Homeschooling with Technology
306 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 33 ratingsThe Homeschooling with Technology Podcast is a weekly show, hosted by Meryl van der Merwe, where she shares ideas on how to use technology to be more productive as a homeschool parent and on how to use technology to make lessons more engaging. In addition, she covers techie skills your children need to learn and how to easily incorporate them into your homeschooling. Meryl homeschooled her 4 children after working as a computer programmer for many years. She uses technology whenever she can when teaching both live co-op classes and online classes for homeschoolers. In this podcast, she shares all the best tech resources she finds with you.
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Episodes
How much screentime for your children?
October 09, 2019 13:00 - 20 minutes - 20.8 MBEpisode 55: How much screentime for your children? My previous episode on Homeschooling Digital Natives gives context to this episode so if you haven’t listened to it yet, you might it helpful as you consider the question, “How much screentime for your children?” I suggest you look for balance and to help you, here are […] The post How much screentime for your children? appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Homeschooling Digital Natives
October 02, 2019 13:00 - 14 minutes - 14.6 MBEpisode 54: Homeschooling Digital Natives Most of you are digital immigrants homeschooling digital natives. In 2001 Mark Prensky coined the terms “digital natives” and “digital immigrants”. ‘Digital Native’ is used to describe someone born in the digital era. ‘Digital Immigrant’ is used to describe someone born before the digital era. This comic created by Adam […] The post Homeschooling Digital Natives appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Why Homeschool Moms Need to be Tech-Savvy
September 25, 2019 13:00 - 23 minutes - 22.7 MBEpisode 53: Why homeschool moms need to be tech-savvy with Felice Gerwitz It’s our one year birthday!! Before we talk about “Why Homeschool Moms Need to be Tech-Savvy” let’s talk about birthday gifts! If you find this podcast useful, the best gift you can give us is a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or […] The post Why Homeschool Moms Need to be Tech-Savvy appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Using Technology to Eat Healthy
September 18, 2019 13:00 - 18 minutes - 18.1 MBEpisode 52: Using Technology to Eat Healthy with Debbie Hanyon In this episode, Debbie Hanyon from Homeschooling Dietitian Mom, joins us to share how she uses technology to eat healthy. Debbie is a homeschool mom and she has a number of resources on her website other homeschool moms will find helpful. Take a special look […] The post Using Technology to Eat Healthy appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Free Website Creation Tools
September 11, 2019 13:00 - 13 minutes - 14 MBEpisode 51: Free Website Creation Tools Why is it a good idea to teach students to create websites? Useful skill Can be used for community service- 4-H group, Lego League Team, homeschool support group If they start a business they will need one Digital portfolios As a way to share what they are learning instead […] The post Free Website Creation Tools appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
How to Create Online Choose Your Own Adventure Games
September 04, 2019 13:00 - 11 minutes - 12.5 MBEpisode 50: How to Create Online Choose Your Own Adventure Games Here are 3 different resources students can use to create online choose-your-own-adventure games. 1. Text Adventures Text Adventures actually has 3 different options to create choose-your-own-adventure games. There is the option to download software, but I have always used the online version. Initially, you […] The post How to Create Online Choose Your Own Adventure Games appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
PHET Science Simulations
August 28, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 17 MBEpisode 49: PHET Science Simulations with Kristin Moon Today’s interview is with Kristin Moon from Kristin Moon Science and the topic is PHET Science Simulations. You can also follow her on Facebook. Why use simulations Simulations allow students to have a concrete idea of concepts that are difficult to explain. What are PHET simulations They […] The post PHET Science Simulations appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Web-based Unit Studies
August 21, 2019 13:00 - 14 minutes - 14.7 MBEpisode 48: Web-based Unit Studies Web-based unit studies are NOT simply pdfs instead of physical books, but rather interactive and accessed through an online classroom. What are web-based unit studies? mini online self-paced classes make use of online resources eg videos, interactive websites, online games, audio, infographics have online projects where the students use digital […] The post Web-based Unit Studies appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Fanschool games – bringing the fun of fantasy sports to education
August 14, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 16.9 MBEpisode 47: Fanschool – bringing the fun of fantasy sports to education with Eric Nelson Eric Nelson first created Fanschool games when he was a teacher and he played it with his classes. A few years ago he put it online – and now your family can enjoy playing too. Fanschool Games You can find […] The post Fanschool games – bringing the fun of fantasy sports to education appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Using technology to improve writing
