Archive for the ‘Homeschooler Profile’ Category
7 April 2010
Reading to learn
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Homeschooler Profile.
More and more homeschoolers in the country are turning to O Level as the preferred pathway to college and tertiary education. 17-year old Brian Tan sat for his exams last November and outshone many of his peers. The point is not that Brian did well, but that homeschool is no obstacle to education excellence. Above all, it also demonstrates that whatever homeschool methodology/philosophy or curriculum one subscribes to, being educated at home provides a child the necessary space for nurturing right attitude and inculcating a reading habit, both of which are foundational to future success. A big thanks to Brian and his parents Boon Long and Cynthia who also added their two-sens to the Q&A regarding exam preparation.
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Tell us about yourself and your homeschooling experience.
My name is Brian and I will be 18 this August. I have been homeschooling since Standard 5, i.e. 11 years old.
I liked homeschooling as there was flexibility in my schedule. It was always a holiday during my birthday and my family took holidays during non-school holidays, avoiding peak periods. I’ve enjoyed homeschooling which has made education fun. Spending loads of time with my younger brother and parents, I’ve become close to them and my parents are always at hand when I need advice.
Being an art and reading enthusiast since young, I used much of the break time between studies to draw (by hand and on the computer) and to read. I was read to (when younger) and I read a lot of good literature as part of my homeschooling. I also studied at my own pace.
Did you feel left out socially?
I have been involved in many activities that allowed me to socialise. There was Sunday School, my church Care Group, a Junior Public Speaking Club, Art classes, ice skating classes and badminton (both formal training and socially). I’ve been and am still actively involved in Royal Rangers (an international Christian uniformed group) with lots of activities including camping, hiking, canoeing, first-aid, Christian Service, Community service, various hobbies and opportunities for leadership. At 13, I joined the church Youth Group. I also helped in Sunday School.
When I was 15+, I attended a tuition centre for about a year to prepare for my O level and IGCSE. I also enjoyed the socialisation and learned more of the problems and issues faced by my peers. I also made friends in my church Bible Knowledge classes that I attended for 2 years.
Why O Level, and not SAT?
My parents say that the O Level exam is more widely recognised especially in Commonwealth countries. Local private universities normally advertise a “minimum of 5 O Level credits” as entrance requirement. SAT is mainly recognised for entry into US universities but they also accept O Level qualifications.
How many subjects did you sit for and how did you prepare for your exams?
I sat for a total of 7 subjects: Art, and Bible Knowledge (O level); and Math, English, English Literature, Business Studies and Economics (IGCSE). You could say preparation for English and English Literature began ever since I homeschooled using the Sonlight curriculum and some Singapore workbooks. I switched to IGCSE materials in Forms 4 and 5.
I’ve always used Singapore Math, but in my secondary years I switched to Counts 1-5 and the IGCSE text. For Business Studies and Economics, I started preparation when I enrolled in a tuition centre for about a year.
Prior to the Bible Knowledge exam, I attended my church weekly Bible Knowledge classes for 2 years. The classes actually prepare students for the SPM Bible Knowledge paper but I stayed because it was quite close to the O Level syllabus – Luke & Acts. For Art, I had a teacher for a year who helped me prepare for O Level Art.
I was in the tuition centre until the last 4 – 5 months before my exams. I consolidated my preparation at home by attempting a lot of past year exam papers, read examiners’ reports and comments to get a good view of what the examiners look for.
Your results came out early this year in January. So how did you do, and what’s your next step?
I obtained 7As. In the IGCSE, I obtained As for Business Studies and Economics and A*s for Maths, English and English Literature. In the O level exam (where A*s are not awarded), I obtained As for Art and Religious Knowledge.
My next step is to enrol at the One Academy in Bandar Sunway to pursue my passion in Creative Arts and Design. I’ll be doing a Diploma course in either Multimedia or Animation before going to one of their affiliated overseas universities for a degree.
How would you advise other homeschoolers to prepare themselves for their exams?
