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The Sociable Homeschooler — Kids & Family
The Sociable Homeschooler

Have you ever wondered how people just like you manage to homeschool their children and apparently love every moment of it? Are you ready to give up the formative years of your children’s lives to a stranger? Do you think homeschoolers are weird? Does the word, homeschool, bring to mind Birkenstocks, jumpers, and hairy legs? Honestly half my family fit the hairy leg stereotype…so who cares? I’m here to help you let go of any pre-conceived notions you may have about home educators. Forget all the excuses ever made under the sun for not homeschooling and listen to my show which is a generous mix of my life as the oxymoron, Sociable Homeschooler, international guests from all walks of life and light hearted views and comments about education and basements. I will also bend your ear with excerpts from my soon to be published book, also entitled, The Sociable Homeschooler, which chronicles many good causes for why my blue eyed cowboy and I chose to go off the deep end hand in hand with God and have everyone talking about us behind our backs and in the end winning them over. Come and be won over on Toginet Radio Live on Fridays, if only to get a weekly taste of Britain.

Latest Episodes:

Birds of a Feather: Simon McNeny Mar 09, 2012

Show notes

My guest this week is my blue eyed son, Simon McNeny, who graduated from homeschool, the local Community College, and finally Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries. He works with the Okapi at the Dallas Zoo where his job is not that different from the chores he did around the house while he was growing up, cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning! Simon has known he wanted to work with animals since he was very young, he put in at least 4500 volunteer hours at the animal shelter thinking he was getting out of school but he wasn’t really! By the time he was 14 he was known as the reptile expert and giving presentations at local schools. Now he gives keeper talks, helps train his animals and has just returned from a week in Florida where he did a workshop learning how to train birds at the Steve Martin Natural Encounters Ranch. You’ll want to learn how positive reinforcement works not only with animals but with children and adults too! Join us this Friday for a fascinating chat.

Governments in Our Homeschools: Mike Donnelly Mar 02, 2012

Show notes

Mike Donnelly, from the Home School Legal Defense Association, returns to my show this week with more news and wisdom about homeschooling in America and Europe. When he’s not talking to me Mike serves as Staff Attorney and Director of International Relations for Member Affairs and is Adjunct Professor of Government at Patrick Henry College, in Virginia. His work at HSLDA is to defend both the American and International right to choose how we educate our children. Mike and his wife teach their seven children at home and he is a frequent speaker and writer on many home school related topics some of which he has shared with us over the years on my show. Today we are going to talk about the impact governments are having on homeschooling and how they are threatening our God given rights as parents. Bring your favourite beverage over to your computer and tune in to my show this Friday to listen as Mike encourages us.

The Wisdom of Pixar: Robert Velarde Feb 24, 2012

Show notes

I have a fascinating guest this week, Robert Velarde, homeschooling father of four, curriculum creator with Sonlight and philosopher. Robert received his Master of Arts degree from Southern Evangelical Seminary and serves as an adjunct faculty member at Denver Seminary. He has written, The Wisdom of Pixar, Conversations with C.S. Lewis, and The Heart of Narnia and most recently co-authored, with Sonlight founder Sarita Holzmann, a new high school curriculum called, What Good is Christianity? Robert, like many homeschooling dads, helps his wife in the education of his offspring by focusing on the moving and performing arts portions of their curriculum and I am certain they love the fact that he shares their unbounded enthusiasm for all films Pixar. Robert has very cleverly turned this labour of love into an exercise in the reconciliation between a Christian’s lifestyle and the world in which he finds himself today. It won’t take you many moments to discover that Robert is a vibrant, interesting man on fire for the Lord, so why not join us on Friday for a cup of tea and a chat?

Love at First Sight: Larry McNeny Feb 17, 2012

Show notes

This week I’m talking to my blue eyed cowboy who has agreed to join us for a cuppa. Larry McNeny shared the homescholing years with me whenever he wasn’t out on the road as a Tour Manager for any number of impressive bands. His glamourous life got the children’s interest a whole lot quicker than anything I was trying to do with them! “Did Ozzy really bite the head off a bat?” is a must know for young, impressionable teens and my cowboy spent many a happy hour regaling them with wild and exciting stories from his life. Today though we’re not going to be talking about his job, we’ve done that in a previous show called, Rock and Roll Savvy. What are we going to be talking about? Love of course! How we met and his secret to a long and successful marriage so snatch some kisses and tune in this Friday for a special Valentine’s show!

An Eternal Kindergartener: Barbara Allisen Feb 10, 2012

Show notes

Come and meet Barbara Allisen a life long kindergartener who loves to play with puzzles and blocks, build with lego and make crafts, shape play-dough and read Big Books all day long. Affectionately known as Mrs. A. she carries the memories of more than 1,000 children’s school beginnings in her heart. Barbara’s kindergarten and preschool experience includes inner city, private, big new & very small old schools both public and independent. Barbara believes that although children make up 20% of the population they are 100% of the future and being ready for Kindergarten is the key. She has a kindergarten readiness website and is the author of the book, 123 Kindergarten: Everything your child Needs to Learn Before Kindergarten. Tune in and join our conversation this Friday and learn how to target learning skills at home while still having fun with your tot.

