Read the latest from Emily's “Today in the Bloggernacle” feature.

If the many bloggers talking about school-related issues is any indication, then it's back-to-school time in the blogs. And whether you have children in school, are in school yourself, or just want to enhance your educational capabilities, then the Bloggernacle is here to point out learning opportunities, teach fascinating lessons or even just let parents write wistfully/happily about their children's back-to-school adventures.

First day: "May your teacher recognize you for what you are - my precious, precious LITTLE PRINCE."

This beautiful sentiment begins a sort of school poem or prayer from a mother to her kindergarten-bound son.  "The first day of a l-o-n-g thirteen years" is heartbreakingly sweet and you come away hoping for the same things for the new student.

Sunday homework: Why shouldn't I do homework on Sunday? Actually, explain the LDS Why Bloggers, "The Lord and His prophets have left it to our judgment -- for the most part -- to determine what is and is not appropriate on the Sabbath day."

However, "doing homework on Sunday can possibly lead us away from the purposes of the Sabbath: distracting our minds from the things of God, taking away time to serve others through our callings, and keeping us from spending valuable time with family." And they cite quotes and reasons for sacrificing, if you can, your earlier weekend time to keep Sunday homework free.

After-school snacks: What do you feed those hungry kids storming in from a full and fun day of school? Try this healthy after school snack of Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Banana Muffins that uses ingredients from your food storage. Mmm! Or, check out the many comments listing recipes and links to find other great back-to-school recipes.

Mormon Lepidopterology: Lepidopterology? Why, that's the study of butterflies and moths. See you're already learning something. And how does Mormon fit in, why in "Bugged" Kaimi features, in glorious photographic color, many butterflies and moths with "Mormon" in their name. Impressive, beautiful, and educational, all wrapped into one post.

Teaching goals: These "New (School) Year's Resolutions" warmed my heart as I imagine that most, if not all, teachers set goals for themselves in an effort to be the best they can be so as to teach the children the most they can teach. And it's even better to blog about it so that there can be a record of which to measure your progress in meeting the goal.

Competitive role: One mom describes her creative and perfectionist drive to produce "The Best Work on Butcher Paper Ever" on the floor of her child's Kindergarten classroom only to wonder why she wanted to be "the best? Bound and determined to knock everyone else's project out of the park? What is going on here? How can I become, in under a minute, completely and utterly obsessed with having the superlative butcher paper outline of a child to hang on a wall." As one commentor put it, competition "can be very helpful when motivating, I just have to remember to aim this feature of mine in the right direction and let some things slide."

Now let's see what else can we learn from this past week in the Bloggernacle:

Power pick: Consecrate Your Brain. What a cool title for a series by Greg Smith featured over at Life on Gold Plates. What does it mean to consecrate your brain? In relationship to knowledge and expectations, how do church members react to difficult questions? Click to read his intriguing answers, but as a teaser: "Many of us crave certainty. If we can simply read what a Church leader says, and obey without question or thought or struggle over some of the messy complications of life, there is a certain comfort to that. Realizing that a Church leader is not perfect suddenly throws the responsibility back on our shoulders."

Quiz time: It's time to dust off your pencils for a fun little quiz (and one that makes the rounds through the Bloggernacle from time to time) that "spits out a list (with percentages) of religions that are well-matched for you and the beliefs you proclaimed in the quiz." So think you're 100% Mormon? Well, you might be surprised. Maybe you share beliefs with the Quakers or maybe you're more New Age. While definitely not a true measure (what online quiz is?) of anyone's religious leanings, the "Belief-o-Matic (registered trademark)" quiz is entertaining and may promote a religious conversation in your household!

Techie tip: Free. Online. Courses. How cool is that? The BYU Independent Study program offers these free online courses for anyone interested. Classes in such areas as "Family History, Family Life, and Religious Scripture Study...Use these courses as a starting point for your personal studies or just to add insight to an area of interest." I even saw a Bowling class. And be sure to click on the box advertising the Open CourseWare classes that include even more opportunities to discover. While none of these courses offered by the BYU Independent Study are for credit, they can nevertheless keep you learning your whole life long.