August 07, 2019 13:00 - 17 minutes - 18 MBEpisode 46: Using technology to improve writing Here are the tools mentioned in the episode that can be used by your children to improve writing skills. 1. Grammarly 2. Hemingway app 3. The Most Dangerous Writing Prompt Generator – 4. Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University 5. My Access 6. Online Writing […] The post Using technology to improve writing appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Free online government and civics games
July 31, 2019 13:00 - 14 minutes - 14.9 MBEpisode 45: Free online government and civics games These are the free online government and civics games mentioned in this episode. Most of them are geared to middle and high school students but elementary students can enjoy some of them too. 1. The American Presidency – match actual events from Trumans day with 7 […] The post Free online government and civics games appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Online resources to help you select curriculum
July 24, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 17 MBEpisode 44: Online resources to help you select curriculum In this episode, we look at 6 steps to use online resources to help you select curriculum that is a good fit for your child. Please refer to episode 36 – Tips for buying and selling curriculum online to help you find the best prices for […] The post Online resources to help you select curriculum appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Unplugged Coding
July 17, 2019 13:00 - 15 minutes - 16.1 MBEpisode 43: Unplugged Coding with Sandra Balisky Be sure to join our Facebook group where we carry on the discussion about Homeschooling with Technology. Sandra Balisky from Real World Learners is our guest today. She has a background as a math and English teacher and is now homeschooling her own children and working on […] The post Unplugged Coding appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Online Tools for Photography
July 10, 2019 13:00 - 15 minutes - 15.6 MBEpisode 42: Online Tools for Photography with Piers van der Merwe Piers is not only my husband, but also the photography teacher at FundaFunda Academy. You can see his work at Onstandby Travel and on Smugmug. Here are the online tools for photography he mentions in this episode. 1. Editing Tools Google and Apple […] The post Online Tools for Photography appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Explore cities with digital scavenger hunts
July 03, 2019 13:00 - 13 minutes - 13.9 MBEpisode 41: Explore cities with digital scavenger hunts My oldest daughter, Rachel, suggested I do an episode on this as she and I have enjoyed a number of Digital Scavenger Hunts together. Rachel teaches the Visual Literacy class for FundaFunda Academy. Digital scavenger hunts can be found in most cities – and sometimes even […] The post Explore cities with digital scavenger hunts appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
How teens can start a podcast
June 26, 2019 13:00 - 14 minutes - 15.2 MBEpisode 40: How teens can start a podcast with Abby Banks Be sure to join our Facebook group where we carry on the discussion about Homeschooling with Technology. Today’s guest is Abby Banks from Making Room for One More. She is also the host of the Homeschool with Moxie podcast. Abby explains how teens […] The post How teens can start a podcast appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Ways teens can make money online
June 19, 2019 13:00 - 18 minutes - 18.3 MBEpisode 39: Ways teens can make money online Be sure to join our Facebook group where we carry on the discussion about Homeschooling with Technology. Today’s guest is Abby Banks from Making Room for One More. She is also the host of the Homeschool with Moxie podcast. She will be drawing on her own […] The post Ways teens can make money online appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Geocaching – Technology meets nature
June 12, 2019 13:00 - 11 minutes - 12.2 MBEpisode 38: Geocaching – Technology meets nature Be sure to join our Facebook group where we carry on the discussion about Homeschooling with Technology. Geocaching is a fun “treasure” hunt in nature to find hidden caches using GPS and your eyes 🙂 Go to the official Geocaching website and there you will find links […] The post Geocaching – Technology meets nature appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Programming with Scratch
June 05, 2019 13:00 - 12 minutes - 13.4 MBEpisode 37: Programming with Scratch In episode 11, I covered ways to introduce your children to programming. One of those ways was Scratch, and in this episode, I will go into more detail about programming with Scratch. What is Scratch? Scratch was created by a team at MIT to be an accessible way for […] The post Programming with Scratch appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Tips for buying and selling curriculum online
May 29, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 16.6 MBEpisode 36: Tips for buying and selling curriculum online If you are buying or selling curriculum online this summer, here are some tips to help you. And be sure to join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast. We will carry on the conversation there. Some places to buy and sell […] The post Tips for buying and selling curriculum online appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Using technology to study history
