July 4, Montevallo: Independence Day 1776 at American Village

Complete Schedule of Events found here...

July 16 - 22, So You Think You Wanna Homeschool?

Tiffany Manley {of Sweet Phenomena and Everest Academy mom} and Sam Kelley {of Sam's Noggin} have teamed up to bring you So, You Think You Wanna Homeschool? - The Class!

Designed to offer guidance, support, and friendship to all homeschoolers, each student will enjoy the following:

• Seven days of written lessons, each including a video, handout, or both
• Interaction and feedback from Sam and Tiffany, as well as your fellow students, in a private Facebook group
• Two live chats
• Access to all content, the Facebook group, and Sam and Tiffany for one full year
• A discount code for Tiffany’s eBook, “So, You Think You Wanna Homeschool?”

To celebrate the launch of this class, the course fee has been reduced by 50% {to just $20!} and students will get a free copy of Tiffany's book!

Visit this page for tons of great information on what you'll specifically learn, how the course will run, and to register.

Tiffany Manley

Sweet Phenomena

A blog about life, homeschooling, and domestic violence awareness

Start Homeschooling Now

An eBook to help you start homeschooling & find tons of homeschooling resources

Sept 8, Anniston: Museum Day at Anniston Museum of Natural History *FREE*

Museum Day: It’s Fun Being Green!
Saturday, September 8, 10am–5pm
FREE ADMISSION!*
Come celebrate the 82nd birthday of Anniston Museum of Natural History on this fun family free day. For Museum Day 2012, we’re celebrating our birthday with all things “green.” There will be children’s activities, live animal shows, demonstrations of the Museum’s “green” initiatives, food (fee charged) and a full day of educational fun for the whole family, including the Calhoun County launch of the brand new Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail! Museum Day is not just a celebration for Anniston Museum: we’re also celebrating with free admission at Berman Museum of World History just next door! Museum Day festivities and Berman Museum’s children’s activities are sponsored by Kiwanis Young Child Priority program. Watch for more details coming soon!

*Note: Adults must accompany children at all times; we require at least one adult/5 children (under the age of 16).

July 24 - August 2, Huntsville: Educator LEGO Robotics Workshop

I am pleased to announce that we will be offering an excellent Lego Robotics workshop series during the month of July.  The workshop will consist of a series of 4 sessions; if signing up, please plan on attending all 4 sessions.  Space is limited so prior registration is required and seats will be filled on a first-come basis.  Robots and equipment for the workshop will be provided.  A map showing our location is attached.  Please contact me with questions or to register.

Sincerely,

Fred Kepner

NXT Advanced Programming Workshop July 24, 26, 31, and August 2 5:00 to 7:00 PM - This hands-on workshop will be held at the Educational Resource Center (ERC) at the Space and Rocket Center campus and is taught by 5 year FIRST Lego League (FLL) coach Kim Daugherty and his Monkey Madness team. It is intended for adult FLL coaches and mentors who want to learn NXT-G advanced programming concepts to teach their teams. Participants (2 per robot) will start off building a simple robot and getting a refresher on basic programming. This will be followed by advanced programming topics covering sensor input, loops, conditionals, variables, data wires, subroutines (MyBlocks), proportional control, and line following. Participants should have a basic understanding of NXT-G programming prior to taking this workshop.

Fred Kepner
Education Specialist
OHC Contract-WTI
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Academic Affairs HS30
Office:  256.544.4761

Fax:  256-544-5820

Deadline Aug. 15, Biography of an Object Writing Contest

Full Contest Description: 

“Biography of an Object Writing Contest” is a national writing contest sponsored by Garth’s Auctions, Antiques & the Arts Weekly, AntiqueWeek, Maine Antique Digest and Prices4Antiques.com. Entrants may choose one of the following objects (or, request a 30 day trial membership from prices4antiques.com using the code “contest30day” to browse the archive and choose an object within their personal field of interest):

~ an ancient mummified bird

~ a painting of Indians by Frank Tenney Johnson

~ an authentic vampire killing kit

~ a pair of cased revolvers having belonged to Civil War General Benjamin Brice

~ an 18th C Philadelphia chair

~ a 19th C doll carved from a bedpost

~ a 17th C Tibetan Buddha figure inset with gems

Once an object is chosen, contestants should create a brief fictional biography (prose or poetry) or a more studied, non-fictional account. In either case, the author will want to address similar questions to those one would ask if writing a biography of a person: Where are you from? What was your life like? What was your purpose?. For example, the biography of a chest of drawers from France from the 1800’s would reveal totally different details than the biography of a chest of drawers from Philadelphia circa 1776. Entrants are also required to submit an image of the item of focus (images may be original art illustration, created by the author or photograph). Entries will be judged based on the accuracy of information related to the object of focus, idea development and storytelling, organization and writing mechanics.

