Are you interested in joining the TOS Crew?

I've had a great time being part of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. We've had a variety of products to try out, suitable for both of my children's learning abilities and age range. We've also met a lot of new homeschooling friends through their blogs.

My local homeschooling friend told me about the opportunity to try out for the Crew last year, via email. I had it stored there for a little while, then decided "Why not?! They can only say 'no'." So, apply I did. What came next was an opportunity to write up my first test reviews, using two products: I Wanna Be a Firefighter, and Australian Expedition.

Well, now is the time to start thinking about if this would be of interest to you. The selection process will be a little different from what I've experienced, though. To be a potential crew member, you need to fill the following criteria:

• have an active blog, with at least FOUR posts per month,
• have Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, or some visible way of showing your blog following in your sidebar,
• and have at least 25 public followers.

This isn't too difficult to fulfill, especially if you contribute to a weekly meme or two.  Some great ones to do include Homeschool Mother's Journal, or Weekly Wrap-up. If you prefer to keep it simple, then a Wordless Wednesday is fun when sharing some favourite photos.

Make sure your followers are visible in your sidebar, and ask your readers to become public followers. It's a nice courtesy to offer to follow back, too.  (And if you ARE following me, but I'm not following you, LET ME KNOW!!)

When it comes to writing up a review, you'll be assessed by your writing style. Show you can express yourself clearly, creatively and honestly. Opinions need to be balanced when giving a review, weighing in the positives as well as any negatives you've experienced. And, remember that taking this 'job' on is a real commitment to the Crew and Vendor (client); you MUST use the products and then write up the review to be submitted on the actual required date. (You can write up reviews ahead of time and schedule them to post in the right time period.)

All crew members give each other support, so if there are questions, you won't be isolated. You will sign into a forum and be asked to check your emails regularly for updates on products coming your way.  Being very active on the forum isn't a pre-requisite, though.  Only that you make sure you have time to read all main notices.

Reasons NOT to consider applying for the TOS Review Crew:

• you cannot commit to regular email and forum checks.
• you are committed to using only the curriculum you've already selected. Yes, you will need to be flexible to incorporate new products into your schedules.
• you may find that the product doesn't 'work' in your family, so are you willing to adapt or 'tweek' it and then share how you did so?
• you don't want to use a large variety of online products. This year, I did have to use quite a few, and sometimes download times/speed were issues. Perseverance paid off for us, otherwise using the internet at the library. *NB - as an overseas user, we didn't receive much printed material.

Over the time I've been a Crew member, I've had my eyes opened up to a whole lot of new curricula that has enhanced our children's learning. Some things have suited us to a tee, right now, such as The Write Foundation which Maestro is using with success. Other products, such as Digital Frog, are getting more use now than late last year, as we continue Mariposa's studies on different environments through Winter Promise.

In some instances, I've been able to develop a lovely rapport with the vendors. Jim from Speekee has emailed me with exciting news about developing more Spanish curriculum especially for homeschoolers. Becky at the Write Foundation was fabulous when discussing how to make her product more accessible to overseas clients via ebooks.

So, have a think about it. When the time comes, I will let you all know when applications are being accepted.