May 22, 2019 13:00 - 17 minutes - 17.3 MBEpisode 35: Using technology to study history with Vicki Tillman Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast. My guest today is Vicki Tillman. She is a fellow podshow host and you can listen to her on The Homeschool Highschool Podcast. She develops curriculum and is a homeschool coach at 7 […] The post Using technology to study history appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
4-H and Technology
May 15, 2019 13:35 - 10 minutes - 11.5 MBEpisode 34: 4-H and Technology 4-H started over 100 years ago. According to the 4-H website the goal of 4-H is to “help young people and their families gain the skills needed to be proactive forces in their communities and develop ideas for a more innovative economy”. Although 4-H started as an agricultural youth […] The post 4-H and Technology appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
How Your Children Can Learn Digital Art
May 08, 2019 13:00 - 17 minutes - 17.7 MBEpisode 33: How your children can learn digital art with Jim Pence Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast Be sure to visit our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy‘s website and take a look at their Visual Literacy online class for high school. This provides a 1/2 credit as an Art elective […] The post How Your Children Can Learn Digital Art appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
MOOCs – how to use them for yourself and your teens
May 01, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 16.5 MBEpisode 32: MOOCs – how to use them for yourself and your teens Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast And visit our sponsor FundaFunda Academy to see the classes they are offering for high school credit this summer. MOOC = Massive Open Online Courses The start of MOOCs is […] The post MOOCs – how to use them for yourself and your teens appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Technology and Travel Planning with your children
April 24, 2019 13:00 - 19 minutes - 19.4 MBEpisode 31: Technology and Travel Planning with Your Children Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast And visit our sponsor FundaFunda Academy to see the classes they are offering for high school credit this summer. Intro the Theatre is a lot of fun. Students learn not just about acting but […] The post Technology and Travel Planning with your children appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Online Tools to Help Teens Study
April 17, 2019 13:00 - 14 minutes - 15 MBEpisode 30: Online Tools to Help Teens Study Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! And visit our sponsor FundaFunda Academy to see the classes they are offering for high school credit this summer. Photography is one class that is ideal to take over the summer when there are plenty of […] The post Online Tools to Help Teens Study appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
4 Free Online History games
April 10, 2019 13:00 - 12 minutes - 13.1 MBEpisode 29: 4 Free Online History games Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! And visit our sponsor FundaFunda Academy to see the web-based unit studies and full semester classes they offer. They also have options for summer learning! Many of their classes incorporate games like the ones discussed in this […] The post 4 Free Online History games appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Using Google MyMaps for Techie Projects
April 03, 2019 13:00 - 12 minutes - 13.1 MBEpisode 28: Using Google MyMaps for Techie Projects Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! And visit our sponsor FundaFunda Academy to see the web-based unit studies and full semester classes they offer. They also have options for summer learning! Google MyMaps allows you to customize a Google map. Start by […] The post Using Google MyMaps for Techie Projects appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Homeschooling with Google Maps
March 26, 2019 13:00 - 13 minutes - 13.9 MBEpisode 27: Homeschooling with Google Maps Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! And visit our sponsor FundaFunda Academy to see the web-based unit studies and full semester classes they offer. How to use Google Maps in your Homeschool 1. Let your children navigate using the app. It teaches them to […] The post Homeschooling with Google Maps appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Online communication skills your children need to learn
March 20, 2019 13:00 - 18 minutes - 18.6 MBEpisode 26: Online communication skills your children need to learn Looking for online classes for the new year for your children? Take a look at what our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy has to offer. 1. Start teaching them these skills early They should choose their email username carefully They should get in the habit of checking […] The post Online communication skills your children need to learn appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
How to use Quizlet to learn foreign language vocabulary with Suzette Laporte-Ayo
March 13, 2019 13:00 - 10 minutes - 11.3 MBEpisode 25: How to use Quizlet to learn foreign language vocabulary with Suzette Laporte-Ayo Quizlet is a free online resource and app that has quizzes and games for many different subjects. In this podcast, Suzette Laporte-Ayo, Spanish teacher at FundaFunda Academy, explains her unique way of using Quizlet for Spanish vocabulary study. Her method will […] The post How to use Quizlet to learn foreign language vocabulary with Suzette Laporte-Ayo appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast ...
