Video Games and TV Time

(Originally posted to Narrow Path Home Study blog on Weebly, now deleted.)

We have always had a problem with our kids having too much time on the XBox, Wii, Nintendo DS, computer games, television and movies. I searched around the internet and came across TV tokens. It was usually designed for use with children younger than my own, however I figured I could modify it. One site even had a plastic holder on the wall where the children could move their used tokens down to the used token spot. This uses the Honor System, which means nothing at this point to our children.

Over the years, two of my three grandmothers collected board games and their paraphernalia. That said, I inherited quite a bit of these items. In a Ziploc baggie, one of my grandmothers had a bunch of little red plastic tokens. We decided to give the children a set number of tokens for 30 minutes of video games and a set number for 30 minutes of television. We also told them that there was the opportunity to earn extra 30 minutes for doing what they are told immediately and well. These extra 30 minute tokens could be used for either activity.

This week we found out that the Sharpie used for their initials on the tokens (to keep them from stealing each other's tokens) and TV or VG for type of token (so they cannot try to use TV time for video games or vice versa) rubs off when handled too much. So instead I got out my cordless drill and new drill bits my husband bought me.

I ended up needing to use his drill since my battery was dead, but I also needed to decide how to differentiate the tokens still. Each child has 6 tokens for television, 6 tokens for video games, and a reserve of 5 extra 30 minutes tokens. These 30 minute tokens are kept with the Redeemed Tokens container in my bedroom. This keeps them from stealing back their tokens to use again. (You may think I sound like I do not trust my children. You would be right. We have had our change jars raided, children's candy stashes stolen, etc. As I said, the Honor System means nothing to our children.)

So Victoria's TV tokens have a single hole, video games have three holes, and reserve tokens have five holes. Alexander's TV tokens have two holes, video games four, and reserve six.

 There are also limitations and tolerances on the use of tokens.

1. Tokens must be redeemed by taking tokens to a parent.
2. Family Television time does not require token use.
3. Agreeing on a movie or television show does not require token use.
4. Video Game use must always be accompanied by a token, even if playing together.
5. TV tokens can not be used more than four in a row. (To cover solo movie time.)
6. Video Game tokens can not be used more than two in a row.

This system is being grudgingly accepted, and it has been slow going this first week. There has been a lot of "Did you pay tokens for that?" and a lot of "Dad, where did you put the tokens the kids gave you?" For the past two weeks, tokens were left over for one child and the other monopolized the living room. Trying to keep everything fair for the two children is really tough. They originally started with ten video game and four television tokens. No one has earned extra time yet. We cut out two hours worth of video game time available but added an hour's worth of television.

The next possible step to this is to label some of our movies. My husband is very proud of our movie collection. (722 movies strong. The very large bookcase we bought for the collection last year started out half full. It is now full. He refuses to part with any of them.) The majority of the movies are inappropriate for children to watch in my opinion, but what he wants to let his own children watch, well I cannot stop him, even though the girls' mother agrees with me. There are plenty of family friendly and good action flicks as well, and nearly every superhero movie made in the last two decades.

I'm sure he will have a problem with me labeling his movie cases with how many tokens each will require. I may just write a list of movies and how many tokens each will cost. This will probably be a three column sheet of paper with the movies they typically watch broken into 2, 3, and 4 tokens.

We'll see how the next week goes with the new tokens.

~Mom on a Narrow Path

May 24th, 2014

(Originally posted to Narrow Path Home Study blog on Weebly, now deleted.)

Whew! Week 1 is over! That was pretty intense!

We have had some blow ups this week with children not wanting to do their NP work. There have also been some rough days at school this week and that has definitely contributed to the behavior at home. However! Here's the light at the end of the tunnel. Lady Victoria has actually gotten in the habit already of getting home from school, coming to the nearest available parent and asking "Can I get on Dad's computer to do Narrow Path?"

Be still my beating heart!

I hear a lot of "This is easy!" under her breath. Of course Sir Alexander is usually in the room trying to do his TypingWeb and he is struggling. He gets super super frustrated with his fingers and there's a lot of growling and gnashing of teeth. I think part of the reason Lady Victoria says "Oh this is easy!" so much is to rub it in Alexander's face that she's better at this.

That is right up until I pointed out to her than she is still hunting and pecking keys which makes her accuracy high, but her speed Really Low.

So far though, they have sent me emails for Narrow Path. Alexander and I are corresponding by email and carrying on a conversation that way as well as through notes under his bedroom door (which is helping his handwriting). They have also put library books on hold by themselves, navigated to a World Book website, and printed their own documents as directed. In less than a week, they are already navigating through the items on their to do list without very much direction from me. I'm starting to leave detailed instructions off the pages, and instead of skipping it, they are maturely looking for me and asking me what I meant.

I really think it helped when I insisted I was new to this too. That they were helping me test it out. "Each week something might change," I told them. "Maybe I find a better way to lay out a page or find a new website I want to use."

They often ask if they can play some of the other activities on the sites I've had them go to. I have to tell them no every time. "But Mommy!" is often heard during Video Game time. It gets explained that I want to use some of those activities for NP later on and I don't need them using them up. They also giggle when told that their excitement for learning is awesome, but slow down! I can't keep up!

In other news however, we had a runaway cat for four days and that took up a lot of time as well as working on my own coursework for college. Fingers crossed this all keeps going in the right direction.

~Mom on a Narrow Path

3rd Grade Assessments, Part Two

(Originally posted to Narrow Path Home Study blog on Weebly, now deleted.)

