SonlightBlog.com

A Benefit of Reading: Writing

2010-02-09T14:22:00.013-07:00

"The fog of sleep evaporated quickly as the sunlight hit his eyes."

Such a strong opening. What's more, I wrote it when I was in junior high.

There was a post somewhere about a kid who started a writing assignment with a similarly creative punch.^* When asked why he had begun his story with action instead of the typical "Once upon a time" opening, he replied, "That's how my Sonlight books start."

It's true.

"Trad found the white-haired stranger by nearly putting an arrow into him, thinking he was a rabbit."
~The Great and Terrible Quest

Sonlight's programs are packed full of Award-Winner books. But it's not just that these books are a joy to read or listen to. Consuming great literature like this will naturally impact your writing. This can be further encouraged with a Language Arts program that models these wonderful stories.

Reading great books will help your writing.

That's not to say that practice and hard work aren't essential to composition. But a heavy background in wonderful literature is an important foundation.

Interestingly, I was sent the following article this morning and found it incredibly relevant to this series: The Case for Literature. I was thrilled that so many of Nancie Atwell's points are precisely the things that Sonlight offers in its literature.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

^*Unfortunately, I have long lost that post (was it on a blog? a Sonlight Momement? a customer comment?). If you wrote that story, please let me know so I can link to it!

A Benefit of Reading: Plots

2010-02-08T15:15:00.010-07:00

Sonlight uses a lot of literature. I doubt it's a literal ton, but there could easily be a thousand pounds of books in Sonlight's Pre-K through High School Cores.

My mom, however, reads a ton of books. Literally. All this literature has given her the ability to guess plots. Most notably was this:

***Spoiler Alert for a 2004 film***

We sat down to watch The Village. The movie opens with a community meal. A crazed young man claps his hands and stares off wildly into the forest.

My mom, who doesn't watch thriller type films, looks over at me and says, "Oh, it's a world within a world story."

What!?! Come on! How could she know that?

***End spoiler***

My mom said that it was "obvious" because "directors like to show you things with subtle clues."

Uh-huh.

That very well may be the case. But the fact of the matter is that my mom knows so much story theory that she can pick up on the arch of a tale within the first few minutes of it starting. You don't get that kind of knowledge from studying literature theory. You don't gain those insights by reading textbooks on authorial intent. You don't pick up on those subtleties when you write an essay on symbolism.

No. You gain that skill by enjoying stories. You gain that skill by reading a ton. And, thankfully, Sonlight provides the first half of that ton in our homeschool programs.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

That Was Brilliant Before

2010-02-05T10:40:00.010-07:00

I love writing. I have since before I could write. One of the things I love the most about writing is that I am a genius. My prose and poetry is brilliant. I thoroughly enjoy going back and reading those things I've written that speak directly to the human condition, elicit long lost emotions and share insights into the darkest recesses of human knowledge.

But here's the catch: I hate listening to others read my stuff.

The luster is gone. My thoughts sound like inane babble. My gorgeous mastery of the English language is suddenly replaced with a hideous cacophony of poor sentence structure and pathetic reasoning. I'm an idiot. I should never write again.

Sometimes this reality strikes me when I revisit old passages and posts. I look upon a foreign text, something that could not possibly have flowed from my thoughtful and practiced fingers. I am disgusted. And then I wonder: Why do people read this stuff?

I've been revisiting some of my older posts.

For those of you who waded through those early days of blogging for Sonlight, I commend you! Thanks for swinging by and encouraging me. Your presence here spurred me onward to where I am today.

Today, though, I'm more wary of my writing. I read articles about how, if I were a good blogger, I'd write about you more than about me. I would ask questions more than make statements. My confidence shattered I wonder: Why does anyone read this blog?

Why do you read this blog? What makes you come back here again and again?

They--whoever "they" are--suggest that you be yourself on your blog. "Don't fake it," these nameless gurus say. And so I don't. I continue in my narcissistic outpouring of thoughts and experiences.

Is this one of the beautiful things of a good education--to love what we do and find pleasure in it?

I think so.

My parents let me explore my abilities, praised my efforts and continued to nudge me to hone my strengths. That, in turn, made learning a joy. And as we master things, the doing becomes fun as well. Which is likely why I love writing and find my words so insightful.

