Dr. Laura's Home-Schooling blog

Home-schooling Does Not Hamper Socialization
Posted By drlaura On May 22, 2008 (12:00 am) In Home-Schooling

One of the criticisms lobbed at the home-schooling community/movement is that home-schooled children are being shielded from diversity and a multitude of challenging influences which will ultimately handicap them in their ability to function in the “real world.”  In other words, “How will these children function in our diverse, multicultural society when they are raised in a setting with monolithic views and beliefs?”

Research examining home-schooled students’ academic achievements have consistently found that they score higher than the national norms on standard achievement tests.  So the only grenade left to throw at home-schooling parents is that they are hurting their children...

Read the ENTIRE Article at: http://www.drlaurablog.com/2008/05/22/home-schooling-does-not-hamper-socialization/
Article taken from Dr. Laura's Blog - http://www.drlaurablog.com

Scary Lizard

I was taking something outside today and when I walked back in I saw the strangest looking lizards.  Here are some pictures I took of them.  The longer I looked at them the scarier they got. ;-)

Why Parents Love Homeschooling

WGU Receives Distance Learning Awards from USDLA

The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) presented 2008 International Distance Learning Awards in two categories to Western Governors University and its executive director of the WGU Teachers College, Dr. Janet Schnitz. The April 22nd awards were given in conjunction with the 2008 National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 1987, USDLA has been the world's premier distance learning association. The USDLA International Awards program honored outstanding individuals and organizations for excellence in the field distance learning, education and training.

Western Governors University received the 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning, in recognition for WGU's achievements as the nation's first competency-based online university and its success in expanding access to higher education for adults seeking bachelor's and master's degrees.

Dr. Janet Schnitz, executive director of the WGU Teachers College, received the award for Outstanding Leadership by an Individual in the Field of Distance Learning. Since 2004, Dr. Schnitz has led the rapid growth and development of the WGU Teachers College, which currently offers 22 programs. The college currently enrolls 5,000 students in programs that lead to initial teacher licensure, helping develop highly qualified K-12 teachers in such high-needs areas as mathematics, science, and special education. In 2006, the WGU Teachers College became the first and only online teacher education program to receive accreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

"We are very honored to have received these two awards from the USDLA," said WGU President Dr. Robert Mendenhall. "WGU has been committed to our mission to provide access to higher education through distance learning and our competency-based learning model. We've succeeded in large part because of the dedication of individuals such as Dr. Schnitz. Her unparalleled leadership has guided our Teachers College to many 'firsts,' such as our NCATE accreditation, and it has become one of the premier teachers colleges in the nation."

WGU will also be featured on the USDLA site as an award winner. Read the WGU press release about the awards.