How to select online classes for your children
March 06, 2019 14:00 - 16 minutes - 17 MBEpisode 24: How to select online classes for your children 1. Cost you get what you pay for (live classes, graded classes will cost more) refund policies? 2. Synchronous / Asynchronous Synchronous classes are usually live and students watch a live stream. Good for students who like structure. Example: True North Homeschool Academy. Asynchronous classes […] The post How to select online classes for your children appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
5 Ways Homeschool Parents Can Use Trello
February 27, 2019 14:00 - 14 minutes - 15.1 MBEpisode 23: 5 Ways homeschool parents can use Trello with Brittany Joiner Our guest in today’s show is Brittany Joiner. She is a self-confessed Trello enthusiast who in her spare time organizes local Trello events and blogs for Trello. Link on Trello’s blog to Brittany and her articles Find local meetups of Trello enthusiasts near […] The post 5 Ways Homeschool Parents Can Use Trello appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Techie Alternatives to Written Reports
February 20, 2019 14:00 - 17 minutes - 18 MBEpisode 22: Techie Alternatives to Written Reports Benefits to using techie alternatives to written reports Although students definitely need to know how to do a written book report or research paper, there are other ways to see what your child has learned. And there are benefits to mixing it up. 3 major benefits: techie assignments […] The post Techie Alternatives to Written Reports appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Free Graphic Creation Tools
February 13, 2019 14:00 - 14 minutes - 14.9 MBEpisode 21: Free Graphic Creation Tools The free tools mentioned in this episode are: Canva (Hear the story of how this software came about on How I Built this with Guy Raz) Adobe Spark Google Drawings Pixlr (photo editor) Easel.ly (infographics) Find free icons to use in your graphics projects at The Noun Project. Show […] The post Free Graphic Creation Tools appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Free Video Creation Tools
February 06, 2019 14:00 - 11 minutes - 12.2 MBEpisode 20: Free Video Creation Tools The free tools mentioned in this episode are: Windows Moviemaker / iMovie, if they are already installed on a computer Keynote and Powerpoint, if they are already installed on a computer, can be exported as a movie file Adobe Spark Video Example from a FundaFunda Academy US History class […] The post Free Video Creation Tools appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
How tech can help you homeschool when you travel
January 30, 2019 14:00 - 13 minutes - 14.1 MBEpisode 19: How tech can help you homeschool when you travel Modern technology makes it far easier to homeschooling when you travel than it was for me when we traveled around the world about 11 years ago with our 4 children. What devices are good for traveling and homeschooling? Chromebooks – take a flash drive […] The post How tech can help you homeschool when you travel appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Tech skills teens need before they graduate
January 23, 2019 14:00 - 14 minutes - 15.1 MBEpisode 18: Tech skills teens need before they graduate 1. Computer basics Saving / Copying / Uploading files How to take a screenshot Typing skills Troubleshooting 2. Familiarity with different types of software Slideshow (Google Slides, Prezi) Documents (Google Docs, Word) Spreadsheets (Google Sheets / Excel) Video creation (iMovie, Windows Moviemaker, screencasting software) Graphic creation […] The post Tech skills teens need before they graduate appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Po...
Classtools – Online Educational Fun
January 16, 2019 14:00 - 10 minutes - 11.4 MBEpisode 17: Classtools – Online Educational Fun In today’s episode we will explore some of the fun resources on the website Classtools. Our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy enjoys using the free Classtools resources in many of their online classes and web-based unit studies. Resources for creative assignments Fakebook – create a “fake” book page complete with […] The post Classtools – Online Educational Fun appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Free Online Geography Games
January 09, 2019 14:00 - 14 minutes - 14.7 MBEpisode 16: Free Online Geography Games Our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy offers online high school world geography classes as well as web-based unit studies for 4th – 8th grade on North America, South America, and Poland. In addition, they sell inexpensive Geography printable games. Here are the 6 free online geography games mentioned in this episode: […] The post Free Online Geography Games appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Finding, tracking and winning scholarships
January 02, 2019 14:00 - 12 minutes - 13.2 MBEpisode 15: Finding, tracking and winning scholarships 1. Finding Scholarships * Use Scholarship Search Engines My favorite scholarship search engines: Unigo Moolah Spot The University Network Other scholarship search engines: Peterson’s, Fastweb, Cappex, Collegeboard, Scholarships.com * Scholly App * Local school websites * Google search – “scholarship” + major / hobby / achievement etc * […] The post Finding, tracking and winning scholarships appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast ...
