The Wired Homeschool

Seeing a total solar eclipse is an experience you and your children will never forget!

If you’re new to the podcast, you might be wondering why I haven’t released an episode. If you’ve been around here for a long time you may want to know what’s going on.

If you want to keep up with me on social media (not the blog/podcast) you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

Are you planning to give your child a smartphone, tablet, or console this holiday season? Before you wrap it (if you haven’t already) consider doing a few things first.

The number one piece of advice I give parents when buying their child a device is to set expectations. You need to decide what kind of restrictions you’ll put in place and how you want it to be used. Will you limit how often and how long they’re allowed to use it? Will you limit the types of games they’re allowed to play? All of these things should be thought about before you give them the device so you can set their expectations after they receive it.

Nearly every electronic device comes with some form of parental controls. I’ve advocated for them for over 10 years and companies are finally making it easier for parents to manage how, when, and how long their children use their devices.

Screen Time (iOS) – Apple has always had a walled garden so you’ll either need to manage your child’s device directly or use another iOS device. Screen Time has great controls and works well with Family Sharing.

Family Link (Android) If you got your child any smartphone besides an iPhone you most-likely will use Family Link to manage parental controls. Fortunately, they have an iOS app too.

Amazon FreeTime Fire tablets, TVs, and even Alexa-enable devices can be managed with Amazon’s FreeTime. In my experience, Amazon has the weakest controls.

Consoles: The Nintendo Switch and XBox both have dedicated apps that you can use to manage parental controls on their consoles. Sony’s Playstation requires you to use a browser or its general Playstation app.

For whole-house Internet controls you can turn to your router or a secondary device. If you’re using the router your Internet provider installed, check with them for information on parental controls. I suggest either a second router for the kids or Circle by Disney.

Circle Home Plus – The Circle Home Plus device connects with your router to manage every Internet-connected device on your home network.

Home Router – Every home router these days has some level of parental controls. Check your manufacturer’s website for instructions to configure those settings.

No solution will fully protect you and your children so if you need to take a belt and suspenders approach I recommend installing an app on their device for additional monitoring.

Covenant Eyes – I’ve been an advocate (and affiliate) for Covenant Eyes for over a decade. They’re the gold-standard when it comes to monitoring and filtering.

Accountable2You – If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, Accountable2You has got you covered. It occasionally triggers false alarms but I’ve still found it to be a useful tool.

If you found value in this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider a donation that reflects the value you received by buying me a coffee.

Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Music for the podcast is “Loopster” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Some of the links in the posts on this site are “affiliate links.” That means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

One of the most difficult things for new homeschoolers, and even some experienced homeschoolers, is finding community resources that are friendly to homeschoolers.

MySchool is a community-driven resource that connects parents to homeschool spots (like museums, co-ops, and nature centers). It’s like an Airbnb for home education.

Justin Shell started MySchool after he and his wife started homeschooling and were looking for locations and activities for their children.

Homeschooling families are encouraged to sign up for MySchool and add “spots” that other homeschooling families could use for learning and social activities.

You can follow MySchool on Twitter, join the Facebook group, or sign-up for their newsletter when you register to keep up-to-date on all their latest developments.

If you found value in this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider a donation that reflects the value you received by buying me a coffee.

Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Music for the podcast is “Loopster” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Some of the links in the posts on this site are “affiliate links.” That means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Doing school online isn't homeschooling despite what some parents and teachers think.

Doing school online isn't homeschooling despite what some parents and teachers think.

If you were forced into homeschooling because of the pandemic, you may want to continue homeschooling.

Maybe you’re not comfortable with how your school district is planning to reopen or you’ve decided that this is something you think is a good fit for your family.

In this episode of The Wired Homeschool, my wife, Lisa joins me to talk about homeschooling philosophy, curriculum, online resources, and more.

We condense 20 years of homeschooling into a 30-minute episode. Listen in to learn what you need to know if you plan to homeschool after COVID.

Resources mentioned (in order):

DuckstersCathy Duffy ReviewsThe Great CoursesKhan AcademyMultiflyerMark RoberCincinnati ZooDeep Space SparkleArt for Kids HubScouter MomDanica McKellar’s Math Books

If you received value from this episode, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Although the podcast isn’t actively being produced, there are still costs associated with hosting the files and maintaining the website.

Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Music for the podcast is “RetroFuture Clean” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

If you were forced into homeschooling because of the pandemic this year, you may be considering continuing to homeschool your children. Maybe you’re not comfortable with how your school district is planning to reopen or you’ve decided that this is some...

This month’s encore episode is an interview with Kirk Martin from October 2017. Kirk helps parents restore calm in their homes with practical advice for parents of strong-willed children. Find out more about his courses and seminars.

This month’s encore episode is an interview with Kirk Martin from October 2017. Kirk helps parents restore calm in their homes with practical advice for parents of strong-willed children. Find out more about his courses and seminars.

This interview from 2012 highlights the importance of including astronomy in your homeschool curriculum.

This interview from 2012 highlights the importance of including astronomy in your homeschool curriculum.

In this encore episode, we revisit an interview I did with Todd Wilson from Familyman Ministries. This interview was conducted in June of 2012 at the Northeast Great Homeschool Convention.

In this encore episode, we revisit an interview I did with Todd Wilson from Familyman Ministries.

This interview was conducted in June of 2012 at the Northeast Great Homeschool Convention.

If you enjoyed this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee.

The Wired Homeschool is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network. For more family-friendly tech podcasts visit techpodcasts.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

In this encore episode, we revisit an interview I did with Andrew Pudewa from the Institute for Excellence in Writing.

In this encore episode, we revisit an interview I did with Andrew Pudewa from the Institute for Excellence in Writing.

This interview was conducted in June of 2012 at the Northeast Great Homeschool Convention.

If you enjoyed this encore presentation of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has led a number of school districts across the United States and the world to close.

Due to these unforeseen circumstances, many parents are now considering or have been compelled to homeschool their children.

For many of these parents, this is an especially stressful time full of uncertainty.It’s important that we in the homeschooling community do not panic and show kindness and compassion towards each other during these difficult times.

If you’re new to homeschooling or if you’re looking for additional resources I’ve listed a few below.

If you have any resources you’d like to share, please reach out to me on Twitter or via the contact page.

If you received value from this episode, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Although the podcast isn’t actively being produced, there are still costs associated with hosting the files and maintaining the website.

Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Music for the podcast is “RetroFuture Clean” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

COVID-19 has led a number of school districts across the United States and the world to close. It’s important that we do not panic and show kindness and compassion towards each other during these difficult times.

If you’re new to homeschooling or if you’re looking for additional resources I’ve listed a few below.

If you have any resources you’d like to share, please reach out to me on Twitter or via the contact page.

This is the final episode of The Wired Homeschool. Thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast by listening, advertising, or donating. Your support has been greatly appreciated over the past 9 years!

About Noah Tetzner Noah Tetzner is a homeschool graduate who enjoys sharing his passion for history with the world! He is the host of multiple historical podcasts that feature interviews with some of the world brightest scholars. Recently,

Our children can learn a lot of things from textbooks and online curriculum but there are some intangible things that cannot be learned through typical schooling. Often, it’s intangible traits or characteristics in our children that determine whether o...

Ursula M. Burns became the first black woman to head a Fortune 500 company when she was appointed CEO of Xerox. She also became the first woman to succeed another as head of a Fortune 500 company. Burns led the STEM program of the White House from 2009...

Google recently announced a gaming service that requires no console. They’ve made some big promises about this new product and it looks to be the future of gaming. Michael Prince from BecauseFamily joins me today to discuss what parents and homeschoole...

Teaching art online with YouTube

Scratch 3.0 was released in January 2019 and includes a number of great new features including the ability to create and play projects on a tablet. Ryan Swanstrom joins me today to discuss Scratch 3.0 and how homeschoolers can use it to teach their kid...

Educational content is available all over the Internet. As streaming services become more popular, more educational documentaries become available to homeschoolers. Previously, Ive shared YouTube channels and documentaries on Netflix that are educational

This year at CES, there were a number of themes amid all the tech that was on display. This is the third year in a row I’ve covered CES from afar and each year things get more and more interesting. Last year,

Throughout 2018, there were a number of blog posts and podcasts that readers and listeners found helpful. Some of them were published this year, and some are more popular now than they have been in the past.

Looking for practical ways to teach your kids STEM topics? Today I share some suggestions for teaching your kids about STEM topics through everyday things like visiting the gas pump or watching sports. Briefly,

Michael Prince from BecauseFamily joins me again to discuss safe digital parenting.

With the holidays just around the corner, you’ll want to make sure any gifts you’re giving to your kids are safe and ready to use when they’re unwrapped.

