Journal Assignment: Research Ideas, Research Paper Example

It can be difficult in a research project not to get caught up in the vast amount of information that becomes available after thoroughly researching a topic.  The point of research, however, is to inform the writer’s own ideas by providing concrete examples of issues affecting the topic at hand.  One way that I can tell if I have the right balance between outside research and my own ideas is by ensuring that whenever I use a quote or an idea from an outside source, I then expand on the other writer’s statement, drawing my own conclusions.  This enables me to develop my own critical thinking process, and ensures that I’m not just parroting someone else’s ideas throughout my essay.  In order to assert my own views, I’ve found that it is critical to spend time brainstorming on the topic after reading from outside sources.  I also take very careful notes, making sure to cite any direct quotes, so that I can follow my own thought process and keep my own ideas separated from those of my sources.  Having a wide range of sources from which to draw from can also be helpful in this process because it helps me to further develop my own thoughts on a specific topic.  The most important aspect of integrating sources with my own ideas is to avoid plagiarism through the proper use of quotes and citation techniques.  I try to avoid large quotes, instead looking for detailed and specific quotes that enlarge upon my own ideas in a way that will help to better inform my audience.

The Benefits of Homeschooling

Homeschooling is an educational practice that involves parents taking charge of their children’s education in a home-based environment.  Although homeschooling has been historically considered a fringe movement, statistics from the U.S. Department of Education indicate its growing popularity and the culturally and socially diverse range of families who opt for this educational alternative.  Current estimates suggest that over two million school-aged children in the United States are taught by their parents, a number which Brian Ray suggests may be conservative due to a segment of homeschooling parents he terms “underground” (Ray) who opt not to register their children through the state and thus aren’t taken into account in statistical surveys.   Although public perceptions of homeschooling families tend to depict them as “left wing unschoolers and right wing religious fundamentalists” (Reich), the limitations of the public education system has led to many families choosing this method of education for reasons other than religious freedom or a desire to avoid involvement with government institutions.  This includes the desire of parents to develop a stronger relationship with their children while controlling educational curriculum so as to provide a more comprehensive education than is currently available through public educational institutions which are often overcrowded and underfunded.  Surveys of homeschooled children reveal that they often do better at standardized tests than their publicly-educated counterparts, suggesting that individualized education in a home-setting prepares children to excel academically.  Although homeschooled children do not receive the same social experiences as children educated in traditional schools, there are many ways for parents to ensure that their children’s social development receives the same attention as their academic development, from local networks of homeschooling families to extracurricular involvement in sports and other group activities.  Given the current crisis in the American educational system, homeschooling can provide a viable alternative for parents who are able to commit to taking control of their children’s education in order to ensure that their children receive a solid educational foundation.

The history of homeschooling in the United States has its origins in cultural and social traditions of the 17^th and 18^th Century which deemed that parents were best suited to provide their children with moral, academic, and social skills.  According to David and Kim D’Escoto, “prior to compulsory education, findings show that the literacy rate in America was as high as 90 to 98 percent, a remarkable level that has never been attained since the establishment of our current state-controlled education system” (D’Escoto 3).  Although formal schooling has been the most common educational practice in the United States since the mid-19^th Century, homeschooling has remained an option for parents who were dissatisfied with the level of education provided by state-controlled schools.  In his article “The Civic Perils of Homeschooling,” Ray Reich writes that “just ten years ago, educating a child at home was illegal in several states. Today, not only is homeschooling legal everywhere, it’s booming” (Reich).  Although the legality of homeschooling rarely acted as a deterrent for parents who were determined to educate their children outside of traditional school settings, the gradual acceptance of this teaching method has allowed for an increased level of parental

Works Cited

D’Escoto, David and Kim. The Little Book of Big Reasons to Homeschool. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2007. Print.

NHERI:  National Home Education Research Institute. 2011. Web. 3 July 2011.

Ray, Brian D. “2.04 Million Homeschool Students in the United States in 2010.” National Home Education Research Institute. NHERI, 3 Jan 2011. Web. 3 July 2011.

Reich, Rob. “The Civic Perils of Homeschooling.” Educational Leadership 59.7 (Apr. 2002):  56- 59. Web. 3 July 2011.