Christian Architecture Overview: Online Classes

When we think of Christian teaching, many of us think of the Scriptures, catechism, writings of the saints, and the teachings of the popes. In our 2015 summer bootcamp "Christian Architecture Through the Ages", Mr. Phillip Campbell will lead students in exploring Christianity's architectural heritage, which has traditionally been one of the main ways the faith is passed from generation to generation.

Registration is open. Click here: Homeschool Connections Registration Page (choose the summer semester and click on Search).

Christian Architecture through the Ages

Class dates: Monday through Thursday, July 13, 14, 15, and 16.

Total classes: 4

Starting time: 4:00 PM Eastern (3:00 Central; 2:00 Mountain; 1:00 Pacific)

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 7^th to 12^th grade.

Suggested high school credit: 1/3 semester World History

Fee: $65 for all 4 classes.

Instructor: Phillip Campbell

Course description: This course will acquaint students with the basic components of Christian ecclesiastical architecture, beginning with the basilicas of the late patristic era and moving through the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical and Neo-Gothic.

Course outline: Day 1: Late patristic basilicas, Day 2: Romanesque and Gothic, Day 3: Renaissance and Baroque elements, Day 4: Revivalism and the Modern Descent

Course materials: Provided free by the instructor.

Homework: Minimal amount of reading; test at the end of the week with suggestions for further reading.

We hope to see you in class!

Click here: Homeschool Connections Registration Page (choose the summer semester and click on Search).

Online High School: Art, Music, and History with Professor Carol

We are very happy to announce, thrilled in fact, that Professor Carol will be back for the 2014/2015 school year. She will be teaching music and art appreciation, as well as Russian history. Yes, THE Professor Carol! We hope you'll join us in this adventure of art and music through history ...

Discovering Western Culture through Music and the Arts

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, September 29 to December 22, 2014. No class December 8th for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Total classes: 12 classes plus 12 recorded lectures
Starting time: 5:00 pm Eastern (4:00 Central; 3:00 Mountain; 2:00 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None. No musical background is necessary.
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Music/Art Appreciation
Fee: $195 for all 24 classes
Instructor: Carol Reynolds, Ph.D. (Professor Carol)
Course description: Journey with Professor Carol through Western History, using music as the focal point but weaving in visual art (painting, sculpture), dance, theater, architecture, and literature. The study of music and the Fine Arts supports the understanding of history, geography, and culture. Elements of science, technology, and language are included in the course as well. Sessions will focus on the years between 1600 and World War One, but will present an overview of Medieval/Renaissance Sacred Music.
Course materials: 1. Discovering Music online curriculum by Professor Carol will be made available to students for half of the regular price ($30 for four months subscription). 2. Music selections assigned by the instructor. These can be accessed in one of four ways. Choose the one that best suits your family: a) Free by searching your public library or YouTube; b) Classical Archives ($8 per month); c) Naxos ($20 per year); OR d) purchase 3-CD set from the instructor (HSC discounted price $34.95).
Homework: This is not a course for the faint of heart. We’ll have a lot of fun as we discover music together, but students should expect a good amount of work outside of the classroom in that discovery. Homework will entail: 1. Viewing recorded classes in advance to the live classes. 2. Viewing assigned artwork and listening to music. 3. Interactive quizzes. 4. A midterm and a final exam (fill-in-blank, short essays, long essays, with answers/suggested answers). 5. Unit projects to be determined. Due to the nature of the medium, we encourage students more than ever to share their learning experience and the resources used in this course with the rest of their family.

History and Culture of Imperial Russia

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, September 29 to December 22, 2014. No class December 8th for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Total classes: 12 live classes plus 12 recorded lectures.
Starting time: 6:30 pm Eastern (5:30 Central; 4:30 Mountain; 3:30 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 8th to 12th grade.
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester History or Fine Arts
Fee: $160 for all 24 classes.
Instructor: Dr. Carol Reynolds (Professor Carol)
Course description: Beginning with ancient Russia and the medieval princes, we’ll study the major developments that shaped Imperial Russia through the Bolshevik Revolution. We’ll cover the roots of Russian Christianity, the effect of European influence, and the primary cultural and military development under the Riurik and Romanov tsars. We’ll examine architecture, folk art, music, and the key contributions of Russian authors Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoi. We will also study factors that led to the fall of the Romanov tsars and the rise of the Bolsheviks, And, we'll end with a look at the arts and culture in the early Soviet period.
Taught in an interactive weekly webinar, the course requires the viewing of a one-hour pre-recorded class session with Professor Carol in preparation for the live class. The course also will feature a number of video sequences filmed by Professor Carol on location(!) in Russia.
Course outline:
Russia and the West
Orthodoxy in Music, Art, and Architecture
Riuriks: The First Russian Dynasty
Time of Troubles and the Early Romanovs (incl. Peter the Great)
The Tsarinas and a Changing Russia
Catherine the Great
Napoleonic Russia
Russia’s Strongest Voice: Pushkin
The Golden Age of Russian
Russian Realism
Final Flowering of Imperial Russia
The End of Imperial Russia & Revolution
Course materials: Land of the Firebird by Susanne Massie [Hearttree Press], 1980. Used and new copies (paperback or hardcover) available at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096441841X/catholictreas-20.
Homework: In addition to the required pre-recorded lectures in preparation of the weekly webinar, each unit contains a homework assignment that reinforces and expands the class sessions. These assignments are rich in visual images, music, and clips from historical documentaries. Approximate time needed to devote to the assignments: 2 hours per week. Students should also allot 1 to 2 hours weekly for reading in Land of the Firebird. Midterm and a final exam.

