Homeschooling with Technology

Host Meryl van der Merwe talks with Morgan Bergstrom, creator of the BaseCampEd app, a new tool designed to help homeschool families build community and connection.

Morgan shares how her own homeschooling journey and frequent military moves inspired her to create a platform that makes it easier for homeschoolers to find and connect with local families. She explains how the app works, the importance of privacy and simplicity in its design, and the growing features that make it a one-stop resource for homeschool parents and educators.

Topics covered include:

Morgan’s homeschooling story and the inspiration behind BaseCampEd

How the app helps homeschoolers find nearby families and teachers

Why privacy and user control were key priorities

The growing role of small, intentional homeschool groups

Future plans for the platform, including business listings and desktop access

How homeschoolers can support and expand the app’s reach

If you’re looking for new ways to connect with other homeschooling families or find resources in your area, this episode will give you a great overview of how BaseCampEd can help.

Learn more and download the app at: https://www.basecamped.com

Connect with Morgan:
Instagram & Facebook

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 in 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 BaseCampEd: Building Community and Connection for Homeschoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

In this episode, Meryl is joined once again by Critical Thinking in the Digital Age instructor Stephanie Simoes to explore how AI is impacting students’ ability to think deeply and critically. The two discuss an MIT study that sparked widespread concern, the concept of cognitive offloading, and how parents can teach their teens to use AI responsibly without losing their own reasoning skills.

What the “Your Brain on ChatGPT” study actually found—and why it’s been misunderstood

What cognitive offloading means and when it’s useful vs. harmful

 The critical thinking and fact-checking skills students need before using AI tools

How expertise and intellectual humility affect our ability to evaluate AI responses

 Recognizing bias—both in AI training data and in our own prompts

 Strategies to overcome confirmation bias when using ChatGPT

How to use AI to strengthen critical thinking through debate and challenge-based prompts

Stephanie’s blog post on AI & Critical Thinking 

Her interview with an AI expert on bias in training data

Dr. Kiran Garimella’s article: Is AI Creating Incompetent Experts?

MagicSchool.AI – a tool for supervised AI learning environments

FundaFunda Academy’s AI and Critical Thinking courses

Self-paced AI Unit Study (Grades 6–12)

Semester-long AI Class for High School Credit

Critical Thinking in the Digital Age (self-paced, ½ credit)

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 in 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 AI and Critical Thinking appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

In this special birthday edition of Homeschooling with Technology, Meryl Van der Merwe looks back at the five most downloaded episodes of all time! This episode is part of the 12 Days of Homeschool Gold celebration for the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network’s birthday — complete with giveaways, bonus mini-episodes, a treasure hunt, and a basket full of freebies and discounts. Visit UltimateRadioShow.com/birthday before October 18th to join in!

#5 – How to Use Movies in Your Homeschool (Ep. 187)
Originally co-hosted with Meryl’s oldest daughter, this episode explores how films can enhance homeschool learning.
New additions:

Shackleton – History, leadership, and perseverance

March of the Penguins – Ecology and Antarctica

October Sky – Inspiration and STEM

Hidden Figures – Math, science, and history

The Hundred-Foot Journey – Geography and cultural studies

#4 – Apps for High School Students (Ep. 189)
Guest: Natalie Vaughn, former homeschooler and FundaFunda student.
She shared the apps that helped her succeed in high school and win scholarships.
Meryl’s AI-era updates:

ChatGPT & Gemini – Guided learning and concept explanations

NotebookLM – AI-assisted study aid and self-quizzing tool

#3 – Creating an AI Policy for Your Homeschool (Ep. 334)
A recent favorite
Learn how to:

Create clear rules for AI use in your homeschool

Teach students ethical and productive AI use

Balance learning with technology

#2 – Online Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Games (Ep. 185)
Explore educational interactive fiction and decision-based learning tools.
New ideas:

Mission US Series – Immersive American history games

ChatGPT Interactive Adventures – Create your own story-based learning games!
Example: A “Dolphin Adventure” story that unfolds through 10 interactive choices.

