to raise or educate their children.

As for us we're keeping all our ducks in a row and following the rules. I guess I really don't mind as I have found the process rather straight forward and easy. The Dept of Education seems to just want to make sure that as a homeschooler you will make sure to cover the 8 areas of the Australian Curriculum Standards with your children, which are:

English
Mathematics
Science
Design & Technology
Studies of Society and Environment
The Arts (Music, Art, Dance, Drama)
Health & Physical Education
Language Other than English

Honestly with keeping to those subjects, children will get a well rounded education. And as parents we can always add more if there is something else our children want to cover. You'd be surprised at what you can teach your children and yet it would still fall into the 8 subjects that must be covered often taking care of more then one subject at a time. Say for example you want to teach your kids a bit about the Human Body and Anatomy, that fits easily under both Health and Science. If you want your babies to learn a bit of French, well you can teach them about France with maps, history, and about the culture (that takes care of SOSE) then you can have them learn to speak some French with Rosetta Stone - a computer based total immersion Foreign Language program, they even have a homeschool version. That takes care of Technology and Language other then English.

Parents often get so overwhelmed once they start to see how many subjects must be covered during the school year. The idea is to keep it simple, keep it fun and keep them learning.

The Big Move

Originally posted 2 years ago, some things are being reposted due to some reorganising, sorry.

This is the story of how we made the biggest move of our lives. Our Permanent Migration to Australia!

Step 1

So how does one go about moving to a different country? RESEARCH!!! First for obvious reasons make sure it's got what you want, don't assume just because it's a different place, that all of your problems will be automatically solved simply by changing your geography. As stated above we researched the economy, the government, the climates and geography, the culture, the job market, etc. Also planning a visit before finalizing such a major move would not be irrational.

I must say one thing I absolutely love about Australia... they won't let just anyone in! You have to be able to offer them something, like a job skill or business investment. Being that we aren't at all rich people, we looked into qualifying skills that either my husband or I possessed. Every year, usually in July, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (also known as DIAC) publishes a list of Skilled Occupations currently in demand. Click here for the 2011 Schedule, it does change from time to time as do the qualifications for even applying for a Visa. So make sure to stay up to date with any current changes, even though they are pretty good about announcing any major changes months prior.

As I have only worked a few years as a Dental Assistant and a short time as a Veterinarian Assistant my skills were not in high demand. Alan has been a carpenter since the age of 15, other than his 4 years in the US Navy Seabees as a Construction Mechanic. So we were rather pleased to see "Carpenter and Joiner" as a highly demanded skill shortage. Next to each occupation on the list is the Assessing Authority, basically this is who you submit your information to so they can tell you whether or not you are "qualified" for the corresponding occupation. Alan's was TRA which stands for Trades Recognition Australia as they oversee the assessment of all Trade Qualifications in Australia. Click here for TRA's current Assessment guidelines. There is also a code known as the ANZSCO code, which stands for Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations codes next to each job title. This is the number you would use for all qualifying references once your skills are positively assessed.

We contacted all of my husband's previous and current employers asking them to write up a letter of reference for him that had to be signed and notarized on their company letterhead regarding his skills while under their employment, the tools he was capable of using, 5 specific duties performed at each job, along with his job title, rate of pay and how long employed with them. We submitted them along with his completed application and $300 AUD payment. After only 2 weeks we received our letter of a successful skills assessment.

Step 2

My family and I have all felt as though our lives have been on hold for the last several years with deciding on what direction we wanted to take our future in. There seemed to be many different options for us to go with next. Should we hire a migration expert? Do we have enough points (I'll explain this further down) to go as Skilled Migrants independently or should we seek sponsorship? The three best options we had were to go independent, employer sponsored or state sponsored. We wanted to compare each options waiting list and regulations if any.

When Alan turned 40 we lost 5 points, so qualifying for Skilled Independent Migration, could be a bit  more difficult, plus the process could take upwards of 3 years to receive our visas. Employer sponsorship had its perks, a guaranteed job and the absolute fastest way to get there, usually anywhere from 4-6 months. State sponsorship gave a timeline of up to a year before receiving a visa and not as many regulations as the Employer sponsorship.

*** On a special note, as of July 1, 2011, DIAC has completely changed their Visa requirements. Age requirements have now gone from 45 to 50 years old, and the points system has changed drastically. All of the information I am providing is relevant to our experience and application prior to July 1, 2011. For complete and up to date information please visit www.immi.gov.au and click on the "Finding a Visa" to take the up to date Visa quiz to see what Visa you may qualify for. ***

So let's break each option down...

Skilled Independent Visas 175, must be under 45 yrs of age, have an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List, meet recent work experience requirements, meet the English Language Requirement. (That's right Australia won't let you in unless you have conversational level English) Must score 120 points on the Points Test. This is a Permanent Visa however this one takes the longest time to acquire but you're a free agent in Australia, meaning you can live and work anywhere you please.