Early Sacred Music

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, Dates to be announced.
Total classes: 12 live classes plus 12 recorded lectures.
Starting time: 5:00 pm Eastern (4:00 Central; 3:00 Mountain; 2:00 Pacific)

Prerequisite: None. No musical background is necessary.

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested high school credit: 1 semester, History, Religious Studies, Fine Arts, or Humanities
Fee: $175 if you register on or before November 15, 2014. $195 after Nov. 15th for all 12 classes
Instructor: Dr. Carol Reynolds (Professor Carol)
Course description: Have you wondered about the roots of sacred music and wanted to learn more? This new course takes you from Old Testament times and Ancient Greece and Rome, through the Carolingian Era and the establishment of Christian worship throughout Europe and the Slavic lands, to the dawn of the Renaissance (1400).
We'll encounter saints and philosophers, art and architecture, manuscripts and technology, emperors and political intrigue. And we'll consider the the critical role played by the monks who developed, preserved, and spread the music .
Early Sacred Music features musical performances and commentary from a variety of scholars, including the monks of St. Louis Abbey, Sr. Margaret Truran (St. Cecelia's, Rome), the Ring Around Quartet from Italy, Dr. Michael Dodds (University of North Carolina), Dr. Christopher Anderson (Southern Methodist University), Dr. John Trapani (Walsh University), and more.
This course is taught by Dr. Carol Reynolds, retired professor of Music History (Southern Methodist University) through richly illustrated video class session, written commentary and multi-media assignments, as well as a weekly interactive class session specifically for those enrolled through Homeschool Connections.
Course materials: To be announced.
Homework: To be announced.

Instructor biography: Dr. Carol Reynolds weaves energy, humor, and history into everything she does.   After a career as a professor at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, “Professor Carol” and husband Hank moved to a ranch and began creating Fine Arts courses for students and adults.  Her unprecedented Discovering Music: 300 Years of Interaction in Western Music, Arts, History, & Culture and Exploring America’s Musical Heritage reach across the world.  Her new course History of Early Sacred Music will appear this summer, as well as online courses on Russian Music, Research Skills for Students Entering College, and a new series on American Music.  A pianist and organist, she is a popular speaker for the Van Cliburn Series, The Dallas Symphony, opera companies, and museums.  She works frequently in Eastern Europe and Russia as Study Leader for The Smithsonian.

Western Art: Online Classes for High School

We are thrilled to announce that internationally-renown artist Dr. Karen Schneider has joined our teaching staff. 

Survey of Western Art I 
(click on course title to register)

NOTE: This is Part One of a 2-part course, which can be taken separately or together. Survey of Western Art II will start in January.

Class dates: Tuesdays, September 9 to December 2, 2014. No class November 25. 

Total classes: 12 

Starting time: 11:00 am Eastern (10:00 Central; 9:00 Mountain; 8:00 Pacific) 

Duration: 1 hour each class

Prerequisite: None. 

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade 

Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester 

Fee: $175 if you register on or before August 1, 2014. $195 after Aug. 1t for all 12 classes 

Instructor: Karan Schneider, Ph.D. MS 

Course description: The primary focus of this course is to understand the artistic legacy of not only Europe and the United States, but the entire globe. The course will introduce students to the discipline of art history and its effect of not only art but cultural experiences. A chronological order of time is organized within the book to best study the civilizations of their art and the impact it produced throughout the world. This program prepares students to aim in the appreciation and understanding of works of high aesthetic quality and historical significance, as well as, enhancing all other works taken in future education. This is the same book used in almost all university and college levels. Learn from a faculty member who is a practicing instructor in the 

arts, and who taught Art History at the university level. 

