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.

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