Digital Breakouts
December 26, 2018 14:00 - 13 minutes - 14.3 MBEpisode 14: Digital Breakouts —> Check out our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy‘s classes and web-based unit studies for Spring 2019. What are Digital Breakouts? They are similar to Escape Rooms – just all online! Instead of physical locks, the locks are virtual and you enter the solutions via Google forms. The puzzles are online: videos, jigsaw […] The post Digital Breakouts appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Techie Family Fun
December 19, 2018 14:00 - 10 minutes - 10.9 MBEpisode 13: Techie Family Fun —> Check out our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy’s web-based unit studies and online high school classes. They all utilize technology to enhance the lessons and also include techie projects. These games allow your kids to be on their devices – but still participating in family games. “Guess the song” Use Alexa […] The post Techie Family Fun appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Tech Toys and Games
December 12, 2018 14:00 - 12 minutes - 13.3 MBEpisode 12: Tech Toys and Games —> Check out our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy’s Scratch Christmas Coding Contest. This contest is for those who can’t program in Scratch yet, as well as for those who can. There are 2 different divisions, and new programmers can learn along with video tutorials as part of their entrance fee […] The post Tech Toys and Games appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
How to introduce your kids to programming
December 05, 2018 14:00 - 15 minutes - 15.8 MBEpisode 11: How to introduce your kids to programming Why is it necessary for children to learn to code? 1. This is where the future lies. “Career track” jobs which need coding skills pay $22,000 per year more than jobs that don’t. Half of the jobs in the top income quartile (>$57,000 per year) are […] The post How to introduce your kids to programming appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Christmas Shopping the Techie Way
November 28, 2018 14:00 - 17 minutes - 17.8 MBEpisode 10: Christmas Shopping the Techie Way 1. Throughout the year collect ideas in Evernote 2. Get your family to create wishlists (Pinterest, Amazon, Google docs/sheets) 3. If you need more ideas Pinterest Searching with specific keywords eg “Gifts for Horse lovers” Blogs: for example, our sponsor Fundafunda Academy has a post on 25 Fun […] The post Christmas Shopping the Techie Way appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
10 Techie Tools I Am Grateful For
November 21, 2018 14:00 - 14 minutes - 14.6 MBEpisode 9: 10 Techie Tools I Am Grateful For 1. Offline maps I usually use Google maps, select the area and download. 2. Portable Charger Here’s the one I use: EasyAcc Slim 10000 mAh Power Bank 3. Podcasts One of my favorites is Planet Money. If you are listening to this online and don’t know […] The post 10 Techie Tools I Am Grateful For appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
5 Techie Ways to Organize Your Homeschool
November 14, 2018 14:00 - 15 minutes - 15.4 MBEpisode 8: 5 Techie Ways to Organize your Homeschool 1. Google Drive Google Drive is an online filing system. Listen to episodes 2, 3 and 4 for more detail on how to use it to organize your homeschool Our sponsor, FundaFunda Academy offers 2 classes that teach about Google Drive and the associated apps. They […] The post 5 Techie Ways to Organize Your Homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Homeschooling with Google Slides
November 07, 2018 14:00 - 10 minutes - 11.3 MBEpisode 7: Homeschooling with Google Slides Google Slides offers all benefits of Google Drive apps like easy collaboration and access anywhere you have wifi. Listen to episode 2 on Google Drive for more info on all the Google Drive apps. Some features of Google Slides Google Drive does have fewer features than many of the […] The post Homeschooling with Google Slides appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.
Homeschooling with Google Forms
October 31, 2018 13:00 - 12 minutes - 13 MBEpisode 6: Homeschooling with Google Forms Google Forms is great for moms (and dads) to use it to create self-graded quizzes and for surveys. You could use it to collect responses to questions like “what field trip your homeschool group might most want to go on”, and “which date works best”. But it is even […] The post Homeschooling with Google Forms appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.