Bill Nye/Homeschooling argument

[ajfries]

The problem with the question asker wasn't that she asked, even though it seems very weird and illogical to do so to me. My opinion of things is hardly relevant, though I appreciate being able to type them out here anyway ;-)

 

She could have handled it in such a better way. She could have chuckled "haha yeah Bill I'm asking from my bunker" she could have shrugged it off "It was worth a shot! Lova ya Bill, thanks for your work!" She could have just ignored it. But instead she was "understandably," as the OP terms it, offended and then led the charge.

 

It WASN'T understandable, is what I, and others I presume, are saying. He's just a dude on teevee, that's had a weird come back from kids programming lately via self-promotion and publicity stunts.

 

I was trying to think of who else would be similar. But I can't. Initially I was thinking what if someone had asked David Attenborough or Jane Goodall to write secular biology or zooology curricula? But that's not analgulous at all, because Jane Goodall and David Attenborough are just in a totally different stratosphere of respectability, than Bill Nye, the Science Guy. He's more Steve from Blues Clues, than one ofthose two.

 

Lily Tomlin voiced The Frizz in the Magic School Bus. Maybe she's got some free time to whip up some labs and workbooks?

 

Yes. Completely. Until the recent "debate" I didn't even really know he was "highly regarded" in the scientific community. I don't care what this guy thinks of homeschoolers; I think he's a bit of a weirdo, myself.

 

[KarenC]

That clip hardly represents religious homeschoolers as a whole. Do you really think most Christians dress their kids in camouflage and call them Jesus soldiers? Have you watched the film? It doesn't even get good reviews from Christians. So to say it is highly relevant to what Bill Nye said to a secular homeschooler on his FB page... about a science curriculum no fundamentalist would even touch --- seems like a s t r e t c h

In and earlier post, I asked for the name of the film.  I haven't watched it yet, I've only read the reviews and Amazon.  As I also said earlier, I hope this type of homeschooler is a  very small percentage.

[twoxcell]

 

Also, the irony is thick in the air in that we're having this "But but but not everyone who homeschools is an evangelical Christian" discussion on a forum where if you threw a dart at a random thread in the K-8 section you'll find a thread discussing "science" books by people promoting the unscientific view that the Earth is about 6,000 years old. 

 

(Editing and clarifying: I say this not because I believe everyone who home schools is evangelical - that's obviously not true - but because if you ask someone to say what they think about homeschooling, of course the common perception of it matters.)

Even if every homeschooler was evangelical, taught creation, and/or hid in there homes it is none of his business. :thumbdown: I do not care what his opinion is of homeschoolers. ;)

[mamajudy]

Well that was a jacka$$ reply - even if I do like the guy otherwise.

Well personally, I've never even heard of the guy. But he sounds like a jacka$$.

[Runningmom80]

I don't really care what he thinks about homeschooling, and I'm not surprised he's not a supporter.

 

Now if Neil Degrasse Tyson says something bad about homeschooling, I'm going to be crushed. ;)

[HRAAB]

I don't really care what he thinks about homeschooling, and I'm not surprised he's not a supporter.

 

Now if Neil Degrasse Tyson says something bad about homeschooling, I'm going to be crushed. ;)

 

My thoughts exactly.

[AvasMom]

I think a person would ask because she wants Bill Nye and his followers to know there are sciencey homeschool like her out there. She wants a nice flowery response acknowledging her existence from a guy she likes. I don't think it was an honest request for him write a science curriculum.

 

Then, when it turned out Bill Nye gave her a bit of a dismissive response that showed he didn't know everything about all there is to know and want interested in doing her work for her she got huffy.

 

But this was one question in a thread with thousands of comments. Thousands. And it was a stupid one. He's a TV personality with no ties to homeschooling. And someone is asking him to write a homeschooling curriculum? She can do her homework and find our write one herself. So I don't have any problem with his dismissive.

 

His ignorance? Oh well. We are a fringe group in the greater population and generally most people, especially those with lives as full as Bill Nye's, have other concerns. We are not so important that everyone has to educate themselves on homeschooling. And Mr. Nye's ignorance on this one matter is not going to make me reassess my view of him.

 

Frankly, I'm a little tired of the instant outrage I sometimes see in homeschooling circles and that the poster on the FB thread expressed. It's reflexive and reactionary and often, unthinking. We're annoyed about the stereotypes people have of us but then we turn around and perpetuate them by making a couple of sentences in a FB thread by a guy who is in no way important to the movement of homeschooling into major drama.

OMG. Be my BFF please? I was started to think I was the only one that felt this way.

[Word Nerd]

What kind of "socialization" do you think those kids are getting?

 

How would I know, and why does it matter? I don't know them, nor have I seen the movie. I wouldn't have anything to base an answer on except pure speculation. 

 

In my experience, religious homeschoolers are not less "socialized" than secular ones. The "secular" kids and "religious" kids were pretty much indistinguishable in the co-op classes, parties, park days, and field trips we participated in while homeschooling.

