A Brave Writer’s Life in Brief

Ever been delighted to stumble across a book that provides startling new insight on something familiar? That’s what happened to me with the book Cultivating Genius. 

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When I was doing research for my own upcoming book about critical thinking, I discovered the work of best-selling author Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad, author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. 

I noticed right away that Dr. Muhammad’s research into 19th century Black literary societies had themes reminding me of the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling!

She has extended the effective historic model of Black literary societies, creating an “equity framework” for today’s K-12 education.

Her equity framework can make education more meaningful and effective for children learning in school or at home. You’ll find my conversation with her fascinating and affirming! 

Cultivating Genius

Dr. Muhammad explains that many educators today focus mainly on skills and learning standards, while she identifies four components of an effective education: 

• Identity
• Skills
• Intellect
• Criticality

Are you interested in how to move beyond “skills” as the principal focus for education? Curious about how the practices of historic Black literary societies can have a positive effect on learning in your communities’ schools and in your home? 

Join me and Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad to learn about Cultivating Genius in our upcoming webinar in Brave Learner Home. 

• Cultivating Genius 
• Thursday, April 8, 7 pm ET

Our April speaker in Brave Learner Home, Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad, studies Black historical excellence within educational communities with goals of reframing curriculum and instruction today.

She is an Associate Professor of Language and Literacy at Georgia State University. She also serves as the director of the GSU Urban Literacy Collaborative & Clinic. She works with teachers and young people across the United States and South Africa in best practices in culturally responsive instruction. 

Her scholarship has appeared in leading educational journals and books. Some of her recognitions include the 2014 recipient of the National Council of Teachers of English, Promising New Researcher Award, the 2016 NCTE Janet Emig Award, the 2017 GSU Urban Education Research Award and the 2018 UIC College of Education Researcher of the Year.

She is the author of the best-selling book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy.

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I have a little saying to describe how many of us actually homeschool:

Classical education in the fall,
Charlotte Mason in the winter…
Unschooling in the spring!

You know the drill: as the year unwinds, so do our starchy plans! And that’s a-okay because homeschooling has that kind of flexibility.

So even though snow is piling up by the inches in many parts of the country, I promise you: 

Spring is coming! 

And just in time, we’re offering inspiration and information about unschooling in Brave Learner Home.

Our March Master Class on Unschooling will help you understand this approach to education, whether you’re on your way to embracing unschooling year round or just interested in borrowing some unschooling techniques for a few months. 

Sue Patterson from Unschooling Mom2Mom will answer your questions and share her practical tips to make unschooling work. And Sue knows—her unschooled children are now all young adults with successful careers, degrees, and families! 

You won’t want to miss Sue’s webinar and this Brave Learner Home Master class coming to Brave Learner Home in March! 

March 2021 Webinar

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Unschooling, but Were Afraid to Ask 

• Can you unschool a little bit?
• Everything but math?
• How do you meet state requirements?
• Can unschoolers get into college?
• What can you learn from unschoolers even if you don’t plan to unschool?
• Are unschooled kids unruly?
• Can I unschool even if we need to follow a routine at home? 

If you have these or other questions about unschooling, join us and Sue Patterson

• Thursday, March 11, 7 pm ET
• Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Unschooling, but were Afraid to Ask 

Our March speaker in Brave Learner Home, Sue is known for her kindness and patience as she helps parents explore the unschooling approach. She is a homeschooling coach and founder of Unschooling Mom2Mom. She helps parents find creative ways to approach learning and reconnect with their children when their current educational option isn’t working.  

Active in the homeschooling community for twenty five years, Sue is the author of the book Homeschooled Teens : 75 Young People Speak about their without School.She has been featured in numerous magazines, podcasts, and interviews, as well as at conferences around the country

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Welcome to a new year.

I don’t know about you, but I’m taking a look at how I spend time on social media.

It feels like everywhere I turn online, there’s an ad or an angry conversation that tweaks me.

I leave feeling worse instead of better.

I’m sick of that feeling.

And that’s why I got busy thinking about how we could change that for our homeschooling community.

I tossed our a vision: what if we created our own app?

• It could be a place to have conversations and watch webinars.
• It would live on our phones and be ready at a moment’s crisis.
• It would give our Brave Learner Home members their own show and tell space.
• It would be free and easy to use.

And so: we hired a developer

Voilá!

Introducing our very own, custom-designed app for Brave Learner Home!

Now you can participate in our Brave Learner Home community on your phone!

• Our app is not subject to any Big Tech algorithms,
• is not designed to be a marketing space (no ads, hallelujah!),
• and yet is handy on your phone like your other apps.

Brave Learner Home app is available in the Apple App Store or for Android, found on Google Play.

If you’re a member already, download, log in, and start playing!

Connect with friends, watch webinars, download helpful tools—all from your phone, to support your homeschool commitment. Download here!

iPhone or Android

Brave Learner Home apps are free for members.

Not a member yet? Join with our special offer!

It’s 2021 and all of us are in need of some nurturing and inspiration. I know I am.

That’s why I can’t wait for you to meet our guest speaker for February.

The first time I heard her captivate an audience was at a homeschool conference where we were both featured speakers. From the moment Amber O’Neal Johnston (Heritage Mom) began, I was riveted.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that I got chills multiple times as her melodic voice of passion retold her stories and wrapped us in possibilities for our own families.

You will not want to miss February. It’s going to be an exceptional webinar and month of learning together.

Family Heritage

How many of us want to do a better job of helping our children learn about our family heritage?

Many of us are digging through ancestry websites, old photographs, memories, and letters for a better understanding of who we are and where we come from.

Our February speaker in the Brave Learner Home is the perfect person to help us travel that distance back to ourselves and our family roots.

Join us and Amber O’Neal Johnston 

• Thursday, February 11, 7 pm ET
• Webinar: Building a Culturally-rich Family Atmosphere

Amber looks forward to helping us discover the traditions and heritage hidden inside our families. She has ideas for how to go on that journey of investigation into that richness.

Amber is known for her HeritageMom blog and HeritageMom Instagram. She’s a writer and speaker for Wild + Free and a world-schooling Charlotte Mason homeschooler.

Amber has relied on life-giving books and a culturally-rich environment for her four homeschooled kids. Amber recommends we create “mirrors and windows for all children to see themselves and others reflected” in the books we choose for homeschooling.