Homeschooling with Technology

332: Engineering Exploration at Home  In this episode, guest Mariselle Gonzalez, a former semiconductor engineer, talks about engineering exploration at home. She offers practical ways homeschool parents can spark their child’s interest in engineering—no tech degree required! What We Cover in This Episode: Mariselle’s journey from electrical engineering to teaching and curriculum design The many [...

Episode 331: Scavenger Hunts That Bring Local History to Life In this episode, host Meryl van der Merwe revisits a topic she first explored back in episode 41 — scavenger hunts! But this time, she brings fresh insights from her recent European adventures, where she completed three different app-based scavenger hunts in Belgium and France. […] The post Scavenger Hunts That Bring Local History...

330:  How I Use AI to Kickstart Creativity Use AI to kickstart creativity—yes, it’s possible! In this episode, Meryl van der Merwe shares seven practical ways she uses AI tools like ChatGPT to spark and support creative thinking. Hopefully, this will give you ideas on how you can use AI as a helpful collaborator when […] The post How I Use AI to Kickstart Creativity appeared first on Ultimat...

329: Teaching Students to Navigate Social Media Teaching students to navigate social media is more important than ever as teens face a constant stream of information, misinformation, and online pressures. In this episode, Meryl Van der Merwe is joined by returning guest Stephanie Simoes, founder of CritiKid, a platform dedicated to teaching kids critical thinking. […] The post Teaching Stude...

328: Useful Technology in Homeschooling Special Needs High Schoolers with Melody Durham In this episode, Meryl chats with homeschool mom, Melody Durham, who shares the tech tools that have helped her dyslexic high schooler succeed. From smart pens to speech-to-text software, Melody explains what’s worked, why it’s made a difference, and how to advocate for […] The post Useful Technology in H...

327:  Fun group games to play online Whether you’re on a long trip, stuck indoors on a rainy day, or trying to connect with faraway family, group games to play online can be a great way to build memories and share laughter. In this episode, Meryl shares the games her Science Olympiad team enjoyed during […] The post Fun group games to play online appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool P...

326: Why Scratch is the Perfect First Programming Language to Learn In this episode, host Meryl van der Merwe is joined by returning guest Matthew Jurison, a homeschool teen. Together, they explore why Scratch is an ideal language for beginners learning to code. What You’ll Learn: How Scratch compares to text-based languages like JavaScript and […] The post Why Scratch is the Perfect First P...

Gamified Chess with Duolingo In this episode, we explore Duolingo’s newest addition—chess, which of course is gamified the way their languages are. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why Duolingo has added chess and how it fits into their gamified platform How Duolingo teaches chess step-by-step, making it accessible even for beginners How gamified challenges […] The post Gamified Chess with...

324: Free Online Curriculum In this episode, Meryl shares strategies and specific resources for stretching your homeschool budget by leveraging high-quality free curriculum. You’ll hear about four “all-in-one” programs, dozens of subject-specific tools, how to snag freebies from vendors, and tips for DIYing your own courses with AI assistance. 1. “All-in-One” Homeschool Curricula These comprehensi...

323: Innovative Ways to Use Google Talking Tours In this episode we take a deep dive into Google Talking Tours, an AI-powered tool from Google Arts & Culture that lets users explore landmarks and cultural sites around the world with automatically narrated tours. Whether you’re teaching geography, history, writing, photography, or just looking for an […] The post Innovative Ways to...

  This is a replay of episode 187. Go to that episode for the show notes.   The post Replay: How to use Movies in your Homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network .

322 : Online help for homeschool children with learning challenges Episode Summary: In this episode, Meryl chats with Krisa Wynn about Homeschool Heroes, an online platform designed to support homeschool families with children who have learning challenges — or as they call them, “unique learners.” Krisa shares how the platform provides free and paid resources, […] The post Online...

