Book a Week 2016 - BW17: darwin's bards

[aggieamy]

Amy, my kids' favorite read-aloud when they were about your dd's age was The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. :-)

 

But you have to do the accents properly when reading!

 

Luckily we've listened to that as an audiobook because there's no way I could do justice to all those wonderful voices. 

 

Here you go :)

 

He was just so excited to tie that belt on.

 

I'm pretty sure we have the best taekwondo instructor in the world :)

 

With his older siblings. (They're wearing their demo team uniforms since they performed today.)

 

Your children are lovely.  They look so happy!

[Kathleen.]

I read Julius Caesar by Shakespeare and my 10yo read "Frindle" by Andrew Clements.

☺

[Lady Florida.]

Congratulations to your son, Heather! That is quite an accomplishment.

 

Thanks for sharing photos.

[Momto4inSoCal]

I am really behind on this thread but last night I finished Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. I decided to read this books since so many books on education point back to him. It was very interesting and, although I disagree with him about the natural state of man (that man in inherently good but broken down by society which creates vices in him), I found some of his statements to be true. Rousseau was heavily influenced by John Locke whose writings also influenced the founding fathers of the US. He lived during the late 1700's and was a major philosopher in the Age of Enlightenment. I can see why so many educators were influenced by him. It is a nice thought to believe that in order to create the perfect human being all we have to do is let him/her be themselves and grow without outside influence. I noticed many of Charlotte Mason's idea's in his book and noticed in this article http://www.welltrainedmind.com/the-classical-side-of-charlotte-mason/ it states she borrowed from many of the popular educators one of which was Rousseau. Dewey was also influenced by Rousseau. I loved reading some of the original thoughts that spurred a radical change in our education system. I find it ironic that this man had 5 children who were all sent to orphanages yet he seems to feel he has all the answers to how to raise a child. I wonder if the people who were influenced by him knew that little tidbit. I loved Voltaire's (another influential philosopher in the enlightenment) Response to Rousseau's Book:

 

 "I have received, sir, your new book against the human race, and I thank you for it. You will please people by your manner of telling them the truth about themselves, but you will not alter them. The horrors of that human society--from which in our feebleness and ignorance we expect so many consolations--have never been painted in more striking colors: no one has ever been so witty as you are in trying to turn us into brutes: to read your book makes one long to go about all fours. Since, however, it is now some sixty years since I gave up the practice, I feel that it is unfortunately impossible for me to resume it: I leave this natural habit to those more fit for it than are you and I. Nor can I set sail to discover the aborigines of Canada, in the first place because my ill-health ties me to the side of the greatest doctor [1] in Europe, and I should not find the same professional assistance among the Missouris: and secondly because war is going on in that country, and the example of the civilized nations has made the barbarians almost as wicked as we are ourselves. I must confine myself to being a peaceful savage in the retreat I have chosen--close to your country, where you yourself should be."

 

Anyway I'm off to read Herbert Spencer and Scientific Education. In the introduction of Emile the translator listed great educational classics that he believed were in line with Rousseau. I was able to find many of them on google books for free! Probably my greatest takeaway from this book. 

 

Also the free amazon prime books are up for the month:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/kindle/first/ref=kf_surl_rw

 

 

Edited May 1, 2016 by Momto4inSoCal

[Robin M]

Link to week 18 - please continue conversation in new thread 

[KathyBC]

Audible would take more technical ability than I possess I suspect. So I might as well try free first. I haven't listened to an audio book for me since they came as tapes....

 

I thought I would give an update. I still can't find the mp3 that I downloaded on my kindle but the listen in my browser feature is working really well for me right now. Obviously this method has some big negatives because it reauires good internet but it is working.

 

I listened to about 3 hours of Elizabeth Peter's Crocodile on a Sandbank while quilting today. It's a book that I have tried to read many times but never made it beyond the first pages. I am enjoying it although I still thought the start was slow. ;)

Hmm, memory is blurry but I think you do not want the mp3 version, but rather the EPUB eBook. Maybe?

 

ETA: If you want to read it on your Kindle rather than listen to it, that is.

Edited May 2, 2016 by KathyBC