Secrets to Staying Inspired: Rebecca Kochenderfer Feb 03, 2012

Show notes

My guest this week first came to my attention as I was prowling around my biggest fan’s website. We have a mutual friend, thanks Tina for the intro! I am thrilled to welcome Rebecca Kochenderfer to my show. Rebecca is the Senior Editor for Homeschool.com. hailed as the #1 homeschooling site on the Internet by yahoo, google, and Forbes Magazine, with over 2 million visitors a year. Rebecca is the co-author of, Homeschooling for Success: How Parents Can Create a Superior Education For Their Child and more recently, Homeschooling and Loving It a book that will take its reader step by step through the how to’s of teaching at home from beginning to end. Rebecca educated her three children at home and loved every minute of it! Join me on Friday, at the usual time, to be inspired no matter where you are on your homeschooling journey.

Homeschool, An Excellent Option: Luke Holzmann Jan 27, 2012

Show notes

Luke Holzmann is the son of John and Sarita Holzmann, founders of Sonlight Curriculum, and my guest this week! He was homeschooled through 8th grade, went to public high school and then attended Biola University on swimming and academic scholarships where he studied Motion Picture Production. Today, he works at Sonlight, promoting homeschooling as an excellent option, if not a fully comprehensive education experience. He writes captivating blogs that are thought provoking with links that may take you to places where angels fear to tread. He is working on his media production mentoring website: Production-Now.com, which he hopes will lure homeschoolers who love film. He describes himself as a writer, film-maker, empty nester, so join me on Friday for a cuppa and a natter with this interesting young man.

A Barely Useful Farm Wench: Laura Grace Weldon Jan 20, 2012

Show notes

Laura Grace Weldon is a poet whose poems have been published, but not the ones she likes! She is an author, her new book, Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything, tells of the curative value of connecting more deeply with nature and letting go. She is an artist, a messy one at that, a tincture and meal concoctor both skills demanding courage and a degree of risk from their recipients. She has deadlines but would rather hide in books or watch foreign films than meet them. Laura admits that complete self-reliance is happily not her goal and farm dwelling allows her to sing to bees, feed cows, preach about hope, acknowledge the holiness of all things and find peace, sometimes. With her husband and four homeschooled children they raise plants, animals and occasionally Caine in their simple partnership with the natural world. Her socks have holes in them, the window moulding is unfinished, there are muddy footprints by the door, but none of that matters, she and her family are together exploring ways to be themselves using ancient wisdom. Come and meet this lovely lady on Friday, bring a cuppa and prepare to laugh while we talk about her book, her life and how to almost make a living on a farm with relentless doses of optimism!

Coming Home After Nine Years: Sandra Beck Jan 10, 2012

Show notes

My guest this week is a little different from the norm. I thought that the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Iraq, just in time for Christmas, was a subject that potentially affects everyone in our nation so I invited my friend Sandra Beck to join me today. Sandra hosts two Shows here on Toginet Radio: Military Mom Talk Radio and Motherhood Talk Radio. She is an active contributor and participant in many charities and strives to make the world a better place for today’s and our future’s children. Near to her heart are Toys for Tots, World of Children, Children Uniting Nations and Operation Gratitude which provides American civilians a way to express their respect and appreciation to the men and women of the U.S. Military, by sending care packages addressed to individual soldiers. Sandra is an author, coach, speaker, entrepreneur and philanthropist and, most importantly, the mother of two young boys who keep her on her toes. She was born in a small town outside Buffalo, New York, and attended Northwestern University where she earned both her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and her Master’s Degree in Advertising. Join me on Friday and find out how the lives of thousands of military families are changing, and what we can do to support our troops and all involved who risk their lives for our freedoms.

The Jemicy & Calvert Initiative: Gretchen Roe Jan 06, 2012

Show notes

For my first show of the New Year I am delighted to be talking to my dear friend Gretchen Roe, community liaison for the Calvert School. We are going to be unveiling a new joint venture Calvert is involved in with the Jemicy School for children with reading difficulties. Gretchen is also going to be sharing with us the good news of her husband’s new job and how she and her family rose to the challenge and uncertainty of unemployment. Gretchen’s job has her traveling around America to talk at numerous conferences about the Calvert Curriculum and how homeschooling is not purely school at home. She will re-assure those of us who are a little behind in curriculum selection that Calvert can be started successfully at any time of the year. With her informative blogs on the Calvert website and her creative webinars, which always have something new to offer, she is there to support you along your homeschooling journey. Join us for a cup of tea and a slice of apple pie and cream this Friday and listen in to our little natter about new ventures and a tried and tested curriculum.

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