Greenmama2
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Posts posted by Greenmama2
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Given a lot of parents of mathy kids worry about gaps & the advice here is often to not worry...
http://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2015/04/08/the-math-ceiling-wheres-your-cognitive-breaking-point/
(I neither agree nor disagree btw, I'm just curious what people think of the blog post)
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I think girls are massively encouraged but I always worry about biology. Teen girls (most of them) want to be liked by boys. Young men are in a vulnerable state as well and often fear girls who are smarter than them in math, mainly because it's a rare boy who can out-talk a girl, no matter what their intelligence (this is also socialization). My partner has told me that it can be frustrating for him because although I think we are evenly matched in our abstract reasoning, my verbal ability is way, way higher. Partly because of my personality, partly socialization, and I'd be lying if I said I thought none of it came from hormones. (Just like his ability to be competitive and play touch sports comes somewhat from hormones....)
So I can talk circles around him. That is why when he is right he actually just says "okay" and leaves (I call him out on this). Or he gets irritable. He can argue with other men but fascinatingly with women he gets trapped and stuck. Not because of lack of subject matter knowledge but because he works with words too slowly, he doesn't use them in a fine enough way. He is trying to do surgery with a butcher knife in these arguments. So he would prefer not to argue hot topics with women at all. This is a smart, secure guy. He just doesn't enjoy debating with someone who can argue him under a table, like I don't enjoy playing basketball with him because he is so much better than I know he's letting me whenever I get a basket.
No wonder IT boys are unable to tolerate girls in the environment.
So in my opinion, a big part of getting girls ahead in STEM is getting boys ahead in the arts and making them capable of dealing with girls. We cannot have a situation where boys are digging in and hunkering down to protect their "safe" spot, and to get in girls have to endure attacks. There must be a better way. I think we can close the gaps to a large degree for boys and girls, but it involves getting girls outdoors and boys talking. Why?
Because to do otherwise reinforces trapping, crippling stereotypes.
Whilst I don't really agree about hormones, I think this is quite insightful and that you might be on to something. I can empathise with your husband. I struggle with words, at least verbally. I can write a killer paper when I need to but I've never once gotten a job from an interview unless I was already a shoo in & I certainly cannot sell things. Verbal communication is really not a strength for me, whereas it is for my husband and I admit I am guilty of saying okay/sure/whatever and walking away when I know I am right but the argument is too difficult. I also tend to nod & smile a lot when people talk at me about things I disagree with.
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That said, I think the demographics of the NZ math camp suggest that NZ is not identifying all of its talent. Math competitions are actually a good way of identifying talent, but kids have to have the chance to take these tests. Kids also need to be allowed to be comfortable being succesful at academics, rather than sports or other non-academic expectations.
I think that this is one of the most insightful comments in this thread. Well said.
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dmmetler had some excellent advice for the OP. I just popped in to agree with this:
Big smiles this morning from this gem.
Why not read the comics together now. Use other resources for the 'work' and return to the workbooks later? Just so you know, kids can learn to read from math books. 😉We started BA3 when DD was 6.5 & not a strong reader (due to undiagnosed tracking issues). Taking turns to read the comic dialogue and having her read the questions aloud before attempting them was fabulous reading practice and at the time pretty much the only thing I could get her to read apart from Harry Potter.
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Yes, please.
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Please don't flame me! I have an honest question for people who have BTDT. Please don't get preachy if you haven't BTDT.
I have friends from across the spectrum of wealth and cultures. I've noticed that many of my upper middle class friends buy used clothes, used cars, even used jewelry. OTOH, many of my friends who have financial struggles have fancier clothes, cars, bikes, etc than me.
Can someone explain this cultural phenomenon? Also, I've lived across the USA, so I have come to recognize some regional differences. I'm in the midwest currently, if that helps. I think things were different when I lived in Cali.
Emily
(who loves her used car, used couch, second-hand jewelry, and $20 bike, and is packing used clothes to take to the thrift store she shops at)
Well I'm not in the US and I have seen the same thing all my life. My better educated, usually higher income earning friends and acquaintances are the ones who choose second hand. Those people I know who buy new all the time, new clothes each season (for adults, as opposed to growing munchkins), the flashiest new car they can etc are all less educated and usually also earn less.
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I love Snape so much. I'm a sucker for the tortured soul. I do think Alan Rickman is well cast. I've never liked him much in anything else, but Snape he carries off well. DD is halfway through book 7 & I'm desperate for her to finish so we can watch the final movies (then rewatch them all in a marathon ;) ).
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I've seen Life of Fred pre-A recommended as a pre-pre-A. Maybe it would make a nice change for him?
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The Blue Mountains reaction depends on where you live. For us, from a relatively flat country, its spectacular. My uncle took a tourist friend to the Three Sisters. The guy was from a town near the Swiss Alps. He was distinctly underwhelmed by the "little hills and rocks".
D
Yes, DH took a friend from Tibet to the Three Sisters (major Blue Mountains tourist attraction). There are (to me) terrifying stairs down the cliff to the valley. DH's friend was down and up in half an hour and asking where to next.
