Want to Connect With AO on Facebook?

[lklivingston]

There's a thread here somewhere about hosting meet-ups. Let me find it!

[lklivingston]

There's a thread here somewhere about hosting meet-ups. Let me find it!

I thought there was. We have tons of co-op posts. But I don't see a meet-up thread.

[MargaretT]

There are some very interesting comments here... so it isn't just me that feels things are a little different.
I did carefully consider before I asked if the forum was quiet as I am more of a fringe dweller.
I had thought that as school has resumed in the States this could be an explanation but usually that stimulates conversation. I then reread this post and realised that the Facebook site had commenced.
I have seen this happen before in a an American forum I frequented when my children were young and in an Australian forum I visit... I don't visit many.

I've given this a lot of thought and I *think* the most active users on the forum have all moved on to a level of understanding that doesn't require constant discussion and/or seeking like we did a few years ago. It's hard to explain but a while back we all, it seemed to me, making these intense connections and leaps and forays into new areas of study all together. So if the AA is the alumni of CM, most of the forum users are juniors or seniors who are actually quite busy preparing.

Now this is a total global perspective generalization coming up but bear with me.
The most active users on the forum have almost always been composed by people who have time. Women with only one kid or women with high school kids. Once the newbies become competent enough to utilize what we know we tend to, gasp, start using it. So then we're too busy to discuss as much. The thing is... I know we're all still deepening our roots at a great pace but we're not doing it all the same way. To keep the forum thriving the onus really is on us though. We need to be continually honest, vulnerable, seeking, and pursuing answers among this community. We also need to lovingly encourage newbies to ask questions that we've already answered 4,657 times before because otherwise they won't open up and share what's going on in their life.

AO really does have the same dynamic as a church body. It worries me a little because I wonder how we will (as a community) go to the next level of growth. In church terms, that's when we start making new churches. So, the advent of CM retreats and meetings, schools, books and everything is the fruit from those years and years that so many different Moms were working towards.

Sorry this is me typing crazy fast trying to make lots of points. I personally think the Mothers Educational Course or training courses in general are going to be the next big thing we're all working together to create. I can see that but I don't know how to get there... And I'm a just a little part. Sigh

The need for validation and affirmation of our homeschool direction and philosophy usually plateaus, in my experience, around the Y8 level with a first child. Often by then one has it together!!! Well more or less

I suppose I am missing the challenging philosophical questions and discussions. I have learnt of ideas I had never considered and been introduced to authors from a totally different perspective. This has helped me to grow as a home schooling parent and a person. My 2 younger children are benefiting from a richer perspective than my graduate.

Another thought was that perhaps at the conference people met in real life and there has been a change in the dynamic of relationships... so a facebook encounter is easier.

I think I must be mourning and it is only a subtle change!!
Sometimes it is daunting to post here, people surprisingly aren't mind readers, and it is difficult to perhaps express ones perspective if it doesn't align with the accepted philosophy.

Nevertheless this is always a very stimulating and interesting place.
I am looking forward to the book discussions.

[laurke]

Margaret, are you joining in the book discussions at all? 2 different CM volumes are being discussed currently, as are several other books used in the curriculum. Oh, I see that you say you are looking forward to the book discussions, so maybe that will fill your need for deeper growth! (I should read all the way to the end of a post before responding )

[Amy Jo Hines]

The need for validation and affirmation of our homeschool direction and philosophy usually plateaus, in my experience, around the Y8 level with a first child. Often by then one has it together!!! Well more or less

Perhaps some, I am feeling more confident, although I've been pretty independent for a long time, because for years there was no one to offer affirmation to me. I've spent the last 2 months or so really searching my soul, and examining my family/situation, to see if my desires aligned with reality.

Another thought was that perhaps at the conference people met in real life and there has been a change in the dynamic of relationships... so a facebook encounter is easier.

That could be part of it. It was so lovely to meet people and I think I'm now addicted to AO conferences. I just can't imagine missing one. Although, again, I stay away from the Facebook group (and FB groups in general) unless I am procrastinating on something else.