That's not to say that tears and correction are not a part of the struggle to master something. But I believe a slightly irrational belief in one's own brilliance is a boon to learning how to produce brilliant things.

Do you see that in your own children or in your life?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Keeping Track of Your Homeschool Tasks

2010-02-04T14:18:00.017-07:00

...alt title: "If Aesop Tweeted"

As the warm water poured over me this morning in the shower, I thought of a great blog topic.

Now I have forgotten it.

Like the fox giving up on obtaining some grapes, I'd like to think my idea wasn't very good anyway. But, like the fable, that likely isn't the case.

"Write me a sticky," my mother tells me. I do the same for myself if I need to remember something. The bright yellow square slapped on my wallet or phone is an excellent reminder to bring my camera or return things to the library.

Unfortunately, stickies don't survive well in the shower.

As a busy homeschool parent I'm sure there are many things you would forget if not for the tools you've found. Here are four things that help me keep track of stuff:

Stickies
Computer scratch pad
Whiteboard
Desktop "notes.txt" file

I've even entertained the idea of texting a Tweet to myself when I'm away from a computer and don't have access to paper and pen. I haven't been that desperate yet.

Might be fun though.

So how about? Do you write notes to yourself in your IG? On your fridge? On your kid's forehead? How do you keep track of your homeschool tasks, schedule, shopping list and such?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Busy...

2010-02-02T17:04:00.006-07:00

I was completely consumed by a seminar type thingy today.

I'll be busy again tomorrow as we spend these few days discussing Sonlight's presence at homeschool conventions.

Pretty exciting stuff coming up this year. You'll want to be sure to swing by one of our booths at your local homeschool convention and say "hi" with one of our amazing Sonlight Curriculum Consultants. We fondly call them SCCs. <smile>

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Homeschoolers: The Well Behaved Bunch

2010-02-01T16:12:00.010-07:00

He was tall, but thin. Hardly more than a 110 pounds. At just over 6 feet he resembled a twig. His giant XXL t-shirt only reinforced his skeletal form. The 80 pound backpack caused him to hunch.

He was headed to class.

A larger boy with a familiar face approached him. Something was wrong. The larger boy threw his shoulder into him, causing him to stumble against the wall.

'What?'

The other boy walked on. The skinny kid watched him go and wondered what his name was and why he was mad at him.

I doubt I'll ever know.

Bully

I hadn't thought of that experience in years, but it came back to me when I read Danielle's post on the difference between homeschooled and "traditionally" schooled kids. Why, she asks, do homeschooled kids behave better?

First, allow me to dispel a myth: I wasn't a little angel when homeschooled. I specifically remember dropping my sister on her face once when she made me angry. She must have forgiven me because she's never brought it up. That, or the brain damage never healed...

But even though we fought like siblings, we were pretty good kids. We worked hard. We enjoyed the Sonlight books. We poured our blood, sweat and tears--lots of tears--into our writing assignments. And while I was a little shy and awkward in groups, I never hip checked someone into a wall. That simply was not something you did to those outside your family. Your little brother when he was driving you crazy... sure, but not someone you hardly knew.

For whatever reason there is a different set of social rules in a "traditional" school. Picking on people is common. Making fun of others is socially acceptable. Physically assaulting another is just a fact of life.

Which is so very odd to those coming from the other world, the world where socialization has kicked in and constructive criticism, encouragement and mature behavior is expected of you even if you're still at the stage in life where the only recourse to your rage is throttling your punk little brother.

Second, I listened to my teachers. I played their game. I followed directions. And if I disagreed, I spun their demands back on them--completely complying without doing what they wanted.

Perhaps it was the freedom of homeschooling that opened me up to this possibility. I knew I needed to follow the rules, but that didn't mean that I needed to agree with them. And that didn't mean that I had to be silent about my disagreement. But those "in the system" don't always know that. At least for those kids--like the bully in hall--who didn't care much for school, the only offensive move was to tune out, drop out, opt out. Not so with me. The way to respond was to so perfectly adhere to the rules so as to show the insanity of them. There was always a creative solution to push back, if I only had enough energy and time to make it happen.

So are homeschoolers the well behaved bunch?

Yes and no.