Michael and I talk about some of the things you’ll want to do before handing a pocket-computer over to your kids this Christmas.

iOS 12’s Screen Time App Changes Everything!The Best Way to Keep Your Kids Safe On YoutubeCircle With Disney Whole-House Device ManagementAccountable2You – Accountability SoftwareBark – Monitor Your Kid’s Online Activity

If you received value from this episode, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Although the podcast isn’t actively being produced, there are still costs associated with hosting the files and maintaining the website.

Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Music for the podcast is “RetroFuture Clean” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

Today I’m talking with Paul Drake. Paul is a homeschool alumnus, software designer, and founder/director of Code Apprentice, a program that provides high school students the skills and guidance they need to get a job in tech after graduation.

About Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History Dave Stotts has spent the last two decades in professional video and media production. His career in documentary production has taken him to nearly 30 countries to shoot and edit films on a wide variety of topic...

Due to some technical issues, the podcast is on hold until further notice.

Many kids and parents are fascinated by the night sky but don’t know where to start with nightly observations. With Experience Astronomy homeschool parents and students can learn to navigate the heavens and figure out if that bright light is a planet,

Today I’m speaking with Hannah Ruth Earl of The Moving Picture Institute. Hannah works on MPI’s talent development programs, including recruiting and acquisitions for grants, internships, and masterclasses.

Every homeschooler understands that reading is essential. However, sometimes we may not know what our children should be reading. Or, perhaps we know what they should read but we don’t understand the essential themes and ideas of a piece of great liter...

Last week I talked about 10 Ways to Use an Amazon Echo Dot for Homeschooling and one of those ways was to use educational skills. This week I’ll share 7 Alexa skills homeschoolers can use with their Amazon Echo.

When the Amazon Echo Dot was originally released many people saw the smart speaker as nothing more than a novelty. Many people bought it and its older sibling the Amazon Echo and quickly realized how helpful it could be in their day-to-day lives.

Due to some technical issues, today’s normally schedule episode has been delayed. Once those issues have been addressed, I’ll release the episode. Until then, you may want to check out the conversation I had with Michael Prince from BecauseFamily about...

A major part of homeschooling involves teaching practical life-skills like how to fix cars. OK, maybe not everyone needs to learn to fix a car but basic maintenance or knowing when to take your car to a mechanic are skills every homeschooler should lea...

Shawn and Heather Barrieau founded MyFunScience in 2016 to fill a need they saw in the homeschooling community. They noticed that parents were struggling to teach math and science starting in the middle and high school grades.

I stumbled across a video on YouTube a few weeks ago by Evan Edinger wherein he talked about how he learned German using Duolingo. If you’re not familiar with Duolingo, it’s a website and app that helps you learn to speak a foreign language through gam...

At the end of March, Acer and Apple announced new tablets targeted at education. Acer’s Chromebook Tab 10 and Apple’s 2018 iPad are priced competitively but which is better for homeschooling? Acer Chromebook Tab 10 Google has dominated the public educa...

Facebook has been in the news quite a bit lately because of privacy concerns. A third-party (Cambridge Analytica) used data it collected from Facebook to profile users. That information was used to serve ads and articles to people via the social media ...

Kirk Cameron’s new movie Connect aims to make parents aware of the dangers of social media for teens and provide parents with tools to steer kids away from social media’s traps. Does it succeed? Michael Prince from Because Family joins me to review the...

I recently became a grandfather so there is no full podcast for February 15th. Instead, I’ve provided links to some videos that explain the science behind some of the Olympic events. Please check out the Homeschooling and Liberty Summit to hear my sess...

When you think of 3D printers, what comes to mind? Do you think technology like 3d printing is beyond the reach of homeschoolers? It’s not! 3D printers have become affordable and easy to use. There are many 3D printers that have been specifically desig...

CES 2018 has passed but coverage still continues. There’s no doubt you’re seeing many articles about the gadgets and gizmos from CES 2018 that will make your life easier or more connected. Matt Kamla (a listener of the podcast) and Michael Prince from ...

Throughout the year it’s interesting to see which posts and podcasts are the most popular with my readers and listeners. I’m not counting only those posts published this year. I’m counting the ones that got the most reads or listens.

As our kids grow up, we begin to give them a little bit more freedom. Maybe they get a smartphone or a laptop for themselves. This can be a scary time for parents who are concerned about the safety of their children.