HOMESCHOOL CONVENTION - Oregon Home Education Network

Adult Workshops - Session 4
A18 - Brain Games (John Bennett) - Room 101 - 102
John Bennett is a one-of-a-kind middle and high school math teacher in the San Francisco area.
His application of logic puzzles and strategy games in the classroom bring traditional
mathematics curriculum to life. If you plan on joining John, be prepared to be puzzled, amazed,
and downright inspired by the activities he has designed to stimulate analytic reasoning,
deductive logic and visual-spatial reasoning – essential skills needed for applied math theory.
A19 - Learning Disabilities Simulation, cont. from Session 3
(Kelly Arnold and Anne Shoepe) - Room 103 - 104 See session A12 for description
A20 - College Admissions Testing 101 (Brian Bills) Room 105
It used to be the case that “admissions tests” were primarily used by schools for making
admissions decisions. Today, however, admissions tests have a far greater impact. This
workshop will help you to understand the distinctions between these various exams and the
impact each can have on the entire college admissions process. Learn the importance of test
scores relative to other admissions criteria, as well as the impact on merit-based aid award
decisions. Also learn when each of these tests should be taken and the impact of multiple test
scores.
A21 and A29 (2-hour session) - Why Don't We Listen Better? (Jim Petersen) - Music Room
Family members get excited or confused, frustrated or hurt, grief-stricken or angry, and want to
be heard. But while we think we’re good listeners, most of us are not. We want to listen
effectively and talk without making others defensive and don’t know how. You’ll chuckle at the
Flatbrain Tango that shows what's going on and leads to better ways of handling conflict. You'll
observe and practice talking and listening techniques that work and learn a Talker-Listener Card
process to help your family in tense situations. The versatile card works on every situation from
the family dinner table to work, teaching, and counseling settings. It could end arguing as you
know it and the class will be fun. This workshop will extend across both session 4 and session 5.
A22 - Advanced Dissections at Home (Joel Thomas) - Room 208
Learn how to lead dissections at home for students aged 12 - 18. Joel will help answer questions
like: Where can I get equipment and specimens for dissection? What organisms are available?
How do I lead a dissection at my co-op? What safety concerns need to be addressed to lead a
dissection (physical and emotional)? Throughout the workshop he'll walk small groups step-bystep
through the dissection of a dogfish (shark).
A23 - Reading for Understanding (Lola Carlile) - Room 202
I can read the words, but what does it mean? With multiple strategies, resources, and
methodologies for all learning styles, this session is designed to help enhance your child’s
comprehension once basic sight words are learned. Meaningful and relevant reading creates
lifelong readers. This session will include hands-on activities incorporating art, drama, music, and
rhythm.
A24 - Math Playground: Hands-On Math Ideas for Early Elementary Learners (Amy
Grant) - Room 203
Discover fun and easy hands-on activities to encourage your early elementary-age (~4-8 years
old) child's mathematical thinking without worksheets. Amy will share the games, books and
activities that she uses in the Math Playground class at Village Home, and will show how to use
household items and recycled materials to make economical (and fun) learning tools.
A25 - Media Issues Roundtable (Anna Heinrich) - Room 204
Every family has different methods for dealing with the many media issues in our home. This
round table discussion will let us share our strategies with each other and our ideas on how to
make the most of media in today's media saturated world.
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About Our Speakers
BJ the Clown Performing at over 300 events every year, BJ the Clown (aka
Bret J. Christie) has long been considered one of the premier children’s
entertainers in the Pacific NW. A Portland native and member of the World
Clown Association, BJ originally trained under the guidance of former
Ringling Brothers clowns before developing his own unique style of
performing. After several successful years as one half of the comedy duo BJ
and Scampy’s Merrily Magical Mischief, BJ struck out on his own in 1996 and
has been entertaining non-stop ever since. Specializing in comedy variety
shows for schools, libraries, and corporate events BJ also performs at
birthdays, festivals, camps, and charitable events.
Lola Carlile has taught all grade levels from pre-K through the university
level. She has taught language arts, ESOL, American history and a language
sampler. She is a writer, reader, and dreamer! She recently received her second
Master's degree in Art Therapy Counseling from Marylhurst University and
believes everyone should enjoy learning, especially learning to read. Recently
she has published her first book, "The Twin Within" and is prepared to share
her second book, "Teaching Literacy in a Global Society" with conference
attendees.
Kelly Casperson (Seven Stars Studio) - Kelly’s business and atelier, Seven
Stars Studio, is located in Ladd’s Addition in southeast Portland, Oregon. This
is where she creates her artwork and in 2009, Seven Stars Studio expanded to
include art instruction. Kelly worked in Portland Public Schools for over 20
years, beginning in 1988. In 1990 she initiated an arts education program at
Edwards Elementary School that involved developing the curriculum and
teaching the classes. She has a degree in education and has worked with a wide
array of student learning styles in all the academic subjects. In 2010, Kelly was
able to become a full-time artist and art teacher, an opportunity she
whole-heartedly embraced. Her favorite moment as a teacher is to hear a
student say, “Oh, I get it!”, and her favorite moment as an art teacher was the
student who told her, “I didn’t know I could paint. Now I love to paint!” When
a student sees and understands for the very first time, new vistas are suddenly
opened and the world becomes bigger and brighter - this is why Kelly loves to
teach!
Amy Grant is an attorney and mother of two homeschool graduates, and leads
Math Playground at Village Home Education Resources Center in Beaverton.
She has worked with the Oregon legislature to protect home education freedom
in Oregon for over ten years.
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