[Mom_of_a_ton]

I'm wondering if anyone uses Self Design <a href="http://www.selfdesign.org/" target="_blank">http://www.selfdesign.org/</a><br>
It looks excellent, but I don't know about reporting for 6 kids! Please tell me your opinion.<br><br>
Thanks,<br>
Unschool mom of 7 great kids!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/homeschool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="homeschool">:

 

[moominmamma]

We're a SelfDesign family, having just completed our second year. I have had three kids enrolled this year. For me the reporting has been manageable. My kids are involved. My eldest does all her own O4L reporting (I just keep track of her hours log which is dead easy after a couple of weeks) and my 10yo does help out a bit with his. I'm basically just doing two O4Ls a week, and since the reflection process is enjoyable and worthwhile for me, I don't find it onerous, except by the end of the year. (We didn't count any holidays, so we actually finished last week.)<br><br>
We unschool and feel a really good philosophical affinity with the SelfDesign staff and admin. They've been nothing but supportive.<br><br>
Not sure how old your older kids are, but many 11-14-year-olds do all or part of their own O4L's. That might lessen the burden a little.<br><br>
Miranda

 

[tealee]

We do SelfDesign and have just completed K with my eldest daughter. I did find it took much time to do the reports at the beginning but a lot of that was because I wasn't very confident with computers. I put alot of time into writting my observations for learning (O4L) until our learning consultant suggested that I didn't need to go into so much detail <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/loveeyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Loveeyes">: and that saved me much time. K has about half the reporting of the other grades.<br><br>
My learning consultant also offered some reports (O4L) over the telephone with the students themselves. Maybe you could find a consultant who would be willing to do this frequently with your kids.<br><br>
Often, the reporting feels like "one more thing" but<br>
1 the money really helps us<br>
2 I received some helpful suggestions from our learing consultant<br>
3 I get a chance to look back over the last week and realize that yes dd is learning<br>
4 I have a nice little record at the end of the year to save for my daughters scrapbook<br><br>
To be honest, if we played and won the lottery so money wasn't an issue I wouldn't do this. But, SelfDesign imo is the best program available here for families that don't want to follow a set curriculum.

 

[papayapetunia]

I liked the book, and I like the philosophy of child-led + community collaboration.

 

[Mom_of_a_ton]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>moominmamma</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7989738"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">We're a SelfDesign family, having just completed our second year. I have had three kids enrolled this year. For me the reporting has been manageable. My kids are involved. My eldest does all her own O4L reporting (I just keep track of her hours log which is dead easy after a couple of weeks) and my 10yo does help out a bit with his. I'm basically just doing two O4Ls a week, and since the reflection process is enjoyable and worthwhile for me, I don't find it onerous, except by the end of the year. (We didn't count any holidays, so we actually finished last week.)<br><br>
We unschool and feel a really good philosophical affinity with the SelfDesign staff and admin. They've been nothing but supportive.<br><br>
Not sure how old your older kids are, but many 11-14-year-olds do all or part of their own O4L's. That might lessen the burden a little.<br><br>
Miranda</div>
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</tr></table></div>
<br>
Thanks for your information Miranda!<br>
My eldest will be turning 12 in Oct. she would probably be fine with doing her own observations, but my second eldest (turning 10 in Dec.) would find it torture. I'll look into it some more.<br><br>
Unschool mom of 7 great kids!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/homeschool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="homeschool">:<br>
Visit my blog: <a href="http://wondersoflearning.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://wondersoflearning.blogspot.com/</a>

 

[Mom_of_a_ton]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/homeschool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="homeschool">: <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/homeschool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="homeschool">:
<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>tealee</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7991925"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">We do SelfDesign and have just completed K with my eldest daughter. I did find it took much time to do the reports at the beginning but a lot of that was because I wasn't very confident with computers. I put alot of time into writting my observations for learning (O4L) until our learning consultant suggested that I didn't need to go into so much detail <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/loveeyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Loveeyes">: and that saved me much time. K has about half the reporting of the other grades.<br><br>
My learning consultant also offered some reports (O4L) over the telephone with the students themselves. Maybe you could find a consultant who would be willing to do this frequently with your kids.<br><br>
Often, the reporting feels like "one more thing" but<br>
1 the money really helps us<br>
2 I received some helpful suggestions from our learing consultant<br>
3 I get a chance to look back over the last week and realize that yes dd is learning<br>
4 I have a nice little record at the end of the year to save for my daughters scrapbook<br><br>
To be honest, if we played and won the lottery so money wasn't an issue I wouldn't do this. But, SelfDesign imo is the best program available here for families that don't want to follow a set curriculum.</div>
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</tr></table></div>
<br>
Thanks tealee!<br><br>
Yes the money sounds good! $5,500! But we've made do without it for 11 years.<br><br>
Unschool mom of 7 great kids!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/homeschool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="homeschool">:<br>
Visit my blog:<a href="http://wondersoflearning.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://wondersoflearning.blogspot.com/</a>

 

[moominmamma]

A. ... you could do what I did the first year, which is to enroll one or two kids, those where there's likely to be the most benefit for the least effort, and see how it 'fits' you from there. I think you'd be nuts to jump aboard with six at once. I had one kid who was interested in the Village, and who takes expensive lessons, and could contribute her own O4Ls, and so we enrolled her the first year as our trial balloon. I went into the second year, with three kids, with eyes open.<br><br>
Miranda

 

[Mom_of_a_ton]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>moominmamma</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7997275"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">A. ... you could do what I did the first year, which is to enroll one or two kids, those where there's likely to be the most benefit for the least effort, and see how it 'fits' you from there. I think you'd be nuts to jump aboard with six at once. I had one kid who was interested in the Village, and who takes expensive lessons, and could contribute her own O4Ls, and so we enrolled her the first year as our trial balloon. I went into the second year, with three kids, with eyes open.<br><br>
Miranda</div>
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</tr></table></div>
That's a good idea. We've decided to try reporting (using Word) for a week and see how it goes.<br><br>
Unschool mom of 7 great kids!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/homeschool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="homeschool">: <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/homebirth.jpg" style="border:0px solid;" title="Homebirth"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/cd.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Cd">: <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/violin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="violin">