There were days when I know I was an unholy terror for my mom (sorry, mom). I know for a fact I was a defiant little punk by the time I got to public school. But my defiance took a different form from that of my peers. Rather than based in an apathetic tuning out, mine was rooted in an indignation at the frivolous nature of my work or assignment. So I became more engaged. I put more effort into my work. I dug even deeper.

That may be a sign of maturity. But at the moment I think the difference is taking personal responsibility and doing what you can to overcome the obstacle.

Homeschooling taught me that I had options. It was my responsibility to learn. It was up to me to set things right. And that didn't happen when I picked on others. It happened when I took things head on.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Hobbies

2010-01-29T16:21:00.005-07:00

Very interesting article in the Other Posts of Note today: Goodbye plans, hello goals! on Heart of the Matter Online.

As a kid I had time to write stories, fiddle with programing, shoot movies and start a band all on top of youth group, Awana, trumpet lessons, swimming and school. Homeschooling opened the world to me because it freed up much of my schedule. But even in college I was still tinkering with my hobbies.

Then I got a job. That ate into some of my time.

Then I got married. That ate into more of my time.

Now the girls are really taking a bite out of my schedule.

So it's rare to find me playing around with my hobbies anymore. I still find an hour here and there, but mostly it's serious business and adult responsibility.

Is that the same for you? And given an hour or two, what hobbies do you (still) have?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

They Shouldn't Let Me Near Code...

2010-01-28T15:48:00.020-07:00

I look up from my keyboard to see if my code change worked.

I Broke It

Oh no. How did that happen?

"Umm... Bo..." I begin. Bo stops what he's doing to look at me. This is a rather common occurrence for my cube neighbor. Though I'm pretty sure he's rethinking my access to the web code by now.

This was going to be a quick update. But no.

The battle to make our videos pretty and functional continues...

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Outdated Browsers

2010-01-27T16:19:00.012-07:00

I was wondering why so few people had watched the new HD Sonlight videos, but then I heard that they weren't working in Internet Explorer 7.

...that might have something to do with people not watching.

While digging for an answer, I discovered that if you visit YouTube right now in IE7 [NB: It was on IE6, not 7] you will see something like...

Get a Better Browser

Google is suggesting that you update your browser. And I agree. It's really annoying to have to code for earlier IE bugs.

I haven't worked out all the kinks yet, but you can now watch the clips at the bottom of Sonlight's Video page in IE7.

Please: Update to IE8. Or switch to Firefox or Chrome. It will make my job easier <smile>.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Two HUGE Updates to Sonlight.com

2010-01-26T15:49:00.008-07:00

Situation 1:
You go visit one of Sonlight's Core Packages. You select your program and start looking through the X number of items included in that package. Interested in one of the books, you click the title...

Before today you would be taken to the product page. You'd read the information. Then you'd click "back" to return to your Core. But what's this!?!! The handy green box with the items in the package has closed! The nerve! The aggravation! The torment! Oh, the horrors!

Update: No more. Now, clicking on a product from within the green package box will open a new tab or window.

Situation 2:
You're looking for a specific Instructor's Guide so you swing by the IG page. You select the level you're looking for and...

Huh? Where are all the IGs? And why is the Language Arts IG listed but nothing else? And why is the Core in the "Individual Items" tab? What is this madness?

Update: We have renamed the tabs "Packages & Guides" and "Individual Items" to make it easier to find your Instructor's Guide.

I spent today combing through your feedback on our website. The two above issues came up more often than any other. I'm really excited to have finally been able to find a solution to these issues.

What Bugs You? Bug

I really do value your feedback on what is (and is not) working for you on Sonlight.com. By the time I find a solution, the update may be long overdue. But your comments are invaluable.

Thanks for taking the time to help us serve you better!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Sonlight Rewards Badge

2010-01-25T15:16:00.012-07:00

My mom asked me to create a link for her to the Sonlight Rewards Program.

Great idea!

I created the graphic, added it to my blog, sent her the code and thought, 'If my mom wants this for her blog, perhaps others out there want it too.'

So I added a badge for Sonlight Rewards to the Widgets page. Here's the super cool thing: If you are logged into your Sonlight Account while on the Widgets page, your Rewards ID code is automatically included in the HTML.

Say what?

Log into your Sonlight account. Copy the Rewards badge HTML. Add it to your blog/website. A visitor who clicks on it will automatically be brought to the friendly "create an account to save money" page. And if he or she creates an account then, you'll earn points on his or her first purchase.

