yellowperch
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Posts posted by yellowperch
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As a parent who will someday be paying (most of) 5 college tuitions (I hope anyway), I am very disappointed at some of the nonsense my $$$ will pay for, at least in part. I've attended two universities, and worked at one, and oh the things I've seen. Nothing compares to this, thank goodness.
I'm a little queasy, to be honest.
There is quite a bit to learn about human psychology and sexuality before you would even delve into these subject areas, even if you were an advanced grad student. And, of course, no visuals are really needed.
What a foolish enterprise, and I feel sorry for the girl invovled.
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Charlie Sheen--I didn't care, then I was amused, now I'm sickened...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/opinion/04holmes.html?ref=opinion
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This is a very long thread! Holy tomoly this is a hot-button issue.
I wish I could find an old you-tube spoof of a guy singing a song about how he doesn't watch tv. it was so funny because it poked fun at all the obnoxious drama about the whole issue. The guy in the clip (I know...the irony...) would introduce himself to everyone he'd meet and immediately weave in that he doesn't have a tv, and manage somehow to insult the other person while doing so.
After watching that clip I vowed never again to utter the words "oh, we don't have a tv". But we don't. Really. And yet you could still hear my kids talk about scooby-doo and sponge-bob and even elmo. But that doesn't mean I'm lying. It just means that when they were sick we streamed some scooby or when they went to their grandmother's they watched sponge-bob (and boy did they). And someone gave us an elmo doll that my 4 yo has always loved.
We don't watch tv because I hate the noise, and I don't like how I get sucked in. I haven't owned a television since I moved out of my parents' house. It's not really a parenting decision.
Now things have gotten cloudier since the advent of mini-dvd players and computer streaming, etc. My kids do watch a movie or two a month, but they often go long stretches without watching anything. So what? It's really just a matter of habit and lifestyle, not a comment about anyone else's morality. Back when I did bring it up in polite conversation it was usually in response to a question such as "oooh, you love bob the builder? whose your favorite machine?" when a ds was sporting a hardhat.
Now I just let it go. Nothing says sancti-mommy louder than "we don't watch tv". (except maybe "we homeschool", of course.)
The main issue now is that I spend too much time on the computer, which I am girding myself to abstain from for a little detox. I think in facebook lines sometimes. Not good. 2011 screen-time is much more pernicious and difficult to keep reasonable than 1990s screen time. Oh for the good old days when no-tv meant no-tv.
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I would send my children to a school--public or private--that was rigorous but not cut throat, offered small (10 or less) classes, had shorter days, and great art and gave the kids plenty of chances to be in the air and be physical. And the school would have to be close to my house AND offer grades 1-12 so I would only have to deal with one school. (In my town next year my children would be in four different schools).
A girl can dream.
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IMO Fall of Giants was nowhere near as good as Pillars. I think because the era is so familiar I the characters seemed more like cartoonish archetypes than people. I loved Pillars, and I'd recommend Fall (for all it's faults it's a breazy nice read), but the books don't compare, sadly.
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This sounds great.
A parenting books by Linda Eyre I read a while ago describes the writer's (the mother of 9 or 11 children) annual sabatical. She'd take to a hotel for a couple of days with some notebooks and spend her time thinking about and writing about each of her children and his/her needs for the coming year. She described plotting her goals for each, and special things she wanted to do with each child. I thought the idea was lovely (and not only the thought of sleeping along in a kingsized bed, roomservice and the hotel pool). I'm not sure which of her books this was in, but it might have been this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Joyful-Mother-Children-Mayhem-Motherhood/dp/1573457949/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_10
But back to the virtual conference, I'm in!
Of course this takes money, but
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I've been thinking about attending the Great Homeschool Convention in PA this year, and looked into details as these discussions about conferences have taken place. However, I am really thrown by the presence of two of the speakers at the top of the roster--Ted Tripp, the author and proponent of spanking as a parenting practice, and Ken Ham, the president of the Creation Museum.
I understand the need for a plurality of views, but some are so distasteful (spanking, for example) or foreign to me I wonder what it indicates about the general tone/general culture of the event. I'm not afraid of being exposed to new ideas, or learning more about views I don't understand or accept, but I that's not why I'd attend a conference. I also know that there are many talks and workshops to choose from. I notice that many of the speakers' bios address their faith, which signals to me that the "culture" of the event will be of a non-secular nature. Which is fine, but not something I would travel for.