O Level /IGCSE normally require 2 years of preparation. I would recommend some tuition classes especially in subjects one is weak at, or where parents are unable to help. The 2 years could consist of a mixed bag of home school and tuition classes.
The tuition classes will also be a good transition from homeschooling to college life as one will be exposed to group discussions and group dynamics.
Finally, intensive practices of O level/IGCSE past year question papers, reading mark schemes, examiner comments and reports a few months before the exams help a lot.
However, homeschoolers should get a good grounding prior to the last 2 years before sitting for the O level /IGCSE.
Pre-O level/IGCSE preparation:
- For Maths/Add Maths, a good program is Singapore Maths from Primary until Form 3 (e.g. Singapore Maths Counts 1-3 or other Singapore Maths texts).
- For the Sciences (Biology/Physics/Chemistry), any Primary program will do but try to do Singapore Science for Forms 1 and 2 or the UK’s equivalent (Cambridge Core Bio/Physics/Chemistry).
- For English/Literature/History, the preparation program is a lot more flexible. Sonlight’s Core curriculum is excellent.
- For Economics and Business which are generally study subjects, homeschoolers should not find these a problem if they’ve acquired good reading/comprehension skills.
- For O level Bible Knowledge, do attend, if available (and normally free of charge) BK classes for SPM students conducted by churches. Syllabus is 90% similar.
Generally, a good base in homeschooling – “Learn to read and then read to learn” – will give homeschoolers the ability to learn independently in the later years, with some guidance from parents/tuition teachers.
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Top Pix: Brian holds forth at a debate
Bottom Pix: Brian (left), Mom Cynthia (centre), and younger brother Kevin (right) agree that homeschooling is fun
Related posts on homeschoolers and O Level
…….and a related post on developing a reading culture at home
11 November 2009
They said
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Homeschooler Profile.
18-year old Rachel Spoelman has been called an actress, a writer, a college student, a Malaysian, an American, a genius, a sister, a char koay teow lover, a Milo addict, a geek, a purple-haired backwards guitar playing cowgirl, and an inside-out banana. Perhaps she is all of these things, perhaps she is none of them – that is for you to decide. 18-year old Rachel is presently in her second year of studies at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. She is taking an Asian Studies Major. In this essay, Rachel tells us why she’s glad to be homeschooled
I WAS A HOMESCHOOLED CHILD. When my mom and dad first told their family and friends that they had decided to homeschool their kids, the relatives all thought that Mom and Dad were crazy. They came up with many objections. They said that Mom couldn’t do it, and that even if she could teach me the elementary school subjects, that she, without a college degree, would never be able to handle teaching me when I reached high school age. They said that she was making a terrible decision for her child, that because of being kept at home and being homeschooled, that I would never develop socially, that my social skills would always be far behind those of my peers. They said that I would lack the opportunity to participate in the sports and extracurricular activities and service that I would have if I went to a private Christian school. They said that I would never be able to go to college if I didn’t have a ‘real’ transcript from a ‘real’ school. They said that successful homeschooling couldn’t be done.
But my Mom did not let everything they said stop her from doing what she felt was right for her family. She started teaching me the alphabet when I was three years old, and has never looked back.
Thirteen years later, we have found that they were wrong. I have now graduated from my homeschool high school. I have been accepted to college, I have served at my church, teaching children’s and youth classes, helping with VBS, and visiting elderly people in nursing homes for as long as I can remember. My Mom laughs when she remembers those people who told her I would have no friends if she didn’t send me to school; she thinks I spend far too much time having fun with my friends. What is more, some of those close friends are my younger siblings. That’s right, my Mom has had six younger children than me, and is homeschooling each one of them, so that all of us kids can stay together everyday and not be separated like we would be if we were sent to school. We have grown up all going to school together in the schoolroom in our house, and we have loved it.
