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Sunday, 13 November 2011
Keyboard Town Pals - A Unique Approach to Learning to Type!
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Homeschool Product Review

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I think that I have said before that one of the things that I appreciated learning the most in high school was how to type. It's probably one of the things that I use the most every day. I was blessed to have a typing teacher that taught me how to type properly. I've determined to find a way to teach my children how to type correctly because I feel it is that important.

Now the problem is to find the right keyboarding program to us in a homeschool setting. I have searched and found free ones. I have even reviewed some. They have all been good. John Allen learned some basic keyboarding with one, but I still hadn't found anything for my youngest two until now.

Keyboard Town Pals is a very unique program that I feel younger kids who are learning to type would be drawn to. Joshua, our asperger's syndrome child, has been using it and loving it. It is like no other typing program I have seen. Why? Because it uses puppets to teach how to type!

They use an associative approach. An associative approach is when you train your mind to think of two things together. I learned the 10 plagues that God cursed Egypt with by using the associative method. I associated the number one with a pen and the number two with a coat hanger, etc. Here's how it worked.

I picked up a pen to write but instead of ink coming out there was blood. (The first plague was the plague of turning the water into blood).

Then I went in to my closet to get a shirt out but instead of a shirt hanging on the hanger there was a giant frog. (The second plague was the plague of frogs).

Okay, I know it's kind of different, but that's how I learned them, and it really worked. Later on, in my therapist days, we used the keyword (associative) approach to teaching the sounds of the alphabet. So, I know that the associative approach really works.

With Keyboard Town Pals the association is with puppets. Let me show you a little example. This is a preview of lesson one:

Now, I'll admit, the characters, like Miss Sunny, Amy, the Zebras, etc. looked a little silly at first. And the humor is somewhat corny. But, you have to realize that this is not for us, as adults, but for our kids and trust me, it really works.

Because my son is asperger's and doesn't sit well for long periods of time, he only does a couple of lessons at one setting but I could see how a child could sit and do all of the lessons at once. All of the lessons together only take about an hour. So, your child child could actually be  fully typing in an hour! It may not be fast, but it's proper typing and the more they practice, the fast they will become.

Joshua is really enjoying Keyboard Town Pals and I really like the associative approach. It may not be for every child, but I can really see it working for younger children and special needs children like my Joshua.

The other thing I really like about Keyboard Town Pals is the price. The cost is only $30 for either the web based version or the CD ROM version. Keyboard Town Pals also has several "companion" items such as coloring books, finger puppets, a concentration game and stickers that you can purchase. AND it comes in an English, Spanish or French version! To get to the Keyboard Town Pals website, just click here or on any one of the hi-lighted posts above. To find out what the other TOS Crew Members had to say about Keyboard Town Pals just click here. Happy Home Educating!

As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was given limited time access to web version of Keyboard Town Pals in order to try out with my children and give my honest review on this blog.


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Posted by tink38570 at 10:38 PM CST
Updated: Sunday, 13 November 2011 10:40 PM CST
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Saturday, 12 November 2011
Gratitude Challenge - I'm Thankful for Our Church Family
Topic: Blog Carnivals!

Today I'm thankful for our church family at Memorial Baptist Church. If you've been on my blog lately, you've probably seen pictures of our family at some type of church event. Last night we were at another. The youth and some of the adults had a Murder Mystery night at the pastor's home. We each got a folder weeks ago with who we were, what our goals were, the list of other folks on the cruise (we were on a ship in 1914) and how to dress. I was a French chef named Blaise de Richilieu (who really wasn't a chef at all, but was a spy for the US Internal Affairs Department), Sarah was Elvira something or other, and John Allen was someone whose name escapes me but he was training to be a steward on the ship. It was a total blast and the youth and some adults spent the night. Sarah and John Allen stayed but I picked the youngers up at the babysitters and went home. We went back today to pick up John Allen and Sarah and the two youngers ended up playing with the pastors kids and Sarah and I stayed and talked and played game with the pastor, pastor's wife and another friend. Yes, even after they had been up half the night with kids and youth! I say all of this not because it seems like the church is having some type of an outing every week - they really aren't, but this was a particularly busy fall, but because of how open and accepting they are to us and our kids.