Current 175 Skilled Independent Requirements

Skilled Sponsored 176, same exact requirements as the 175 visa, however you must be sponsored by an Australian State or Territory. Each state/territory has their own list of skills in demand, if your skill is on their list, they may agree to sponsor you. Must score 100 points or higher on the Points test. This is a Permanent Visa. You must live in the nominating State or Territory for at least 2 years.

Current 176 Skilled Migration Requirements

Employer Sponsored 121, the same requirements as the State Sponsored Visa, however you must be employed with the nominating employer for at least 2 years. If you are fired, or laid off your visa will then expire within 30 days, unless you find another employer willing to sponsor you. This is also a permanent visa and the fastest Visa to get but incredibly risky if you lose employment.

Current 121 Employer Sponsored Requirements

The Points test:

The points test is a mechanism used to help select skilled migrants who offer the best in terms of economic benefit to Australia. The points test creates a selection process that is transparent and objective, awarding points to the skills and attributes considered to be in need in Australia. 

~ DIAC

At the time of our application, DIAC had a points test that every primary migrant must undergo. The applicant earned a certain number of points based on age, english language ability, nominated skill, available sponsorship, work experience, Australian study and work experience etc.  The passmark ranged from 100 to 120 points depending on the Visa applied for.

Current Points Guidelines

DIAC still has a points test but they decided not to include points for the applicants nominated skill, even though your nominated skill must be on the Skilled Occupation List and must be positively assessed. The new passmark is now 65 points. 

After all things considered we decided to go with the State/Territory Sponsorship Visa. This gave us time to apply and save up money, as well as some of the freedoms of the Independent Visa as far as work. Fortunately the state we chose, South Australia to apply for sponsorship from, is actually where we wanted to go to begin with. They have a wonderful migration scheme of their own and Alan's job skills are in high demand there...

Step 3

We made the decision to go ahead without a migration agent. My husband has given me the opportunity to be a stay at home mom throughout the years, so I had the time to read up on everything possible regarding the process. It's rather expensive to hire one and we truly felt we could go it alone as others had before.

Applying for South Australia's State Sponsorship was a relatively simple process. Everything was online through South Australia's Migration Site. We had to send in proof of who we are, Alan's TRA letter, job references, etc. Six weeks later we had it! Once we had our sponsorship we had 30 days to file our main Visa application. Once again sending in proof of identity (birth certificates & passports), marriage certificate, recent passport photos, even more current job experience letters and our custody order (which without our oldest two, Sherri and Wesley would not be allowed to move with us... NOT AN OPTION!)

Once we filed for our Visa's we waited to be assigned our case worker...amazingly it only took 3 weeks. Which was rather surprising since we know others through an Expat forum who have waited for months, so we were feeling rather fortunate. When our case worker had approved everything we had submitted at that time he then requested we go ahead and proceed with the Police and Medical checks.

Alan, Sherri and I all had to be fingerprinted and have letters from both the State of Alaska and the FBI stating that we had no criminal record. The FBI check took the longest so we proceeded with the Medicals. All 8 of us had to go to Anchorage and see the ONLY approved doctor for the entire state. DIAC has a list of approved panel doctors that have been allowed to complete the Australian Immigration Medicals on people, thankfully the doctor wasn't in Juneau. The youngest 3 boys had to be seen for eye exams, medical exams, and urinalysis. Our youngest daughter Alanna, had to have the eye exam, medical exam, urinalysis, and chest x-ray. Then Alan, Sherri, Wesley and I all had to have the eye exam, urinalysis, chest x-ray and blood test.  Everything is pretty self explanatory but the chest x-ray is to make sure none of us have Tuberculosis and the blood draw was to test for HIV, Hepatitis and some STD's.

The reason for such invasive test is because Australia has a rather nice public health care system compared to most countries. When DIAC is deciding whether or not to grant any Residency Visas,  one of those major deciding factors is the health of the individual or family. They want to ensure we are not going to place an undue burden on the health care system. Another policy of "one fail, all fail" is very true. If one person fails the test, we all do, especially with communicable diseases like HIV and TB.

So now that all of our test and checks have come back good, we wait.

Honestly this might be the hardest part...

GRANTED!!!

The big day finally came this week as we were notified by DIAC that our application for Permanent Residency was granted. I must say it was much faster than we ever anticipated. We were told a year or less from the date we filed our application, but 5 months was a wonderful surprise!  We couldn't be happier about it. Our son Ben was ready to pack and our daughter Alanna was already asking about Aussie citizenship...to say they were happy is a bit of an understatement.

