The Wired Homeschool

Don’t miss this opportunity to see a phenomenon you and your kids will talk about for years. Please note: This podcast episode is from 2017 but I have updated this blog post for the upcoming solar eclipse in 2024.

The best way to see the eclipse in 2024 is to be somewhere along the path of totality that goes from Mexico to Maine. Even if you’re outside this area, you’ll still be treated to a sight unparalleled in all of nature.

Think about it: the moon will pass between the earth and the sun and darkness will engulf you. The stars will be visible at midday!

A short video illustrating why we don’t have an eclipse every month.

The best way to view the eclipse is to be there in person. For many people in the United States, you can drive 4-6 hours and be along the path of totality.

If you live along that path, or you plan to travel, here are a few tips:

Don’t wait until the last minute to make plans. Travel will be difficult as the date approaches, especially around major metropolitan areas.

If you want to use this as an opportunity to teach your kids about astronomy, find some books or videos to share with them. You might want to start with my blog post Best Resources for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.

Whether it’s while traveling or when viewing the eclipse, safety is important. Animals freak out when an eclipse occurs so if you’re in a rural area watch out for strange behavior.

Don’t plan to drive too far on the day of the eclipse. If you need to travel that day be conscious of the fact that many people will be trying to do the same thing.

Make sure you have protective eyewear for viewing the eclipse. DO NOT look directly at the sun until it’s totally covered! Once the sun is covered, you can remove your glasses for naked eye observation.

I recommend that you and your family observe the event alone. If you plan to go to a viewing party be aware of the people around you. Don’t block a person’s view.

If someone has a telescope, DO NOT just walk up and use it. Don’t even touch it without permission. Professional and amateur astronomers are kind and helpful people but touching their equipment without permission is a no-no.

Ideally, you want to see the eclipse in person. However, work requirements, family situations, and other situations out of your control may prevent that.

If you live anywhere in the lower 48 states, you’ll be able to see a partial eclipse. The same safety rules apply when viewing the eclipse. At no point during a partial eclipse is it safe for you to remove protective eyewear.

If it’s cloudy where you are or you live in Alaska or Hawaii or you want to watch the eclipse from overseas I recommend checking out the NASA Live Stream or the SLOOH Live Stream.

Both of these sites will have excellent programming leading up to and on the day of the eclipse. Again, it’s not the best option but it’s better than nothing.

If you found value in these ideas, maybe consider buying me a coffee? Even though new episodes aren’t actively being made, there are still costs for hosting and maintaining the website. You can also follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.

And just so you know, some links you might see are “affiliate links,” meaning if you click and buy, I might get a commission. Sometimes I even get free samples to review, all disclosed transparently.

Music for the podcast is “RetroFuture Clean” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

If you’re new to the podcast, you might be wondering why I haven’t released an episode. If you’ve been around here for a long time you may want to know what’s going on.

If you want to keep up with me on social media (not the blog/podcast) you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Are you planning to give your child a smartphone, tablet, or console this holiday season? Before you wrap it (if you haven’t already) consider doing a few things first.

The number one piece of advice I give parents when buying their child a device is to set expectations. You need to decide what kind of restrictions you’ll put in place and how you want it to be used. Will you limit how often and how long they’re allowed to use it? Will you limit the types of games they’re allowed to play? All of these things should be thought about before you give them the device so you can set their expectations after they receive it.

Nearly every electronic device comes with some form of parental controls. I’ve advocated for them for over 10 years and companies are finally making it easier for parents to manage how, when, and how long their children use their devices.

Screen Time (iOS) – Apple has always had a walled garden so you’ll either need to manage your child’s device directly or use another iOS device. Screen Time has great controls and works well with Family Sharing.

Family Link (Android) If you got your child any smartphone besides an iPhone you most-likely will use Family Link to manage parental controls. Fortunately, they have an iOS app too.

Amazon FreeTime Fire tablets, TVs, and even Alexa-enable devices can be managed with Amazon’s FreeTime. In my experience, Amazon has the weakest controls.

Consoles: The Nintendo Switch and XBox both have dedicated apps that you can use to manage parental controls on their consoles. Sony’s Playstation requires you to use a browser or its general Playstation app.

For whole-house Internet controls you can turn to your router or a secondary device. If you’re using the router your Internet provider installed, check with them for information on parental controls. I suggest either a second router for the kids or Circle by Disney.

Circle Home Plus – The Circle Home Plus device connects with your router to manage every Internet-connected device on your home network.

Home Router – Every home router these days has some level of parental controls. Check your manufacturer’s website for instructions to configure those settings.

No solution will fully protect you and your children so if you need to take a belt and suspenders approach I recommend installing an app on their device for additional monitoring.

Covenant Eyes – I’ve been an advocate (and affiliate) for Covenant Eyes for over a decade. They’re the gold-standard when it comes to monitoring and filtering.

Accountable2You – If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, Accountable2You has got you covered. It occasionally triggers false alarms but I’ve still found it to be a useful tool.

If you found value in this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider a donation that reflects the value you received by buying me a coffee.

Music for the podcast is “Loopster” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Some of the links in the posts on this site are “affiliate links.” That means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

One of the most difficult things for new homeschoolers, and even some experienced homeschoolers, is finding community resources that are friendly to homeschoolers.

MySchool is a community-driven resource that connects parents to homeschool spots (like museums, co-ops, and nature centers). It’s like an Airbnb for home education.

Justin Shell started MySchool after he and his wife started homeschooling and were looking for locations and activities for their children.

Homeschooling families are encouraged to sign up for MySchool and add “spots” that other homeschooling families could use for learning and social activities.

You can follow MySchool on Twitter, join the Facebook group, or sign-up for their newsletter when you register to keep up-to-date on all their latest developments.

If you found value in this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider a donation that reflects the value you received by buying me a coffee.

Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Music for the podcast is “Loopster” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Some of the links in the posts on this site are “affiliate links.” That means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

If you were forced into homeschooling because of an emergency, you may have found that it works well for your family and want to continue.

Maybe you’re not comfortable with how your school district is planning to reopen or you’ve decided that this is something you think is a good fit for your family.

In this episode of The Wired Homeschool my wife Lisa joins me to talk about homeschooling philosophy, curriculum, online resources, and more.

We condense 20 years of homeschooling into a 30-minute episode. Listen in to learn what you need to know if you plan to homeschool after COVID.

Resources mentioned (in order):

Ducksters

Cathy Duffy Reviews

The Great Courses

Khan Academy

Multiflyer

Mark Rober

Cincinnati Zoo

Deep Space Sparkle

Art for Kids Hub

Scouter Mom

Danica McKellar’s Math Books

If you found value in these ideas, maybe consider buying me a coffee? Even though new episodes aren’t actively being made, there are still costs for hosting and maintaining the website. You can also follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.

And just so you know, some links you might see are “affiliate links,” meaning if you click and buy, I might get a commission. Sometimes I even get free samples to review, all disclosed transparently.

Music for the podcast is “RetroFuture Clean” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/