Showing posts with label Country Fair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Country Fair. Show all posts
Monday, July 23, 2007
The 8th Homeschooling Country Fair is Up!
Meg L. has done a great job with this month's edition of the Homeschooling Country Fair. The theme is "Post about the 'other' activities in your life." Happy reading!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Incorporating My Life Into Homeschooling Rather Than the Other Way 'Round
The theme for the 8th edition of the Homeschooling Country Fair is "post about the 'other' activities in your life." The intent, I suppose, is to show that home educators have a "life" outside of teaching like traditional schoolteachers do.
The thing is, I'm not very good at "compartmentalizing". I don't put on my "teacher's hat" at 8 or 9 A.M. and take it off again at 2 or 3 P.M. We're not "unschoolers" but I do agree with the philosophy the there should be no artificial segregation between "learning" and "living". While we do a certain amount of more formalized lessons, I also look for "teachable moments" as they arise in the course of our day-to-day activities. Pam Sorooshian has a great quote about this:
Other hobbies require a bit of adaptation for use in our homeschool. The scrapbooking techniques I use in my photo memory albums can be used to do lapbooking in our homeschool. At least, that's our plan for the upcoming school year! My DD is still a little on the young side so we'll have to play it by ear :-)
Perhaps when my kids get older and more independent, I'll decide to take on an ambitious project such as starting my own business or pursuing a graduate degree. My mother-in-law decided to start a doctoral program in her late 40's when my DH (her oldest) left for college. Right now, however, I'm focusing on my children's academic, social/emotional, life skills, and spiritual education. That's my vocation at this stage of my life. :-)
The thing is, I'm not very good at "compartmentalizing". I don't put on my "teacher's hat" at 8 or 9 A.M. and take it off again at 2 or 3 P.M. We're not "unschoolers" but I do agree with the philosophy the there should be no artificial segregation between "learning" and "living". While we do a certain amount of more formalized lessons, I also look for "teachable moments" as they arise in the course of our day-to-day activities. Pam Sorooshian has a great quote about this:
"Learning is learning whether or not it's planned or recorded or officially on the menu. Calories are calories whether or not the eating is planned or recorded or officially on the menu"Anyways, I've looked for ways to incorporate my own interests into our homeschool. Many of the things I enjoy are educational in and of themselves- reading, visiting museums, listening to classical music, attending fine arts performances, exploring nature, cooking, and so on. These are things I grew up sharing with my own mom, and in turn I'm now sharing them with my own children. I don't always do them with the kids, of course. I like reading adult books, seeing adult plays, and so on. The specifics obviously differ when I do them with the kids vs. without, but the general activity is the same.
Other hobbies require a bit of adaptation for use in our homeschool. The scrapbooking techniques I use in my photo memory albums can be used to do lapbooking in our homeschool. At least, that's our plan for the upcoming school year! My DD is still a little on the young side so we'll have to play it by ear :-)
Perhaps when my kids get older and more independent, I'll decide to take on an ambitious project such as starting my own business or pursuing a graduate degree. My mother-in-law decided to start a doctoral program in her late 40's when my DH (her oldest) left for college. Right now, however, I'm focusing on my children's academic, social/emotional, life skills, and spiritual education. That's my vocation at this stage of my life. :-)
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Call for Submissions to the 8th Edition of the Homeschooling Country Fair
Meg L. is looking for submissions to the 8th edition of the Homeschooling Country Fair. The theme is "post about the 'other' activities in your life". Submissions are due by this coming Friday, July 20th. Email to hscountryfairsub@yahoo.com with the subject "8th Country Fair" or post your link in the comments section here.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
This is *EXACTLY* the Type of Attitude I was Referring to Yesterday...
I've got to run out to park day with our inclusive homeschool support group in a little while, so I'll post a longer response this evening. But if you want to see a prime example of the type of "politically correct" attitude I object to being imposed in government schools in my post yesterday, read here.