So cool!

Unfortunately, Facebook does not let you use HTML on your Facebook page.

But wait!

There is something on the Widgets page for you, faithful Facebook fans! That's right: New Flair, now with the twenty-ten logo.

Huzzah!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Blog Mobile Reading

2010-01-22T11:43:00.005-07:00

I currently used Blogger to power SonlightBlog.com. I like it because it's tied to my Google Account and allows me to connect with others with the same. But there are some things that irk me, especially since this is a corporate blog for Sonlight. I need certain features and tools that simply are not available yet (and may never be).

Today was the search for a mobile publishing/delivery tool for SonlightBlog.com. Smartphones with full browsers built in do just fine on this site. If you set up your smartphone to read my RSS, you're gold. But if your smartphone does not have a full browser and is not set to read this blog via RSS... well... then things start to break down. And I need to change that.

Enter my Mobile Site hack. Ideally, when your smartphone loads this blog, you will be presented with the above link. That's the idea. I can't test it because my phone is, well, not as smart.

Luke's Phone

If you have a smartphone, would you mind directing it to SonlightBlog.com and, if it's there, clicking on the Mobile Site link? After that, please swing back here and tell me how it went.

Because at the moment, I have no idea if it works.

Thanks!

I hope to find a more permanent solution someday, but for now this will have to do.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Sonlight's Homeschool Web Videos

2010-01-21T15:24:00.010-07:00

...now in HD!

With the advent of high definition video available online, YouTube has increased the file size limitation to 2GB per video. And that made me super excited.

Why?

Because I've created some Sonlight specific HD content that I can now share with you!

Two of the IG videos are available now on the Instructor's Guide page. The rest are coming.^*

While working on preparing the IG videos for HD delivery, I revisited some of the other clips I've made. May I revel for a moment? I absolutely love my MathTacular trailers. They're not in HD, but that does not detract from the joy I get every time I watch them.

If you haven't recently experienced the MathTacular Trailers--or sample clips, for matter--you should:

I look forward to bringing you more useful product demonstrations and samples in the years to come. But for now, it's fun to be part of the high definition digital revolution.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

^*I have six more videos rendering on my other computer right now. They should be ready in the next... erm... 35 hours ...or so. Definitely by Monday. <smile>

Geeking Out: Motion Tracking

2010-01-20T16:48:00.003-07:00

I've spent much of my day working on some special effects shots for an upcoming product. The other few hours were devoted to meetings.

I realize that you likely don't care much about motion tracking--or even know precisely what it is. But for me, it has been a thorn in my side for this project for quite some time.

But no more.

Today I found a bit of freeware that allows me to do--in a matter of minutes--something I was unable to perfect after dozens of hours of trying.

Sweet!

In the video below I give you two examples. The first is from when I painstakingly tried to match the movement by hand. Several hours of work and a ton of eye strain. To add insult to injury, the motion isn't very good. The graphic "slides" all over the screen and is obviously added in post.

The second clip was produced in a couple of minutes by some free software I found today. Not only was is super easy (I pushed a couple buttons), but the motion is much, much smoother. Granted, it's not on par with the digital magic of ILM, but it's pretty impressive for freeware:

Motion Tracking Examples

I'm super excited.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Why I Went to High School

2010-01-19T15:20:00.009-07:00

Yesterday I linked to a fantastic article on popularity. In his article, Paul Graham argues--among other things--that high school has no real purpose; the stated goal of "educating" is little more than a farce except in the instance of the few shining examples of truly great teachers.

That certainly rang true for me. Attending a public high school wasn't about learning. In fact, I readily told everyone at the time that if I had really wanted to learn something, I would have stayed home.

No, I had another reason to be at my public high school: Ministry. I was there to change the world.

Granted, as I alluded to yesterday, I was involved in tons of extra curricular activities as well. I believe I "lettered" officially 19 times. I gave myself two non-official letters I deserved but was not awarded. I fully understand the draw that wood shop, band, sports, theater, clubs and school publications offer. But those are secondary. Education tertiary. My primary reason for going to school was to stretch my wings as a minster of the Gospel.

And I had a blast. I really enjoyed high school.

But my younger sister did not. We overlapped by two years, and I can still remember her clinging to me and crying right before I graduated. She was about to be alone in a pointless world without a friendly soul to turn to.