Course outline: 

Class 1: Introduction.
Class 2: Prehistoric to Renaissance. 

Class 3: Extensive Global History of Art. 

Class 4: Written Sources for the birth & rise of art. 

Class 5: Religion & Mythology within civilizations. 

Class 6: Art, Society & Antiquity. 

Class 7: Architectural Basics of everlasting buildings. 

Class 8: Art in the News from heroes, gods & athletes. 

Class 9: Maps & Timelines illustrated. 

Class 10: Language, Glossary, Bibliography. 

Class 11: Materials and Techniques. 
Class 12: Review and Final.

Course materials: There is one (1) required textbook for this course. This is a large book, yet full of many photos and not full pages of reading; please do not be intimidated by it. Certain chapter will target on areas and specific pages for work & study, as this is a high school course. Expect 2-6 hours a week on assignments, and this will depend on the student. Book: Gardner’s Art throughout the Ages-eleventh edition, Fred S. Kleinre, Christin J. Mamiya, Richard G. Tansey, Thompson-Wadsworth, ISBN # 0534642004. This text is widely available inexpensively (as little as $5) used. You may purchase the 11th, 12, 13th, or 14th edition.

Homework: There is one examination in week #12 We will work through the first half of the textbook. The assignments are to be done in a Learning Portfolio style. Expect 2-6 hours a week on assignments, and this will depend on the student. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: The Learning Portfolio style example will be available to you upon request or available in Moodle. It is to be submitted in one complete form as early as Week #10 or early in Week #11 with prior notification. The exam is taken in Week #12. EXAM: The examination is "open book" objective type. You will have three (3) days to complete your exam, once you access it from the classroom. 

Instructor biography: Karan A. Schneider Ph.D., has her Master of Science in Art and is licensed by the State of Ohio as a longterm substitute teacher, as she also taught Art History for an online university for eight years. Between 1990 and 2001 she taught private sculpting courses through her studio. She is internationally recognized and published since 1980. She formed an art company in the mid 1980’s with original art pieces that have been created for world famous physicians, attorneys, and various celebrities. A custom porcelain angel was created for the Clinton Inauguration in 1992 at the White House, as well as each inauguration until 2008. In 1999 she was personally selected by Hillary Rodham Clinton to create a one-of-a-kind sculpted figure to be presented on the Christmas tree artwork for the White House formal. This event and her piece were in six international magazines. Another of her works was also accepted into The White House by President Bush and The First Lady in August of 2004, called Emerging Wings-Unaware. She has also been authored and published internationally from 1996 to 2003 in various how-to articles with international magazines as Doll Crafter and Dollmaker that included writing articles for other various artists and doll maker friends. Author and world renown doll artist, Susanna Oroyan, selected Karan to be featured in her two books, Designing the Doll and Finishing the Figure. Dr. Schneider was raised Catholic and has embraced the works of St. Hildegard von Bingen because she upheld a lifestyle conducive to what is lacking in our culture today. Hildegard had been blessed to offer the world all aspects within this lifestyle from music, art, morals to medicine. 

Survey of Western Art I 

(click on course title to register)

High School Online Classes: History and Culture of Imperial Russia with Professor Carol

UPDATE: Now available as a recorded, independent-learning course through our Unlimited Access program (click).

We are so excited to announce that Professor Carol is returning to Homeschool Connections for another semester. If you didn't get the opportunity to take her art and music appreciation course last semester, you really missed out. You can't help but catch her enthusiasm for discovering other cultures and delving deep into their art, music, and literature.

Starting in February, we are embarking on a journey to Imperial Russia with Professor Carol as our guide. We hope you'll be able to join us!

History and Culture of Imperial Russia 

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Mondays, February 10 to May 5, 2014
Total classes: 12 live classes plus additional recorded classes
Starting time: 5:30 PM Eastern (4:30 Central; 3:30 Mountain; 2:30 Pacific)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9 - 12
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester history or fine arts
Fee: $140 for all 12 live, interactive classes and recorded lectures.
Instructor: Dr. Carol Reynolds (Professor Carol)
Course description: Beginning with ancient Russia and the medieval princes, we’ll study the major developments that shaped Imperial Russia through the Bolshevik Revolution. We’ll cover the roots of Russian Christianity, the effect of European influence, and the primary cultural and military development under the Riurik and Romanov tsars. We’ll examine architecture, folk art, music, and the key contributions of Russian authors Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoi. We will also study factors that led to the fall of the Romanov tsars and the rise of the Bolsheviks, And we'll end with a look at the arts and culture in the early Soviet period.
Taught in an interactive weekly webinar, the course requires the viewing of a one-hour pre-recorded class session with Professor Carol in preparation for the webinar.
The course also will feature a number of video sequences filmed by Professor Carol on location(!) in Russia.