The “Biography of an Object” contest opens June 15th and closes on August 15th. There will be three divisions: Kids (12 and under), Teens (13-19), and Adults (20 and above). This is a great project for older siblings, parents or grandparents to share with the young people in their lives or if you are a just a big kid yourself with a passion for antiques and the stories behind them!

June 19, Jasper: Free Sample Taekwondo Class

Curious about Taekwondo?
Wonder what class might be like?
Yes?

Then join us for a Free 1 hr. sample Taekwondo class with Master Todd Rice, 4th Degree Black Belt instructor with 35 years experience.

Date: Tuesday, June 19
Time: Ages 5-12yrs ~ class is from 1-2p

Ages 13 & up ~ class is from 2-3p

Please arrive 15 mins early but do not disrupt any class still in session

Location: Impact Martial Arts Jasper, Alabama

(Located in strip mall behind KFC, 3 doors down from Sears.)

Cost: FREE

RSVP Deadline: Tuesday, June 12

Please RSVP so we know what ages to expect & if we will need to set up additional classes

Contact: Sherry Morrow ~ themorrowclan@yahoo.com  or 205-300-0608

The 50 Best Sources of Free Liberal Arts Learning Online

This article originated at http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/06/the-50-best-sources-of-free-liberal-arts-learning-online/ with permission from Kaitlyn Cole.  

A liberal arts education can be the foundation for a career in just about any field, from politics to business, not just those directly related to liberal arts majors. Through these courses, students learn how to solve problems, think critically, write well, and gain a whole host of important facts about history and culture. That’s what makes these kinds of courses so essential in a well-rounded college degree program, and why so many colleges require students to take them, regardless of major.

Even if you’ve already signed up to take the basic liberal arts courses at your school, whether for your major or to fulfill general education requirements, it never hurts to take a few more or to expand your knowledge beyond the material covered in a course. We previously compiled a list of the best free STEM resources and now it’s the liberal arts’ turn, with loads of courses, lectures, reading material, and more on this list for you to look at and learn from in your free time.

Universities

These universities offer a wide range of liberal arts courses that students can access for free.

1. MIT OpenCourseWare:
   MIT offers one of the largest collections of open courses anywhere on the web. While you might think they would just be STEM-related, there are actually a good number of liberal arts courses to choose from as well.
2. The Open University:
   There are so many liberal arts courses to choose from on the Open University, from Art in Venice to the French Revolution, that you could take one every week and still not tackle them all.
3. Open Yale Courses:
   Yale offers free courses in diverse fields, including African American Studies, Classics, English, History, and Art History, among many more.
4. UC Berkeley Webcasts:
   Choose from courses in great liberal arts fields like anthropology and psychology when you head to UC Berkeley’s open learning site.
5. Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative:
   The bulk of the material on the OLI is technology-focused, but you can also find courses on French, speech, and soon, psychology.
6. University of Notre Dame OCW:
   Notre Dame boasts an impressive collection of OCW in the liberal arts, with something to meet almost any students’ needs.
7. UCI OpenCourseWare:
   Head to the University of California-Irvine’s OCW page to get access to courses in the social sciences, education, and the humanities.
8. OpenUW:
   The University of Washington offers a limited number of courses for free, but some are on really great topics like the Civil War, Greek mythology, Hamlet, Shakespeare, and even JRR Tolkien.
9. Columbia Interactive:
   While this site is no longer being updated with new material, the existing courses that are offered here are well worth your time to check out, covering everything from poli sci to literature.
10. Open Oxford University:
    You don’t have to get accepted to this prestigious British school to take courses there. Instead, head to their iTunes U site and start learning about literature, nature, and much more.
11. Stanford University on iTunes U:
    Stanford is another school with a standout collection of courses on iTunes U. Students can find everything from history to fine arts through the California school’s free offerings.
12. UMass Boston OCW:
    Don’t miss out on the free resources offered by the University of Massachusetts-Boston. There’s a great mix of science, tech, and liberal arts courses to take advantage of.
13. Cornell University:
    Architecture, communication, business, and music are just a few of the topics courses and lectures from Cornell focus on through their iTunes U site.
14. Cambridge University:
    Find news, lectures, and even course material on this prestigious school’s iTunes U site.
15. Capilano University OCW:
    Capilano offers free courses in liberal arts topics like art history, anthropology, English, geography, and philosophy.
16. University of Wisconsin-Madison:
    Leading professors at UWM share their expertise through courses and lectures featured on this site.
17. King’s College London Podcasts:
    Through free resources at King’s College, you can take a course in the history of philosophy or engage yourself in a humanities audio tour.
18. NYU on iTunes U:
    Listen to lectures on subjects like French, Spanish, sustainability, architecture, and philosophy through NYU’s iTunes U portal.
19. Arizona State University OCW:
    ASU provides a mix of OCW and lectures through iTunes U that can help you learn about a diverse selection of subjects, from geography to culture.
20. World Lecture Hall:
    Use the World Lecture Hall site to help you find courses from leading universities around the world. Search by course, topic, or university.