Now the pressure really begins! There is so much that still has to be done in what will seem like very little time. We need to find a reliable international shipping company to send what belongings we are taking on a 6 week cruise across the vast Pacific Ocean. We have almost finished the dogs paperwork and testing to get them ready for their 30 days of Quarantine in Melbourne. Of course let's not forget to mention getting ready to have the biggest moving sale of our lives, continue downsizing the farm and save as much money as we possibly can!

According to our Visa we have to be in Australia within a year or we lose it. However once we arrive we will have it indefinitely. Our goal is to there by Christmas and hope that leaving winter in Alaska for summer in South Australia won't be too cruel on our unacclimated bodies! But considering the reversal of the seasons I'm not sure there really is a perfect time to go...although leaving our Fall to arrive in their Spring does seem pretty perfect...hummmm?

> Average daily winter (June-August) temperatures, Adelaide - Max 15.9°C, Min 8°C (60.6°F - 46.4°F)

> Average daily spring (September-November) temperatures, Adelaide - Max 21.7°C, Min 11.6°C (71°F - 52.8°F) 

> Average daily summer (December-February) temperatures, Adelaide - Max 28.3°C, Min 16.5°C (82.9°F - 61.7°F)

> Average daily autumn (March-May) temperatures, Adelaide - Max 22.4°C, Min 12.5°C (72.3°F - 54.5°F)

~Taken from www.southaustralia.com

Our oldest, Sherri, is now letting the collage she's been in communication with TAFE SA know about the Visa being granted so that she won't be considered an international student. I'm currently looking at schools for the younger kids in the areas we are considering living in, and Alan can now seriously start contacting possible employers about work as they like to hear we actually have the visa now.

I have found a great group of people in OZ on a backyard chicken forum, they have been incredibly supportive and helpful. I find the best way to get the most honest information about the areas you want to know about, is by talking with the people who live there or are familiar with it. They've truly been great in offering up loads of helpful advice! Everything from the weather, information on schools, housing and even the different towns and villages. I look forward to meeting some of them after we get settled in. It's really wonderful getting to know like-minded people.  

It's also the one thing I will miss the most about leaving here.

Homeschooling in the USA

This was originally published almost 2 years ago...I'm cleaning and reorganising my blog and some things have to be reposted or else I'll lose them

Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives. ~ Ronald Reagan

As I mentioned earlier I began homeschooling our kids in the Fall of 2007 right after we came back from our 3 months in Australia. Our first go at it was a mess, at least in my opinion it was. I tried the "Independent" way of it, which consisted of a lot of educational internet sites, books from the library and even ordering a less common box curriculum called A.C.E. It really wasn't making us feel very confident in our decision.

After moving to Alaska in 2008 we discovered a way that we could continue home schooling and provide them with the best available. Alaska has a wonderful program called I.D.E.A. which stands for Interior Distance Education of Alaska. It's a state wide home schooling program (the first of several now in the state) out of the Galena City School District. IDEA receives states funding per student, the same way other public schools do, then issues an allotment to the parents of almost $2,000 per child that we can then use on almost any educational  materials. They will even cover the cost of field trips to the museum or zoo, science kits, books, curriculum and school supplies.

Some of the different options include All in One box curriculums such as Calvert or K12, or using different publishers such as Pearson-Prentice Hall or Houghton Mifflin for each core subject. For instance this year we decided to go with Calvert for our students in K-7 then Pearson for our 9th grader. We also supplemented the Math program for them all with Saxon Math (which I love) as well as an Art program called Atelier. Home schoolers in Alaska can also have their children take music classes or join a chess club and the state will pay for it.

On a separate note, I've never been the most organized person out there, just ask my wonderful husband why I can never find my keys. One of the beauties of homeschooling is you will learn to organize yourself or you will fail and your kids will suffer. It didn't take long and every year I've found what does and does not work for my family and every year we get better.

I truly love home schooling our children not only for the freedom it allows our family but also because I know my kids are actually learning. If one of our kids doesn't get something the first time around, we don't have to move on and tell him "that's too bad" we can cover it again and again until he or she does.

Home schoolers in Alaska are very fortunate, Alaska has no regulations whatsoever regarding government interference on how you or I educate our children. Some states however are not so lucky, those such as New York, and North Dakota have very strict regulations where parents have to report to that state's Department of Education their student's test scores and professional evaluations.

 I wish the rest of the country was more accepting of home schooling the way that Alaska is. Here it is embraced and almost the norm. When my family and friends down South found out about my home schooling, we got the usual list of questions such as, how will they be socialized or make friends, or play sports etc? Considering the fact that we actually have 6 kids, they are rather social and outgoing to begin with, but they have also been in "regular" schools most of their lives, with the exception of our younger three. They have kept in touch and visited with the friends they've made from prior school years. We also attend church where they've made friends as well as neighborhood kids and our adult friends' children.

