In this special birthday edition of Homeschooling with Technology, Meryl Van der Merwe looks back at the five most downloaded episodes of all time! This episode is part of the 12 Days of Homeschool Gold celebration for the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network’s birthday — complete with giveaways, bonus mini-episodes, a treasure hunt, and a basket full of freebies and discounts. Visit UltimateRadioShow.com/birthday before October 18th to join in!

#5 – How to Use Movies in Your Homeschool (Ep. 187)
Originally co-hosted with Meryl’s oldest daughter, this episode explores how films can enhance homeschool learning.
New additions:

• Shackleton – History, leadership, and perseverance

• March of the Penguins – Ecology and Antarctica

• October Sky – Inspiration and STEM

• Hidden Figures – Math, science, and history

• The Hundred-Foot Journey – Geography and cultural studies

#4 – Apps for High School Students (Ep. 189)
Guest: Natalie Vaughn, former homeschooler and FundaFunda student.
She shared the apps that helped her succeed in high school and win scholarships.
Meryl’s AI-era updates:

• ChatGPT & Gemini – Guided learning and concept explanations

• NotebookLM – AI-assisted study aid and self-quizzing tool

#3 – Creating an AI Policy for Your Homeschool (Ep. 334)
A recent favorite
Learn how to:

• Create clear rules for AI use in your homeschool

• Teach students ethical and productive AI use

• Balance learning with technology

#2 – Online Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Games (Ep. 185)
Explore educational interactive fiction and decision-based learning tools.
New ideas:

• Mission US Series – Immersive American history games

• ChatGPT Interactive Adventures – Create your own story-based learning games!
  Example: A “Dolphin Adventure” story that unfolds through 10 interactive choices.

#1 – Free Online Vocabulary Games (Ep. 70)
The all-time favorite! Fun and free vocabulary-building tools for all ages.
Updated links and recommendations:

• Words.com – Successor to Spelling.com

• Knoword.com – Multiple levels from Junior to Expert

• Vocabulary.com – Customizable vocab lists

• Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Quiz – 10-question challenges

• FreeRice.com – Play for a cause!

• Flippity.net – Make your own vocab games with Google Sheets

Don’t miss the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network’s 12th Birthday Celebration!
Visit UltimateRadioShow.com/birthday
Ends October 18th — grab your freebies and prizes while they last!

Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.

Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology in your homeschool.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and give a rating and maybe even a review! Subscribing will help you make sure you never miss an episode

The post Listener Favorites: Our Top 5 Most-Downloaded Episodes Revisited appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.