#1 – Free Online Vocabulary Games (Ep. 70)
The all-time favorite! Fun and free vocabulary-building tools for all ages.
Updated links and recommendations:

Words.com – Successor to Spelling.com

Knoword.com – Multiple levels from Junior to Expert

Vocabulary.com – Customizable vocab lists

Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Quiz – 10-question challenges

FreeRice.com – Play for a cause!

Flippity.net – Make your own vocab games with Google Sheets

Don’t miss the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network’s 12th Birthday Celebration!
Visit UltimateRadioShow.com/birthday
Ends October 18th — grab your freebies and prizes while they last!

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 in 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 Listener Favorites: Our Top 5 Most-Downloaded Episodes Revisited appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

In this special birthday episode, to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network, here are 12 homeschool tech hacks that will make your homeschool more efficient, engaging, and fun!

Bonus: Celebrate the 12th Birthday of the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network with giveaways, bonus mini-episodes, a treasure hunt, and a gift basket full of freebies and discounts!
Visit UltimateRadioShow.com/birthday

 Download the 12th Birthday Treasure Chest!
We’re celebrating 12 years of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network with a gift just for you! Download our Podcast Gold Treasure Chest — a free bundle filled with homeschool resources, printables, and special offers from our incredible partners. Plus, when you download, you’re automatically entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card! 

No purchase necessary — this is a free resource made possible by our generous sponsors: Media Angels, True North Academy, CTC Math, Math Mammoth, BaseCampEd, Powerline Productions, Funda Funda Academy, Raising Real Men, 7 Sisters Homeschool, and Galaxy Grammar Books.

 Download your Treasure Chest now!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Voice-to-Text Note Taking – Speed up writing projects and help struggling writers.

Shared Digital Planners – Organize assignments and family schedules with Google Calendar or Trello.

AI as a Study Buddy – Use NotebookLM, ChatGPT, or Gemini for custom quizzes and explanations.

Digital Library Tools – Unlock free eBooks, audiobooks, and online classes through your local library.

Custom YouTube Playlists – Keep kids safe online with curated video collections using Padlet, Wavelet, or Google Slides.

Canva for Learning – Teach graphic design and visual communication through posters, infographics, and comics.

Creative Alternatives to Reports – Replace essays with videos, animations, or interactive slideshows.

Virtual Field Trips – Explore the world online through Google Earth and museum tours.

Reuse Old Devices – Turn unused tech into dedicated tools for learning or reading.

Screen Recording for Tech Help – Show (not tell) when troubleshooting.

Chatbots for Solving Tech Problems – Use AI tools to fix software issues and learn new features.

Gamified Reviews – Make learning fun with Kahoot, Blooket, Quizlet, Vocabulary.com, and ClassTools.

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 in 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 12 Homeschool Tech Hacks appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Canva continues to be one of the most versatile and homeschool-friendly tools available. In this episode, I’m joined again by Rebecca Brinkman, teacher of the Graphic Design with Canva class at show sponsor FundaFunda Academy. We explore the latest Canva updates for 2025 and how you can use them in your homeschool.

Major interface changes – how the “Create” button and navigation have shifted.

Better organization – folders for uploads and easier searching.

AI tools in Canva – what’s still free, what’s limited, and how Canva Code opens doors to “vibe coding.”

Photo editing upgrades – including auto-select and advanced adjustments.

Canva Sheets – turning homeschool data into beautiful, visual charts and graphs.

Collaboration tools – why you should try designing alongside your students.

Rebecca also shares her free Canva 2025 Reference Guide so you can keep up with all the changes.

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 in 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 New Ways to Use Canva for Homeschooling appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

In this episode of we welcome back repeat guest, Matthew Jurison, a high schooler, teaching assistant at FundaFunda Academy, and tech enthusiast.  Matthew shares how he first discovered Unreal Engine, why he chose it over other platforms like Unity and Roblox Studio, and why it’s a powerful, free option for teens interested in game development, visual effects, and creative storytelling.