I am so thankful for the decision my Mom and Dad made all those thirteen years ago. Sometimes people may say all kinds of things of discouraging things about the decisions you make or things you do in life, but I’ve learned that those ‘people; might not know everything there is to know. After all, they all said Mom couldn’t do it, that she couldn’t homeschool her kids, but today I am so glad that my mom did not listen to what they said!
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This essay was originally published in The Random Writings of Rachel, and is reproduced with the kind permission of the author. To buy a copy of Rachel’s first self-published book, please email rdeen_phillips(at)yahoo.com
9 September 2009
Balakrishna’s love for Physics pays off
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Homeschooler Profile; Homeschooling Achievers.
[Malaysian homeschooler Balakrishna M. Pillai is 14-years old. But as he is apt to say, "Don't hold my age against me; judge me by my knowledge and skill." Indeed. This young man and a team of students he led was awarded first place in the international Global Challenge 2009 competition for students in the Best Global Business Plan Category (see previous post). We're thrilled and pleased for Balakrishna and his parents! Recently HOMEFRONTIER caught up with this homeschooler-in-a-hurry and interviewed him via email]
1. Tell us, who is Balakrishna M. Pillai?
Homeschooled. Secured the New Zealand Certificate of Educational Achievement Levels 1 and 2, about 2 years ago. I am 40 credits away from getting Level 3. Put off completing NCEA as I want to pursue an education in USA. Completed the SAT last year, my first public examination. I got full marks in SAT II Math and scored 30 marks shy of a full score in SAT II Physics.
I am by nature a very curious individual. I like to fiddle and take things apart and very often do not succeed in putting them back. Every button I see needs to be pushed and every switch flicked. It is no wonder my parents figured I would not survive school. I think perhaps they were more concerned for the teachers. Being homeschooled allows me to study areas which fascinate me. I am fascinated with Physics, more specifically theoretical Physics. Hopefully I will get an opportunity to attend a university. Unfortunately I am 14 years old and have got a fair bit of waiting to do. That is the most excruciating part.
2. Your parents Murali and Juliana Pillai have done a great job educating you at home. What’s it like to be an only child and a homeschooler?
I must say I have had a wonderful education. I choose what I want to learn and I never had to worry about exams until late last year. So I pretty much enjoyed the process of learning at my own pace. I much prefer this to going to school. The system would have sent me to the Tanjung Rambutan Institute for the Study of Mental Illnesses. I enjoy being an only child and I don’t think I am none the worse for wear for being an only child.
3. Could you tell us how you developed your passion for Physics?
When I see a mountain I admire its beauty. And then I stop and ask, “How do the sub-atomic particles that make up the atoms that make up the molecules that make up the rocks, snow, and ice that make up the mountain interact to make up the mountain?” I have, and have always had since I was a child, dozens of questions about the inner workings of the universe swimming around in my head. Studying Physics may bring me closer to answering these questions and satisfying my passion to find out how the universe works.
4. With all these questions swimming around in your head, do you have time for anything else besides Physics?
I am constantly working on physics problems, so there is no moment when I am not busy with physics. I like photography, painting, scuba diving, and going on nature walks and when I do these activities I am thinking about physics. I did too drag my parents up a mountain in New Zealand! I also occasionally walk through glass doors, usually resulting in a visit to the hospital.
5. Well, your passion for Physics paid off. You got more than just a crack at an international competition for students, the Global Challenge. How did that happen?
I was invited by a Malaysian student to participate in the competition. The competition is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics intensive program. It is open to high school students so generally students who are 15-19 years participate, but as you can see it is not a hard and fast rule.
The Global Challenge requires students to work in teams of 4 and invent a device that can reduce the effects of climate change. The team is then required to prepare a global business plan for that device. By so doing the participants are exposed to real life considerations like manufacturing, marketability and profitability of the product. The Business Plan has to prove that the device works, and that it is marketable, and can generate a profit.