Please note that I attended public schools from 4th-12th grade and graduated in 1995 (a lot more recently than the author of the attack piece) and my youngest brother graduated in 2003. Every day I check out the headlines at DailyEdNews and typically read several of the linked articles. These are all from the mainstream press, not religious media. So I don't just spout what Focus on the Family, Exodus Mandate, or my church has to say about public schools (FWIW, I've never heard any of the priests at any of the parishes we have attended preach about public education).
I do hold strong religious convictions, but I'm no fanatic. I attend church once per week, not daily, and it's a Novus Ordo (modern) Mass rather than a Tridentine or Byzantine one. I do not wear a headcovering to church. I would support the reinstitution of married priests and deaconesses should the Vatican decide to change Canon Law. I do not presume to know whether any given individual may be saved, as that's for God to judge. I have hope that a loving and merciful God wouldn't condemn a good person simply because he or she is not a Catholic.
The only jumpers I own are maternity ones and they were gifts or hand-me-downs. I wear pants, knee-length skirts and shorts, and sleeveless blouses & dresses so long as the necklines are modest. I've had short hair in the past and would consider wearing it that way again in the future.
I'm very much looking forward to the release of the 7th Harry Potter book, the 5th movie, and the movie adaptation of Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass. I do not believe that fantasy novels are any threat to a person who is secure in his/her faith.
My cousin is a SAHD while his wife is the primary breadwinner, and I think that's great!
I consider reason and faith to be complementary ways of knowing, and definitely do not believe in a "Young Earth" literal reading of Genesis 1. The best scientific evidence I've seen supports an age for the universe in the billions of years and for evolution as a mechanism. As there is no way of proving or disproving any role for God, atheists are free to believe that it's all just random, and I'm free to believe that it's divinely-guided. However, I do strongly believe that children need to hear the arguments pro and con for each viewpoint so that they can make an informed decision about what to believe.
What I seek is pluralism. I object to having only one worldview presented in public schools, whether it's atheism, Protestant Christianity, or even my own faith. If someone wants a school environment completely free from religion, that should come in a private or home school- the same as a person who wants one specific religion taught. Teachers and administrators absolutely should not show favoritism to one worldview over another, but that does not require secularism.
Please note that I attended public schools from 4th-12th grade and graduated in 1995 (a lot more recently than the author of the attack piece) and my youngest brother graduated in 2003. Every day I check out the headlines at DailyEdNews and typically read several of the linked articles. These are all from the mainstream press, not religious media. So I don't just spout what Focus on the Family, Exodus Mandate, or my church has to say about public schools (FWIW, I've never heard any of the priests at any of the parishes we have attended preach about public education).
I do hold strong religious convictions, but I'm no fanatic. I attend church once per week, not daily, and it's a Novus Ordo (modern) Mass rather than a Tridentine or Byzantine one. I do not wear a headcovering to church. I would support the reinstitution of married priests and deaconesses should the Vatican decide to change Canon Law. I do not presume to know whether any given individual may be saved, as that's for God to judge. I have hope that a loving and merciful God wouldn't condemn a good person simply because he or she is not a Catholic.
The only jumpers I own are maternity ones and they were gifts or hand-me-downs. I wear pants, knee-length skirts and shorts, and sleeveless blouses & dresses so long as the necklines are modest. I've had short hair in the past and would consider wearing it that way again in the future.
I'm very much looking forward to the release of the 7th Harry Potter book, the 5th movie, and the movie adaptation of Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass. I do not believe that fantasy novels are any threat to a person who is secure in his/her faith.
My cousin is a SAHD while his wife is the primary breadwinner, and I think that's great!
I consider reason and faith to be complementary ways of knowing, and definitely do not believe in a "Young Earth" literal reading of Genesis 1. The best scientific evidence I've seen supports an age for the universe in the billions of years and for evolution as a mechanism. As there is no way of proving or disproving any role for God, atheists are free to believe that it's all just random, and I'm free to believe that it's divinely-guided. However, I do strongly believe that children need to hear the arguments pro and con for each viewpoint so that they can make an informed decision about what to believe.
