His unique awareness of the needs of both teachers and students is a combination that helped him win the IUPUI Chancellor’s Award, the Purdue Chancellor’s Award, and the Purdue School of Science Faculty Teaching Award.

He is now president of VideoText Interactive, a company that specializes in bringing the textbook to life through technology. The company’s first major program, Algebra: A Complete Course, has been completed and field tested, receiving enthusiastic response from reviewers and users, here in the United States and in other countries as well.

Julie Bogart grew up in southern California, went to UCLA for her Bachelor’s in history (1983), studied abroad in France, lived in Morocco, and earned her Master’s in theology from Xavier University (2007). She has five kids and homeschooled for seventeen years. Julie’s professional writing credentials include ghostwriting, freelance writing, editing books, operating as the senior editor for a quarterly industry publication and a weekly column for UPI.

Julie is the creator and owner of Brave Writer, an outstanding online writing and language arts program. Since its inception in 2000, Brave Writer has taught thousands of families from all around the world. Julie states, “I love writing. I love kids. I love parents! I consider it the most serendipitously wonderful collision of loves that I get to be involved with all three every day. Early on, I put in my time in the professional writing world through editing, ghost-writing, and freelancing. But when I got to the point where my kids were on that precipice between manual control of a pencil and self-expression in writing, I could see quickly that what I enjoyed the most was coaching—being that person who would coax the words forth and facilitate the birth of original written thought. Brave Writer exists to recreate that experience in you, the homeschooling parent.”

Brave Writer’s mission is to empower you to be writing coaches for your kids. You don’t have to be a fabulous writer yourself to call into being the best writing efforts your kids can muster. You just have to know the game better than they do; you need to be able to see the obstacles and devise strategies that help you empower your kids to transcend the challenges that stand in their way. With a little advice and support, Brave Writer products and instructors will help you make good calls and offer effective advice to your budding writers. This kind of coaching is not nearly as challenging as you might think.

Julie remarks, “My years of working in the professional world of writing equipped me to become an expert in the writing process. Graduate school deepened my experience with current trends in academic composition. The best writing (the kind you love to read) is that which combines the authentic, entertaining voice of the writer with the cool discipline of research and well-constructed argument or storyline. Brave Writer aims to bring that sensibility to all its classes and courses.”

Jeannie is a mother of four with a love for God’s Word, her family, homeschooling, science, and encouraging homeschool parents. After graduating from the University of Texas in 1991, she married her husband Jeff, who is an attorney in Georgia. Throughout their marriage, Jeannie and Jeff have dedicated time to teaching and encouraging families, speaking on topics such as developing a consistent walk with God and a powerful prayer life, building a strong marriage and nurturing a happy, healthy family, as well as nuts and bolts homeschooling topics. Jeannie began speaking and writing in college as a sportscaster for the University of Texas and as a headline writer with the Daily Texan. Following graduation and marriage, her writing and speaking focused on building up the Christian community, teaching marriage and parenting classes, in addition to writing articles and Bible studies. After her homeschool journey began, Jeannie discerned an immense need for Creation-based, scientifically sound, engaging, easy-to-use science curricula. Her background in science at the University of Texas, as well as her writing experience, inspired her to create the Apologia elementary science courses. Though her primary and most consuming occupation is educating her four children, ranging from elementary through high school, she is committed to arming parents with Creation science courses, speaking around the country and writing as the Lord leads her. During the summers, she is also working to complete her Masters in Biblical Studies. Jeannie’s heart is to strengthen homeschoolers with the tools they need to finish the race with success. She has written many articles for magazines and other publications and regularly speaks at retreats, workshops and conventions.

Before seminary Tedd worked as a contractor and in industry. Tedd and Margy founded Immanuel Christian School in1979 where Tedd has served as a teacher and administrator. Tedd and Margy still serve on the board of ICS. Since 1994, Tedd has maintained an extensive ministry as a conference speaker and presenter of Shepherding a Child’s Heart seminars.

MICHAEL CLAY THOMPSON

At this year’s convention, on Thursday evening, Dr. Tom Kemnitz of Royal Fireworks Press will present an introductory session on using the MCT curriculum.

MICHAEL CLAY THOMPSON will then be presenting two (2) times on Friday and two (2) times on Saturday. The Friday sessions will be GRAMMAR and VOCABULARY. The Saturday sessions will be POETICS and WRITING. The exact times and locations for these sessions will be on the final schedule of Speakers, Topics & Times that will be posted on our website.

What homeschoolers say about Michael Clay Thompson

…the books encourage depth, sensitivity, and reflection

…my favorite resources

I have never been so excited to start a curriculum…

• I find that the Michael Clay Thompson books are so useful that I go back year after year for review and to get new ideas even after we’ve finished a book. It would be impossible to put a price on what we’ve gained from the series. I only wish all the materials I’ve bought over the years were as useful as MCT! – - Elizabeth Pyle Ross, homeschooling parent.

• The interest in words and what they mean has really shot up in our household…Thank you for not dumbing down. – - Julie from Texas

• I haven’t bothered with much Language Arts with my son because so many materials make me nervous and I can’t bear putting my son through that. And then came Michael Clay Thompson with his wonderful materials and the scales fell from my eyes and now we are a family of language lovers. We cuddle up on the couch and read them together like bedtime stories (sometimes in the morning). We both really dig them. Fun is had by all. – - A Homeschooling Parent

• These are my personal favorite resources for grammar, vocabulary, and etymology (word roots), as well as introductory studies of poetry and philosophy… – - Julie Shepherd Knapp, owner of the Homeschool Diner resources website

• We have found these Michael Clay Thompson books to be our favorite things to read together. We have so few books written for the erudite learner that we simply enjoy them. – - Miriam, Homeschooling Parent, Maryland

• I just received Paragraph Town, Essay Town and the corresponding workbooks. I have never been so excited to start a curriculum, probably because I can see many areas where I can learn with my daughter. I also bought Classics in the Classroom. I am astounded at Thompson’s ideas. I have thought for a very long time that we should be approaching literature education in a different manner and Classics in the Classroom seems to be the way to go. I promised my daughter that we wouldn’t start something new until this summer, but I don’t know if we can wait. She has already read the first three chapters of Paragraph Town in anticipation! – - Britta S on the MCTLA Yahoo Group

• I find the materials extremely rich and imaginative. The language is just such a treat. Thanks, Michael, for your work and dedication to providing appropriate and beautifully crafted materials for our special students. – - Connie Bernard, BA English Literature: founder of the Yahoo homeschoolers’ discussion forum for Michael Clay Thompson, MCTLA

I think what makes this a gifted curriculum, and not merely a speeded-up curriculum, is not just more stuff at a faster pace-the books encourage depth, sensitivity, and reflection as well. – - Shaun Strummer, PhD English, editor, and homeschooling parent