She still talks about her horrible experiences and the waste of those years.

My wife, on the other hand, was homeschooled through high school. We met in college. She's bright, well educated and--in many ways--better adjusted than I.

My point is this: There are excellent and worthy reasons to attend high school. But I would caution against those reasons which are of the academic nature. You absolutely can homeschool your children through high school. You need not worry about the larnin' of yer students.

And if you're just beginning your homeschool journey, remember:

Sonlight offers homeschool programs from pre-school through high school.

We've got your covered.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Peers and Popularity

2010-01-18T14:19:00.011-07:00

The trees had dropped their leaves. The sun was pale through the window. He sat hunched in his desk looking at his trigonometry textbook. Actually, he was looking at the slip of paper on his text:

Ballot it read.

"Please nominate the top five males and top five females for Winter Homecoming Royalty."

His mind had gone blank. Five? Which five? Then a smile crept across his face. "Hey, everyone," he said loudly. The classroom turned to look at him. "Put down Luke Holzmann."

There was a moment of silence.

Then his friends turned back to their ballot, shrugged, and started scribbling. A few months later he was crowned king by default because the football player he had tied with was at a game that night.

My fifteen minutes of high school popularity were courtesy of a whim and a technicality. I couldn't have asked for more irony (except, of course, that the queen was one of my good friends and leader of our weekly prayer meetings).

I had come a long way from the kid who ate lunch by himself in the Cross Country locker room. I had risen from the new kid who was loud and odd to "that tall, loud guy" whom everyone at least could recognize. I had restarted the swim team. I would be captain of the Cross Country team next year. I lead FCA. I participated in musicals. I wrote for the school paper. I was everywhere. And while I had many acquaintances, I didn't have any friends.

At least, no true friends that I would bother to contact after I graduated. None that I hung out with outside of school.

I was popular enough with my peers, the other slightly nerdy yet incredibly involved and successful students. I was mostly comfortable in my skin. I was overly zealous in my convictions. And I was homecoming king.

I realize very few of you have time to browse my Other Posts of Note, but one by Janine Cate really got to me today. Well, the post is great, but the linked article absolutely blew me away.

Definitely worth reading. It's long. But so, so good. Please go read Paul Graham's article on popularity. It brought me back to some of those moments in high school and reinforced the incredible benefits homeschooling has when it comes to socialization.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Labeling Conventions

2010-01-15T10:54:00.010-07:00

Sonlight does attend homeschool conventions, but that's not what I'm talking about in this post.

The cursor blinks at me, oblivious to my struggle. I can't recall how I typically name these files. Are they File7-Master.mp3 or File7-master.mp3?

I close the dialog box and skim through the files I've saved in the past. Not surprisingly, I see both uppercase and lowercase examples.

Great.

Today is a lowercase day. I click "Save" and the computer writes File7-master.mp3 to my hard drive... right below File6-Master.mp3. I feel disorganized.

This is the fundamental flaw of labeling conventions: We tend to change. Thankfully, Sonlight's product labeling convention remains fairly consistent: level, subject, product number and modifier. For instance: 6R28: Core 6, Reader 28.

"Thanks nice, Luke, but why should I care about that?"

If you know the product number you're looking for from your catalog, you can quickly Order by Item Number on our website.

Also--and this is just a fun trick--you can use the Item Number to find the product on our site. Go to sonlight.com and then add the item number to the end of the URL: http://www.sonlight.com/Item+Number+Here.html.

Just be sure to get the labeling convention right. While the system is smart enough to guess that you meant RM23.html when you typed http://www.sonlight.com/rm32... it can sometimes get confused.

Much like me. Especially when I discover that I really want to name a file with lowercase letters when I've been using CAPS all along.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Sonlight Customer Reviews

2010-01-14T14:22:00.020-07:00

"Customer reviews are the most credible form of advertising."
That's what some marketing guru said on a recording I listened to. And I'm pretty sure he's right. I know I consider customer reviews whenever I go to purchase something.

What's more, this guy said that products with 50+ reviews perform significantly better than those with only a few.

Curious, I hopped over to the Sonlight Newcomer Package I purchased back in October.

13 reviews?

That's a few less than 50.