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Oh lovely :)
Fitzroy Falls is worth considering as a trip, if you do end up South of Sydney. The lookouts are breathtaking - and IMO there's a whole lot more biodiversity you can experience immediately, as opposed to the tourist traps of the Blue Mountains. I saw lyrebirds and wombats within 20 minutes last time I visited the falls, all from the wheelchair accessible track.
If you're into geology also, there is much to be explored by mountainsides all through the Sydney Basin: http://australianmuseum.net.au/The-Sydney-Basin/
You are guaranteed to find marine fossils at the beach at Ulladulla Harbour, if you're in to that kind of thing (my apologies if not).
We see lyrebirds frequently along the less busy bushwalks in Blackheath, but they are easiest to spot around mating time :)
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We all love nature, mountains especially.
Come to the Blue Mountains then :) So much nature, great bush walks, from strenous to wheel chair friendly :)
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This happened to me at 17 & 9 months. I had finished high school and started university. My parents did give me an allowance to live off, they just insisted that I leave home and be completely responsible for myself other than the small amount of $ they put in my account each month. There was no arguement or other circumstance; my father had left home (of his own accord) straight after high school and felt that it had been a wonderful experience for him. They did not tell me they were planning this until I had finished high school and been accepted into university. My unversity was a 40 minute walk from the house he and my stepmother lived in, there was no reason for me to live on campus and I certainly couldn't afford the dorms with the allowance they gave me so I had to rent a room in a share house. I tried to join the local library and wasn't allowed as I couldn't sign the membership form for myself being a minor. Within a week I had an ear infection and despite being able to go to the doctor, I wasn't able to sign for my medication at the pharmacy. When I contracted glandular fever a couple of months later, my parents provided no nursing or other assistance but instead told me they would cease paying my allowance if I withdrew from subject I clearly couldn't meet the study requirements of whilst being so sick.
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Yes, you should say something. If he treated your son so badly, he is likely to cause issues with other special needs children.
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Wolves of Willoughby Chase
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Personally, I think all kids should be learning to relate better. I've always thought that was one of those basic things we're trying to teach kids...
And I can't think of anyone who would tolerate the kindergartner who is kicking and biting no matter how far behind he is in his language development. Developmentally appropriate maybe, but it's also a good example of needing to teach a child a better way to relate to his peers.
Feeling frustrated is one thing, but allowing it to cause issues with others just isn't OK.
Heartily agree (said as the mother of a five year old who isn't averse to a bit of kicking & biting action himself when frustrated).
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I think the experience of doing group work in school, where two neuro-typical kids are grouped with one bright kid and one slow kid, is a special kind of torture that bears no resemblance to real life. No where in the real world would people be grouped this way with the expectation that they will all be equal partners and receive a group grade (compensation/advancement). Even in real life group work, there is typically a "team-leader" and clearly defined roles for each of the "team members", and everyone on the team will be relatively bright to begin with since they were screened for intelligence when they were hired (college degrees required).
Thank you. Yes, so true. Especially the bolded.
The title of this thread makes me uncomfortable in way that has already been hashed out upthread. However, if we are talking about this kind of group work in schools - then I'll just go get my ranty pants on :cursing:
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Sounds positive. Let us know how the meeting goes.
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I always read my reports (always unsealed) as a kid, but to be honest I would have been glad not to a couple of years.
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Oh for goodness sake...now I need a ham sandwich!
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At our school they are a fundraiser. Photos are taken by the older students (K-10 school), so 100% of the money goes back to the school.
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Much like you described, I highly doubt they are going to budge on the academics in the classroom before ten or approximately 5th grade. If you had a conference, I would ask for their educational scope and sequence for the next two or three years. That would give you an idea of how much time there is going to be before the academics kick in.
Yes, this is the gist of it. She saw a fraction lesson on the board of a class two years ahead of her & told me; "Mama, they are still doing easy fractions". Sigh.
Yes, our original plan was to keep her stimulated afterschool since she really wants to be there for many reasons. However, she is finding the boredom much more of a drag than she expected. Term starts tomorrow & she plans to talk to the teacher herself. I plan to send an email that the teacher will receive tomorrow evening requesting a conference early next week. That way I will be able to discuss the teacher's response (or not) to DD's self advocacy.
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I'm not sure why you would think that? No, this school is Waldorf to the core. Hence my use of the word dogmatic. It's immaterial though, not the point of the thread.
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DD 8 chose to stop home schooling and go to a Waldorf school 3 months ago (half way through the school year for us). As I expected, 12 weeks later she is bored beyond belief and asking me to investigate other schools she might try. We knew beforehand that this is one of the most dogmatic and inflexible schools in the region, so we didn't bother asking for any gifted accommodations when she started. However, since I'm now looking at other schools & planning to ask them about their programs for/attitude to gifted learners etc, it occurs to me that since I know she'd rather stay at this school if she wasn't so bored - I should really speak up before we pull her out. I'm just struggling to bite the bullet and do it because I [think] I know their answers will not be helpful.
Encouraging words please?
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I think it is more like decoupage Kiwik. Modge Podge is a kind of glue over there.
Are bees sting reactions cumulative?
in The Chat Board
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Trouble breathing? Is she in the ER now? I hope so!