So when the TOS Crew was given an opportunity to review a product specifically geared toward the TJE philosophy, I was happy to jump at the chance! Woot!
There are 7 keys to great teaching and when they are applied learning happens. They are:
- Classics not textbooks
- Mentors not professors
- Inspire not require
- Structure time not content
- Quality not conformity
- Simplicity not complexity
- You not them
This Week In History, the Thomas Jefferson Education’s subscription program, emails new lessons to your inbox every week. Each week contains pictures, links & videos, and awesome historical data to help educate your child to their full potential (and you too!). You can view a sample week: Click here.
So what does Thomas Jefferson mean to me? Well, I loved the well-roundedness that comes with a classic education. I tried my best as a teenager to read as many classics as possible, and I want that for my children. There are so many people around us that haven't read any literature! And I love that my daughters are so inquisitive about so many things...they can dig their heels into a subject and that's okay...TJE reminds us that it is okay to not be like everyone else!
This Week In History was a great reminder to me, as a mother, that there are many things happening in the world and that have happened in the past. We tend to create a bubble around ourselves when it comes to what we teach our children...we don't want them to know the bad stuff, but allowing a historical perspective gives children a sense of wonder, a sense of knowing that they are very lucky to be where they are, and to learn from other's mistakes and triumphs!
It was great getting an email with all the that info every week. I feel like I'm on top of the world! With younger children, it is easy for mom to click through and see if something would suit her kids and get more info quickly. If there are older kids they can click through and read all the data provided and get their knowledge juices flowing!
My favorites in the emails include: Birthdates and info on poets and classical authors, dates of inventions, and dates of historical events! If you ever wondered when something happened, you'd better sign up for this!
The author of This Week In History, Rachel DeMille, was kind enough to offer us ideas on how to use these informational emails with our different teaching styles:
1. A week or two in advance (since you have it all together and you like to see how everything is going to shape up before it happens) you review the coming week's resources and consider how they fit with your interests, your kids' projects, etc., and plan how to use it
2. On the day of (since your week has been nutty and you haven't had time to plan what you're going to do), you get up and review that day's resources, print out a few pdfs and preview a few topics, and then invite the children to discover with you
3. In the moment (since you're an adventurous, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl/boy), you bring up the site and wander your way through it like a treasure hunt
4. Review the archives (available at the bottom of each week's article, or by searching by date or keyword) to explore for a date of interest, like a child's birthday, your wedding anniversary, or even some random date chosen by your child-of-the-day, and explore what is notable about that date
Any of these can be just what a family or class needs, depending on the culture, style and mood. Just experiment with it and keep it fresh in your mind so that you use it to your best advantage.
"This Week in History is located as an article on TJEd.org with special content accessible only to registered TWIH subscribers such as yourself. It is designed to be useful as a classroom or family resource, with appeal to students and teachers from about age six or seven on up. Many of the comments we've received have celebrated how great a learning experience it is for the parent or mentor helping administer it - not just because of the variety of content and disciplines it covers, but because it teaches *how* to personalize, how to innovate and how to apply daily learning to relevant personal growth, while fostering an interest in exploring more and deeper."
In short, This Week in History aspires to help you "Inspire, not Require."
Here's what their website says about the program: "
With a subscription to This Week in History, each day’s resources are an adventure in math, science, language skills, geography, current events, the arts and so on – all tied to events in history.
For just $9.99 per month, you have the world of learning available to help you lead and inspire your students to explore, learn and and excel!
This Week in History is provided as a weekly online bundle of resources that you can access in either of two ways:
- On the dedicated TWIH blog feed at TJEd.org
- Via an email sent directly to your inbox using our secure email service
I encourage you to try this program! It's well worth it (only 33 cents a day, and you can cancel at any time. Try the sample and learn something new! Also, try their free pdfs and audio samples HERE.
To read more Crew Reviews about this and other homeschool products click HERE.
***Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Crew, Different Dog received this product for free in exchange for our honest opinion on the product. All opinions are our own. Ruff!
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