Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Supercharged Science (A Homeschool Review Crew Post)


Are you looking to ramp up your homeschool science game? Supercharged Science and their e-Science Homeschool Science Curriculum can help you with that. We reviewed Supercharged Science several years ago and recently had a chance to do so again.



What is it?

Supercharged Science is an online science program created by the super smart Aurora Lipper. She actually worked at NASA as a rocket scientist and has a whole bunch of credentials to do what she does. 


Her lessons are inspired and energetic. You can’t help but get excited about science when watching one of her videos.



e-Science can be used in two different ways. The lessons are organized by topics or by grade level. The grade level feature is a newer one since we reviewed Supercharged a few years ago. 



I am not even sure of the number of videos located on the site. This is a ginormous site. There are experiments, worksheets and so much more to accompany each lesson. There is something for grades P-12. 

But it is a site that is easily navigated and you can tailor it to meet your specific needs.

I decided to poke around Aurora’s High School content. She has an awesome video and article that explains what kind of science High Schoolers need to focus on.  She also talks about in what order those sciences should be studied.




We went rogue and decided to start with Biology. I felt like Josiah needed some refreshers.  

Aurora is really great about giving thorough instructions. I was able to download what Josiah would need right away. 
 For our review, I am going to focus on one of the easier experiments and lessons. It gets more complicated further into Life Science.

In this video (which I believe is Number 4 in the Biology refresher course), Aurora is explaining how birds fly.
 She explains how to make an airfoil. Josiah also made an airfoil video...so stay tuned for that.



As Josiah went through the videos he was able to fill out the workbook. Aurora has several resources for creating a scientific journal and the workbook pages were great to add to that notebook.




Here is the plain truth. This program is AWESOME for those kiddos who are visual and hands-on.  And I know you will be thrilled with the amount of information and resources located at Supercharged Science.

Aurora has even organized her experiments into sections for those who use a few well-known homeschool science curriculums. I plan on making FULL use of the site. I can see e-Science being great for those kiddos who are even taking advanced science subjects in college.

After all, Aurora knows what she's talking about. And she helps the rest of us understand science just a little better.

Just a few more notes. You will obviously need a working computer, a way to hear what is being said, good internet service and a way to print off worksheets, etc. You will also need a variety of supplies of experiments. There are all kinds. Those that take just a few items from around the house and some that need a bit more "razzle dazzle."

Aurora is really hands-on herself with students. There is always a comment section below videos to ask questions. She has really developed a user-friendly and fun product with Supercharged Science. 

So. I have to show our little video. This is Josiah's airfoil experiment.



You can connect with Supercharged Science via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/superchargedsci/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aurora_lipper
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/superchargedsci/supercharged-science/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/auroram42/videos


e-Science Homeschool Science Curriculum {Supercharged Science Reviews}
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Thursday, May 23, 2019

Typing Tournmanet Online (A Homeschool Review Crew Post)


I MUST tell you what our latest review has been. We have currently been enjoying Typing Tournament Online from EdAlive. We also have had access to Maths Invaders Online which is also a wonderful product from EdAlive. Stay tuned to learn more.



I know I have told of my early typing prowess before. I learned to type on an electric typewriter.  My typing teacher was all business. I was a sophomore in High School and we still used White Out to cover our mistakes.

Our typing tests were fast and furious. We weren’t allowed to even glance at our hands.
Do you feel sorry for me yet? My son (who is 17 and been able to navigate a keyboard most of his life) has no idea.

Regardless of the advances in technology, it is still really important that Josiah knows how to type efficiently. In fact, I was looking for a fun typing program for him to use this summer and I was THRILLED to have this one arrive in my inbox.



What is it?

We received a year’s subscription to Typing Tournament online. If your student enjoys playing games online, he or she will love Typing Tournament. It is more (so much more) than just a game, however. It also teaches the student to master the keyboard.




It is appropriate for ages 6 and up and uses a number of “helps” to assist those kiddos who need a bit more attention.

Typing Tournament will work on about anything (PC, MAC, Tablets) that has an internet connection. My son is familiar with the keyboard and was able to jump right in. The instruction is progressive and allows for extra practice and drills for proficiency.



I appreciated the excellent instruction…even good posture was emphasized.

You want to know another wonderful thing I LOVED about Typing Tournament?  I was just able to add it to Josiah’s assignment list every day. That was it! I didn’t have to cajole or insist. He was more than happy to sit down and work through the program. He didn’t even raise a peep about the Medieval themed games…I wondered if he would consider them “babyish.”

Not at all. I have to say that this was one of the easiest and most pleasant reviews we have done in a while.  AND it will be a product we will continue on into our summer.



We also received access to Maths Invaders Online. While we only poked around a bit at the site, this will also be one we will continue on into the summer.

In fact, I am kind of kicking myself that I haven’t been adding it to Josiah’s schedule daily.  This program is intended for ages 5-15. Josiah might be out of the recommended age group, but he certainly needs extra practice with his math skills.

