Today is DAY 1 of a special Podcast Awards edition of The Wired Homeschool. Over the next 15 days I’ll be sharing 15 ideas for including STEM and STEAM learning in your homeschooling.

Let’s get started!

Watch YouTube Videos

I thought I’d deal with the low-hanging fruit first: Watching YouTube videos. There are dozens of STEM- and STEAM-related YouTube channels that you and your kids can watch and enjoy. Here are five that I highly recommend:

* Smarter Every Day

* The Backyard Scientist

* The King of Random

* Veritasium

* SciShow for Kids

STEM or STEAM Categories Included

All STEM and STEAM categories can be covered by watching videos on YouTube. Some channels even have experiments or projects you can do with your kids. Just search for your topic with the word “experiment” or “project” and you’re sure to come across something you and your kids can do together.

How to Vote

Visit PodcastAwards.com, checkmark the podcasts that get your vote, fill out the brief form, and confirm your vote via email. That’s it! It only takes a minute or two. You may also consider voting for these podcasts too.

Arts

Resourceful Designer

Business

The Productive Woman

Entertainment

Triplecast

Government & Organizations

Congressional Dish

Kids & Family

Dad Spotlight

Music

The Bugcast

People’s Choice

The Hollywood Outsider

Sports & Recreation

Packers Fan Podcast

Technology

The Audacity to Podcast

TV & Film

ONCE – Once Upon a Time Podcast

Please remember to vote for The Wired Homeschool in the 2016 People’s Choice Podcast Awards.

Check out the list of podcasts I’m voting for.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for sticking me in your ears! And thanks for your support. Now let’s go out there and get your homeschools wired! And vote!

Etc.

Want to be notified of any upcoming news regarding the podcast or if I’m speaking in your area? Join my spam-free mailing list. You’ll receive monthly updates and news about future projects and I’ll let you know if I’m speaking in your area at a homeschooling convention.

The Wired Homeschool is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network. For more family-friendly tech podcasts visit techpodcasts.com

Music for the podcast by Kevin Macleod.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement

Good news! The Wired Homeschool is a finalist in the 2016 People’s Choice Podcast Awards. Since this is a people’s choice award, all the votes come from podcast listeners like you.

After 6 years, The Wired Homeschool has finally reached the final round for a Podcast Award! As far as I know, The Wired Homeschool is the first homeschool podcast to receive this honor. It will certainly be the first to win an award if that happens.

A BIG thanks to Daniel J. Lewis and the listeners of the podcasts over at the Noodle.MX Network for helping with the nomination. He included my podcast along with others as suggestions. Make sure you thank him!

I’m in the education category with other great podcasts but I think we can make some noise! Here’s the deal: voting starts at midnight on May 29, 2016 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on June 12, 2016. You can vote once per day every day. I’ll be sending out daily reminders via Twitter and Facebook so follow me on those social media platforms if you’d like those reminders.

So what happens next? I need you, the listeners, to vote for The Wired Homeschool! Also, would you pass this along to the homeschooling community? It would be great if a homeschooling podcast could win the award. Let’s do this! While you’re at it, you may want to vote for some other podcasts too.

Visit PodcastAwards.com, checkmark the podcasts that get your vote, fill out the brief form, and confirm your vote via email. That’s it! It only takes a minute or two.

Arts

Resourceful Designer

Business

The Productive Woman

Entertainment

Triplecast

Government & Organizations

Congressional Dish

Kids & Family

Dad Spotlight

Music

The Bugcast

People’s Choice

The Hollywood Outsider

Sports & Recreation

Packers Fan Podcast

Technology

The Audacity to Podcast

TV & Film

ONCE – Once Upon a Time Podcast

If you’d like a daily reminder to vote, please check out Daniel’s mailing list. He’ll send you a reminder every day.

During the voting period, I’ll release daily mini-podcasts. Each podcast will be one of 15 ways you can incorporate STEM and STEAM learning into your homeschooling.

I’ll also try to do daily Periscope reminders that will include these tips.

The podcasts will only remain in the podcast feed for 24 hours. At the end of the voting, all 15 tips will be put into one episode without all the voting reminders.

Voting starts on May 29, 2016 and you can vote every day for 15 days! Vote early and vote often! Thank you for your support!

Connect Socially!

* Follow @wiredhs

//

* Join the Facebook page

* Circle on Google Plus

* Follow John Wilkerson

Leave a Voicemail

Etc.

Against all odds, The Wired Homeschool is a finalist in this year’s podcast awards. Voting starts on May 29th and I’m up against some stiff competition.