321: Why Math Should Be Fun In this episode, host Meryl van der Merwe is joined by Mina Neuberg from Wonder Math, to explore why making math fun is essential. Topics Covered: The connection between math and technology careers Why so many students and parents struggle with math anxiety How a growth mindset can transform […] The post Why Math Should Be Fun appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool...

  This is a replay of episode 127. Go to that episode for the show notes.     The post Replay: Online Poetry Resources appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network .

320: Virtual Vacation: Travel the World Without a Passport Summer is almost here, and while a real vacation might still be a few weeks away, you and your homeschoolers can start exploring the world right now—take a virtual vacation! In this episode, discover Virtual Vacation, a free and engaging website that lets you experience cities […] The post Virtual Vacation: Travel the World Without a...

319: Teaching Your Children How to Troubleshoot Tech We’ve all faced tech frustrations and needed to troubleshoot tech —whether it’s a stubborn printer, glitchy software, or a bug on your website. As homeschoolers, we have the unique advantage of turning these moments into powerful, real-life learning experiences. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why modeling tech […] The post Teaching Your Ch...

318: Free Online Tools to Study the U.S. Constitution Do you really know what the U.S. Constitution says? In today’s episode, Meryl welcomes back veteran homeschooler  Vicki Tillman to share free and engaging online tools to study the constitution to help homeschoolers (and parents!) better understand this foundational document. Resources Mentioned: Vicki’s 30-Day Constitution Challengehttps://vic...

317: Using Khan Academy in your Homeschool In this episode of Homeschooling with Technology, we explore the many ways homeschoolers can use Khan Academy. While many may be familiar with Khan Academy for math practice, there are many other subjects and tools available that can supplement and enrich a homeschool curriculum. What You’ll Learn in […] The post Using Khan Academy in your Homeschoo...

316: Gamify History with Mission US Games   In this episode, we’re diving into how you can gamify history with Mission US games. This immersive, interactive resource has been a favorite of mine for years, and I’m excited to revisit it, especially since they’ve updated their offerings. What is Mission US? Mission US is a […] The post Gamify History with Mission US Games appeared first on...

315: Google Arts and Culture Games In this episode of Homeschooling with Technology, we dive into the interactive games and activities available through Google Arts & Culture. Resources Mentioned: Google Arts & Culture – Play Section   Key Highlights: Introduction to Google Arts & Culture Games: Overview of the “Play” section on the platform. How […] The post Google Ar...

314:  Google Arts and Culture Google Arts and Culture is a resource I’ve mentioned before, but in this episode we dive  into the vast offerings on the site’s homepage. Next week, I’ll explore the games and interactive experiences under the “Play” section. Whether you’re looking for a free art curriculum, a quick educational activity, or […] The post Google Arts and Culture appear...

313: 3D Modeling with Blender: A Teen’s Perspective   In this episode, Meryl is joined by teen guest Matthew Jurison, who shares his experiences using Blender, a free 3D modeling and visual effects software. Matthew, a self-taught Blender enthusiast with years of experience, discusses how he got started, the skills he’s developed, and why Blender […] The post 3D Modeling with Blen...

312: Using AI as a Study Tool In this episode, we look at various AI resources and how they can be effective study tools. Please note there are previous podcast episode that go into  more detail about all of these tools. Featured AI Tools & Applications: ChatGPT: Creating custom practice questions at different difficulty levels […] The post Using AI as a Study Tool appeared first on Ulti...

311: 3 Online Cybersecurity Games These online cybersecurity games are a great way to teach students about how to keep safe online – and what exactly is involved in careers in this field. Games Reviewed: Gandalf    Players try to trick Gandalf into revealing passwords across multiple levels Involves critical thinking and AI prompting skills […] The post 3 Online Cybersecurity Games app...

310: New Online Geography Games This episode features 7 new online geography games – new to me at least – but some are very new and use AI technology to increase the fun. All are free and can be played with no sign in required. Many allow you to create private rooms to play in. […] The post New Online Geography Games appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network .