OrdinaryTime
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Posts posted by OrdinaryTime
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We do the Holy Heroes Advent and Lenten Adventures every year. I love their programs because they email the links to me each day (or 3 times a week in Lent), which helps me remember to do it. My kids love it because it is other kids' teaching them in the videos. They have lots of free downloads to go with each day's lesson.
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Reading the book a week thread reminded me that I really enjoyed both of these books last year. I'd love to find more like them.
Any recommendations?
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my favorites, too. :bigear:
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The identical thing happened to me. I was so disappointed. No emotional closure... and I need emotional closure. :)
I'm glad I'm not the only one who read the whole thing with no clue! And I need emotional closure, too. Especially in a book where character development is waaaaay more important than the plot line. It's like Anne and Gilbert never reconciling or Darcy and Elizabeth never having the final proposal scene...horrible.
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100%
His mother WAS a full-time SAHM for the majority of her time with children under 18.
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on Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters that she died before she wrote the last chapter! I just finished reading all 670 pages in terrible innocence of this horrific reality (and sadly ignoring my children during the last 200 pages today!) Imagine my shock when I finally reach the last chapter, which should supply that wonderful fulfillment of a story whose threads all fit together, and instead I find a note by the publisher that the author died before finishing! Talk about disappointment.
I went back to the Introduction, which I never read before my first perusal of a novel so I can form my own ideas about the work, and it does mention it there. But shouldn't there be some other warning somewhere?!? Uncomplete work???
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Fabulous! I'd love to read his work.
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My kids have really enjoyed Mixed Beasts by Wallace Edwards and Kenyon Cox. It is a funny mix of light verses about nonsensical "mixed" animals with witty hidden illustrations of real animals, like a fiddler crab drawn to really look like a fiddle and crab. It's verse and puns and Where's Waldo all together.
Also, following along those lines, we've enjoyed Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant by Jack Prelutsky and several books by Douglas Florian, including Omnibeasts, Zoo's Who, and Insectlopedia.
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If you want to have a written record of oral narrations, I find my 1st grader really enjoys when I type as he narrates. Then we print it off and add it to his history or science binder (the subjects in which we do narrations). He loves that his "work" looks so much like a "real" book.
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Gosh, where to begin. Thanks to everyone for the lively debate and thoughtful responses!
By the way, @OrdinaryTime--that doesn't say that efficiency is a measuring stick for a solid education. I didn't discuss the goal of education, but the means of education. If you're disagreeing with with me that knowledge is the primary goal of education, saying that ultimately it's character-building, then your complaint is not about my principle but the assumptions about educational goals I make in applying the principle.
I wasn't saying that a liberal arts education's end is "character-building." But neither do I think think it is simply "the development of academic knowledge and skills (to include a broad and deep comprehension of Western civilization and science a.k.a. liberal arts)," as you state in your post. IMHO, this is close to a good definition, but just slightly doesn't go the whole way. I don't find that liberal arts education's end to simply be the development of the intellect, but of the whole person. The development of the intellect must trickle over into the person's affections and ultimately into one's will, leading to a basic order and harmony in the total person. The person does not learn to just know truth; they learn to love it. They do not just know the beautiful when they see it; they enjoy it. They do not just know what justice is; they hunger and thirst for it. One's education should not simply be the accumlation of knowledge and shaping of the intellect, but the formation of whole person in light of that knowledge.
I suppose the distinction between these two ends is what made me bristle a bit at the use of the word efficient, even though I agree with many of the actual educational practices in your list (individualized instruction, living books, studying the classics, etc.). I am not primarily choosing to use some of these methods because they are an efficient way to gain knowledge (though that is often a lovely bonus), but because I believe these methods help knowlege move along into my children's affections and, hopefully, into their wills. Efficiency seems to be a term more fitted to simply accumlating knowledge, not forming a human being to contemplate the truth and then integrating that truth into oneself.
And I know I'm likely way out of my league here, but I wanted to be clear I wasn't just talking about "character-building!"
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When I was a child I stared out the window of my school classroom, having long since learned my lesson but made to sit idle until it was time for the whole class to move on to something else. Years of my life were just wasted. If they couldn't teach me they could have at least sent me to the library. That wasn't an efficient use of my school hours.
