Thursday, June 21, 2012

Digital Homeschooling

We have several digital tools for our homeschool. I've gone to a web based tracking system. I have a Nook simple touch and a Cruz ereader. I prefer the Nook for plain books, it's lighter and the battery lasts forever. I've started using the Cruz for pdfs, it renders them better plus it's got a color screen but it only lasts about 4 hours. So I have downloaded a ton of books for the Nook, and also some from the library, and Cowgirl loves using it. A lot of the vintage stories we read are freely available, like Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, and the stories from the Grimm Brothers. Reading the originals are pretty challenging, the vocabulary is advanced and the themes are more adult. And I love the idea of having a lot of books available anytime, anywhere I want to read.

The Cruz is more of the teachers device, I've started downloading pdfs of various curricula to it for my use, instead of printing. So far I have the MEP math answer pages, the BFSU 2,3 texts, the electronics lab manual, some chemistry curricula I'm reviewing and whatever else I find. There are some educational apps I've downloaded too, such as Chinese and math practice apps. The Cruz also has a full browser, so I can access the tracker system and update it remotely. Usually I take both devices with me.

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