During my over 40 years of teaching, I have been in many settings – from helping with preschoolers in Sunday School (before my “career” began) to teaching in a 2nd grade classroom in a Christian school in Florida – then a 3rd/4th grade classroom in a missionary children’s school in Madrid, Spain, and finally a middle school homeroom teacher in a Christian school in Washington. Following these more formal settings, I began working with homeschoolers – in an FA/ANW learning center in my home, to a couple of short -attempts in a commercial building and to finally online exclusively. You may have noticed that I started with the youngest of children and I kept passing grades along with my students. My homeschool students moved me into high school, and I have also taught online classes to adults who homeschool for many years.
Along the way I have used numerous curriculums and classroom methods. One of my favorite methods is to combine as many subjects as possible in unit studies. However, at the high school level this creates some challenges as you build a transcript of grad requirements.
Beginning in the fall of 2023, Family Academy will offer a broad range of courses through our online high school. One area in which I will contribute is the subjects of English and History. These combined classes are on the TalentLMS platform and will guide the students through the lessons to finish within a year to earn up to 1 credit of English and up to 1 credit of History. These are the course descriptions on our platform:
Biographies and Writing (World History / English)
This course will guide the student in writing from 5-sentence paragraphs to multiple-paragraph compositions.
Reading will come from Biographies and Writing by the creator of this course. Plus, Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History by Richard Hannula. As we get to longer writing assignment students will choose full length biographies or historical fiction books. You probably will find some great books from your family library or the public library.
As your writing coach, I may suggest that you submit more than one assignment to provide you with more practice on any part that you need extra practice. Also, I may ask you to edit an assignment again. Students may work at their own pace, but the Weeks are outlined to help you complete the course in one school year.
Each week a writing assignment is due students will upload (or create) the assignment onto a Google Doc. During our editing sessions, we will use Zoom to communicate and both student and instructor will be in the Google Doc.
Students may choose to read full-length biographies (after finishing Trial and Triumph in Week 15) in one week allowing for time to write an autobiography at the end of the year. Those following that plan and earning 90% and above on writing assignments will earn an A. Other students will read the full-length biographies in two weeks.
Students will keep track of the hours spent reading and writing and submitting every week. Students may earn up to 1 credit of English and 1 credit of World History. Students wanting to earn 2 credits from this class should plan on working 2 hours every school day.
American Adventures and Writing (U.S. History / English)
This course will guide the student in American Adventures reading books and writing a variety of genre. Selections and suggestions come from the expansive body of American Literature.
Reading will come from books from your family library or the public library. As needed, you may add to your family library from suggested reading.
As your writing coach, I may suggest that you submit more than one of an assignment to provide you with more practice on any part that you need extra practice. Also, I may ask you to edit an assignment again. Students may work at their own pace, but the Weeks are outlined to help you complete the course in one school year.
Each week a writing assignment is due students will upload (or create) the assignment onto a Google Doc. During our editing sessions, we will use Zoom to communicate and both student and instructor will be in the Google Doc.
Students may choose to read full-length books and, in some cases, short stories in one week allowing for time to do a research paper or project at the end of the year. Those following that plan and earning 90% and above on writing assignments will earn an A. Other students will read the full-length biographies in two weeks.
Memorization of historical content provides students with enhanced learning skills and a framework to remember other content. Students should memorize as many of the memorization assignments as possible to earn extra credit. (Presidents, speeches, poems)
Students will keep track of the hours spent reading and writing and submitting every week. Students may earn up to 1 credit of English and 1 credit of American History. Students wanting to earn 2 credits from this class should plan on working 2 hours every school day.
To learn more about all the classes we offer to high schoolers:
Further, contact me to ask your questions: mdail@familyacademy.org
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