So here's what I'm asking:

If you have used a Sonlight Core or Newcomer Package, please go back to that product on sonlight.com and write a review. I would love to see all of our main programs have 50+ reviews on them.

Select Your Program

If you got a Newcomer Package, it's really easy. Select your program as indicated in the graphic above, and leave your review at the bottom of the page.

If you used a Sonlight Core, the process is a little more involved. Not only do you need to select the Core level you used, but also which specific build of the program. It is one extra click.

But only one.

So, please, help others select the best program. Share your experiences and insights with the world. After all: You're the most credible form of advertising Sonlight has. Why? Because you use it "in the trenches" every day. I can blog about Sonlight until my fingers turn blue, but your reviews are what people will read when they're about to buy curriculum. Make their choice easier.

Write a review of your Core program by clicking here.
Write a review of your Newcomer Package by clicking here.

Thank you. Thank you very much in getting us one review closer to 50!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Food, Friends and Fun

2010-01-13T13:51:00.006-07:00

Picnic

Nothing says "summer" like a picnic. Sun, fun, friends and food. But mostly food. And people. Mingling. Meeting people. Hangin' out. All under the warm rays of the June 26th sun that will surely be shining in Colorado between 11am and 3pm.

This year marks Sonlight's 20th anniversary, and we're planning lots of things to make this year memorable and enjoyable. Find out more about Sonlight's 2010 plans here.

I already mentioned the t-shirt design contest. But there's more!

Much more!

Like our live 2010 virtual meetup thingy. Yep: A live web event with Sonlight peoples. Soooo coooool!

And the picnic.

And don't forget the Sonlight tours! Swing by some Thursday in June between 1-3pm, and I'll gladly show you around.

This year is already looking good, and we're just getting warmed up!

I look forward to celebrating with you this year. Hope to see you at one of our 2010 twenty years of business events!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Sonlight and Sunlight

2010-01-12T14:11:00.009-07:00

I've heard that Colorado gets around 300 days of sun every year.

And that's nice.

Today it's supposedly 60° out there, but the breeze was cool while we ate at the picnic tables. Still, that's a lot warmer than it's been recently. And it was nice to eat outside again. The solar energy felt great on my pasty white flesh. Vitamin D is a very nice thing.

While we ate, refueling after a morning's work, something else was soaking up the rays:

Sonlight's Solar Power Array

It's been going since noon, so the data is a little sparse right now. I'll definitely give you a better link when we've had a chance to get all the monitoring stuff working properly.

I'm not a huge fan of the political side of "Going Green," but I am a major proponent of caring for what we've been entrusted with. That's why I'm so pleased with how much Sonlight recycles, and this latest solar initiative is another great opportunity to be a good steward of what we have been given.

Sonlight: now partially powered by sunlight.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

2010 T-Shirt Design Contest

2010-01-11T16:14:00.011-07:00

I once wore t-shirts all the time. But now my wife has me wearing polos. And, I'll admit: I look better in a polo.

But given the right opportunity--like a a Saturday, or every evening when I get home, or the perfect outing to sport a Myst t-shirt--and I'm wearing one again.

Old habits die hard.

Are you looking for a great reason to wear a t-shirt again?

I thought so! That's why I'm giving you the perfect opportunity to wear a t-shirt: Sonlight's 2010 T-Shirt Design Contest. After we get some entries, pick a winner, get the shirts made, you purchase one, it arrives at your house... well... then, then will be the perfect time to wear a t-shirt again. You could wear this t-shirt with pride to:

a homeschool convention
your school reunion
a rock concert
the Sonlight picnic
your book club meetings
to bed
while cleaning the bathroom
the possibilities are only limited to the number of outfits you will wear in your life...

T-shirts are very versatile.

But here's the deal: We need some submissions.

Do you need to be an awesome artist?

No.

Here's proof:

Luke's Submission to the 2010 Sonlight T-Shirt Design Contest

And that sweet-awesome logo that I used? Yep--you can download it on the t-shirt design contest page. Don't have an incredible graphic design program? No problem! We point you to a couple really cool--and free--options on the contest page. We give you templates and encouragement, links and specifications, not to mention information about what we're planning on doing whenever someone buys a shirt. So, come on: Check it out!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

P.S. I almost put "t-shirt contest" in the title, but added the word design to hopefully stave off google searches that would prove to be less than fruitful for those looking for something more... er... umm... non-Sonlight related.

