The Sociable Homeschooler

This week I have Sonya Shafer on my show to talk about a simple method of effectively schooling your children. Sonya is a popular homeschool speaker and writer, specializing in the Charlotte Mason Method. She has been on an adventure for nearly 20 years studying, researching, practicing, and teaching Charlotte’s gentle and doable methods of education. Her passion for homeschooling her own four daughters grew into helping others and then into Simply Charlotte Mason, dedicated to helping families explore and use this wonderful philosophy of education.

Simply Charlotte Mason publishes her many books and provides a place of practical encouragement to homeschoolers and can be found at www.simplycharlottemason.com. Sonya’ministers to younger mothers and those dealing with special needs, she shares her heart through IntentionalParents.com and her book This Anguishing Blessed Journey: A Mother’s Faith Journal through Autism.

I am thrilled to be bringing a conversation I had with unschooler Peter Kowalke. a few weeks ago about how Unschooling encouraged him to questioning his life from a very early age. Peter is a self described, lifelong unschooler whose highly praised documentary “Grown Without Schooling” followed ten unschooled graduates into the world and recorded how they fared in their individual life choices. He lives in New York City and has consulted as a homeschool expert for media outlets such as the BBC, the New York Times, The Times of India and Fox News. You can find him at Vedanta. and read more about his charity work with The Philia Mission. Join me this week and listen to this highly motivational conversation Peter and I had about purpose, contributions to our world and human relationships. That’s this Friday at 12 noon CT.

This Friday afternoon I’m delighted to have as my guest a homeschooling Dad who is probably the coolest father ever because he uses film, popular movies in fact, to bring the truth about Christianity to his children and all young people he comes in contact with which this week includes all of you listening to my show, so gather around! Michael T Hansen is a Digital Missionary and the founder of the Great Commission Transmission Network. He has over 7 years of podcasting and Internet broadcasting experience under his belt. After producing and hosting over 300 podcast episodes on a variety of subjects Michael is now focusing his time and talent in digital-new-media toward fulfilling the Great Commission as given in Matthew 28: 19, 20. Thus GCTN was created. He is a follower of Jesus Christ; musician; recording engineer by trade; husband; father of 4; homeschooling dad; Bible student; mouseketeer; and geek. He holds firm to the truth that Captain Kirk is superior to Captain Picard in the same way that Elvis is superior to The Beatles (it’s really the other way round but shhh!). Join us with sparkling water or sparkling whatever you’re drinking and hear how this homeschooling dad reaches teens and young adults with the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ by producing entertaining and educational spirit-filled content using the common speech and interests of today’s youth culture. Move over Math and Latin, enter Michael Hansen and The Great Commission Transmission Network, this Friday at 12 noon Central.

I am excited to be welcoming my school teacher daughter to my show this week. Paris McNeny is a graduate of Wildflower Academy and graduated top of her homeschool senior year. She served as a missionary to Africa on The Mercy Ships, a large floating hospital bringing hope to the forgotten poor off the coast of West Africa. She holds the title of first born daughter in the family and takes after me in her colouring and organizational skills and her father in his empathy and joke telling. Paris has always had a deep affiliation for children and on her return to America she attended college to earn her Associate of Arts Degree in Education and a certificate for teaching special needs children. She has lived in Corpus Christi where she enjoyed the beach life while working as a teacher to support her studies at the local community college and to keep a roof over her head and food on her table. She now lives in Dallas and will be talking to us about two very different forms of childcare she undertook this year. Pour yourselves a cup of tea and join us to hear how this independent young lady is following her dream by making a difference in young people’s lives.

This week my oldest and youngest children are joining me again this time to talk about their careers. They will look back on what they have achieved in the past year, how things have changed and their focus has shifted but ultimately how they are still pursuing their dreams. Malia and Ian are both graduates of Wild Flower Academy and Collin College in Plano. Ian wanted me to do college with him but ended up going to the College of Santa Fe for two years to complete his BA in Film Production. He has worked as a free-lance assistant editor at Reel FX which is a post production house, he has been an editor at Tocroc and the Dailies Assistant at Dallas that aired on TNT. He is Executive Producer for his own company, McCookMedia and has made a pilot for a potential TV series which he is shopping in L.A. Ian specializes in story and narrative film/video editing, Live Event editing and story and narrative screenwriting. The best place to find him on-line is Linked-In.

Malia spent a year in London at a Performing Arts School then danced on a cruise ship for three months before returning to Dallas last year, homeless because we’d sold the family homestead. She has been nannying for a few months and had finally decided that she wants to teach dance, specifically ballet. She is still a Star Barista at Starbucks where she drinks coffee and chats with customers while earning money to pay for those little extras in life! The best place to find her on-line is Facebook. Bring your tea and tune in on Friday, TBA at 12noon CT to hear how these homeschooled graduates are making it in the world.

This week I am delighted to bring you a conversation I had with Simon and Lindsey McNeny who reflected with me on their past year and talked about the hard work they have been doing to get their company off the ground. Simon is my son and a graduate from Wildflower Academy where he homeschooled under the tutelage of me! I encouraged him to spend many hours at the local animal shelter assisting with routine vaccinations, bottle feeding orphaned raccoons, squirrels and opossums and bringing many of them home thus fuelling his passion for animals. He also spent nine years volunteering at the local community theatre on stage and behind-the-scenes performing many musicals, plays and operas which prepared him to give educational talks to the public at local schools and co-ops. Simon has a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Texas A&M. university and was a keeper at The Dallas Zoo where he looked after the hoofed stock, notably Okapi, Gemsbok, Bongo and Zebra. Lindsey is my daughter-in-law and was formerly a Supervisor for Natural Encounters, Inc., where she produced, choreographed, and performed animal shows all across the country at zoos including the San Diego Zoo (which won an award for Best Overall Production at IAAPA), Toledo, Philadelphia, Dallas Zoo and a free-flight bird show at the State Fair of Texas. She also worked as a trainer and performed animal shows for the L.A. Zoo, Birds and Animals Unlimited “Animal Planet Live” show at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the Phoenix Zoo. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Siena Heights University. Together they have founded a non-profit company called Window to the Wild and their goal is to increase awareness about wildlife and raise money to donate to conservation projects helping animals and the environment all around the world. Bring your tea and join us this Friday to hear how the world is treating this young couple and particularly my graduated homeschooling son who is holding his own and hanging on to his dreams with his lovely wife! Tune in to Toginet at 12 noon CT.