Here’s the catch: I’m on a hiatus. Possibly, a permanent hiatus. So, I need your help. Should I release short episodes while the voting is active? Please let me know in the comments or email [email protected]

Taking time off is important in all areas of life. As homeschoolers, we know that we can’t always turn every trip, t.v. show, movie, or walk in the park into a learning experience. If we constantly try to make everything we do educational, our kids will either come to loathe learning or loathe the “fun” thing you have planned for them this weekend. So we take time to go to a ballgame just to spend time with our family and enjoy the experience.

Similarly, podcasters can sometimes come to find what they do as a chore. The fun and excitement that was once there is gone. Sometimes we get distracted by other interests or have an idea for a new podcast (or five). I really admire podcasters who can do this week-in and week-out for years on end. I’m not one of those podcasters.

The Wired Homeschool has been around for nearly six years. It’s the most popular podcast I’ve ever produced and the audience just keeps growing. It’s growing so much I’m having trouble keeping up with all the requests for guest posts, interviews, and actual show production. I’m a one-man show and don’t really earn enough income to justify hiring a VA to help with some aspects of maintaining the podcast and blog. With all the growth you might wonder why I would stop now.

My passion for this podcast has cooled a bit, OK, a lot. I see producing an episode every week as something I need to do rather than something I want to do. I feel like I’m taking half-measures and you deserve better. The thrill is gone and if I’m not having fun you’ll hear it in my voice and see it in the inconsistent quality of the podcasts. It’s difficult to say this, but it’s been clear to me for a few months that I’m no longer interested in producing this podcast.

I asked for nominations in this year’s Podcast Awards and thought I would use that as a gauge for whether I should continue this podcast. That’s the wrong measurement. It’s really up to me. If you have nominated the podcast, thanks. I don’t know how this will affect my nomination but if I’m pulled then I’m happy to donate the $10 registration fee I paid to the awards organizer.

So, I said all that to say I’m taking time off. I need time to reconsider and reevaluate whether or not I want to continue this podcast. If you’re a long-time listener you’ve probably heard this before. I’m sorry to put you through it again. The current plan is to take May through the end August off. If I decide to continue the podcast it will be back in September.

The social media accounts associated with the podcast will go on autopilot. You’ll still see Twitter updates from @wiredhs for previous episodes and popular blog posts. I’m not sure there will be much activity on Facebook or Pinterest. Perhaps I’ll occasionally post an infographic or article excerpt that catches my eye to the blog and share it.

To all of you listening, especially those who’ve listened year after year, thanks for sticking me in your ears and don’t forget to keep your homeschool wired.

In 2013 Michael Prince and his wife Melinda founded Because Family to inspire parents to be the first influence in the lives of their children. They believe that to accomplish that goal parents have to be aware of what their children are doing on their devices.

Since hitting the road with their children, Michael and Melinda have covered thousands of miles while homeschooling. Along their journey they’ve written a valuable resource for parents: What’s in Your Pocket? The Parent’s Guide to Protecting Your Children Online.

Thanks to all the individual patrons who have supported the podcast. Special thanks go out to Matt Kamla, Lori Silsbee, Winston Crutchfield, & Craig Tingey.

About the Book

What’s in Your Pocket? will inspire you to make time to be a student of the culture your children are growing up in. A major part of this culture is the technology that now consumes the lives of so many young people. Through scripture, statistics, technology tips, and stories of experiences, we will convince you that there is no more important task to give your precious time to than the task of learning about your children and their online world.

https://youtu.be/AJjCcT_h2u8What’s in Your Pocket is a concise handbook that provides easy to understand and practical advice built upon a strong Biblical foundation. Michael and Melinda leverage their personal experience in teen ministry to show parents how to communicate with their children about technical, emotional, and spiritual topics. What’s in Your Pocket is a valuable tool for every parent who is struggling to guide their children in a constantly connected culture.

Find out more about What’s in Your Pocket at the BecauseFamily website or follow them on Facebook.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee.

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

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/

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

In 2013 Michael Prince and his wife Melinda founded Because Family to inspire parents to be the first influence in the lives of their children. They believe that to accomplish that goal parents have to be aware of what their children are doing on their devices.

Since hitting the road with their children, Michael and Melinda have covered thousands of miles while homeschooling. Along their journey they’ve written a valuable resource for parents: What’s in Your Pocket? The Parent’s Guide to Protecting Your Children Online.

Thanks to all the individual patrons who have supported the podcast. Special thanks go out to Matt Kamla, Lori Silsbee, Winston Crutchfield, & Craig Tingey.

About the Book

What’s in Your Pocket? will inspire you to make time to be a student of the culture your children are growing up in. A major part of this culture is the technology that now consumes the lives of so many young people. Through scripture, statistics, technology tips, and stories of experiences, we will convince you that there is no more important task to give your precious time to than the task of learning about your children and their online world.