It's rather a shame the way the world has changed its stance on homeschooling. Years and years ago a child's ONLY teacher was their parent. Mothers not only taught their daughters how to cook and sew and their boys how to tend livestock and the fields but were often the ones who taught them Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Unfortunately today's parents often forget they are their child's first and most important teacher in life, and not only are our schools letting our kids down, but so are the parents.

I honestly don't know if I will continue homeschooling once we settle in Australia or not. I have heard a lot of wonderful things about the school systems in Oz and I think we will be trying them out, at least for the first year. After that, who knows!

Quite the array of Curriculum

Our homeschool room, it's not much but it works

Homeschool.com - A great place to begin

Homeschool Legal Defense Association - Find out the regulations in your state

Educators at home blog - This lady has some wonderful tips on homeschooling along with reasons why we should

Herb Encrusted Chicken

Herb Encrusted Chicken

I'm Southern, we fry food, nuff said...well something like that.

I love finding ways to take that wholesome comfort food (you know that stuff you were raised on but turns out its bad for you) and make it a little healthier without losing all the great flavours.

This is my fried chicken recipe, it's a little unconventional compared to the way others may make theirs but I like it, it taste great and it's rather simple to make.

Here's what you'll need:

I use wholemeal flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, garlic, panko breadcrumbs and peanut oil.

Oh and of course the chicken would help. Normally I use our own homegrown chicken but since we haven't gotten our flock set up yet then go down to your local store or farmer's market and buy some chicken. I like the thighs.

You can save money by buying the ones with the skin on them, which you would think would be essential to making good fried chicken right? Wrong!

First things first, take it all off...the skin that is and trim the fat off as well.

Next add 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of Panko, 2 1/2 Tbsp of Italian seasoning, a sprinkle of garlic, salt and pepper to season (I use about 1 1/2 Tbsp and 2 tsp of salt). Mix it all together!

Then whip up a few eggs in a bowl, like so.

Dip the chicken in the egg

Add chicken to the flour mixture and coat well

Add about 3/4"-1" of Peanut Oil to a large deep skillet and heat on medium-high heat until a splash of water sizzles or until it reaches 400*F.

  

Cook roughly 8-10 minutes on each side until deep golden brown, lay on paper towels  but do not cover. Even though the skins are removed, we added Panko which gives the chicken a crunchy outer coating.

Enjoy

Coconut Prawns

Coconut Prawns

When I originally had the idea to start blogging it was suppose to be a place to organize new ideas, recipes, interesting life events etc. Obviously with our recent migration to Australia the Life events category has taken center stage here. Well that's about to change!!! While I will still be including fun and interesting things from our new life down under I will also be posting craft, gardening and lots of Foodie stuff!

Starting with a very easy and incredibly tasty Coconut Prawns recipe.

Here's what you'll need:

1 Kilo (about 2 pounds) of large Uncooked Shrimp or Prawns

2 1/2 cups of baking mix (divided)

1 cup water

1 package (8 oz) of moist sweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1 cup of Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Peanut Oil

For those who aren't familiar with Baking mix it is a simple mix to make in bulk and keep around.

6 cups of AP flour

3 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp salt

3/4 cup shortening

Remember you only need 2 1/2 cups of the mix for this recipe.

Now there's lots of different ways to enjoy coconut shrimp, they all share the basics which is coconut, a batter to adhere the coconut and of course the shrimp/prawns. 

I start off with 1Kilo of large uncooked Banana Prawns. These prawns have a mild sweet flavour and are great to use with spices and full flavoured recipes. But any raw large bodied shrimp will do. Often if you buy them still intact and clean them at home, they're much cheaper!

Remove their heads, shell and legs and de-vain them. Leave the tail shell on as that makes them easier to handle. Give them a good rinse then butterfly them by taking a sharp knife down the back, be careful not to press completely through or you'll just split your prawn in half.

Next to prepare your batter stir 1 1/4 cup of baking mix with 1-1 1/2 cup of water in a bowl. I like it a little runnier than pancake mix.

Combine the coconut and panko together in a separate shallow dish.

Then stir the remaining 1 1/4 cup of baking mix with 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp red pepper into another bowl.

Coat all prawns in dry mixture then dip in wet mixture allowing the excess to drip off, then dip in coconut mix.

Place all coated shrimp on a baking sheet then place in freezer for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the 

coconut batter to stick really well to the shrimp.

You can use a deep fryer or a dutch oven with 3-4 inches of peanut oil heated to 350*F/176*C.

Cook shrimp 6-8 in a batch at a time in oil for about 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.

Can be served with cocktail sauce, mustard sauce or no sauce at all.

Pair with a fresh snap peas and corn on the cob for a complete and satisfying meal.

Serves 6-8 people.

                                       Recipe adapted from Southern Living Cookbook