And this program, again, is all about fun and mastery. Your student can start where they are and step-by-step Maths Invaders will get them where they need to be.

This one is also going on our summer rotation. Josiah is going to be a busy guy!

You also NEED to take a look at EdAlive. They really have some great products. Don’t miss connecting with them on social media. Don’t forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews.


Typing Tournament & Maths Invaders Online {EdAlive Reviews}
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Sunday, May 12, 2019

Mother's Day...It was a good one

My friends!

It's Mother's Day. Or at least the end of Mother's Day. I had a big, full weekend and was blessed today with my guys taking me out to eat and a very long nap.

It's the little things, my friends.

I did a whole bunch of crafting and creating for our Mother's Day events at church. I have to say that sometimes I do it well. Then again, there are those projects that go so well....but, I'm not about to tell on myself.

But here's the thing. I didn't get one single picture of our All Daughters Salad Luncheon yesterday. 

I can't win them all.

This morning I spoke in our Mother's Day service. I always feel sorry for all of those folks who come to church with their mommas and have to listen to me.

I am not a preacher...I can tell a story...but that's about it.

Thankfully, our folks are sweeties and listened and laughed at the appropriate times.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself. There were many Mother's Days that were tough. I wasn't a mother but wanted desperately to be one. Now I'm the momma of this guy.  I am blessed.



My heart hurts for all those out there who are struggling and hurting. But I also understand that I can rejoice in my own miracle.

Now that Mother's Day is over I can concentrate on a few other things. Namely my housework.

Guuurrll! I won't even tell you how bad it is. I also in the middle of a big history curriculum writing project that needs my attention.

Shew! I needed that nap.

Happy Mother's Day, my friends.



Thursday, May 2, 2019

Study.com (CLEP & DSST) A Homeschool Review Crew Post


Recently, I had a chance to review a 3-month subscription for the CLEP and DSST prep materials from Study.com.

You might be familiar with Study.com, but did you know that they have extensive prep materials for CLEP tests and DSST programs? If you aren’t familiar for any of the acronyms I just named…let me fill you in. Both tests allow for college credit without taking a particular course. CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program.  The DSST stands for DANTES Subjects Standardized Tests (DANTES is Defensive Activity for Non-Traditional Support). This test is generally associated with the military, but has now been opened up for everyone to use.

Study.com allows the user to take a placement test or immediately begin working through the review material. A course is made up of basically videos and a quiz. There are supplemental materials such as flashcards, transcripts or worksheets.

A course can take up to 15 to 20 hours of lesson time. Which, by my estimation, is quite a bit of time shaved from a traditional college course.

How We Used It

To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure where to begin. Or where I thought we needed to begin. My son is a Junior in High School and, while I know there are some problem areas he needs to work on, I also wanted him to be able to use the product during this review period mostly in a frustration-free zone. If that’s possible.

Basically, I wanted to see what was what. However, when I started looking over it I was fairly suspicious we were really going to like it. 

Josiah started with the CLEP test materials and I chose to let him focus on History. I am going to show you his latest placement test and screenshots from CLEP History of the United States 1.

You can see the layout of the overview screen is easily accessible and gives you all the info. 



The placement test gives the student approximately 30 questions and adjusts to the student's knowledge.
 These are Josiah's results. The page gives you an option to either answer some more questions or to start watching the lessons and begin the course.


The videos are fairly short. They have a practice test, a worksheet, flashcards, and a quiz. There is even a spot to take notes. The videos are engaging and keep the student's attention.


Here is a little shot of the practice test.

 Now on to my experience with the DSST materials. 

After poking around the DSST material I thought it would be interesting to take a placement test myself. The DSST does have some different courses to explore. And I was particularly interested in one.

DSST Foundations of Education: Study Guide & Test Prep Final Exam. 

Full disclosure. I did take this course. In college. Waay back in the day. And while it does seem counterproductive to work through material you already have college credit for, I wanted to see how it compared with what I remember learning in college. I also need to admit that my degree was in Education. 

Nearly 25 years is plenty of time to change the way things are taught.

I noticed right away that the test was a smart one. It took into account the answers I was getting right and focused on material I wasn’t so familiar with or had forgotten. Some of the questions were fairly specific.



 While I am a bit ashamed I didn't score perfectly on the placement test, I can see how the course takes advantage of what you do know and helps you bolster up what material is lacking. 

And though I have no intention of taking this college class again, I'm intrigued by some of the other classes offered...I have a desire to go back to school and Study.com makes it easy to see that goal in front of me. 

What We Thought

My suspicions were confirmed. This is an excellent program. In fact, I think it is more than excellent. I do need to tell you a few more things. It is a self-paced program. You can whiz straight through or take a break. You can move around or return to something that needs addressing. 

It can also be accessed by multiple devices. We only used it on the computer, but some of you will enjoy the easy access.

This one is a keeper! 

You can connect with Study.com via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews. I guarantee that there are many more out there who loved it! 






CLEP & DSST Exam Prep {Study.com Reviews}

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