The Wired Homeschool

If you're new to the podcast, you might be wondering why I haven't released an episode.

Are you planning to give your child a smartphone, tablet or console this holiday season? Before you wrap it (if you haven't already) consider doing a few things first.

My Homeschool is a community-driven resource that connects parents to homeschool spots (like museums, co-ops, and nature centers). It's like an Airbnb for home education.

Doing school online isn't homeschooling despite what some parents and teachers think.

If you were forced into homeschooling because of the pandemic this year, you may be considering continuing to homeschool your children. Maybe you’re not comfortable with how your school district is planning to reopen or you’ve decided that this is something you think is a good fit for your family. In this episode of The […]

This month’s encore episode is an interview with Kirk Martin from October 2017. Kirk helps parents restore calm in their homes with practical advice for parents of strong-willed children. Find out more about his courses and seminars.

This interview from 2012 highlights the importance of including astronomy in your homeschool curriculum.

In this encore episode, we revisit an interview I did with Todd Wilson from Familyman Ministries. This interview was conducted in June of 2012 at the Northeast Great Homeschool Convention.

In this encore episode, we revisit an interview I did with Andrew Pudewa from the Institute for Excellence in Writing.

COVID-19 has led a number of school districts across the United States and the world to close and parents are looking to homeschooling during this critical time.

About Noah Tetzner Noah Tetzner is a homeschool graduate who enjoys sharing his passion for history with the world! He is the host of multiple historical podcasts that feature interviews with some of the world brightest scholars. Recently, he has launched a new podcast called Lessons from a Homeschooler where you can join him in […]

Our children can learn a lot of things from textbooks and online curriculum but there are some intangible things that cannot be learned through typical schooling. Often, it’s intangible traits or characteristics in our children that determine whether or not the will succeed. This list is by no means exhaustive but it’s a good start […]

Ursula M. Burns became the first black woman to head a Fortune 500 company when she was appointed CEO of Xerox. She also became the first woman to succeed another as head of a Fortune 500 company. Burns led the STEM program of the White House from 2009 to 2016 and is the current chairman […]

Google recently announced a gaming service that requires no console. They’ve made some big promises about this new product and it looks to be the future of gaming. Michael Prince from BecauseFamily joins me today to discuss what parents and homeschoolers need to know about Stadia. For more information about Stadia and cloud gaming, check […]

Rob Jensen graduated from BYU with a BFA in Industrial Design. After graduating, he moved to Michigan to work for Ford Motor Company where he designed future cars for 7 years. After moving back to Utah and starting a business, Rob began drawing with my kids and realized it would be fun to share their […]

Scratch 3.0 was released in January 2019 and includes a number of great new features including the ability to create and play projects on a tablet. Ryan Swanstrom joins me today to discuss Scratch 3.0 and how homeschoolers can use it to teach their kids how to code, for free! Ryan is a homeschool dad, […]

Educational content is available all over the Internet. As streaming services become more popular, more educational documentaries become available to homeschoolers. Previously, I’ve shared YouTube channels and documentaries on Netflix that are educational. In this episode of The Wired Homeschool, I share 10 documentaries you can find on Hulu right now that you can use […]

This year at CES, there were a number of themes amid all the tech that was on display. This is the third year in a row I’ve covered CES from afar and each year things get more and more interesting. Last year, I had reports from people at CES but I was unable to coordinate […]

Throughout 2018, there were a number of blog posts and podcasts that readers and listeners found helpful. Some of them were published this year, and some are more popular now than they have been in the past. Here are the top five blog posts and podcasts for 2018. Top 5 Blog Posts of 2018 7 […]

Looking for practical ways to teach your kids STEM topics? Today I share some suggestions for teaching your kids about STEM topics through everyday things like visiting the gas pump or watching sports. Briefly, the three examples I give in this podcast are: At the gas pump – How is fuel made? Watching sports – […]

Michael Prince from BecauseFamily joins me again to discuss safe digital parenting. With the holidays just around the corner, you’ll want to make sure any gifts you’re giving to your kids are safe and ready to use when they’re unwrapped. Michael and I talk about some of the things you’ll want to do before handing […]