It's not easy to find a church that is understanding to special needs children. Even our oldest, John Allen, who's not special needs, requires some special care. It's not easy living with two brothers that are high maintenance. John Allen sometimes gets left in the dust. Not any intention of ours, but he often gets the short end of the stick. Often he gets very frustrated and angry at the situation. Our church body understands all of our kids and is patient and loving all the same.

Our church family is a true example of what God wants Christians to be. They are truly loving and caring and really want to obey the Holy Spirit. I am truly grateful to God for the body of believers that He brought us to.

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Posted by tink38570 at 7:19 PM CST
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Friday, 11 November 2011
What is BCM International all about?
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: BCM International

What is BCM International all about?

BCM International is the mission organization that Sarah and I are part of. This year was BCM International's 75th Anniversary. Throughout it's history BCM has remained true to it's core values. The question "What is BCM International is all about?" is a complex question, but watching this video should help you understand.

 

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Posted by tink38570 at 4:59 PM CST
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Thursday, 10 November 2011
Forget Flower Power...How About Flower Praise?
Mood:  happy
Topic: Blog Carnivals!

A good friend of ours gave this to us a couple of months ago. Originally we used it for homeschool to teach solar power and, let's face it, it's just plain fun to watch.

 

Then, one day I walked out into the kitchen and saw it in a new light. No, not sunlight, but sonlight! After watching it for a few seconds, it almost looked like it was lifting it's arms and praising God. It seemed to be saying...


Praise God...Praise God...Praise God...Praise God!

 

...with every lift of it's petals.

 

It made me think of these verses from psalms 148:

 

1.The desert and the parched land will be glad;

the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Like the crocus, 2.it will burst into bloom;

it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

they will see the glory of the Lord,

the splendor of our God.

 

Okay, I know it might be a stretch, but seeing that little mechancal flower does remind me to Praise the Lord every time that I see it. It's something that we should be doing every day - every minute of the day. So, today I am grateful for my solar power flower that sits in our kitchen window and how it reminds me to always be thankful for the Sonlight that God is always shining down upon me. Praise the Lord!

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Posted by tink38570 at 5:16 PM CST
Updated: Thursday, 10 November 2011 6:13 PM CST
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Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Come With Me to Ecuador
Mood:  not sure
Topic: Compassion International

Compassion Bloggers: Ecuador 2011

Can you believe that I have only been out of the US once. It was right out of high school. I had auditioned for a concert band called All Student Groups USA (now known as The Sound of America). We spent the month of July touring Europe playing concerts in nine different countries. It was an amazing adventure. One that I will never forget.

I say "can you believe", because I've always dreamed and talked about going overseas again. Sarah and I have often talked of going on a mission trip. Or perhaps visiting one of our Compassion children. We still feel that the Lord will use us overseas somehow, somewhere, someday. Until then, we will have to live vicariously through others. Others like the Compassion Blogger group that is traveling in Ecuador right now.

I've followed other Compassion Blogger trips before. I've even applied to go on them but have not yet been chosen for one. Twice a year I greedily read their stories. I check in several times a day to see if someone has posted something new. My heart breaks with theirs as I read about the children and the conditions that they live in. I cry when I read the stories of the ones who were rescued from poverty. I pray, asking for forgiveness for being selfish with what I have.

We, in the United States, live in such wealth. Even the poorest among us are often richer than a majority of folks around the world. I do believe that there are poor and hungry that live in our great country and I believe that God wants us to care for them. I also believe, though, that we waste enough money in the US to feed many more than we do. And I'm not just talking about our government, I'm talking about us! Do we really need one more t-shirt in our drawer, when there are those that don't even have one t-shirt to wear? Do we really need our weekly (or daily) latte, when the price of one Starbucks drink could feed a Compassion child for a week?

I know that there are some skeptics out there. Some who just don't understand. I was one of them until I began following these Compassion Blogger trips. Traveling along with them and experiencing what they are experiencing has made me realize how blessed I am. It's made the hand that grips my wallet loosen its grip just a little. It's broken my heart for the things that break God's heart.

Another trip is going on as we speak. Travel with me to understand our world a little more. Come with me as we experience the hearts of others being broken. Journey with me as we learn what living for Christ is really all about. Just click on the above button to see and be blessed.

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Posted by tink38570 at 4:24 PM CST
Updated: Wednesday, 9 November 2011 4:59 PM CST
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