Digital balancing act
In this episode, we dive into the complex and ever-changing role of technology in homeschooling life. From screen time rules and voice assistants to routers and handwriting books, we unpack how our family navigates the push and pull of iPads, Minecraft, and message dictation. Plus: a music tangent, a fantasy sidebar, and practical advice for staying flexible while raising digital natives.
Ecological Dynamics
We finally get around to talking about Ecological Dynamics, and its relation to Constructivism. Saadia and Talia list four practical takeaways: Shake it up Keep it real Reflect → Retry Stretch You can read more about it here: https://diggingforfire.blog/posts/constructivism-for-normal-people/
Control & Curriculum
In this episode, your hosts get a little sidetracked, and end up talking about all the new things that Saadia has been learning about– primarily the national curriculum. We heavily reference Angela Scarino’s research found here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331515422_The_Australian_Curriculum_and_its_conceptual_bases_a_critical_analysis
Six Things
In this episode of Pirate School, Talia and Saadia talk about “Six Things”, a simple framework for homeschooling that focuses on building daily habits in six key areas to help our learners develop discipline and master new skills.
Meetups, Coops, and Drop-offs, oh my!
When it comes to social activities, there are so many ways to connect with other families. But what’s the difference between a meetup, a cooperative, a drop-off program, and a tutoring group? In this episode, we break down what each of these terms really means, explore how they work, and chat about the pros and cons to help you decide what might be the best fit for your pirates.
Assessment
Let’s talk about assessment! Standardised or informal? Formative or summative? Self assessed, parent assessed or peer assessed? Talia goes on many tangents while Saadia tries to remain on topic!
Routines and rhythms
How do we establish routines and rhythms for our learners, while also creating positive expectations around their learning outcomes.
Whiteboards!
In our very first bonus episode of Pirate School, we discuss Talia’s obsession with whiteboards.
Preparing for the new school year
In this episode of Pirate School, we chat about getting all setup (with all the best intentions) for a new year of school. How long should a term be? What’s the best way to do goal setting? And we introduce Six Things!
Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!
Welcome to Pirate School! In this first episode we introduce ourselves (hi!), and discuss our plans for the podcast.