Carnival of Homeschooling: Amazing Superpowers edition!

Welcome to the Carnival of Homeschooling:

Amazing Superpowers edition!

Mutant and meta-human. Born with it or developed special skills through some accidental event or sheer force of will. Superheroes have this in common: Superpowers. 

  

I've loved comics and cartoon heroes since I was a kid. I always imagined what it would be like to have superhuman skills. Would I fly? Walk through walls? Turn invisible? Becoming a mom and home educator didn't end these flights of fancy. If anything, superpowers are more appealing to a busy homeschooling parent like me. What superpowers would you have?

 Holy Uncanny Photographic Mental Processes! ~Robin the Boy Wonder

~Amazing Analytic Aptitude
The great thing about Batman is that he shows we all have the ability to become superheroes. He developed his physical and mental abilities. His analytic abilities helped him burst from the pages of Detective Comics and into his own comics, TV shows and movies. Adam West's 60's version of Batman was a fantastic homeschooling role model, tutoring his ward Dick Grayson in various subjects, including math. 

Let's Play Math has a great math video demonstration for you. Mike and son show why multiplying two negative numbers will equal a positive number. Watch what happens when Multiplying Negative Numbers with Rectangles.


~Contagious Curiosity
 Bruce Banner was searching for a way to harness the power of adrenaline when he exposed himself to gamma radiation and became the Incredible Hulk. The Hulk's uncontrollable power was coupled with Banner's subconscious desire to do good. In other words, he may have caused a lot of damage along the way, but he always saved the day and defeated the bad guys. While I'm not suggesting homeschoolers experiment on themselves in such an extreme way, we do tend to enjoy a good experiment. Or an experiment gone wrong.

Laura Grace Weldon knows how important it is to allow toddlers to explore their interests, no matter how scary or messy. This encourages kids to keep exploring in fascinating and odd directions and helps them develop a lifelong love of science. Read about some of the interesting things they did Getting Science on Everything.

~Sensational Scientific Segue Spotting
When I was a teenager, one of my favorite X-Men is Storm. Her power is weather manipulation. I don't know how she is currently represented, but when I read the X-Men, she had a beautiful penthouse room in Professor X's mansion, full of plants. I happen to love gardening, inside and out, and I find it's one of the best activities you can do with children. The scientific possibilities are endless. 

Joyous Lessons also enjoys her yard and garden. Check out the gorgeous blooms in her yard read about her Almost-Summer Sights at Home.Always be prepared. Just as superheroes never know when they are going to come across a villain or a cry for help, homeschoolers never know when they may come across a learning moment.

Magical Mouse Schoolhouse uses Melt-Away Bay at Disney's Blizzard Beach as a scientific segue into a cool experiment with water. Find information on how to make a water wheel at Blizzard Beach: Melt-Away Bay.

~Creative Cleverness
Dr. Ray Palmer fashions a lens from white dwarf star matter and discovers it can compress objects, shrinking them. The unfortunate side effect is that they explode when they return to normal size. Sounds like the perfect object to bring along on your spelunking trip. During a cave in, Dr. Palmer uses the lens on himself to rescue his companions and turns himself into The Atom, an incredible shrinking superhero that--equally incredible--doesn't explode!

Balderdash and Blokus knows that family camping trips can bring out the superheroes in your family. Read about her hair-raising experience when she breaks her ankle during her family's Epic Camping Trip in BWCA. (This is long, but well worth the read.)

Wonder Twin powers....Activate! ~Super Friends' Wonder Twins

~Captivating Cooperative Collaboration

Face it. It's lonely being a superhero. You spend a lot of time protecting yourself and your loved ones from villains. And sometimes you simply can't defeat the bad guys alone. That's why we have superhero teams. Working with the strength of your teammates makes everyone more powerful. Homeschoolers do this when they form groups and co-ops.

Professor Charles Xavier started his School for Gifted Youngsters so he could give teens a well-rounded education as well as training them in the use of their mutant powers. They hone their skills in the Danger Room and learn to work together, finding their weaknesses and building on their strengths.

Our Journey Westward knows homeschooling high school science can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. See how Cindy tackled the subject with success in Homeschooling High School Science.

~Tremendous Temporal Intelligence

When to duck, when to attack, when to catch the love-interest who is falling from a height (that seems to happen a lot). It's all about timing for the superhero.  Homeschoolers are no different. Whether we are planning our schedule or the perfect moment to introduce a new topic, timing is everything.

DenSchool knows there is a time to celebrate and offers a list of holidays and celebrations to liven up your summer. Find out what is happening in Holidays June 24th - June 30th.

Tea Time with Annie Kate discusses her summer plans for relaxation and learning in Our Summer Theme and Goals.

 Good timing requires a certain amount of flexibility. I think Mrs. Incredible defines what it is  to try to keep track of a family, as she stretches herself to her limits. Literally. Homeschoolers also go to great lengths for the sake of their children.

As For My House explores the varying levels of readiness in her children, and the flexibility that keeps their homeschool running. Read about how their family takes the time to do things right and has No Child Left Behind.

No matter the super powers, heroes are only as good as their training. They might try different techniques along the way, or change those techniques as they grow into their skills. Similarly, our children grow and change and their learning adjusts as they mature and their skills improve.

 

Why Homeschool's eldest daughter talks about how she learned over the years. Enjoy these Thoughts about various curriculums, from a student's perspective.

~Great Grammatical Gumption

Never underestimate the power of a good vocabulary. One of our favorite PBS superheroes is Word Girl. "Crime doesn't pay, but knowing the right word for the right moment is priceless." Building a good vocabulary begins with reading.

Sharon Stanfield knows that to "learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark."~Victor Hugo. She  offers a list of Novel Ideas for Parents and Teachers to Encourage Reading.

~Instant Idea Inducer

Don't you just love utility belts? Who wouldn't want a belt full of toys at your fingertips, ready for any incidence? Batman's is the most famous, but many superheroes carry handy devices or have these devices built into their costumes. Green Arrow had a quiver of special arrows. The Green Hornet had his car. Green Lantern had his ring. Iron Man--who is not green--had his fancy suit. Homeschoolers have computers at our fingertips and libraries full of ideas, making it easy to customize each child's learning experience.

NannyPro.com has list of ideas and links for various subjects in 18 Blogs with the Best Tips for Practicing School Year Learning During the Summer Months.

~Humble Healing Homecoming

At the end of the day, superheroes just want to live a normal life surrounded by people they love. What good is saving the world if you can't kick back and enjoy it? Whether you live in a mansion like Bruce Wayne or prefer heading back to your parents' farmhouse in Smallville like Clark Kent, everyone needs a place where they feel secure and loved. As homeschoolers, we are lucky to be able to emphasize that special place where our heart is.

The Legacy of Home offers a beautiful picture of one of those early homeschooling moments and the comfort of home. Mrs. White shares Singing Comfort to Baby.

Sadly, most superheroes are all too human, and some have passed on in their comics, leaving a legacy to be carried on by the next generation. There are times when our own homeschooling heroes must also be mourned. I've lost some of my own heroes over the years, friends and family whose commitment to homeschooling was an inspiration to me.

Barbara Frank Online shares her own loss in Sad News About a Homeschool Vendor.

That's it for this week's Carnival of Homeschooling. I hope you enjoyed it and discovered some interesting superpowers along the way. I want to thank all of the bloggers who contributed articles this week. You are all superheroes in my book! If you would like to join the fun, consider submitting an article to the next Carnival of Homeschooling. 

Artwork by Marina and me. Part of the Alternet art project.