Sometimes it is daunting to post here, people surprisingly aren't mind readers, and it is difficult to perhaps express ones perspective if it doesn't align with the accepted philosophy.

But this is a VERY safe place. Even when there is a misunderstanding, which I've been on both sides of, people are gracious. This is the most peaceful forum I have ever been on, I think because we try to give grace to others. Love overflows here.

Nevertheless this is always a very stimulating and interesting place.
I am looking forward to the book discussions.

They are going to be GREAT! I can't wait either. I'm really frustrated now, not having the deep discussions, but we are almost done with this "season". I think someone (Dawn Girl??) mentioned announcing the book discussions on Facebook and that is a great idea.

[learnbev]

Hi. A newbie homeschooler, AO user, and forum member as well as a member of the Facebook group just chiming in.

I found AO on FB first. I'm a big social media person. Twitter, snapchat, Instagram, whatever ... I do it all, though much like tools in other realms I use different ones for different things. Use the right tool for the right job. I barely check email anymore. None of my cohort use it. We all communicate via these other platforms. Though to be honest, I'm typically among the older ones in my circle. It is chaotic but after you get over the learning curve that comes with anything new you find your way.

I was super reluctant to join this forum. Partly, I just didn't want to devote any more online time to another outlet, so the group is an extension of something I already do. Partly because the FB group has a more anonymous nature, allowing me to dip in and out while still meeting my needs.

What made me change my mind and come over here were a couple of factors. First, I really needed to figure out how to get deeper. For example, I'm having a lot of trouble reading the volumes of Home Education. I saw this as a place to get into the meat of this work. But I had to decide that for myself. I have to find teachers and co-learners and avail myself of them. If a person hasn't figured that out yet (for whatever reason) then FB is good enough.

Second, I really like the convenience of FB and the immediate ability to browse links to articles, blog posts, and pictures really helps me figure out "on the spot" problems. I actually can search the group very well. However, it also creates on the spot problems that I think are managed better here. By this I mean drama. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about walking away from Charlotte Mason because the knee jerk reaction to posts allow people to say things they wouldn't ordinarily say. Especially the constant negativity around defining AO and CM. Here people measure their words, go slow, and think about what and how to communicate. If something really isn't CM there isn't bullying here, just teaching. I believe the strict moderating policies here allow for more freedom. I can stay out of chit-chat and not fight about Bible translations or screen time policies.

Third is that I don't have other homeschool friends doing CM or AO in real life. My area is a really neat homeschool community but there seem to be two major emphases. There are the school-at-home families who either do the online public charters because they have children with sports or arts careers. Or there is the unschooling and loose eclectic community, which is huge here and include a wide variety of religious and non-religious families. People here don't do classical, they don't do CM, and most think I'm nuts for forcing my kids to go this route. I put out feelers for others who might want to learn more and there was a ton of enthusiasm over nature studies but nobody wanted to do any sort of reading or discussion. So I came here. Somebody on the FB group posted about the book groups. I came to make friends and read.

So, I guess I just want to say that I wouldn't have come to the forums if I hadn't joined the FB group first. Both places serve.

[Primeperiwinkle]

Dear Bev,

We like you. Don't ever leave.

[MelisaH]

Katie, you are everywhere! Love that!

[kresspartyof5]

I see a clear difference between the FB page and the Forum. While I visit the FB often and post a bit, it is usually for inspiration and sharing of pictures. When I have a serious question, I visit the forum. The Advisors do an amazing job of redirecting big questions to pages in the website and/or suggesting a visit to the forum.

I've noticed the forum is quieter but just assumed everyone was occupied with lessons!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[carpeaeternitatem]

I think one of the things that happened is we figured out how to do book discussions in a way that works really well - the CM books and all the others - so most of the learning/philosophy stuff is over there now and not randomly spilling all over the forum the way it did before.

Also, I've noticed that when I do have a question, more often than not there is a discussion about it already and I can find that thread within two guesses of which sub forum to check. That wasn't the case three years ago. So in some ways the organization that we think of as a strength of the forum is one of the reasons it has gradually gotten quieter.