What’s in Your Pocket is a concise handbook that provides easy to understand and practical advice built upon a strong Biblical foundation. Michael and Melinda leverage their personal experience in teen ministry to show parents how to communicate with their children about technical, emotional, and spiritual topics. What’s in Your Pocket is a valuable tool for every parent who is struggling to guide their children in a constantly connected culture.

Find out more about What’s in Your Pocket at the BecauseFamily website or follow them on Facebook.

Connect Socially!

* Join the Facebook page

* Follow @wiredhs

//

* Circle on Google Plus

* Follow John Wilkerson

Leave a Voicemail

You can call 518-290-0228 to leave me a message or use this convenient widget to record a message right from your computer.

Etc.

Want to be notified of any upcoming news regarding the podcast or if I’m speaking in your area? Join my spam-free mailing list. You’ll receive monthly updates and news about future projects and I’ll let you know if I’m speaking in your area at a homeschooling convention.

The Wired Homeschool is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network. For more family-friendly tech podcasts visit techpodcasts.com

Music for the podcast by Kevin Macleod.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement

Nominations for the 11th annual Podcast Awards are underway! This is a people’s choice award so all the nominations and votes come from podcast listeners like you.

The Wired Homeschool has never even been nominated for an award an I think this year I have a pretty good chance of being nominated but I need your help.

Go to PodcastAwards.com and nominate The Wired Homeschool in the Education category. While you’re at it, you may want to nominate some other podcasts. Below are a few other suggestions. Just copy and paste the text into the appropriate fields on the nomination form.

Education

The Wired Homeschool

http://thewiredhomeschool.com

Business

The Productive Woman

http://TheProductiveWoman.com

Technology

The Audacity to Podcast

https://TheAudacitytoPodcast.com

TV & Film

ONCE – Once Upon a Time podcast

http://ONCEpodcast.com

Nominations close at 11:59 p.m. on April 30th, 2016 so be sure to get your nominations in now. Thanks you for your nomination and support!

I held a live Q&A on Facebook earlier this week and this is the audio of most of that Q&A.

If this is something you’d like me to do in the future, please leave a comment below or on my Facebook page.

Also during the broadcast, I talked about the new Kindle Oasis from Amazon.

Thanks to all the individual patrons who have supported the podcast. Special thanks go out to Matt Kamla, Winston Crutchfield, & Craig Tingey.

Kindle Oasis Key Features

– 4.6 ounces and 3.4 mm at its thinnest point– 300 ppi Paperwhite touch-screen display– Redesigned front light features 60 percent more LEDs and better uniformity– 4GB of built-in storage (stores thousands of e-books)– Included leather charging cover for up to 9 weeks of battery life– Starts at $289 for Wi-Fi only with special offers

Questions Answered From the Q&A

Q: What online resources do I recommend as a supplement to homeschooling?A: Khan Academy, Sheppard Software, and ABC Mouse.

Q: What books or blogs inspired me to start homeschooling.A: My wife was inspired by her sisters who started homeschooling. We also referred to books by John Holt.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee.

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

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/

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

I held a live Q&A on Facebook earlier this week and this is the audio of most of that Q&A.

If this is something you’d like me to do in the future, please leave a comment below or on my Facebook page.

Also during the broadcast, I talked about the new Kindle Oasis from Amazon.Thanks to all the individual patrons who have supported the podcast. Special thanks go out to Matt Kamla, Winston Crutchfield, & Craig Tingey.

Kindle Oasis Key Features

– 4.6 ounces and 3.4 mm at its thinnest point

– 300 ppi Paperwhite touch-screen display

– Redesigned front light features 60 percent more LEDs and better uniformity

– 4GB of built-in storage (stores thousands of e-books)

– Included leather charging cover for up to 9 weeks of battery life

– Starts at $289 for Wi-Fi only with special offers

Questions Answered From the Q&A

Q: What online resources do I recommend as a supplement to homeschooling?

A: Khan Academy, Sheppard Software, and ABC Mouse.

Q: What books or blogs inspired me to start homeschooling.

A: My wife was inspired by her sisters who started homeschooling. We also referred to books by John Holt.

Connect Socially!

* Join the Facebook page

* Follow @wiredhs

//

* Circle on Google Plus

* Follow John Wilkerson

Leave a Voicemail

You can call 518-290-0228 to leave me a message or use this convenient widget to record a message right from your computer.

Etc.

Want to be notified of any upcoming news regarding the podcast or if I’m speaking in your area? Join my spam-free mailing list. You’ll receive monthly updates and news about future projects and I’ll let you know if I’m speaking in your area at a homeschooling convention.

The Wired Homeschool is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network. For more family-friendly tech podcasts visit techpodcasts.com

Music for the podcast by Kevin Macleod.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement

In 1970, at the age of 20, Richard Branson founded a mail-order record company by the name of Virgin Records. Since then, he has founded eight different billion-dollar companies in