My guest this week is speaker and author Carol Barnier. You may have heard her on Focus on the Family where she’s spoken on a variety of humorous topics ranging from not being ready to be a Titus woman to why angels need a new public relations manager.

Carol has either written for or been written about in many magazines including Proverbs 31, Clubhouse Magazine, Parents Magazine, The Old Schoolhouse, Crosswalk, Thriving Family, Just Between Us, ADDitude Magazine & HomeLife.

Her latest book, Engaging Today’s Prodigal, deals with the serious topic of her journey away from God and into 13 long years as an atheist. Other books include, The Big What Now Learning Styles, What if You're Not Martha Stewart? and Learning the How of Teaching.

Carol may talk with humour about her first born son’s 13 surgeries, her own family’s many ADHD challenges, or her personal faith walk from being a God-denying atheist to the most grateful recipient of God’s amazing grace, whatever the topic, she speaks from the heart and her faith is solid stuff.

Carol knows why she knows what she knows.

Come along this Friday with a lovely cup of tea and be prepared to laugh out loud for real with Carol Barnier at 12 noon Central.

I am delighted to be welcoming as my guest this week Lori Lane, a homeschool veteran of 20 years and a Mum after my own heart! Lori and her husband John have four sons ranging in age from 16 to 29. Their three oldest sons, John Michael, Jeremy, and Jordan are all homeschool graduates.

Lori has a degree in Piano Performance and has won competitions, spoken at the National Music Teacher’s Convention and served on the panel for two National KTV Video conferences for private music educators across the country.

Lori is former director of Southside Private Musicians and Lane Music Development Centers in Greenville, SC, she has directed and produced many children’s choirs and stage productions including Fiddler on the Roof Jr., and Music Man Jr, The Diary of Anne Frank, Fabulous Fable Factory, Our Town, and My Fair Lady.

In the fall of 2000, Lori began the Artios Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts as an advanced level arts program for high school students. That program has now grown to include Artios Academy of Arts and History, Artios Preparatory, and Artios Conservatory.

In 2011, the Artios Academies of Littleton opened under Lori’s leadership. Lori now serves as Executive Director of Artios Academies overseeing and consulting with Artios Academy locations around the country. Find out how you can start your own.

Lori, her husband, John, and youngest son reside in Colorado where Lori enjoys horseback riding, hiking, and skiing. That is, when she takes a minute away from developing courses, designing curriculum, speaking and writing for various websites and publications, as well as directing productions of the local community theater. I told you was a woman after my own heart!

Oh…and of course homeschooling Jared, her last of four. Bring a lovely cup of tea and join me on Friday at 12 noon CT to find out more about this busy woman and her Artios Academies.

This week I’m talking to my blue eyed cowboy who has agreed to join us for a cuppa.

His real name is Larry McNeny and he toured the world with famous musicians ensuring they were in the right place, on stage, at the right time, not an easy task sometimes. Larry worked with Stigwood. a management company, and toured with such greats as, Eric Clapton, The BeeGees, Three Dog Night, Firehouse, and Marvin Hamlisch, Linda Rondstat and the Pittsburg symphony. He personally managed Andy Gibb and an artist and sculptor, whom he always refers to as, "quite famous."

Larry shared the homescholing years with me whenever he wasn’t out on the road as a Tour Manager for any number of impressive bands. His glamourous life got the children’s interest a whole lot quicker than anything I was trying to do with them!

Today we are going to be talking about homeschooling, empty nest, living here in Florida and how we have been affected by homeschooling.

Visit www.roadcases.org to learn more about one of Larry’s latest projects.

My guest this week is Dr. Jay L. Wile best known in the homeschooling circles for his award-winning “Exploring Creation With…” series of science textbooks.

Dr. Wile holds an earned Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry and a B.S. in chemistry, both from the University of Rochester. He has won several awards for excellence in teaching and has presented lectures on the topics of Nuclear Chemistry, Christian Apologetics, Homeschooling, and Creation vs. Evolution.

Dr. Wile and his wife of more than 25 years, Kathleen, homeschooled their daughter, Dawn, from the time they adopted her until she graduated high school.

Our family particularly enjoyed Dr. Wile’s book, Reasonable Faith the Scientific Case for Christianity, which we first read at the breakfast table in preparation for our herpetologist son’s entry onto a secular college campus. We had been fore-warned that we risked our children’s souls by sending them to non-Christian college campuses; furthermore we were also warned by our priest that certain career choices were not considered good Christian choices, especially the science career our youngest son was embarking upon. On finishing Dr. Wile’s admirable little book my son was so impressed by the truths contained therein he cited it in a paper, written for one of his science college professors. The result was a request, from his professor,(hear his side of the story!) for the book and we’ve been giving copies of it away ever since! Join me with your tea this Friday when Dr. Wile and I will be talking about fathers in the homeschool and other interesting topics that are bound to crop up!