Homeschooling with Technology

By Meryl van der MerweEducation Parenting Kids & Family

Homeschooling with Technology episodes

June 19, 2024The Fourth Industrial Revolution and your Homeschool
279: The Fourth Industrial Revolution and your homeschool

This episode discusses how we are living in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution driven by technologies like AI, nanotech, blockchain, Internet of Things, etc. and how this affects our homeschool
The 4th Industrial Revolution started around 2011 and is characterized by AI, IoT, nanotech becoming mainstream and integrated into daily life, even if we don’t realize it (Netflix recommendations, Siri/Alexa, etc.) You can find interesting blog posts about it on the World Economic Forum
The recent release of ChatGPT has brought AI technology into the forefront. Some ways to use AI in your homeschool
for personalized learning
differentiating reading levels,
creating custom videos/slideshows
explaining concepts via analogies
Prevent an over-reliance on AI:
Teach critical thinking so kids don’t just turn to AI for everything
Ensure they build core knowledge in subjects, not just turn to AI
Model responsible AI usage and discuss ethics around it
Be aware of risks like bias, misinformation in training data
Don’t let kids treat AI chatbots as real friends who give advice
Potential AI benefits discussed include medical advancements through rapid data analysis, communication aids like sign language-to-speech, etc. But risks like deepfakes, cheating in classes, and losing core skills are covered as well.
Meryl recommends talking about when AI use is okay vs. cheating, establishing a family “secret word” to verify identity, and never naming AI chatbots with human names
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode

The post The Fourth Industrial Revolution and your Homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
25 min
June 12, 2024Learning to Code With Micro:bit
278: Learning with Micro:bit
Guest Joseph Lemke shares with us how he is learning with Micro:bit and why this is a great way for students to explore coding.
What is a Micro:bit?
programmable microcontroller, like a tiny computer
has built in sensors like temperature, gyroscope, compass, microphone, speaker, touch button, blue tooth antennae to talk to other microbits and your phone
has enough computing power to do a lot of things
What are the strengths of Micro:bit?
it’s a good starting microcontroller because has a good programming platform
microsoft makecode – graphical platform or text code
micropython is another option
How do I get started?
Purchase a starter kit for about $25 on Amazon.
Go to Makecode.microbit.org, and work through the Tutorials
What are some of the favorite projects you’ve made with micro:bit?
drink dispenser
controlled dot matrix printer from the 80’s
Borg costume
fingerprint reader for light switch
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode

The post Learning to Code With Micro:bit appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
15 min
June 05, 2024Finding and Using Online Classes for Homeschooling Effectively
277: Finding and Using Online Classes for Homeschooling Effectively
In this episode we look at the importance of finding and using online classes as part of homeschooling effectively.
Choosing the Right Online Class:
Determine your goals and what’s best for your children.
Consider your children’s learning styles and your budget.
Decide on the level of flexibility needed (live classes vs. asynchronous classes).
Accommodate any learning disabilities your children may have.
Decide whether the class will be the sole learning source or a supplement.
Ask for recommendations from friends, homeschool groups, and online forums.
Read reviews and watch class demos to narrow down your choices.
Get input from your high school-aged children.
Using Online Classes Effectively:
Remember that you are the homeschool parent in charge of your children’s education.
Monitor your children’s progress and ensure they complete assignments on time.
Provide technical assistance and help with scheduling, especially for younger children.
Communicate with teachers about any learning disabilities or family issues.
Teach high schoolers how to communicate with teachers directly.
Monitor grades and address any issues promptly.
Discuss the appropriate use of AI in classes with your children.
Previous episodes mentioned
Episode 220 – How to use the internet to find the right curriculum for your child
Episode 194 – The role of parents in online classes
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode

The post Finding and Using Online Classes for Homeschooling Effectively appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
23 min
May 29, 2024 Replay with Update: Online Stock Market Resources

This is a replay of episode 95 – you can find the original show notes here.
The Stock Market Contest run by show sponsor FundaFunda Academy is happening this summer – June 1 to July 31 for grades 4 – 12. You can register here.
The post Replay with Update: Online Stock Market Resources appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
12 min
May 22, 2024Making Math Fun: Building a Thriving Homeschool Math Club
276: Making Math Fun: Building a Thriving Homeschool Math Club

My guest, Haley Story, has built a thriving homeschool math club and taught children that math can be fun. Haley was on episode 243 where she talked to us about Math Contests
These are the questions Haley answers in this episode:
1. Why did you start a math club
2. How did you get the word out
3. What do you do during math club? What resources do you use?
4 How many attend and how do you cope with the different ability levels.
5. How do you make it fun
Resources used in the Math Club
The National Math Club by Mathcounts
Art of Problem Solving – for advanced students and for contest prep
Logic puzzles and warmups: Critical Thinking Company
Challenge problems: practice contests from Noetic
Problem of the Week from Mathcounts
Beast Academy for younger students
Math Is Fun
Math board games, dice games, and card games
Board games that are NOT “math games” but that do a great job of teaching math
For Sale
Incan Gold
SET!
Farkle
Quixx
Nertz/ Dutch Blitz
6 Nimmt – original German Version, US version
Skyjo
Be sure to listen to the episode to hear exactly how Haley started the math club and runs it!

Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode
The post Making Math Fun: Building a Thriving Homeschool Math Club appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
26 min
May 15, 2024Web Development for Homeschoolers
275:` Web Development for Homeschoolers

In this episode, host Meryl van der Merwe interviews Robert Walsh, an experienced web developer and educator from Excalibur Solutions Stem Academy. They dive into the fundamentals of web development, discussing HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and the advantages of learning to code websites over using drag-and-drop builders. Robert shares insights on the ideal age for kids to start learning web development, free online resources, and the benefits of taking a structured web development course.
Robert Walsh was also a guest on Episode 266 where he talked about teaching students to use Tinkercad.
What is Web Development?
Creating content that displays inside a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)
Building dynamic and interactive web pages with coding
Requires knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
HTML = Structure
CSS = Appearance
JavaScript = Interactivity and behavior
Why Learn Web Development Instead of Using Drag-and-Drop Tools?
Drag-and-drop tools have limitations and may not give the desired result
Learning HTML, CSS allows customization beyond drag-and-drop capabilities
Adding custom JavaScript enables complex behaviors not possible with drag-and-drop
Age to Start Learning Web Development:
Middle school age (6th or 7th grade) can conceptually grasp the basics
Need to be comfortable with a computer keyboard
Ability to differentiate syntax between HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Free Resources for Learning:
W3Schools (https://www.w3schools.com/)
Mozilla Developer Network (MDN Web Docs) (https://developer.mozilla.org/)
YouTube tutorials and online resources (search for “web development tutorials”)
Benefits of Taking a Web Development Course:
Get feedback and assistance from experienced instructors
Learn best practices and coding conventions
Structured curriculum and guidance
Robert’s Web Development Course Offerings
Half-credit high school course, but open to middle schoolers from show sponsor FundaFunda Academy – Intro to Web Development
Robert’s Excalibur Solutions STEM Academy (subscription model) provides access to web development along with other STEM courses
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode
The post Web Development for Homeschoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
24 min
May 08, 2024Ethical AI Use for Scholarship Success
274: Ethical AI Use for Scholarship Success
Guest, Monica Matthews, a scholarship expert, talks to us about Ethical AI use for scholarship success for your children.
Monica was also the guest on episode 117 where she shared tips for completing online scholarship applications that will help students be successful.
Find Monica at her website, How 2 Win Scholarships, her Facebook page and her Facebook group, Scholarship Help and College Talk for Parents.
Topics Covered:
Using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to write scholarship essays – why it’s a bad idea
Red flags that scholarship providers look for to detect AI-written essays (strange word choices, lack of personal stories/details, similar phrasing across essays)
Potential positive uses of AI for scholarship applications (grammar correction, brainstorming ideas, rephrasing)
How scholarship requirements may change due to AI (more personal questions, video essay submissions)
Importance of developing your own authentic voice and not relying too heavily on AI
Key Takeaways:
Scholarship providers want to hear your unique personal story – AI cannot replicate this
Use AI as a tool for brainstorming, grammar checks, etc. but don’t let it write your essays
Be prepared for scholarship apps to crack down on AI use and require disclosure
Work on developing skills like video editing as more visual components may be required
The ethical use of AI writing tools is crucial for long-term success
Resources Mentioned:
Monica’s website: http://howtowinscholarships.com
Facebook group: Scholarship Help and College Talk for Parents
Monica’s ebook guides
Sign up for Monica’s newsletter for upcoming scholarship lists
Episode 15 on finding/winning scholarships
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode
The post Ethical AI Use for Scholarship Success appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
21 min
May 01, 2024 Engaging Online Art History Resources
273: Engaging online art history resources
In today’s episode, guest Holly Egan who teaches the Art History class for teens at show sponsor FundaFunda Academy, shares her favorite online art history resources.
Main supplemental websites for her art history class:
Smart History -Has over 800 contributors from all over the world
https://smarthistory.org/
National Geographic – great art history section with engaging articles
Art History School – artist biographies explored by Paul Priestly
Artthropology.com– a collection of art history videos an art history teacher has put up on her site from various sources
Khan Academy – their art history videos