 

I maintain that we don't need to look for hidden subtext in Nye's answer. He knows what the word secular means, and I can't imagine that anyone here is unfamiliar with the generalizations about socialization that are directed at homeschoolers across the board.

[Truscifi]

How would I know, and why does it matter? I don't know them, nor have I seen the movie. I wouldn't have anything to base an answer on except pure speculation. 

 

In my experience, religious homeschoolers are not less "socialized" than secular ones. The "secular" kids and "religious" kids were pretty much indistinguishable in the co-op classes, parties, park days, and field trips we participated in while homeschooling.

 

I maintain that we don't need to look for hidden subtext in Nye's answer. He knows what the word secular means, and I can't imagine that anyone here is unfamiliar with the generalizations about socialization that are directed at homeschoolers across the board.

 

IME the kids from "Jesus Camp" style religious homes are easily distinguishable from other kids. They are the ones constantly asking my kid about going to church, his belief in god, etc. and telling him he's going to hell when they don't like his answers. And yes, he tries to change the subject.

[Jenny in GA]

Just as I don't want others to make it their mission to convince me that school is a better option, I don't make it my mission to convert those who favor schools. Bill Nye can think whatever he wants about homeschooling, and it doesn't affect me ... just as other people's opinions on veganism, adoption, and my chosen religion don't affect me.

 

A big fat WORD.

 

I was going to try really hard to avoid commenting, but this exactly how I feel and why it bothers me a little that many many homeschoolers are getting all up in arms about this.

[OneStepAtATime]

Perhaps we're not all really angry. Perhaps this discussion is merely light entertainment. Much less interesting things are being discussed on these very boards right now, including toilet paper. :)

 

But yeah, this kind of thing bothers me. Not from an "oh, I'm really angry at Bill Nye" perspective, but because it's just a shame that homeschooling is still commonly perceived in such a negative way. Nah, that's not surprising. It's a bit boring though. I don't want people to pity my kids because they homeschool, or to assume that they can't work with other people, or to automatically think I homeschool for religious reasons or because I'm a hippie. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with homeschooling families in which some of those things are indeed correct. 

Yeah, I haven't been homeschooling that long compared to a lot of people on here, but I, too, get really bored at times with trying to explain, yet again, to well meaning friends/family why homeschooling is a viable option for us and to try and dispel so many of their preconceived notions.  Totally get you.

 

And you are right, most of the posters on here don't appear angry, (and if they are, I apologize for not recognizing that emotion in their posts) but boy there are a lot that got pretty frosted over his comment right after the comment was made.  I was actually referring to the hoopla as a whole, not this specific thread.  And that is their prerogative. I just was a little surprised that so many would be surprised that he doesn't know that much about homeschooling or that he would fall into the stereo type mentality.  I kind of expect it from most people who have not homeschooled, even scientists who should want to gather more date before making assumptions.

 

Now if you WERE going to ask a scientist to create a great homeschool science curriculum (or at least work with someone who creates curriculum to create a great homeschool science curriculum), who would that be?  Maybe I will start a new thread....

[Catwoman]

IME the kids from "Jesus Camp" style religious homes are easily distinguishable from other kids. They are the ones constantly asking my kid about going to church, his belief in god, etc. and telling him he's going to hell when they don't like his answers. And yes, he tries to change the subject.

I am so glad we have never had to deal with kids like that. We know some very religious families, but they don't push their beliefs on anyone else. I'm sure my ds would find it very intrusive if other kids started quizzing him about whether or not he went to church or if he believed in God. (I am also quite sure he would immediately tell them it was none of their business.)

[Cascadia]

Until I started coming to this board I had no idea that Bill Nye was taken seriously as an educator or scientist.  I only knew of him because he was an actor on a local comedy show in Seattle in the 80's, and "Bill Nye the Science Guy" was just one of the sketches where he would blow something up or do some other type of visually exciting demonstration.    :laugh:

[OneStepAtATime]

I am so glad we have never had to deal with kids like that. We know some very religious families, but they don't push their beliefs on anyone else. I'm sure my ds would find it very intrusive if other kids started quizzing him about whether or not he went to church or if he believed in God. (I am also quite sure he would immediately tell them it was none of their business.)

I remember being in ps P.E. in middle school and the girl I shared a locker with started talking about the church she went to.   We had been casual friends for a couple of years, but it had just never come up before.  Well, since she brought up the topic, I started talking about the church I went to as well.  She looked at me, really shocked, and said "You mean, you aren't _________?"  "Uh, no.  Is that a problem?"  She promptly burst into tears and told me yes it was because I was going to hell and she was devastated...and by the way, being friends at this point would be impossible because she couldn't associate with someone who was going to hell.  It would be too painful when I wasn't in Heaven with her.  ...well, that upset me a bit, too, so we both ended up in the P.E. teacher's office.  I really feel sorry for the teacher, now that I think about it.  I'm sure the situation put her in an awkward position.  I wasn't worried about going to hell.  I WAS upset that I was losing a friend over something I couldn't really fix and had done nothing wrong to deserve the reaction, IMHO.  Oh, well.  I still had plenty of friends.  I just had to find another locker partner.  But it was a bit painful and confusing.

