So, I think our computer is back for good.  Yay!  I’ve had a project in the works for several weeks.  I’m a little late in getting it going, but better late than never!  Here’s an e-mail I just sent out: 

Hi friends!

I’ve been working on a project.  For my Ohio friends– do you remember the book group I started where we read books about educating our kids with a few literature classics mixed in?  I’ve been desperately missing those discussions and need some ideas and reminders so I came up with a plan.

Anyway, I’d like to get people together to read homeschooling books this summer and then we’ll discuss them via conference call.  Here’s the schedule I came up with:

June 27– How Children Learn by John Holt
July  11– Leadership Education: the Phases of Learning by Oliver and Rachel DeMille
August 1– The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer
August 22– Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire by Rafe Esquith
September 12– The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto

The calls will take place at 8 AM Western, 9 AM Central, 10 AM Eastern.  We’ll try to keep them to an hour.  The beauty of the discussions being via conference call is that I can chat with some far away friends and do some discussions while I’m on vacation!

Here’s how to participate:

Send me an email at jessica (at) seedpodbooksandart (dot) com with the subject “Summer Mom-School Sign Up” and tell me in the body of the e-mail which books/ dates you would like to participate in.  You don’t have to commit to all of them, just those (or the one) that you really would like to read.  Then I’ll send you an e-mail with the conference call phone number and access code.

Barry has also set up a blog at www.summermomschool.org where we can write about and discuss the books.  I’m also going to post pod-casts of our discussion calls so that we can add some inspiration and thoughtful discourse to cyberspace and maybe help other parents out there.

I know summers are crazy– but when you get a second go through the book list, read book reviews on Amazon, check your library’s availability, and give it some thought.  Then write me be back if you want to join in.

You all are so inspiring!!

Love,
Jessica

(And thanks to my friend Jessica for the cool logo thing.  She should be playing along and I’m super excited!)