I regretfully graded Victoria's assessment and am very dismayed. She did slightly better than Alexander in three subjects, but quite a bit worse in Language Arts. In order to pass the assessments, they needed at least 70% correct in all subjects. Now that I know they should not pass or should not have passed the third grade, I'm not sure how to proceed. I was truly hoping they would at least be to grade level.

I have gone over the percentages with Dad and we have decided to have them retake the assessments on Sunday, May 25, 2014 in a guided format. After I post this, I will be running through their answer sheets to determine what they struggle with. The first week of Home Study will start them on their online journey as well as go over the areas they struggle with.

All while starting my own paper for college. This will slowly drive me crazy, but it will all come together eventually.

~Mom on a Narrow Path

3rd Grade Assessments

(Originally posted to Narrow Path Home Study blog on Weebly, now deleted.)

Yesterday, the children took a 3rd grade assessment. To say I am disappointed would be a severe understatement. I do not blame the children per se. I blame the schools and my husband and I.

I have not graded Victoria's. Why? Let's get a little background. I have a little artist's easel purchased at Walgreens for $15 dollars last year. My husband found paper trays for a really good deal at Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. In the bottom portion of the easel, three of these paper trays fit perfectly. The top tray is Victoria's since she is taller. The middle is Alexander's since he's shorter. The bottom one is the "Turn In Tray" where anything they need to turn into us their "Teachers" or "Learning Coaches" goes. When I told her to turn in her assessment, she put it in the wrong tray. Am I being ridiculous expected her to put something in it's correct spot? Will high school teachers or college professors look around for everyone's tests or papers? Or will they expect the student to make sure items are turned in properly if they want the grade? She is 12 years old. In my opinion she should not still be able to use the excuse, "Well I didn't know." Alexander, aged 9 turned it into the correct tray. So what gives?

Alexander on the other hand failed 3/4 of the assessment. It was the 3rd grade assessment and he is finishing up the 3rd grade, so I was expecting a lower grade, but a 21% in Social Studies, a 13% in Science, and a 44% in Mathematics? As far as the Social Studies and Science, I have long ago realized that his elementary school does not focus on these subjects the way they should. I have still to go through the assessments and see where he has issues. I am also considering having him retake the assessment at the end of the week one on one. He currently has an F in his Writing portion, yet achieved a 82% on his assessment, so I'm not sure quite where to go with that. I also know that he is struggling with Multiplication and Division.

All in all, this gives me a place to start helping him. My biggest concern is his Core Study Skills which he answered only 6 out of 20 correctly. If a student does not understand where to find correct answers, how are they to learn or teach themselves? This is the first section we will tackle.

~Mom on a Narrow Path

Start Date Edit

(Originally posted to Narrow Path Home Study blog on Weebly, now deleted.)

We have moved back the start date of Session One to May 19, 2014. This allows the first session break to line up with their first week at Connections Academy. I have started to make up Session One Week One for the children. They are daunted by the amount of text on the screen from looking over my shoulder. When I explained to Victoria at dinner the other night that the only reason the text is so long is that I have put specific instructions on how to send an email, how to log into accounts, etc. and that the instructions will not always be there. Eventually the To-Do item will simply state, "Log your start time." rather than the current "Open your binder to the first tab. You will find a Study Time Log. In the first column, write the date. In the second column write the time from the corner of the monitor." You get the drift.

With the use of Gaggle at their current schools, they kind of get the gist of using an email service. Now I am trying to fine tune their knowledge base and give them plenty of practice. They will be able to email their teachers at any time through Connections and I want them to have practice ahead of time.

Victoria was also quite dismayed at being required to do "Home School" during the summer. She seemed very relieved when I told her that the first Session is just like my first College course at Phoenix. The whole point of the class is to learn where things are, how to use them, and how to correctly complete or turn in assignments. I told her I don't want her to sit down for her first day at Connections and not be able to find anything. I asked her if she remembered walking around her Middle School weeks before her actual first day at the school. She sort of understood then why we are doing this.

She also does not like that we will be continuing the Home Study Program after school starts back up again. I tried to explain to her that since I will have access the actual lessons she will be doing for her teachers, the Home Study will be adding to it, WebQuests doing fun things with the knowledge she learns through Connections. I gave her this example:

You did a report on Ireland for your Social Studies class. I printed out some maps and flag coloring pages for you to get acquainted with the country and have some fun coloring them while you were at it. That was ok, right? 

 She gave me the so-so hand gesture with her cute, 'I don't want to say it was fun' smirk. So I grinned and said, "Narrow Path Home Study is going to be like that all the time."

"Oh."

~Mom on a Narrow Path

Welcome to Narrow Path!

(Originally posted to Narrow Path Home Study blog on Weebly, now deleted.)

We finally posted our little Home Study Website. Starting May 12th, the kids will start checking the site for any study projects and/or research they need to do. Since neither child has had much experience with the internet other than to play games, I decided to set up their home study responsibilities as close to their Connections Academy responsibilities as possible. We still have to finish orientation, but we are well on our way to becoming Home School parents, though Connections is still considered a Public School.

May 1st, we attended an Informational Meeting at Indiana Wesleyan University here in Fort Wayne. 90% of the information was not new to me, however, my husband and the children were hearing it for the first time from someone other than me. When I explain things to them, I tend to get tuned out. The main presenter was a 6th and 7th grade Math teacher for INCA. By the end of the session, Victoria was somewhat excited about the idea of going to this school. This is of course after about four weeks of hearing her mouth off about how it was "the Dumbest Idea Ever!" I heard her from the back seat muttering "I hope she's my math teacher!"

Keeping fingers crossed!
~Mom on a Narrow Path