The World As Our Classroom

The first thought that most conjure up when thinking of a home schooled child, is a makeshift home classroom, with the child working away, never to leave the boundaries of his or her home.  A solitary existence.  However, that is not the reality.  At least, not for the majority of home schooled children.  Instead of their classroom and social interaction being limited, it is, in reality, expanded.  From their bedroom ... TO THE WORLD!!!  Seriously, children in traditional education institutions go on "field trips" maybe once a term.  It is seen as something "out there" ... something set apart from normal and ordinary existence.  Visits to the zoo, aquarium, farm, etc are considered rare chances to participate in experiences that are not considered part of everyday existence.  Volunteering in one's community is a rare occurrence for an institutionalized child because, often, there just isn't enough time.  "School" is all day every day.  One of the things I am so excited about is expanding my daughter's education beyond the four walls of a classroom, whether that classroom is in our home or an educational institution.  Here are some of the things I have planned:

1. Volunteering at a charity of her choice once a month - yes, my daughter is only 7, but I firmly believe our children are never too young to appreciate their responsibility to pour into others with their blessings and gifts
2. Family farming.  A growing awareness of how compromised our food supply is has led me to make different choices in the food I feed my children and myself.  However, it is difficult to get truly organic food in Jamaica, as even when you "buy local", there really is no telling what that farmer put on or in his produce.  This is something we would just not have time to do with her being away from home for much of the day, and my heading to class in the evenings.
3.  Visit a museum/cultural site once a fortnight. Jamaica is rich with cultural  sites, especially with the explosion of "community tourism" or "cultural tourism".  I feel particularly strongly about my daughter knowing her heritage, especially since she has, thus far, spent most of her life living in the United States.
4.  Travel.  So much passes our little ones by while they are stuck in a classroom.  However, let's face it.  Disposable income is often hard to come by when you home school.  By traveling, I simply mean heading out of your neck of the woods and spending some time in someone else's neck of the woods ... even if it's only 2 hours away.  

So ... that's the plan!  Of course, I will be journaling/blogging throughout it all so hopefully you are just as excited as I am!  Please do share with me some of your ideas or things you have done with your children by commenting below!