6. Tell us about your submission. You must have put in a lot of work; what did you actually have to do?
There is a lot of reading and you must have a wide breadth of knowledge. Packaging the whole idea is also very challenging. I made my presentation differently and kept the reader pretty much in view. A lot of effort went into it and although I had a team I did everything from the conception of idea to writing the whole business plan. That was primarily because I had the luxury of time on my hands while the others were really hard pressed for time given their hectic schedules. So my first draft was pretty much the final work.
When Yu Yu, a returning participant in the Global Challenge invited me to participate in this challenge I was skeptical if I would enjoy it. I must confess while I am aware of the problem of global warming and climate change, like millions out there I cannot see myself doing anything which could solve the problem. In short, it is not top of my list of priorities. My passion is Physics and I could not see very much Physics in this competition.
7. You were ‘skeptical’ but you went on ahead anyway. And you picked up new experiences, learned new things, made new friends. How do you feel about that?
I said yes since I had nothing better to do anyway and now I am glad I did say yes. To say I learned new things would be an understatement. I am sure an expert reviewing the work done for the Global Challenge will find more holes in it than you would find in a piece of cheese but I sincerely feel it is a good start. For the first time I see the relevance in things like industrial analysis, market analysis, political and financial feasibility. I would not have given these areas any notice at all previously, so all said and done, it was and continues to be an enlightening experience. It was good teaming up with young people from America.
I learned they are under as much pressure as youths who go to school in Malaysia. I enjoy talking with Ivan (my team mate). He is constantly advising me about college in USA and that is nice. I appreciate that and will always remember that. I enjoyed working with Yu Yu too and we had some fruitful face-to-face meetings in the early stages. While Ivan is chattier, I found Yu Yu more laconic and I still have difficulty understanding what she says. In the later stages there were some tense moments and differences of opinion between us and I dealt with them as best as I could.
8. Were your parents involved in any way?
I would like to thank my mother, who has sprouted several gray hairs due to this competition, even though she was not directly involved, and my father, who came up with several ideas for this competition (none of which were actually workable). What is important is both my parents are always there to lend support, encourage me and cheer me up when the chips were down.
9. That’s wonderful! Now, could you tell us a little about the idea behind your team project?
About my idea: In an average day, a human expands an enormous amount of energy going about his daily activities. Consider for a moment our daily activities such as walking, sitting, opening and closing doors and the like. Most of the energy expended on these tasks is wasted without us giving a moment‘s thought.
What if we could capture this energy and put it to good use? With this in mind the MEG was conceived. The MEG, an acronym for the Multipurpose Electric Generator is a device in the form of a tile that consists of a flat plastic plate with 5 magnets attached to its underside. A coil of wire is positioned directly under each magnet.
When pressure is exerted on the plate, the magnets are thrust into the coils, creating an electrical current in the coils through electromagnetic induction. This electricity is captured and stored, ready to be used in any application. It cannot be denied that the energy generated by the MEG is small. However, small amounts add up just like tiny drops make a mighty ocean. The versatile MEG can be placed in any location where pressure is frequently applied by humans. It can be placed on floors of homes in areas where there is the greatest activity or frequency of use, for example near toilets and staircases.
10. That won you first place in the business plan category. Congratulations! What was the award you won, and do you have anything to say about it?
It was an all-expense paid trip to Vermont to attend a week long summer program at the Governor’s Institute of Vermont, USA. Winning the competition was no big deal, but it is very nice to get a free trip. However, I did not like the summer program at the University of Vermont. It was more Engineering-based than Physics-based. I preferred my stint at MIT in Massachusetts which was a 6-week physics course on linear algebra and quantum mechanics.
11. Finally, what advice do you have – if any – for homeschoolers who have problems with subjects like science?
You must develop a passion for it and that passion comes from understanding it. I would say just learn and do not obsess with grades and being better than others.
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Balakrishna is presently offering his services as Physics tutor to anyone but he much prefers teens. He is also selling away some of his Physics books and you can take a look at his booklist on our NOTICES (September) page. Email Balakrishna personally at balakrishnapillaim(at)gmail.com