What I seek is pluralism. I object to having only one worldview presented in public schools, whether it's atheism, Protestant Christianity, or even my own faith. If someone wants a school environment completely free from religion, that should come in a private or home school- the same as a person who wants one specific religion taught. Teachers and administrators absolutely should not show favoritism to one worldview over another, but that does not require secularism.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Diversity Without Cultural Relativism
"Diversity" has been one of the most-misused words in education for the past few decades. When I looked up the definition in my Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language (affectionately referred to in our household as the "roach killer" for its massive size), I found:
During the turbulence of the 1960's, public schools came under fire from racial and ethnic minorities for being too Euro-centric, from feminists for being too patriarchal, from religious minorities and atheists for being too Protestant, and so on. I want to make it clear that I do agree these groups held legitimate grievances. The problem is that rather than embracing pluralism, government schools merely substituted the old WASP viewpoint with a new politically correct one.
This new viewpoint preaches cultural relativism, the idea that all cultural values are equally valid. Gender was now to be considered a "social construction" rather than a biological reality, and the goal became a unisex education rather than an egalitarian one. Rather than broadening the canon to include more non-Western and female authors, it was by and large dumped in favor of dumbed-down but politically correct textbooks. Science classes now presented only one side of controversial topics such as evolution, climate change, population, and so on. History and geography morphed into "social studies", which presented a biased view of Western Civilization particularly Christianity, European countries, and the United States. Copious attention was paid to the negative aspects and the positive aspects were given little to no attention. Even math classes were affected, with a shift in emphasis from teaching the correct way to solve math problems and individual work to fuzzy "discover your own methods" and group work.
The biggest shift was in the role of religion in public schools. The classroom changed from a place where students were indoctrinated in a Protestant worldview (bad) to a place where students are indoctrinated into an atheistic one (worse). Personal expressions of faith by students became taboo. Even non-specific references such as the "under God" phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance fell target to lawsuits by advocates of the complete removal of spirituality from the civic arena. These were aided by activist judges who misinterpreted the First Amendment as requiring freedom from religion rather than the Founding Fathers' intent of freedom of religion.
The establishment clause means that the government cannot show a preference to any one worldview. The complete removal of religion from public schools is a violation of this, since it promotes atheism. I'm not suggesting a return to the days when teachers began the school day by reading from the Protestant King James Bible. But what about encouraging students to read from a spiritual text of their own choosing, whether from the Bible (Hebrew, Protestant, or Catholic version), the Book of Mormon, the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, etc.? Nonreligious students could read some other sort of inspirational writing if they choose. Just a little daily ritual to encourage students to think beyond their own self-centeredness to higher concerns.
Certainly history and literature classes should include study of non-Western cultures and authors. However, they should be in addition to the study of Western Civilization, not instead of it. The contributions to America from different groups are important, but students first need to have a clear understanding of the 3 main influences: Judeo-Christianity, the ancient Greeks, and the ancient Romans. Science classes should provide a fair and balanced view of controversial topics and encourage students to make up their own minds after a careful consideration of the evidence presented by both sides.
Unfortunately, the stranglehold of what Bill O'Reilly terms the "secular progressives" in this country over public education means that it is unlikely that government schools will embrace the pluralism that true diversity requires. Because of this, parents who disagree with the "politically correct" viewpoint will have to resort to private, parochial, or home schools.
Ironically, I started writing this post for the "diversity" edition of the Homeschooling Country Fair but I found the restrictions of that particular carnival to be against the spirit of diversity. How can one celebrate diversity when one does not permit others to voice differing opinions?
I certainly do not share the Pearls' beliefs on corporal punishment, but I support the right of parents to raise their children in the manner they feel is best (so long as they comply with the laws of our country). Also, I object to the gag on religious content. I do not believe that all worldviews are equally valid, though I support the freedom of individuals to choose whichever one they desire. I do not expect everyone to share my beliefs, but I do expect that others will support my freedom to express them (just as I support their right to express opinions with which I disagree).
