Homeschool 2.0 » English http://homeschool2point0.com Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:46:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 en What Books are Kids Reading? http://homeschool2point0.com/2008/05/what-books-are-kids-reading/ http://homeschool2point0.com/2008/05/what-books-are-kids-reading/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 05:27:40 +0000 lynn http://homeschool2point0.com/2008/05/what-books-are-kids-reading/ Today’s Washington Post state’s that kids are still reading the longtime faves, Dr. Seuss, E.B. White and others. J.K. Rawlings fares very well for kids in 5th grade and older. Renaissance Learning has compiled data taken from online quizzes children answer about the books they read. Data is broken down by age, sex, region, and achievement. Scanning the lists of books it seems to me many of these books are classroom reading assignments. It’s not shown what kids are reading for fun but my guess is it’s not Elie Wiesel but rather Harry Potter.

Check out the original report here.

]]> http://homeschool2point0.com/2008/05/what-books-are-kids-reading/feed/ Today’s Longest Word http://homeschool2point0.com/2008/01/todays-longest-word/ http://homeschool2point0.com/2008/01/todays-longest-word/#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:15:49 +0000 lynn http://homeschool2point0.com/2008/01/todays-longest-word/ It’s esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Whew, 26 letters. I’ve even had one of these. It doesn’t hurt. Anybody have any long words?

]]> http://homeschool2point0.com/2008/01/todays-longest-word/feed/ The Word of the Year http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/11/the-word-of-the-year/ http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/11/the-word-of-the-year/#comments Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:08:22 +0000 lynn http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/11/the-word-of-the-year/ OUP LogoWe’ve all been anxiously waiting to find out. Now it’s official. The Oxford University Press Word of the Year is ….locavore. That’s right. I can honestly say I have never used this word. Ever. I don’t think I’ve ever read it anywhere. Anybody else like me?

Locavore is used to:

describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100 mile radius. –Wikipedia

(more…)

]]> http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/11/the-word-of-the-year/feed/ Learn Foreign Languages Free Online http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/09/learn-foreign-languages-free-online/ http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/09/learn-foreign-languages-free-online/#comments Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:04:36 +0000 lynn http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/09/learn-foreign-languages-free-online/ Mango LanguagesI’ve written on this subject before on using podcasts and Skype to learn Chinese or Spanish. But one cannot stop progress; here is another very cool web tool by Mango Languages offering free online instruction in nine languages for English speakers and in English for Polish and Spanish speakers.

I’ve clicked my way through some Spanish and it reminds me very much of high school Spanish I. The site is a beta release so beware of bugs but the price is right for now.

The languages offered are:

  • Spanish
  • Russian
  • French
  • Italian
  • Mandarin Chinese
  • German
  • Japanese
  • Brazilian Portugese
  • Greek

Mango Languages Beta

]]> http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/09/learn-foreign-languages-free-online/feed/ A New Look at Dictionaries http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/09/a-new-look-at-dictionaries/ http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/09/a-new-look-at-dictionaries/#comments Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:45:17 +0000 lynn http://homeschool2point0.com/2007/09/a-new-look-at-dictionaries/ Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketSeven years ago when our oldest was in English 10 the recommended dictionary was Webster’s 1828 Edition. We already had a collection of dictionaries, a newer Webster, Oxford, Merriam-Webster, American Heritage and several cheap pocket paperbacks. I really didn’t want to cough up more bucks for another one. We were off the hook when I pointed out the teacher that the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary was available online at yourdictionary.com. I have not purchased another dictionary since. Why should I? If I Google “online dictionary” I get 96 million hits. In fact, if I want a quick definition I use the ‘define’ function in Google. But my fave is still yourdictionary.com for any heavy lifting.

The internet and web2.0 have changed even the humble dictionary. Not just how we access and use it but also in its content. New words, new concepts. How about the verb ‘to Google?’ This brings me to a delightful and humorous TED presentation by Erin McKean, one of the youngest editors of big-time American dictionaries. She brings a whole new way of thinking about lexicography and the day-to-day study of culture and language. It’s a 17-minute talk and you’ll really enjoy it if you have any interest at all in language and teaching and web 2.0.

[youtube J4VzuWmN8zY]

HT: cliotech

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