Art Museum Websites
MoMA
The Met
The Whitney

YouTube Channels for Videos:
National Galleries Scotland & Royal Academy of Arts – videos on movements, artists, exhibitions
The Magnificent Paintbrush – excellent, short artist bios from an elementary art teacher
Tate YouTube Channel:
The National Gallery YouTube Channel
Favorite art channel on this list is The Art Assignment. It’s a PBS Digital Studios channel uploads videos focus on contemporary art. Host Sarah Urist Green interviews the artists from around the world and the artists give an assignment to the audience.
Holly’s Art History Class
Art History 2024
Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode
The post Engaging Online Art History Resources appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
13 min
April 24, 2024Vacation Planning with AI
272: Vacation Planning with AI
In this episode one Vacation Planning with AI, Meryl discusses using AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, and others to plan their upcoming summer road trip out west in their Sprinter van. She shares her experience asking the AI for suggestions on stops, restaurants, activities and more along their route through states like Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma and others before arriving at Capitol Reef National Park.
She also covers using AI to plan a hypothetical trip to Boston with kids aged 6, 9 and 14, asking for child-friendly museum recommendations under $40 total, outdoor activities, novels/websites to prepare them for the trip, and more.
Key Topics:
Using different AI tools like Claude, Anthropic, ChatGPT, Copilot to plan a road trip
Asking for stop suggestions with specific interests like hiking, cycling, kayaking, historic sites
Getting restaurant recommendations for certain cuisines and price ranges near highways
Planning a family trip to Boston with age-appropriate activities under a budget
Requesting book/website recommendations to prepare kids for the Boston trip
Tips for crafting effective prompts when using AI for planning
In Summary: Meryl summarizes the pros and cons of using AI for vacation planning based on her experience:
Pros:
Using it as a family activity to introduce kids to AI
Finds unique suggestions you may not have considered
Provides a lot of relevant information in one place (activities, restaurants, books, websites)
Allows for very specific queries (price ranges, cuisine types, interest filters)
Good for getting a jumpstart on planning
Cons:
Some responses were completely off-base or useless
Incorrect information given at times (e.g. non-existent books)
Still has limitations, paid versions likely much better
Requires learning how to craft effective prompts
If you want to follow along on Meryl’s real trip out west, you can do that by following show sponsor FundaFunda Academy’s Instagram account – https://www.instagram.com/fundafundaeducation/
All online tools mentioned in this episode
Destinations.AI– Did not find it useful
Gemini
CoPilot
ChatGPT
Claude
Perplexity

Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode
The post Vacation Planning with AI appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
19 min
April 17, 2024MagicStudent: Free AI Tools for Students
271: Magic Student AI Tools
This episode covers the Magic Student AI tools from Magic School, following last week’s episode ( (Episode 270 – Magic School AI)) on the teacher tools.
Magic School Features to Explore
New Google Chrome extension to easily access the tools
New YouTube channel explaining how the different products work
Can create a classroom to control which tools students have access to
Magic Student AI Tools Discussed
Chatbot for students called Raina (not found very helpful)
Writing feedback tool (fantastic for getting feedback on student writing at different grade levels)
Research assistant (disappointing results)
Create a skit tool (fun for generating skits based on provided characters/scenarios)
Step-by-step tool (provides step-by-step instructions for any topic/task)
Literary devices tool (gives examples of literary devices based on a provided scenario)
Joke creator (jokes not very good)
Study bot (helps guide students in what to study for a test)
Study habits tips
YouTube video summarizer
SAT reading practice test
Chatbot builder (create a custom chatbot on a specific topic)
Character chatbot (roleplay as a literary character)
College/career counselor
Rap battle (super fun to have historical figures rap battle each other)
Book suggestions tool
Coding assistant
Debate partner (odd/not very useful)
Email writer (generated overly long emails)
Make Relevant (explains why a topic is relevant to real life)
Real World Connections (connects topics to the real world)
Here are the lyrics for the Rap Battle I generated
Round 1: Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter, here, dropping beats, not bombs,
From the peanut farm to the White House with calm.
Habitat for Humanity, building homes for the poor,
Eradicating diseases, who could ask for more?
Negotiating peace, like it’s my prime mission,
Camp David Accords, now that’s a vision.
Energy crisis and inflation, I faced it head-on,
A Nobel Peace Prize, yeah, I won one.
Round 2: Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali, the greatest, no dispute in the ring,
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, I bring.
Champion of the world, not just once, but thrice,
Against injustice and war, I didn’t think twice.
Rumble in the Jungle, Thrilla in Manila,
My fists do the talk, couldn’t be any realer.
Fighting for Civil Rights, stood against the norm,
Converting to Islam, sparking a reform.
Round 3: Jimmy Carter
Building hope and fighting disease, that’s my creed,
With diplomacy and compassion, I lead.
Solar panels on the White House, I was the first,
For renewable energy, I have an unquenchable thirst.
From Iran hostages to energy laws,
I dealt with it all, never paused.
A farmer, a governor, then a prez,
Always serving the people, yes, that’s my jazz.
Round 4: Muhammad Ali
I dodged the draft, said no to the war,
My fight was here, with poverty and more.
An Olympic gold medal, I threw it in the river,
For a country that practiced racial sliver.
I talked the talk and walked the walk,
For civil rights, I was the rock.
Philanthropic efforts, long after the ring,
Ali, the People’s Champ, forever the king.
End of Battle
Two giants from history with very different battles,
One fought with words, the other with rattles.
Carter and Ali, both champions of peace,
Their legacy and lessons will never cease.
So who wins this battle, it’s hard to say,
They fought in the ring and the world in their own way.
Let’s celebrate these heroes, from sports to the senate,
Their courage and conviction, limitless, infinite.

Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.
Join our Facebook Group, especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology into your homeschool.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode
The post MagicStudent: Free AI Tools for Students appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
19 min

About Homeschooling with Technology

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On Homeschooling with Technology, former programmer and veteran homeschool mom Meryl van der Merwe helps families use tech with confidence and wisdom — the best apps and online tools, AI for planning…

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