Hi! I have been reading BioLogos materials frequently for several years, but this marks my initial contribution to the BioLogos Forum.
I would like to initiate a discussion centered on people’s experiences with science education within a homeschool environment. I know that Christy is an active homeschooler, and I have read several of her typically astute reflections within other discussions. I suspect there are several other homeschoolers reading these discussions, as well as many who were homeschooled themselves.
I hope to give a longer description of my own experiences as a homeschooling father, along with why I am seeking out conversation with others on this topic. But for now let me give a brief introduction.
My wife and I have been homeschooling our son, who is now in sixth grade, and the primary curriculum has been provided through our participation in Classical Conversations. I have been very pleased with CC overall, but I have also been concerned about what I perceived as anti-evolutionary messages in some of their content since I first picked up on it a few years ago. Now that my son is preparing to enter Middle School years (the Challenge program if we stick with CC), I am more keen to understand how they will approach the study of science and particularly issues related to biological evolution. I am generally in accord with the BioLogos perspective, and I am resolved that my son receive a robust education in science that is not unduly influenced by YEC propaganda. Unfortunately, I suspect that both of these attitudes are out of step with the preponderance of people in CC, so I am realizing that maintaining that resolve may require some vigilance and extra work on my part. Hence, I am pursuing the resources and conversations that will prepare me and encourage me for what may sometimes seem like a lonely road, and seeking out some conversation partners on this forum is a step in that pursuit.
Of course, I also hope that I may have something to contribute that would encourage others who are walking this road.
I also want to ask if there is any way that this particular forum can stay open to new contributions. My understanding (perhaps incorrect) is that forums are closed after several days without a new reply. Though I read BioLogos content pretty frequently, I don’t often have the time to compose thoughtful messages as promptly. Also, since I’m not primarily looking for responses to a specific question or issue, but rather for reflections on experiences within the wild world of homeschooling, I expect that plenty of new discussion-worthy thoughts will arise over time, and it would be nice to be able to maintain them within the same forum topic.
Thanks for reading this. If there is interest in pursuing this topic, I’ll write some more about my experiences and reflections.
Bruce