We cover:

What Unreal Engine is and what it can be used for (games, CGI, VFX, and more)

How to get started quickly and what resources (YouTube, Discord, Udemy, Sketchfab) can help

Why Unreal Engine is beginner-friendly—even for teens with little or no coding background

How skills like problem-solving, creativity, and workflow management transfer into real life, college, and future careers

Tips for beginners: how to start small, stay motivated, and avoid common pitfalls

Matthew also gives us a peek into his own current project—a puzzle/horror survival game—and explains how Unreal Engine has changed the way he views both games and the world around him.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Previous episodes with Matthew on Scratch (ep 326) and Blender (ep 313)

Unreal Engine

Suggested YouTubers: Matt Aspland, Gorka Games

Learning platforms: Udemy, Sketchfab

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 in 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 Building Worlds in Unreal Engine appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Google Translate isn’t just for travelers trying to decipher a menu abroad—it can also be an incredibly useful tool in your homeschool. In this episode, you will learn creative ways to integrate both the browser version and the mobile app of Google Translate into everyday learning.

Practical uses in foreign language learning:

Translate unfamiliar words in library books.

Practice pronunciation and see if Google Translate understands your child’s accent.

Role-play dialogues, even if you don’t speak the target language.

Applications beyond language learning:

Translate street signs during virtual geography explorations on Google Maps.

Translate primary source documents for history or research projects.

Exploring the new Practice Mode (beta):

What “listen” and “speak” modes look like in Spanish and French.

How AI adapts lessons to your personal goals.

Why it’s a fun supplement for students at different proficiency levels.

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 in 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 Using Google Translate in Your Homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Looking for video scholarship tips that actually work? In this episode of Homeschooling with Technology, scholarship expert Monica Matthews shares practical video scholarship tips for high school (and younger) students—how to hook judges fast, align your story with a sponsor’s mission, film with simple lighting and clear audio, avoid script-reading, and submit authentic, AI-proof entries that stand out in college scholarship competitions.

Why video scholarships are growing (hint: AI-proofing & faster judging)

How video entries differ from written essays—but keep the same “heart”

Practical strategies for camera-shy students

A step-by-step prep checklist (gear, setup, delivery)

Content tips that make judges lean in

Common mistakes that quietly disqualify strong applicants

Encouragement to start scholarship hunting before senior year

Organizations want the real student—voice, presence, personal stories—less vulnerable to ghost-writing/AI.

Video lets judges scan more entries quickly and spot authentic connection to their mission.

Align to the sponsor’s mission just like a written essay—then show it.

Use visuals/props/locations that reinforce fit (e.g., record in a barn for an FFA scholarship).

Voice, pacing, and genuine enthusiasm communicate things text can’t.

It’s a learned skill: practice short takes; use bullet points (not scripts).

Relaxation cues help (hydrate, quick snack, breathe, light stretch, brief chat with a friend).

Place a tiny sticker by the lens to remind you to look at the camera and smile.

Consider a (free) voice-activated teleprompter sparingly—bullet points are still best.

Lighting: face a window or use an inexpensive ring light. Avoid dim rooms/backlighting.

Audio: test levels; earbuds often beat laptop mics.

Framing/background: uncluttered, distraction-free; sit/stand tall.

Silence interruptions: pets out, phone in another room, “recording” sign on the door, fans/alerts off.

Format/time rules: follow file type/size limits; use the full allowed time without exceeding it.

Start with a hook—a vivid moment, a surprise, or a concise claim that tees up your story.

Tell one focused story that demonstrates qualities the sponsor values; show growth/impact.

Be specific: concrete details beat generalities.

Use bullet points off-camera so delivery stays natural; do not read a script.

Slow down, articulate, and let your enthusiasm show.

Avoid filler: Don’t start with “Hi, my name is…” or restate your GPA/prompt—judges already have your application.

Appear on camera (not just slides/B-roll)—authenticity matters.