Courses

You can also find great courses offered outside of universities, like those listed here.

21. Connexions:
    On Connexions, you can search for free educational material on just about any liberal arts subject you can think of.
22. Wikiversity:
    Whether you want to learn about architecture, ethnology, or history, head to Wikiversity for free course materials.
23. BBC Learning:
    BBC Learning offers courses in topics like history, English, and religious studies, but some of their most popular courses can help you learn one of dozens of languages.
24. Fathom:
    Find free seminars from around the world in liberal arts subjects when you use Fathom.
25. Saylor.org: This free collection of college-level courses offers students the chance to learn about everything from art history to English lit.
    
    

Lectures

If you are more interested in a short lecture than a whole course, there are plenty of options out there. Here are some that draw on professors, scholars, experts, and other high-quality sources.

26. Harvard @ Home:
    Even if you live thousands of miles from Harvard you can get access to their lectures through the resources offered on their Harvard @ Home site.
27. Forum Network:
    The Forum Network collects great lectures from authors, scholars, and public figures on just about every subject imaginable.
28. TED:
    Some of the most brilliant minds in the world have lectured at TED events, and you can see what they have to say by visiting the organization’s website.
29. Princeton WebMedia:
    Princeton is home to some seriously amazing lectures, a collection of which you’ll find here.
30. Academic Earth:
    Use Academic Earth to find high-quality lectures from top universities in subjects like religious studies, art, history, literature, and political science.
31. MIT Video:
    Check out the liberal arts-related channels on MIT’s great lecture site to explore the cutting edge of the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
32. Boston College Front Row:
    You can score yourself a front-row seat to some of the best lectures at BC when you visit their website.
33. Conversations with History:
    The University of California Berkeley sponsors and shares this seriously amazing series on history.
34. London School of Economics Podcasts:
    Give yourself a free economic education by listening to a few of the hundreds of podcasts uploaded to the London School of Economics’ website.
35. Public Radio International:
    Here you’ll find some great stories from public radio stations, covering topics like history, culture, and language.
36. Museum of Modern Art:
    You can learn more about art history by listening to the resources offered by the MOMA, exploring the works of great artists like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman.
37. UCLA OID Webcasts:
    The Office of Instructional Development at UCLA shares free video lectures of important campus events featuring great speakers and faculty research here.
38. Duke University:
    Get a free education from Duke when you head to iTunes. Currently, the only full course they offer is in chemistry, but there is an amazing collection of free lectures that can be great learning tools.

Educational Resources

Do research, learn, and collaborate using these great educational resources in the liberal arts.

39. Bio Network: The Bio Channel is a great place to read more about some of the most important figures in world history.
    
    
40. Library of Congress American Memory:
    On the Library of Congress site you’ll find documents, photographs, music, and more from some of the most pivotal events in American history.
41. National Archives:
    Whether you’re doing research or just browsing, the National Archives are a great place to learn more about American history and life in other eras.
42. Federal Resources for Educational Excellence:
    The U.S. Department of Education offers some great learning materials here on a wide range of liberal arts subjects.
43. Smarthistory:
    Created by the Khan Academy, this online history learning tool puts standard history textbooks to shame.
44. Livemocha:
    If you’re trying to learn a new language, give this interactive social learning site a try.
45. Smithsonian Folkways:
    The Smithsonian shares its collection of traditional music from around the world on this iTunes U archive. It’s a great way to broaden your understanding of world cultures.