Course outline (week by week):
Russia and the West
Orthodoxy in Music, Art, and Architecture
Riuriks: The First Russian Dynasty
Time of Troubles and the Early Romanovs (incl. Peter the Great)
The Tsarinas and a Changing Russia
Catherine the Great
Napoleonic Russia
Russia’s Strongest Voice: Pushkin
The Golden Age of Russian
Russian Realism
Final Flowering of Imperial Russia
The End of Imperial Russia & Revolution

Course materials: Land of the Firebird by Susanne Massie [Hearttree Press], 1980. Used and new copies (paperback and hard copy) are available at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096441841X/catholictreas-20 (the used prices are pretty good).

Homework: In addition to the required pre-recorded class session in preparation of the weekly webinar, each unit contains a homework assignment that reinforces and expands the class sessions. These assignments are rich in visual images, music, and clips from historical documentaries. Approximate time needed to devote to the assignments: 2 hours/week. Students should also allot 1-2 hours weekly for reading in Land of the Firebird.
Tests: Midterm and a final exam.

History and Culture of Imperial Russia 

(click on course title to register)

Mary Gildersleeve's Books for Creative Families

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NOTE: Mary's (autographed!) books are part of THE Ultimate Catholic Homeschool Giveaway!

Mary C. Gildersleeve is married, has 5 children (almost 11- to 24-years old) and keeps busy homeschooling, working on the computer, free-lancing articles, writing reviews on a myriad of subjects, and knitting … knitting … knitting just west of Fredericksburg, Virginia.  She is also the author of two books published by Hillside Education: 

1.     Mary wrote Great Yarns for the Close-Knit Family: over two dozen hand-knit designs inspired by a dozen fantastic family read-alouds as a way to link two of her favorite subjects:  reading great books to the family and knitting.  Packed with over two dozen unique designs that were each inspired by the dozen great family read-alouds covered in this book.  Great Yarns is a wonderful link between classic literature and creative pursuits.

2.     Her second book, also published by Hillside Education focuses on how best to nurture creativity in your own family.  In His Image: Nurturing Creativity in the Heart of Your Home (a book which received the Catholic Writers’ Guild Seal of Approval) gives the why you would want to spend valuable time encouraging creative pursuits within your own home.  Further, Gildersleeve packs her book with tips and techniques and ideas for getting creative … something the whole family can enjoy together. 

Mary earned an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, VA) and a BA in Print Journalism from Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington).    

Thank you Mary for donating your books to The Ultimate Catholic Homeschool Giveaway!

Music Appreciation for High School

We are very happy to announce, thrilled in fact, that Professor Carol will be teaching music and art appreciation for Homeschool Connections in the fall semester. Yes, THE Professor Carol! We hope you'll join us in this adventure of art and music through history ...

Discovering Western Culture through Music and the Arts

(click on course title to register)

Class dates: Fridays, September 13 to December 13, 2013. No class October 11 and November 29
Total classes: 12 classes plus recorded lectures
Starting time: 2:30 PM Eastern (1:30 PM Central)
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisite: None. No musical background is necessary.
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested high school credit: 1 full semester Music/Art Appreciation
Fee: $175 if you register on or before August 1, 2013. $195 after Aug. 1st for all 12 classes
Instructor: Carol Reynolds, Ph.D. (Professor Carol)
Course description: Journey with Professor Carol through Western History, using music as the focal point but weaving in visual art (painting, sculpture), dance, theater, architecture, and literature. The study of music and the Fine Arts supports the understanding of history, geography, and culture. Elements of science, technology, and language are included in the course as well. Sessions will focus on the years between 1600 and World War One, but will present an overview of Medieval/Renaissance Sacred Music.
Course materials: 1. Discovering Music online curriculum by Professor Carol will be made available to students for half of the regular price ($30 for four months subscription). 2. Music selections assigned by the instructor. These can be accessed in one of four ways. Choose the one that best suits your family: a) Free by searching your public library or YouTube; b) Classical Archives ($8 per month); c) Naxos ($20 per year); OR d) purchase 3-CD set from the instructor (HSC discounted price $34.95).
Homework: This is not a course for the faint of heart. We’ll have a lot of fun as we discover music together, but students should expect a good amount of work outside of the classroom in that discovery. Homework will entail: 1. Viewing recorded classes in advance to the live classes. 2. Viewing assigned artwork and listening to music. 3. Interactive quizzes. 4. A midterm and a final exam (fill-in-blank, short essays, long essays, with answers/suggested answers). 5. Unit projects to be determined. Due to the nature of the medium, we encourage students more than ever to share their learning experience and the resources used in this course with the rest of their family.