Today I’m talking with Paul Drake. Paul is a homeschool alumnus, software designer, and founder/director of Code Apprentice, a program that provides high school students the skills and guidance they need to get a job in tech after graduation. Paul is also a committed Christian, a passionate sports fan (Go Cubs!) and a classical piano […]

About Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History Dave Stotts has spent the last two decades in professional video and media production. His career in documentary production has taken him to nearly 30 countries to shoot and edit films on a wide variety of topics, including history, science, religion, homeland security, and Bible archaeology. In 2004, […]

Today I’m speaking with Hannah Ruth Earl of The Moving Picture Institute. Hannah works on MPI’s talent development programs, including recruiting and acquisitions for grants, internships, and masterclasses. She previously worked in independent film production at Bold Films and Rumble Films. Hannah was also homeschooled and has been reaching out to homeschoolers about the free […]

Many kids and parents are fascinated by the night sky but don’t know where to start with nightly observations. With Experience Astronomy homeschool parents and students can learn to navigate the heavens and figure out if that bright light is a planet, star, or just an airplane. About Luke Gilkerson Luke Gilkerson is the creator […]

Every homeschooler understands that reading is essential. However, sometimes we may not know what our children should be reading. Or, perhaps we know what they should read but we don’t understand the essential themes and ideas of a piece of great literature. At Online Great Books you’ll find a community that will help you understand […]

Last week I talked about 10 Ways to Use an Amazon Echo Dot for Homeschooling and one of those ways was to use educational skills. This week I’ll share 7 Alexa skills homeschoolers can use with their Amazon Echo. If you’re using an Amazon Echo for homeschooling, let me know how you’re using it in […]

When the Amazon Echo Dot was originally released many people saw the smart speaker as nothing more than a novelty. Many people bought it and its older sibling the Amazon Echo and quickly realized how helpful it could be in their day-to-day lives. The Amazon Echo Dot has a lot of functionality in it that […]

A major part of homeschooling involves teaching practical life-skills like how to fix cars. OK, maybe not everyone needs to learn to fix a car but basic maintenance or knowing when to take your car to a mechanic are skills every homeschooler should learn. If you have a budding mechanic or if you don’t think […]

Shawn and Heather Barrieau founded MyFunScience in 2016 to fill a need they saw in the homeschooling community. They noticed that parents were struggling to teach math and science starting in the middle and high school grades. The classes are taught from a Christian perspective and they believe: A well-rounded STEM curriculum is critical to […]

I stumbled across a video on YouTube a few weeks ago by Evan Edinger wherein he talked about how he learned German using Duolingo. If you’re not familiar with Duolingo, it’s a website and app that helps you learn to speak a foreign language through gamification. It’s also free. I though I’d pull out some […]

At the end of March, Acer and Apple announced new tablets targeted at education. Acer’s Chromebook Tab 10 and Apple’s 2018 iPad are priced competitively but which is better for homeschooling? Acer Chromebook Tab 10 Google has dominated the public education market with Chromebooks for many years now. Their low price and suite of free […]

Facebook has been in the news quite a bit lately because of privacy concerns. A third-party (Cambridge Analytica) used data it collected from Facebook to profile users. That information was used to serve ads and articles to people via the social media network and influence their behavior online. Many people have deleted their Facebook accounts […]

Kirk Cameron’s new movie Connect aims to make parents aware of the dangers of social media for teens and provide parents with tools to steer kids away from social media’s traps. Does it succeed? Michael Prince from Because Family joins me to review the movie and to provide some practical advice and tools to help […]

I recently became a grandfather so there is no full podcast for February 15th. Instead, I’ve provided links to some videos that explain the science behind some of the Olympic events. Please check out the Homeschooling and Liberty Summit to hear my session. Below are some of the videos I’d planned to discuss. Take some […]

When you think of 3D printers, what comes to mind? Do you think technology like 3d printing is beyond the reach of homeschoolers? It’s not! 3D printers have become affordable and easy to use. There are many 3D printers that have been specifically designed for home use and homeschoolers can use them to teach STEM […]