Note: Further thoughts on the matter can be found here.
di.ver.si.ty (n) 1. difference, unlikeness 2. variety, multiformity 3. dissimilarityAs practiced in the government education system, however, "diversity" has become a codeword for the imposition of one particular viewpoint. Talk about Orwellian abuse of language!
During the turbulence of the 1960's, public schools came under fire from racial and ethnic minorities for being too Euro-centric, from feminists for being too patriarchal, from religious minorities and atheists for being too Protestant, and so on. I want to make it clear that I do agree these groups held legitimate grievances. The problem is that rather than embracing pluralism, government schools merely substituted the old WASP viewpoint with a new politically correct one.
This new viewpoint preaches cultural relativism, the idea that all cultural values are equally valid. Gender was now to be considered a "social construction" rather than a biological reality, and the goal became a unisex education rather than an egalitarian one. Rather than broadening the canon to include more non-Western and female authors, it was by and large dumped in favor of dumbed-down but politically correct textbooks. Science classes now presented only one side of controversial topics such as evolution, climate change, population, and so on. History and geography morphed into "social studies", which presented a biased view of Western Civilization particularly Christianity, European countries, and the United States. Copious attention was paid to the negative aspects and the positive aspects were given little to no attention. Even math classes were affected, with a shift in emphasis from teaching the correct way to solve math problems and individual work to fuzzy "discover your own methods" and group work.
The biggest shift was in the role of religion in public schools. The classroom changed from a place where students were indoctrinated in a Protestant worldview (bad) to a place where students are indoctrinated into an atheistic one (worse). Personal expressions of faith by students became taboo. Even non-specific references such as the "under God" phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance fell target to lawsuits by advocates of the complete removal of spirituality from the civic arena. These were aided by activist judges who misinterpreted the First Amendment as requiring freedom from religion rather than the Founding Fathers' intent of freedom of religion.
The establishment clause means that the government cannot show a preference to any one worldview. The complete removal of religion from public schools is a violation of this, since it promotes atheism. I'm not suggesting a return to the days when teachers began the school day by reading from the Protestant King James Bible. But what about encouraging students to read from a spiritual text of their own choosing, whether from the Bible (Hebrew, Protestant, or Catholic version), the Book of Mormon, the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, etc.? Nonreligious students could read some other sort of inspirational writing if they choose. Just a little daily ritual to encourage students to think beyond their own self-centeredness to higher concerns.
Certainly history and literature classes should include study of non-Western cultures and authors. However, they should be in addition to the study of Western Civilization, not instead of it. The contributions to America from different groups are important, but students first need to have a clear understanding of the 3 main influences: Judeo-Christianity, the ancient Greeks, and the ancient Romans. Science classes should provide a fair and balanced view of controversial topics and encourage students to make up their own minds after a careful consideration of the evidence presented by both sides.
Unfortunately, the stranglehold of what Bill O'Reilly terms the "secular progressives" in this country over public education means that it is unlikely that government schools will embrace the pluralism that true diversity requires. Because of this, parents who disagree with the "politically correct" viewpoint will have to resort to private, parochial, or home schools.
Ironically, I started writing this post for the "diversity" edition of the Homeschooling Country Fair but I found the restrictions of that particular carnival to be against the spirit of diversity. How can one celebrate diversity when one does not permit others to voice differing opinions?
I certainly do not share the Pearls' beliefs on corporal punishment, but I support the right of parents to raise their children in the manner they feel is best (so long as they comply with the laws of our country). Also, I object to the gag on religious content. I do not believe that all worldviews are equally valid, though I support the freedom of individuals to choose whichever one they desire. I do not expect everyone to share my beliefs, but I do expect that others will support my freedom to express them (just as I support their right to express opinions with which I disagree).
Note: Further thoughts on the matter can be found here.
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