Discovering Western Culture through Music and the Arts

(click on course title to register)

Instructor biography for Carol Reynolds, Ph.D.

Dr. Carol Reynolds weaves energy, humor, and history into everything she does.   After a career as a professor at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, “Professor Carol” and husband Hank moved to a ranch and began creating Fine Arts courses for students and adults.  Her unprecedented Discovering Music: 300 Years of Interaction in Western Music, Arts, History, & Culture and Exploring America’s Musical Heritage reach across the world.  Her new course History of Early Sacred Music will appear this summer, as well as online courses on Russian Music, Research Skills for Students Entering College, and a new series on American Music.  A pianist and organist, she is a popular speaker for the Van Cliburn Series, The Dallas Symphony, opera companies, and museums.  She works frequently in Eastern Europe and Russia as Study Leader for The Smithsonian.

Review: Art and Music Appreciation with Living Books

Mary G. at the St. Athanasius Academy blog wrote a terrific review of the Art and Music Appreciation webinar. Thank you Mary!

Did you make it to the Wittman webinar on Wednesday evening (try saying that 5 times really fast)? What a GREAT time was had by all.

This is the first on-line conference I've attended and, although I'm a tech-head, I was a bit wary of the whole concept. I mean, c'mon, I love sitting in front of the computer like most folks but an hour and a half of just sitting (albeit, I'd be knitting), listening and watching ... sounded a bit over the top.

Well, let me tell you -- this is pretty slick. I got to sit and listen to Maureen and her presentation about teaching art and music using living books. AT THE SAME TIME, I could ask questions, chat with others or generally cut-up through the chat feature (just typing, no mike needed). Maureen, pro that she is, was keeping one eye on her presentation and one eye on the chat window so she could add her two bits too! VERY COOL.

Maureen's presentation was, as usual, excellent. Many of the books mentioned are in her classic, living teaching book, For the Love of Literature: Teaching Core Subjects with Literature. As a matter of fact, on of the participants had the forethought to have the book available so she could stick post-its as fast as Maureen commented on one book after another. But more than just repeating what she has in her book, Maureen did a great job of "playing to her audience" by keeping the flow going, by responding to questions or comments lobbed in the chat window, by generally giving us her "full monty" from the comforts of our own homes. I was surprised how quickly the technology took backstage to the presentation and it was almost as if she were in my living room giving the talk!

Walter Crawford, the brains behind the Homeschool Connection idea has partnered with Maureen to increase the number of webinars, making them all free. Additionally, the team is devising on-line classes for high school and middle school students. The first course will be a government course taught by the head of the Michigan pro-life committee! Check out the Homeschool Connection website for further information ....

All the webinars are now free, thanks to some amazing homeschool resource suppliers. For instance, the webinar on Wednesday was sponsored by Love2Learn.net and Margot at Hillside Education gave away THREE one-year subscriptions to her amazing Catholic homeschool quarterly, mater et magistra. I'm proud to say that I write the handcrafts column for this beautifully edited one-of-a-kind magazine!

In addition, you can actually download past webinars (including the one I attended), and you can replay it at your leisure. You'll get not only the presentation but you'll also have the actual "chat room" text that occured at the same time. You can save the webinar to your computer and replay it whenever you feel the need to spunk up your home-education adventure.

I love this stuff!

To view this recorded event: Bringing an Appreciation of Art and Music to Your Homeschool

Homeschooling Art and Music Appreciation

Free Recorded Webinar: Bringing an Appreciation of Art and Music to Your Homeschool

Literature isn't just for reading! You can teach math, science, language arts, and more using living books. This is the second in a series of three talks on the topic of teaching through real books. Do you have a love for beautiful art and music? Would you like to share that love with your children? Would you like to learn about all of the beautiful books available for children and young adults? Do you yearn for uplifting books that not only teach but help to create a joy for learning? If so, this is the talk for you. Maureen will bring lots of books with her for show and tell. You'll leave this online seminar loaded with book titles, fresh ideas, and practical tips. You won't want to miss it!

Maureen is the author of published by For the Love of Literature: Teaching Core Subjects with LiteratureEcce Homo Press, available from your favorite bookseller or www.maureenwittmann.com.

A very special thank you goes to our sponsors Love2Learn and mater et magistra. Without them, we would not be able to bring these webinars to you free.