Colleen in NS Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 (edited) So, has anyone ever read SWB's older article on self education? http://www.welltrainedmind.com/educating-ourselves-classical-education-for-adults/ In it there were different ideas on how to start your own education in a variety of areas, not just GB. One thing she said was that you could write up a narration of the Kingfisher book to give yourself an overview of history. Well, I never did that, because of life, and because we've been reading through SOTW for four years. My kids and I now have general ideas about individual things that happened and about individual people. My son even went through ancients again last year, using an outline which we opened out regularly to look at overlapping events, and starting to learn to outline and dig in a little deeper. But, I still have felt that I'm not "getting" some things, like the order of civilizations springing up, who conquered who and in what order, etc., because I am so busy reading and thinking about how I'm going to help them with their next task. In the new WTM, the logic stage section suggests "listing facts" from the history spine. I figured that was a form of outlining that didn't really require an easily outlineable text to use, but rather you could just pick out 6-8 interesting facts from each spread. So, I went out yesterday for some "person time" (as opposed to Mommy time or shopping time) and sat in a parking lot in my van, systematically reading through my KF red text and writing out facts from each spread. Once I set my mind to it and had no distractions, I got "into" it, and it was fun! As my mind starting turning things over so I could sort out which facts were important and how I could include several things in one concise sentence, my mind started making connections and I started to get some "flow" to some of the events through the ages. I got up to "Babylon Revived" today, and I'm so HAPPY!!! I'm sure I looked like a weirdo sitting in my van (and later on the ocean beach) with my huge book and notebook and pen, but I sure enjoyed it. I have HOAW, and I have GBs on my shelves, but I have hesitated to tackle them yet, because this lack of "flow" has been bugging me. But I've started my own baby steps. I even marked one page of my notes as the page to use to fit in Bible books - so I can hopefully figure out the big picture around each Bible book, instead of being overwhelmed by facts that make no sense to me. Edited August 3, 2009 by Colleen in NS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose in BC Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 I've just skimmed your post but I find myself in some of what you say. I think I might have to pull my red KF book off the shelf too. I read the article SWB wrote for Memoria Press magazine and was again inspired to continue some self education. I also agreed with her statement that the best time to do this is in the morning. My only problem is I'm going to have to get up a 3 in the morning to do all the things that are best done in the morning . . . bible study, self study, exercise . . . .I'll be crashing by 9 p.m.!:001_smile: Or maybe I'll just cut some of my computer time and dedicate some of it to those higher aspirations. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yabusame Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Colleen, I bought the KF book when I first started looking at educating myself, based upon SWBs recommendation. I find it good to flick through from time to time but I got a lot more from SWBs History of the Ancient World. The idea of writing my own overview of history is intriguing however. Keep us informed of your progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedarmom Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Thanks, this is a great idea. I have always struggled with the big picture of history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 3, 2009 Author Share Posted August 3, 2009 Colleen, I bought the KF book when I first started looking at educating myself, based upon SWBs recommendation. I find it good to flick through from time to time but I got a lot more from SWBs History of the Ancient World. The idea of writing my own overview of history is intriguing however. Keep us informed of your progress! I've started History of the Ancient World, but I tend to get bogged down in details and then flounder because I don't know how they are relating to the big picture. This mental exercise of boiling down KF is helping me with that part, before I dig back into HOAW (for the ancients part of KF, anyway) and literature. I'll try to remember to post again! Thanks, this is a great idea. I have always struggled with the big picture of history. I think I spent the first few years of homeschooling just grasping the idea that the world goes back thousands of years, and reading SOTW to my kids so they'd hear events/people. Now that ds is doing logic-stage stuff, I realize I need to get the bigger picture now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 I love study time in my car! I've spent many hours sipping coffee and studying algebra or geometry while sitting in my minivan when the kids are in a rehearsal. I also will go sit in my car just to read if I'm out for some "me" time before hitting the grocery store, for instance. It is such a nice coccoon away from distractions (except for the darn cell phone....) I think getting a big picture of history just takes time. Years, in fact, before bits and pieces can fall into place where they belong. Finding a context for making sense of it all sometimes comes from study and sometimes comes from something random -- a historical novel, a documentary or movie, an art exhibit. I do love flipping through Kingfisher and seeing what all was happening around the world at a particular time, and I especially love time lines as I often need a visual. There is a great little book that summarizes much of world history in a tidy set of 6 periods, called The History of theWorld in 6 Glasses." It is a cultural history of how different beverages defined and shaped civilizations throughout history -- beer for Mesopotamia and Egypt, wine for Greece and Rome, spirits for the age of exploration, coffee for the Enlightenment, tea for the British Empire and coca-cola for the modern age. It isn't a long book, but it is fascinating and a pleasant read. He has a new book on food and world history which I haven't seen and another book on the telegraph called The Victorian Internet. These are the kinds of books that give me the context to take in the more serious books like HOAW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 5, 2009 Author Share Posted August 5, 2009 I love study time in my car! I've spent many hours sipping coffee and studying algebra or geometry while sitting in my minivan when the kids are in a rehearsal. I also will go sit in my car just to read if I'm out for some "me" time before hitting the grocery store, for instance. It is such a nice coccoon away from distractions (except for the darn cell phone....) There is a great little book that summarizes much of world history in a tidy set of 6 periods, called The History of theWorld in 6 Glasses." It is a cultural history of how different beverages defined and shaped civilizations throughout history -- beer for Mesopotamia and Egypt, wine for Greece and Rome, spirits for the age of exploration, coffee for the Enlightenment, tea for the British Empire and coca-cola for the modern age. It isn't a long book, but it is fascinating and a pleasant read. He has a new book on food and world history which I haven't seen and another book on the telegraph called The Victorian Internet. These are the kinds of books that give me the context to take in the more serious books like HOAW. Glad I'm not the only one who sits in parking lots to read! I'll see if I can find that 6 glasses book at the library, it sounds interesting. Update: I managed to get four more "fact lists" written this morning from KF. It's very fulfilling to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice in NJ Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 No advice, Colleen. Just encouragement. It took me years to start to understand. I have never regretted making the effort. Go, momma, go! :001_smile: Peace, Janice Enjoy your little people Enjoy your journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 6, 2009 Author Share Posted August 6, 2009 No advice, Colleen. Just encouragement. It took me years to start to understand. I have never regretted making the effort. Go, momma, go! :001_smile: Peace, Janice Enjoy your little people Enjoy your journey Thanks, and I got another page done today! :) I hope to at least finish the ancient section soon, and catch up and surpass a bit where ds is at with medievel times. Then I'll slow down and read down rabbit trails. Maybe even start my own wall timeline? Ha, we'll see. I get ambitious, post here, and then either slow down or stop. Oh well, at least I get started on projects!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Colleen, I have no help for you, but you've been a help to me. Thank you. I'm off to read the article and start my narration of world history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 I'M DONE THE ANCIENT SECTION!!!!!!!!! I EVEN TIMELINED IT!!!!!!!!! :party::hurray::hurray: I'm also exhausted, after putting a big push on this week... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenadina Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Congratulations!!:party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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