Hi all,

My name is Natalie Franz. I was homeschooled from the 3rd grade through high school, and I am now attending CNM full-time. I am currently taking a Technical Communications course where I am writing a paper on homeschooling in New Mexico. As part of my research, I created a brief survey to gather supplemental data for the report. If any of you would be interested in participating, please follow this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZHNCXTC. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Natalie

Hi Natalie,

I just answered your survey and I have a suggestion.    I am a grandmother who homeschools grandchildren.   That option was not available in question #1.   You might consider adding it.       I'm not the only one.
Good luck with your paper.

Mindy

Hi Mindy,

Thank you for the input and for completing the survey! I really appreciate it. I took your advice and modified the first question. If you would like, you can always complete the survey again using the new options for question # 1.

Thanks again,
Natalie

Hi

I just tried to take the survey again, but it takes me to the 'thank you for taking the survey page'.    Do you know how I can get to it again?

Thanks
Mindy

Hi Mindy,

It would not let me reset your response so you could take it again, but I was able to go in and modify your answer to the first question. I now have you listed as a homeschooling grandmother.

Again, thanks for the feedback and kudos to you for homeschooling your grandchildren!
Natalie

Thanks, Natalie.    I hope you get the help you need for your paper.    Good luck with it all.

Thanks also for modifying my answer.

Mindy

You're welcome! I really appreciate you taking the time to do the survey. I'll keep my fingers crossed that I get a few more responses!  

Have a good weekend,
Natalie

Oh, I hope you get some more people to take the survey.    This is a pretty active group.    If no one else responds, you might want to post it again.   It can't hurt.    : )

Thanks for the kudos.   My son is a single dad and he and his 2 children live with us.    Homeschooling them is a real blessing for me.

Mindy

I hope so too! From talking to some of my classmates, I've found that quite a few people have a very prejudiced view of homeschooling. I'm hoping this survey will help lend credence to my report and provide people with more accurate information about homeschooling. Personally, I loved being homeschooled; I wouldn't have had it any other way. I've talked to about four or five people over the past month who have young children and are considering homeschooling. However, they haven't "made the plunge" yet because they are trying to decide if homeschooling will work for them. I am going to send my report to them when I'm done and hope that it will give them the extra information and encouragement they need to start homeschooling. That's why I really hope more people take the survey. There is nothing like using information from people who actually homeschool. I think it will really help!

Thanks again for your advice, Mindy. It is great to be able to chat with fellow homeschoolers!  
Natalie

Natalie, I don't know what your schedule is like, but we do have a park day on Thursdays.    You could bring hard copy surveys and ask people to fill them out.   It's such a short survey and very easy to do.

My grandkids love being homeschooled too.    The worst negative reaction I got was from one of my other sons who is a teacher.   I know that many people don't approve, but Albuquerque is extremely homeschool friendly.   There are SO many activities for homeschoolers.   If we took advantage of all of them, we'd never spend time in the classroom!     I am continually surprised at what is available.    Many people wonder how homeschooled kids socialize.   They should see this group at park day.    They're a great group of kids.   All ages play together at times and it's wonderful to see how they look out for each other.   Maybe you need pictures to go in your report.      

I know there are LOTS of homeschoolers in Albuquerque, but I'd be curious to know some approximate numbers.

As I said, you could post your survey again if you don't get more response.   If I can help you in any other way, please let me know.  I'd be curious to see your report when it's finished.  

Good luck!

Mindy

That's a good idea! Is it an all day event? Or just for a few hours? However, I have work and class from 8 to 3:30 on Thursdays so, unfortunately, I may not be able to take advantage of this opportunity. It is nice to know that Albuquerque has so many homeschool-friendly activities. That is something I will be sure to mention in my report.

I'm hoping that maybe next week (after the 4th of July is over) people will be on this forum more and will respond to my survey. If not, I'll try reposting it.

Thanks for offering to help! I appreciate it.

P.S. Where do you have your park days?

The park day is at Loma del Norte Park, west of Wyoming and north of Harper/San Antonio.    In the summer, it starts at 10 am, but most people don't arrive at 10.   I would say that many are there by 11.   Most bring a lunch.   Some leave early and some are still there at 2 or later.   It just really varies.    I'm not sure if we will be there this week, but we'll be there for sure the following week.    You could email me the survey and I could print some copies to take to the park if you like.  

Some of the homeschool activities during the year are

1.  LOTS of field trips planned by members of the co-op.   We went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and made pottery after a guided tour.    We are going to ABC bakery for a tour.    We are going to visit the Legislature in Santa Fe and have a behind the scenes tour of the ABQ Journal.    We went to McCall's Pumpkin Patch.   We had a Science Fair and the projects were great.   We had presentations from the mountain man and a member's dad who had spent time in Africa.    There was a trip to Casa San Ysidro in Corrales.   We made Shekeres at a member's home, etc, etc, etc!

2.  The Popejoy School Series shows.    They are $2 a ticket for us!

3.  An Adventure Group that gets us together for hikes, possible camping, possible kayak lessons, etc.   This is in lieu of Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts and is a new group started by one of our members.

4.  Mark Kistler's Imagination Station-----he held art classes this summer and wants to come back in October for homeschool classes.   Homeschoolers get a discount.

5.   Park Day every Thursday.    

6.  Art Around the World at Erna Ferguson library once a month.

I could go on and on!    There are a number of other groups within our co-op.

Anyway, just let me know if you need more help.  

Mindy

Wow! That is great! I will incorporate that information into my report. It's wonderful that homeschoolers have access to so many activities. I remember going to a lot of museums and art galleries as a child. I also enjoyed activities at the library and would going swimming once a week at the YMCA with a group of other homeschool families.

I'll see if I can email you a copy of the survey. Thanks so much for offering to do that!  

Natalie



UPDATE: I emailed you the survey if you want to distribute it. Hopefully it makes it to you!