User:Ccross

About Me


My name is Carol Cross, and I am a homeschooling mother/teacher living in Cary, North Carolina, USA (Cary is outside the North Carolina capital, Raleigh). I teach not only my own son, who is 10 and in fourth grade, but numerous other children through homeschooling coops we have here. Currently, I am teaching 16 children aged 7-14 about chemistry in a class entitled, Educational Pyrotechnics: The Chemistry of Fireworks and Explosives and another 24 children in the same age range on literature, history, and philosophy in a course entitled Knights Through Time and Space (we will be reading literature, discussing the history, and doing hands-on projects about medieval knights, Japanese samurai, 16th-17th century privateers/pirates, 19th century lawmen of the US Wild West, and the Jedi Knights from Star Wars). I also teach Sunday School to 4-8 year olds, and other group classes as the need and desire arises.

I teach multiple disciplines to multiple ages, so my work interests are pretty all-encompassing, but are focused on the K-12 level (at this time). I do have a Masters degree in Education, and worked in education and curriculum development professionally (that is, getting paid for it!) before I gave up my paid employment to teach my son and his peers.

My Interests
 Some of the educational topics that I am particularly interested in include:
 * use of student learning and personality style to individualize instruction
 * developing 21st century skills
 * teaching history from an environmental, rather than a human-focused/”Great Person”, approach
 * use of leading edge technology to expand, share, and provide instruction
 * mastering technology tools for better educational curricula and assessment

Homeschooling
In North Carolina, we receive NO educational resources or support from the state or local school system, etc. However, we also have few requirements we have to fulfill, and most of us like that freedom. The only educational resources I have access to, other than what I have myself, are public sources (we have a great library system and live close to several major universities, state museums of science, art, and history, etc.) and support from our local homeschooling community. Fortunately, the Cary homeschooling support group is very large, well-educated, innovative, and supportive; most of my best outside resources have come from my other homeschooling friends (such as the woman who referred this class to me). We also use the Internet extensively for both my curriculum development and my son's studies.

My homeschool support group:[]

Reflections
/My sandbox/ My booklistMy booklist

/ OER /

The Signature Case
Hi Carol, I am certain neither you and I are going to give up on your "signature case", :). Please re-read the improved page Help:Signature. Please, try signing here after reading the page. I'll be in touch. --Gladys Gahona 20:31, 29 April 2009 (UTC)

WikiEducator News & Events
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Notes from my WikiNeighbours
Hi , I'm your WikiNeighbour. Please let me know if I can be of any help to you.Nedal Shatat


 * [[Image:80px-Wikineighbour V2.png|70px]] Hello Carol. Welcome to WikiEducator. You might like to meet Alison Snieckus. You are doing a great job ! Cheers.--Gladys Gahona 00:13, 28 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Hi, Carol. Saw your note to me. See my reply on your discussion page. When you reply, your response shows up in my watchlist (usually...if it's working correctly). --Alison Snieckus 18:59, 29 April 2009 (UTC)

Carol, Thanks for the note on my page. I would like to know more about the American Association of Community Colleges (which I have never heard of). Specifically do you think that would be an effective group to approach if I want to reach out and advertise adoption of OER materials by CC instructors? (By the name of it it sounds like it might be). Looking forward to your response. Thank you !!! --Brian Evans 04:22, 1 May 2009 (UTC)

Hi, Brian--

AACC is the overall association for community colleges, so it has a very broad scope. Probably the unit within AACC that would be the best to approach on that matter is the Instructional Telecommunications Council, or ITC. Their website is: http://www.itcnetwork.org/. Hope this helps-- Carol Cross

Hey Carol Nice work done, keep getting better --carly 14:50, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

Hi Carol! Nice to know you! --Tero Toivanen19:47, 11 February 2010 (UTC)~