Reading Material

Pair your free courses and lectures with some free reading material offered through these sites.

46. Wikibooks:
    Wikibooks offers access to a number of free textbooks and reading materials, which can often be a great supplement for other free courses.
47. Google Scholar:
    Use Google Scholar to find academic articles on just about anything, including the social sciences and psychology.
48. Project Gutenberg:
    When books reach a certain age, their copyrights expire and they’re free to share. You’ll find hundreds of these books, some great works of literature, on the Project Gutenberg site.
49. Bibliomania:
    Bibliomania is another great place to look for free books, from fiction to drama to poetry.
50. FlatWorld Knowledge:
    FlatWorld develops open source textbooks. Currently, you can access great reads on writing, college life, job hunting, geography, history, and psychology.

June 22, Madison: JumpZone Home School Day

JumpZone will be hosting a Home School Day on Friday June 22nd 11-3. This happens the 4th Friday of each month, even during the summer. There is a reduced rate for this time. http://jumpzoneparty.com/

June 22 - 24, Multiple Venues: Alabama’s Summer Olympic Games: Alabama Sports Festival

Something for all ages - In 2011, ASF Foundation’s State Games XXIX showcased more than 6,000 athletes competing in 21 different sports at the State Games, and events. The opening ceremony on June 22 is similar to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The Sports Festival lineup includes archery, baseball, basketball, bass fishing, BMX, bowling, disc golf, diving, flag football, gymnastics, lacrosse, Olympic-style rugby, road race, shooting sports, soccer, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, track and field, triathlon, volleyball and wrestling. Opening ceremonies at the BJCC, other venues as scheduled | Free | 800-467-0422 alagames.com

June & July, Jefferson County: Recycled Book Art Classes for Adults Offered This Summer at BPL

Who says summertime fun is just for kids? The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) wants to make sure grown-ups have a good time as well over the next few months, and we’re offering numerous FREE activities throughout the BPL system. One such program is the Recycled Book Art Class series which will be held at seven libraries. The first class will take place at the East Lake Library on Tuesday, June 12, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Take a look below for the complete schedule of this series. Each class is limited to 12 participants, and prior registration is recommended.

Don’t just check out books at the library. Give an old book new life by turning it into a beautiful work of art! Artist Allison Rhea will hold a series of classes to show you how to use an old book as a starting point to explore a medley of techniques so you can create a poignant, meaningful work of art, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist.

Four units are offered which cover different techniques used to alter books; each unit stands as a complete lesson on its own and can be taken independently as well as in a series. When you register, we’ll give you a short list of supplies to bring. You provide the imagination and enthusiasm, and we’ll provide almost everything else, including old books. So decide which technique, location, and time work best for you, and call the library where the class is being held to reserve your spot.

Basic Book Deconstruction and Reconstruction

Participants will be introduced to altered-books by looking at examples of different types of book art as well as brainstorming ideas for their own book. We will focus on preparing the book as a surface for creating artwork. Each student will receive one-on-one attention about what process is best suited to his or her idea.

Southside Branch (tel: 933-7776)

Tuesday July 10th 2-4pm

Collage and Image Transfers

Using appropriated images is one of the most instantly gratifying ways to add depth and richness to an altered book. In this class students will be given the freedom to explore how fun collage and image transfer can be!

East Lake Branch (tel: 836-3341)

Tuesday June 12th 1-3pm

Avondale Branch (tel: 226-4000)

Monday July 23 6:30-8:30pm

Stamps and Stitches

In this class we will be using various forms of printmaking to add impact to our altered books. We will also see what a needle and some thread can do to make a piece of art look complete.

Central Branch (tel: 226-3670)

Saturday June 16th 10am-12pm

North Avondale Branch (tel: 592-2082)

Wednesday July 11th 11am-1pm

Powderly Branch (tel: 925-6178)

Friday July 20th 10am–12pm

The Book as Sculpture 

In this class, book pages go from 2D to 3D in a matter of hours. Students will be introduced to several simple techniques to turn a book into a free-standing sculpture.

Springville Road Branch (tel: 226-4081)

Friday June 15th 10am-12pm