I thought Larry was talking about not wasting the child's time as much as anything.
Yes, we can streamline school practices quite a bit. They waste too much of everything, from printer ink to minutes on the clock.
But I thought Larry was talking about how to spend less time digging worms and more time fishing. How can everyone involved in education learn to just get to the point? How can children be taught to attend (CM's word, meaning 'pay attention,'), how can the teacher be trained to notice the depth of each child's understanding so she neither confuses him or bores him, how can standards and curriculum be excised of fluff and agenda so everyone can actually know exactly what is they are supposed to be learning...
this is my idea of becoming more efficient, so that's how I viewed Larry's posts.
And I do maintain that homeschooling is more efficient, even for Mom. I may work like a dog amidst great distraction, but at least I know exactly what the objectives of my child's lessons are and whether he gets it. Whether we need 5 minutes or 50 to master that lesson, none of the minutes are wasted. My friends tell horrible tales of trying to figure out their child's homework and get him to do it. So his day was wasted at school, and he had to bring home ways to help the whole family waste the evening, as well. No time for personal thought or family interaction. No time for sport or for handing down values, NO. Everyone must gather around an indecipherable page of Everyday Math homework and git'er done, or at least get the child to scrawl something to turn in tomorrow.
Now that's inefficient.
I completely understand your point here, Tibbie. The mind-numbing boredom and horrific inefficiency of my public school lead me to ask my parents to homeschool me when I was a high school freshman. One of the best things about homeschooling is the ability to provide individualized instruction, which is almost always more efficient than large group instruction. It is certainly one of the reasons I chose to have myself homeschooled and why I am choosing to homeschool my children.
I guess I didn't take Larry's assertions this way because I went to his blog post link, which was titled: Efficiency as a basic educational principle. I don't think efficiency should be a basic educational principle. Maybe a basic educational practice, but even then I agree with EM's post that sometimes efficiency may not be the most effective way to achieve one's educational goals. I view a principle more as a goal or an end. I would not say that efficiency is a goal of a liberal arts or classical education. Of course, Larry may not have meant principle to be such a loaded word.
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First, I want to apologize for the atrocious state of my first post. NEVER use your voice-to-text feature on your phone to write a post, and then fail to edit it because you want to watch Downton Abbey. My apologies, you all deserve better.
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I find it odd that you chose "efficiency" as a vital measuring stick for a solid education, especially a liberal arts education. To me the end of a liberal arts education is not the simply the accumulation of the most knowledge or facts or information possible, a goal to which efficiency would naturally lend itself. Instead the end of a liberal arts education is the development of the whole human person, resulting in the virtuous person. The measuring stick I would use in this case would not be how efficient the educational process is, but how well one's education leads a person to recognize and understand the good, the true, and beautiful. As a busy mom I'm always looking for ways to make my teaching time as efficient as possible, but that seems to be more of a side issue, not a vital organizing principle for my educational philosophy. The formation of the reason and will towards the truth is always the primary end. The means to it maybe efficient or not. I chose the means I believe will best get us to our final goal, not simply the most efficient. Too focus too much on efficiency seems to risk falling too far into more progressive theories of education.
Edited: For ungodly use of the English language. NEVER use the voice-to-text feature on your phone, then fail to edit because you want to watch Downtown Abbey. Just don't.
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Can you really kill the bedbugs on any clothing with a hot wash? I want to go to the Williamsburg Great Wolf Lodge with the kids, but heard they have had some bed bugs problems on and off over the last few years. I was planning to just pack clothes in cheap laundry baskets and leave them there. I would bag all the clothes in garbage bags and then take then laundry them at a laundrymat instead of taking them in the house. I wasn't a 100% you could kill them with a hot wash, though.
Part of me thinks it is crazy to even risk exposure, the other part of me hates living life in fear. All of our friends are going on the trip, and my kids have worked hard on their American history this year and would love visiting Williamsburg - and enjoying a waterpark!
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Amazing! So glad she conquered her fear!