Over-polish/perfection that feels inorganic.

Ignoring the sponsor’s mission statement.

Submitting in the wrong orientation/format or going over time.

Cluttered background, poor lighting, or rushed, monotone delivery.

☐ Read the prompt & rules (time limit, file type, orientation).

☐ Review the sponsor’s mission; jot 3 bullets that connect you to it.

☐ Choose a clean, on-theme location and outfit (business-casual unless a purposeful costume supports the prompt).

☐ Set up lighting and test audio.

☐ Put phone on Do Not Disturb / out of sight; post a “Recording” sign.

Practice

☐ Draft a hook first sentence.

☐ Bullet the middle (story → evidence → impact).

☐ End with a memorable close + why this scholarship matters to your goals.

☐ Time a full run-through; aim to use the allotted time.

Record & review

☐ Maintain eye contact with the lens; smile naturally.

☐ Speak clearly and slower than you think.

☐ Verify format/size; filename is sensible (e.g., Lastname_Scholarship_Title.mp4).

Monica Matthews — How to Win Scholarships (How2WinScholarships.com)

Previous episodes with Monica:

Ep 117: Tips for Completing Online Scholarship Applications 

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 in 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 How to Win Scholarships With Video: Tips for Homeschool Teens appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Want the quick walkthrough? Listen to this episode while you plan your next online learning activity.

If you love practical homeschool tech ideas, start here:

In this episode, we learn about a unique geography game that blends fun with learning: Hide and Seek and its companion app World Streaks Geography. Whether you’re looking for a quick game to play in the car, a way to make geography more interactive, or a multiplayer activity for your teens, this resource has something for everyone.

World Streaks Geography app (Apple only): A quick, streak-based guessing game where you identify countries from photos. Great for on-the-go play.

Hide and Seek World online game: A browser-based multiplayer platform where you can:

Play two public games daily for free.

Create or join private rooms (paid feature) to compete with family, friends, or other homeschoolers. This allows customization – see graphic below.

Track your stats and see your place on the leaderboard.

Three game modes explained:

Classic Hide and Seek: Players hide somewhere on the map, others try to find them.

Find Wolly: A race against the clock to locate a hidden spot.

King of the World: Fast-paced competition with up to 200 players.

Tips for using the game in homeschooling:

Add it to a geography class for interactive learning.

Use it as a family game night option.

Encourage teens to challenge each other or stream games online.

Free options available.

Simple setup with guided tutorials.

Helps kids (and adults!) sharpen geography knowledge in a fun, engaging way.

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 in 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 Online Hide and Seek Game appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Online classes can be a fantastic way for teens to learn — but only if parents know how to support them well.

Every year, many parents are surprised mid-semester when they discover their teen is failing an online class. The truth is: this can be avoided with the right balance of structure, accountability, and encouragement. In this episode, you’ll learn practical strategies for guiding your teen without micromanaging, helping them develop independence, and avoiding common pitfalls.

Why parents must stay involved — even in online classes

The differences between live, asynchronous, and self-paced classes (and how each affects parent involvement)

How to create a good learning environment and routine

Tips for teaching accountability, executive function, and time management

Why teens — not parents — should be emailing teachers

Ways to encourage motivation and celebrate progress

How to guide teens in using AI and other digital tools responsibly

The importance of letting teens experience natural consequences (and not rescuing them)

When it’s appropriate for parents to step in and advocate

Meryl shares both her experience as a teacher at FundaFunda Academy and her perspective as a homeschool mom of four — three of whom needed lots of accountability and one who didn’t. She emphasizes that your role is not to do the work for your teen, but to coach, cheer, and guide them toward independence.

FundaFunda Academy Classes – show sponsor (registration open until August 31 for fall classes; self-paced options available year-round)

Join the conversation in the Homeschooling with Technology Community on Facebook

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with other parents whose teens are taking online classes. And don’t forget to leave a rating and review to help more homeschoolers discover the show!

The post Supporting Your Teen in Online Classes appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.