Seven Quick Takes: Convention Highlights

{1}

Thanks to my husband, who took time off work to stay with the boys; my friend Dawn, who drove us; and the gracious hospitality of Dawn’s mother-in-law, Miss A and I were able to attend the Midwest Homeschool Convention this weekend. It was exhausting but wonderfully encouraging. So much to ponder! I ordered MP3s of some of our favorite sessions, as well as a few I didn’t attend but was interested to hear, so there will be more to listen to and learn from when those arrive. 🙂

{2}

Miss A really enjoyed herself, not only in the Teen Track sessions she attended, but several others. She was especially enthusiastic about one from today which taught how to self-publish a book, as she is hoping to do just that! Perhaps I should ask her to summarize her highlights for the blog as well…

{3}

I was blessed to meet and hear the lovely Sarah Mackenzie, and attend her Read-Aloud Revival membership meetup last night. And since I had only read the first ebook edition of her book, Teaching from Rest, I got a hard copy at the convention.

{4}

Miss A and I attended Adam Andrew’s (Center for Lit) session on how to approach the fantasy genre. He encouraged us to read with the object of understanding what the author is trying to communicate instead of getting distracted by the various “trappings” of fantasy books. What is J.K. Rowling (or any other author) saying about life and death and relationships and character? He argued that purely materialistic books with no spiritual dimension are actually more dangerous than ones that employ fantasy, although we must be discerning with both. And what I really appreciated was that he wasn’t legalistic about where to draw the line – every family needs to decide that for themselves.

{5}

One of my very favorite sessions was Dr. Perrin’s Teaching Is an Art. A couple of quotes:

Teaching is an art which can be informed by science, but it is not a science.

A teacher is a more mature student, and a student is a less mature teacher.

The book he referenced, The Art of Teaching, is definitely on my to-read list now! 🙂

{6}

I was able to get some needed curriculum at discounted prices in the vendor hall, including Miss A’s requested Life of Fred Beginning Algebra. Glancing at the introduction, I found this quote, which echoed so much of what I’ve been hearing this weekend:

I believe that mathematics should not be taught in a vacuum. It should not be compartmentalized. We are teaching children first, not just math.

I am looking forward to seeing how she will do with it. 🙂

{7}

And of course, I bought some books. 😉 I’m especially excited about The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever New. It is beautiful!

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