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Tillie,
Bottom line: I want her to recognize that there is dignity in honest work of all kinds, to be a well-educated but not a snobby person, to be able to relate to all kinds of people, and to have an interesting mental life no matter whether she has a very intellectual job or not. I want her to be able to be both self-sufficient and interdependent. A good education toward a white collar life is one way of heading toward that. But if she ends up being a blue collar person, I will respect her just as much, and I won't consider her education to have been a waste if it informs her life as I am sure that it will.
:iagree:This is how I was raised, well below the poverty line. I'm from a large family (seven kids) where mom stayed home (homeschooling off and on depending on each kid's educational needs) and my dad was a Catholic school teacher and part-time farmer. I was babysitting by 11, busing tables illegally at 13, and then worked at least 20 hours a week until I graduated college (two years early and summa cum laude). At age 13, I was responsible for all my own clothes, spending money, then gas and car insurance as soon as I was 16.
It was hard work, but I never resented it. We were in it together as a family, and everyone worked together for the good of the whole family. My parents were very open with us about money, or the lack thereof.:tongue_smilie: They put a high value on mom being home with us and let us know what that cost the family financially; we understood and truly appreciated our mom being with us and were happy to have to work a little harder if it meant we spent our lives actually being together. Every night after grace, we'd all chant, "All for one and one for all!" A deep spirit of togetherness pervaded our daily grind. I think this is vital to help keeping teens from resenting having to take a harder path in high school and college.
Also, while we were definitely financially poor, my parents made it clear that it didn't mean we had to be intellectually poor, even if we might not all follow the traditional ideal of a college-bound high school prep course. The development of life of the mind and the formation of deep character was my parents' goal for us - and they never let us forget it! I think this spirit of curiousity and searching for truth and beauty goes a long way to providing a solid basis for a kid, even if they do not get to study in the traditional progression. From your posts here, (I've been reading for about a year) I think your boys have recieved that in spades! Plus a very solid actual high school education. Rejoice in that!
As for what path to take now, obviously your and our husband know best, but I'm all for thinking outside the box. My dad worked really closely with all of us kids in our family during 9 and 10th grades to develop a game plan (and some back-up plans) for the rest of high school and college. First, we did a lot of talking and job shadowing. The counseling wasn't about particular subject we wanted to study, but what kind of work we wanted to do later. Do you like desk work or more active, manual labor or something in-between? Do you like to be with lots of people, some, as alone as possible? He would show us charts and numbers about different fields and how hard it was to get a job in that field and how much it cost to be educated for such a job. Then we'd start job shadowing the fields we thought might interest us. Overall, this plan of attack really helped most of us not waste any money on education in field we wouldn't eventually enjoy working in. While it is nice not to have to decide on a major early and keep your options open, some of us can't afford it.
Once we had a plan, dad made every one of us start CC at 16. Our state had a dual-enrollment program that made all the classes and books free. So each of us took as many credits as we could academically handle for the next two years. If we planned on transferring to a four year institution, we already knew what schools we were looking into and had talked with them about credit transfers. If they didn't take the CC credits, well, we were going somewhere else. (Though we actually never ran into this problem.) Planning ahead to really maximize every credit helped limit any wasted time or money. Also, while some of us went on to get 4 year degrees and graduate degrees, several of my siblings went into technical certification programs, where they had Associates degrees and program certifications, usually in healthcare related fields (nuclear medicine and MRI radiology thus far). Since they started at 16, these siblings were working by 19, debt free, and making more than me and my liberal arts degrees. At the same time, my family did support my decision to get a liberal arts degree because that was who I was and I was getting it as cheaply as possible while still striving to get the best intellectual development I could afford. And they knew I was going into it with my eyes open about what it took to be independent. There was a good balance between practicality, respect for education for its own sake, and the needs for each individual kid in my parents' approach that I really admire.
Personally, I would start looking around for options. I would highly suggest looking into what your state might offer as far as dual enrollement for high schoolers. I had to enroll in my public school to get the free money in high school, but I never had to step foot in the building. If you aren't familiar with the public school system, you might not be aware of what kind of offereing they have for college. Also, you could do the FASFA form and figure out how much financial aid might be available to your boys. Start looking at tuition rates with them and start trying to figure out a plan. The early the better because you have more time to explore options.