And I really would relish a chance to have something of a homeschooling boot camp.
I'd love to hear SWB, Puweda, Zaccarro, and a few others. I do know I can take what I need and leave the rest.
Thoughts?
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I'm going to look up the Sister Wendy books--I love art books.
These are great, too:
Dan's Angel
Katie Meets the Expresionists, etc.
Lydia i Monet's Garden
What Makes a Van Gogh a Van Gogh, etc.
Sqeaking of Art by Monica Wellington
Babar's Museum of Art
the Come Look with Me
Laurence Anholts' books such as Camille and the Sunflowers
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1. Take millions of pictures of a situation and edit out the bad ones quickly (so you don't bog yourself down) (but not while you are still in a situation worth photographing). For this reason you should shoot digital, especially while you are in an intense learning phase.
2. Get close. I mean closer.
3. Turn off the flash.
HTH
Going to check out Heidi's pix! thanks for the link.
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On a lighter note, my dear friend's BIL is Tim Hawkins. He and his family are Festivus kinds of people, and they come to RI every summer!
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I'm still reeling over someone's description of a convention keynote speaker who spoke--approvingly, in a how-to context--about corporal punishment. I think I would cry.
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If you won't come to Rhode Island, then can I write in an alternate? Paris? I also know this amazing surfing spot in Costa Rica.
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Brehon, you just made my day!
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I should have read the recent thread posts before adding my too serious comments. Festivus? To heck with beach traffic, I'm in. Dh will brign all takers fishing if we meet in NE. We are still offering lobster.
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Here's my dream conference: mainly secular (evolution, please!), hard-core academics, gifted kids, writing, math for geniuses taught by non-geniuses, a little seminar on how to keep sane, something about toddlers, talks on progressive "no-hitting children" parenting, writing, writing, writing; something about putting fun into homeschooling for the overly-serious types, foreign languages, long-range thinking about college.
We could have it here in coastal NE. People could camp in my yard. we could all eat lobsters, swim in our little lake, take a surfing lesson.
Alternately we could all give talks on what we do/know best, even if it has nothing to do with homeschooling. My DH could explain world events of the last decade, and tell you everything you (n)ever wanted to know about journalism. I could give an advanced seminar in how to avoid beach traffic.
Seriously, I'd love a (mainly) secular but academic (no tie-dying) homeschooling convention that focused on the practical, not the political.
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Just keeping it in the car might be a good idea. It'll be a treat then, instead of a default activity.
OTOH, I've always played either classical music or great literature or SOTW on cd when driving. They were hostages at first, but now they chose to listen to lots of interesting things in the car or on the cd player at home.
ETA: My 8 yo and 4 yo can get a little obsessive about things. I think my 10 and 6 would be the kinds of kids who would take or leave them. They'd play with them and have fun and move on.
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I agree Jean. They are a bit expensive, too, aren't they?
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We don't have them and are happy with that. My kids don't ask for them anymore. I must confess my three middle kids really annoy their friends when their friends bring the DSs out. They nag for turns. But that doesn't happen very often.
I just don't need the battle, or another issue to set limits over. There are other hills to die on, and I can't waste my time, or theirs.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/fashion/24KIDDIES.html?ref=fashion
I thought you/your son might enjoy this.
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Our high school is a 10. I would have ranked it a 6. I hate to know what is 6 would really be like. The school committee is doing away with B levels for budget reasons. (The school currently places students in one of three tiers--b level, a level and honors.) If you say the school comittee is doing away with A levels, most of its members object. :glare:
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Above 100 here. We have six library cards, but for the children and myself I use mine until it is full (100) then move over to my oldest son's. That way it's easier to keep track of what's due when using our awesome library's online system. DH has his own card and tracks his own books. We have two library book baskets (one up and one down) and a library bag where all "done" books go. The cards are in the bag.
Right now we have a batch of funny picture books, some poetry (we've been on a little tear), the three older kids' series books of the moment and three novels I'm either reading or about to get into. I also have some guides to teaching writing, and DS2 has a big batch of books on Ponce De Leon. AS it happens we are hitting the library in the AM.
For four years we lived abroad and did not have access to an English-language library. I'm still traumatized.
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Singapore: Order of Operations?
in K-8 Writing Workshop
Posted · Edited by yellowperch
When--in what book--does Singapore address order of operations? Thank you, I can't seem to find it.
Woops! wrong forum. Heading over to repost.