Cookies

2010-01-08T11:21:00.006-07:00

Sorry, not the kind you eat. (Though, you must admit: It was a pretty good hook, no? <smile>)

The web browser type of cookie. If you don't know what a cookie is, hop on over to Sonlight's page on cookies.

I just cleaned the article up. I hope it's clearer. I think it is, considering it used to have paragraphs like:

When you enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing such information as your name and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your Web browser which stores it for later use. The next time you go to the same Web site, your browser will send the cookie to the Web server. The server can use this information to present you with custom Web pages.

I've noticed something about Sonlight's older web content: We try to be so helpful that the content becomes overwhelming and unhelpful. I'm working on fixing that.

Brevity with clarity.

It's a beautiful thing.

In other news... did you notice the new 2010 logo?

And please feel free to share your favorite edible cookie recipes in the comments.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Poor Penmanship

2010-01-07T15:51:00.013-07:00

I just got my tablet hooked up, so I felt I needed to draw/sketch/write something.

But what?

How about a little blog recognition of my readers?

Thanks for Reading SonlightBlog.com

As I looked at my scribbled message, I realized something: When my penmanship is legible, I like it. The slanted scrawl has personality. That, or it's just mere exposure effect.

But my handwriting hasn't always been very legible. In fact, it got so bad in high school and college that I had to resort to drastic measures.

I started taking notes in my own cipher.^*

A Luke Cipher Sample

Writing this way slowed me down enough that I had to be more precise than my perpetually slurred cursive. Slowing down allowed me to produce very legible results... if only I could remember the cipher and figure out what I was trying to spell later on. Misspelled words didn't look wrong in cipher, so mistakes were harder to catch.

This adaptation was unique to me among my classmates. I'd like to think that my confidence in adopting a new method of note taking had something to do with my homeschool background. I didn't feel the need to conform to the way you were "supposed" to take notes. I found a method that worked for me and ran with it.

May your children do the same!

So... did you figure out my secret message?

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

^*This was before I started typing my notes on a 42lb extremely portable laptop with a one half of ten minute battery life.

Twitter, Feeds and Peanut Butter

2010-01-06T16:28:00.013-07:00

Tractable: easily managed; amenable

Brought to you by Ken Chapman

Today was a big day for me:

1. I decided to really start using Twitter.

Sure, I've had the tool for a while now. Twitter's been "all the rage" in the social media world for quite some time. And since I'm the media relations guy here at Sonlight, well, I had to at least have an account. But I'm too busy blogging to be tweeting.

But today, here near the start of 2010, I've made a change. I've long been providing Other Posts of Note for my blog visitors to peruse. But my fellow bloggers weren't getting enough link love from me. So Twitter will now tweet my Other Posts of Note under the #OPoN tag.

Which is sweet.

If you're following me on Twitter you'll also get an update when my latest post goes live. Which is redundant for all of you subscribed to my blog via RSS or email. I realize this. So to make sure you felt like you were in the loop...

2. I updated my FeedBurner feed.

You don't need to resubscribe or anything... but you certainly may. I've updated my email welcome message so it's a little more personal. I've adjusted a few settings so it better reflects this blog. Nothing major. But to the 72 subscribed through FeedBurner... this is a shout-out for you.

3. I've started work on cleaning up the FAQ section of Sonlight.com.

This is proving to be much harder than I initially thought. But I'm working diligently to make that section of the site clearer and more helpful. Unfortunately, it's rather like running through peanut butter.

Chat with Bo

Bear with me...

Not too shabby a start for the new year. What other exciting things will happen in 2010?

Follow along--via Twitter, RSS, Facebook, email or otherwise--as we find out!

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father

Free Sonlight Samples

2010-01-05T16:22:00.004-07:00

Download Sonlight samples here.

That's right: You can see sample pages from Sonlight's Instructor's Guides as well as many other products. Get a feel for how Sonlight handles schedules and notes. Discover the incredible amount of information included in every one of Sonlight's teacher's manuals (what we fondly call "IGs"). Simply download a free sample from one of Sonlight's many programs.

Just posting this in the off chance you were not aware that Sonlight has .pdf samples available for download.

And thanks everyone: I'm feeling better today. Hope to be 100% tomorrow.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father