I'm sorry this is long and rambling. I just wanted to share my experience of growing up in a low-income family that also valued the life of the mind. My DH, who came from a wealthier, East Coast family and went to an all-boys prep school that cost his family more for one year than my whole college education, was sort of horrified when he first heard about my family's often inventive approach to education. (You mean, you might not just go to a four-year college right out of high school??? The horror!) Now he thinks the traditional plan is probably the more risky choice these days!
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I liked my Babyhawk Mei Tei, but for under 6-9 months. Ergo is a great carrier that works through all ages, though I like my Beco Gemini better than my ergo. Still, either would be just fine. It is a bit more streamlined and has more carry options. I would look on craigslist and see what you can find second-hand at a great price. Often people will buy an expensive carrier and not use it. Many of the carriers are very similiar and price would definitely sway me.
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Light maple would look good in sunny kitchen....really anything...light is good
Here is my kitchen remodel before...i acted as my own contractor, used cabinet maker...got quartz countertop, german faucet, top of the line appliances with what I saved by not using HD and being my own contractor!
Before
After, still lots of dust!
Lovely!
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I forgot to add a great technique that helped me figure out what I wanted for the general style of my kitchen. I went to Google Images and just google kitchens. If I really liked something, I saved in into a file on my computer. I looked at kitchens for an hour or two, saving kitchens I emotionally responded to immediately. Then I went back through my photo file and looked for similiarities between the kitchens. Did most have light or dark cabinents? Light or dark countertops? What kind of metal finishes? This really helped me get a good idea of what I naturally enjoy and like in a kitchen.
Then I really thought about how I work in my kitchen. How do I clean up dishes, prep food, etc.? What do I want stored in the kitchen and out of sight? What annoys me about my current kitchen? This led me to ensure I had a BIG trash/recycling pull-out cabinet because I really hate having to constantly take out trash/recycling and I hate having it out in the kitchen. I put that cabinet in a location that has easy access and is next to sink so I could prep food and then sweep right into the trash. Overall, just really think about how you move and live in your kitchen when planning the layout.
I put some pics of our recent reno. The first is before, then the new kitchen , and then the view from our pennisula into the eating area of the kitchen. When I looked through google images, most of the pictures I looked at had white cabinents, dark countertops, and silver finishes. So that's what I did and I love it everyday!
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We gutted our kitchen a year ago. It is a BIG project, but it is doable.
1. I only had a week to pick out everything! (My BIL is a contractor and did it between two jobs so we had short notice.) This was actually very helpful. You can research everything to death and never make a decision. Pick a period of time and deadline for decisions and just MAKE them.
2. IKEA cabinets rock. And are very affordable. They have a 25 year warranty and actually have very high customer satisfaction ratings. You have several style/color options and can use the stock size to customize your own layout. I highly recommend them. Also, IKEA has a free online kitchen planner you can download and use to help plan your space. We found it very helpful.
3. Set up a kitchen station somewhere else in the house that has running water. I did it in my laundry room. I used the laundry sink as a "kitchen sink," though we did use as many paper products as possible. With a microwave, hot pot, and toaster oven, we were able to eat pretty well. We focused on eating a lot of "raw" food that didn't require much cooking anyway. Making some freezer meals before had that can just be reheated is also helpful.
4. It will probably take longer than 6 weeks. It's better to expect it to take longer.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. It is worth all the trouble, but definitely understand your anxieties! Good luck!!
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I read this today and thought I would share. I found it to a beautiful, poignant article on motherhood, for all mothers, those of many and few. The last four paragraphs just about summed up the essense of motherhood for me.
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Have you decided what reading list you are going to tackle first?
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Bauer addresses this question of "lists" further on pgs. 50-52. I generally have the same initial reaction to reading lists as you, especially outside an institutional setting. Why these books in particular? I thought Bauer did a lovely job "defending" her list by notdefending it too heartily, but encouraging you to add and change as needed for your personal enrichment.
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I just picked it up from the library yesterday. I need to previee it yet, but I may be joining you!
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There should have been some kind of warning..
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
I haven't watched the film yet. Maybe I'll watch to get some emotional closure.