AP Courses v Dual Enrollment
One challenge for homeschoolers and worldschoolers is building a viable transcript. Although there are many educational options for homeschoolers that provide accredited courses and a high school transcript, such as Cicero, there still remains that challenge for college admissions counselors to benchmark one student against another. For this, homeschoolers and worldschoolers have a couple of […]
What is Project Based Learning?
Project-Based Learning, or PBL, is a method of learning where a student designs, develops, and constructs hands-on solutions to problems. Some trace its beginnings back to antiquity when Confucius quipped “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” The ancient Chinese philosopher grasped the inherent power of getting […]
Neurodiverse Learners
No learner is the same. Although the theory of Learning Styles has been mostly debunked, it is true that we all learn in myriad and different ways. Some of us learn in very different ways. For these neurodiverse learners, traditional classroom instruction, in which the teaching style is generally aimed at the average learner (by […]
Some Principles of One-to-One Learning
We get mixed reactions when we describe our one-to-one learning model that pairs one teacher and one student, working together. Some people see it as the absolute in a range. If study after study have shown that smaller class sizes lead to better educational outcomes, then a class size of one is the best possible […]
Blog Your Way To Better Writing
At Cicero we get a lot of requests for writing support—whether embedded into our normal ELA courses as a strong focus or, in some cases, as stand-alone programs. This makes a lot of sense. Writing clear, compelling prose is critical for success in college and life. With this in mind, we sat down with one […]
Let’s Talk About Executive Function
We’ve been discussing executive function a lot in the halls of Cicero these days—ok, by “halls” we mean on our Slack channel for teachers. Executive function, or EF for short, is a professional term. It’s a big bucket of life skills that includes how to organize ourselves, be on time, keep track of events, appointments, […]
Core v Electives
It’s a classic dilemma for anyone who’s cast off the yoke of traditional schooling. I’ve got the freedom to design my curriculum in whatever way I’d like. And yet, for a variety of reasons—college requirements, local rules, family priorities—I need to ensure that my child is covering the core. What is the Core? Four courses […]
Study Hacks for Self Directed Learning
As a homeschooler or worldschooler you (and your parents) face a distinct challenge: What skills and habits will enable me to be a successful self directed learner? In traditional school a lot of organization, time management, and study skills learning is done for you. You move through the same class schedule every day. There are […]
Homeschool Climate Change Curriculum
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the earth has been warming at a rate of about 1/3rd of a degree each decade since the 1980s, which is about twice as fast as it was warming over the previous century. It’s no secret that climate literacy will be extremely important for students in […]