CES 2018 has passed but coverage still continues. There’s no doubt you’re seeing many articles about the gadgets and gizmos from CES 2018 that will make your life easier or more connected. Matt Kamla (a listener of the podcast) and Michael Prince from Family Tech Blog both attended CES this year and shared some of […]

Throughout the year it’s interesting to see which posts and podcasts are the most popular with my readers and listeners. I’m not counting only those posts published this year. I’m counting the ones that got the most reads or listens. I never really know how people hear about my posts. Every year I’m amazed that […]

As our kids grow up, we begin to give them a little bit more freedom. Maybe they get a smartphone or a laptop for themselves. This can be a scary time for parents who are concerned about the safety of their children. If your teen has a device and you’re concerned about their online activity, […]

Managing your kids’ screen time when you homeschool can sometimes feel like a daunting task. How much is too much? How do you get your kids to step away from the computer? Kirk Martin is the founder of Celebrate Calm and has given over 600,000 parents and teachers in 19 countries very specific, practical strategies […]

Looking for a fun game to play with the whole family? I’ll review a new game from Osmo and briefly cover some tech news in this week’s episode of The Wired Homeschool. News Google Home Mini Always Listening to YouSee What’s Saved in Your Voice & Audio ActivityYou May Have an FM Radio Built Into […]

Google’s recent Pixel 2 event revealed some exciting technology that homeschoolers will be able to take advantage of in their homes. Not everything announced looks to be immediately useful in the homeschooler’s toolbox but there are a few interesting things that parents may want to keep their eyes on. In this mini-episode of The Wired […]

The Osmo Genius Kit includes 5 hands-on games that foster creativity & problem solving skills: Masterpiece, Newton, Tangram, Numbers, and Words. In this episode of The Wired Homeschool I’ll share my thoughts on the Osmo Genius Kit and preview some upcoming episodes. Thanks to my Patrons for supporting this episode: Aaron, Lori, Matt, & Winston. […]

Apple’s announcement of the iPhone X was a bit underwhelming but Cassini’s “grand finale” left me grinning from ear-to-ear. In this episode of The Wired Homeschool I’ll share my initial reaction to the iPhone X, go over Cassini’s grand finale, and talk about how the two are closely related. Links mentioned in the podcast: Through […]

On Prime Day, I purchased 3 Amazon Fire 7 Tablets for our family. We’ve been Fire users since the first generation and now that the 7th generation is out I thought it was time to review their newest model. For this review I used the criteria from an archived episode of The Wired Homeschool. I’ve […]

My trip to see the 2017 eclipse was a great success. Here are my thoughts on the trip, the event, and planning for the next one in 2024. No show notes for this episode because I was speaking with little preparation. Thanks to Aaron, Lori, Matt, & Winston. Their continue support on Patreon helped make […]

The 11th annual Games in Education Symposium (GiE17) brought together educators from the United States and Canada to learn how to supercharge their classrooms with video games. While this conference’s target attendee is the public school teacher, I was able to present as well as attend. While there, I learned a lot about game-based education […]

There is a growing number of homeschooling podcasts in Apple Podcasts (also known as iTunes) and they cover a variety of topics from the sacred to the secular. In this episode of The Wired Homeschool, I’m reviewing the highest-ranked homeschooling podcasts found in Apple Podcasts (iTunes) in the K-12 category. I’ve listened to the latest […]

The total solar eclipse that will traverse the United States is quickly approaching. Where will you be on August 21, 2017? Don’t miss this opportunity to see a phenomenon you and your kids will talk about for years. The best way to see the eclipse this year is to be somewhere along the path of […]

I was recently given early access to Osmo Coding Jam to review the product ahead of its launch. It’s a game combined with tactile elements that teach kids to code using pictograms on tiles. A nifty stand and mirror allow your iPad to see the tiles laying on a table in front of the device. […]

Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th (Force) be with you. With fans celebrating Star Wars all around the globe today, I thought it would be appropriate to share some great Star Wars homeschooling resources that you can use in your homeschool for all your little Jedi (or Sith) sitting at the table in the […]