[Runningmom80]

Until I started coming to this board I had no idea that Bill Nye was taken seriously as an educator or scientist. I only knew of him because he was an actor on a local comedy show in Seattle in the 80's, and "Bill Nye the Science Guy" was just one of the sketches where he would blow something up or do some other type of visually exciting demonstration. :laugh:

Same here. I don't get why what he says matters.

[WishboneDawn]

OMG. Be my BFF please? I was started to think I was the only one that felt this way.

Done. :D

[WishboneDawn]

It's he a scientist though? Everything I've seen on him says he was an engineer at Boeing for a bit and then moved into entertainment. Do engineers count as scientists? ;)

[Mrs Mungo]

It's he a scientist though? Everything I've seen on him says he was an engineer at Boeing for a bit and then moved into entertainment.

I think the question is, are his credentials enough to write a science curriculum or to care what he thinks about homeschooling? I have two uncles who are engineers. One of them has worked for NOAA for many years, to include programming all of the weather satellites for the US. He is not an educator. He doesn't have kids. He probably isn't the best choice to write a homeschooling curriculum.

[momma2three]

I think the question is, are his credentials enough to write a science curriculum or to care what he thinks about homeschooling? I have two uncles who are engineers. One of them has worked for NOAA for many years, to include programming all of the weather satellites for the US. He is not an educator. He doesn't have kids. He probably isn't the best choice to write a homeschooling curriculum.

 

Agreed.

 

And, as any homeschooling Mom Blogger who has thought "Wow, all I need to do is put my great ideas and little bit of knowledge about this subject down in PDF form, and then the money from other homeschooling moms will just come POURING in!" knows, writing a curriculum is very hard.  It's extremely time consuming, requires lots of knowledge, and requires a pretty firm understanding of how a wide variety of different kids learn.

 

Bill Nye seems to be trying to resurrect his career as an educator.  I have no idea why anyone thought that what he really wants to do is spend the next few years sitting at a computer trying to figure out 36 lesson plans for 2nd grade Earth Science.  Perhaps if he turns himself into an industry he'll be able to hire some curriculum developers.  But even then, the money is in public schools.  It's possible that if "his" public school curricula take off, he'll decide that there's enough money in the homeschool market to get one of his curriculum writers to repackage it as a homeschool curriculum.

 

Who knows... maybe this is exactly what will happen.  He probably does have some sort of plans for something educational with his name on it.  But it was kind of absurd for the person who asked the question to think that he's likely to write a homeschooling curriculum.

[Alice]

 

 

Lily Tomlin voiced The Frizz in the Magic School Bus. Maybe she's got some free time to whip up some labs and workbooks?

 

Now I’d buy those! :) 

 

I love Bill Nye as a cool funny guy on science videos that make my kids laugh and learn a little. And as an evangelical Christian who believes in evolution I always feel like either a total weirdo in these discussions or someone who could infiltrate either side. But I don’t really care that much what Bill Nye thinks about homeschoolers or what he’s like as a person. We check his videos out of the library, the kids love them for our “Friday Movie Lunchâ€. Works for me. 

[KarenC]

IME the kids from "Jesus Camp" style religious homes are easily distinguishable from other kids. They are the ones constantly asking my kid about going to church, his belief in god, etc. and telling him he's going to hell when they don't like his answers. And yes, he tries to change the subject.

No kidding.  We get that too.

[mamajudy]

I find it rather interesting that, in spite of his desire to make Christians look ignorant and narrow-minded, this "open-minded", secular "scientist" has shown everyone how ignorant he is. Who knows? Maybe if this guy would crack open a Bible and actually read it with an open mind, he might begin to agree with Ken Ham! 

[Truscifi]

I am so glad we have never had to deal with kids like that. We know some very religious families, but they don't push their beliefs on anyone else. I'm sure my ds would find it very intrusive if other kids started quizzing him about whether or not he went to church or if he believed in God. (I am also quite sure he would immediately tell them it was none of their business.)

 

We actually know lots of other people who we found out were very religious as we got to know them and it came up naturally in the course of conversation. We're even friends with some of them. :laugh:

 

That particular subgroup though generally has a very aggressive, insistent, and yes, intrusive way of sharing. Ds10 finally got to the point of just walking away whenever they bring it up.

[HRAAB]

I find it rather interesting that, in spite of his desire to make Christians look ignorant and narrow-minded, this "open-minded", secular "scientist" has shown everyone how ignorant he is. Who knows? Maybe if this guy would crack open a Bible and actually read it with an open mind, he might begin to agree with Ken Ham!

 

I don't know that his intention was to make Christians look ignorant and narrow minded especially since most Christians aren't YECs and have never heard of Ken Ham.  Anyway, no one can make another person look ignorant.  Maybe he's read the Bible, maybe he hasn't.  That had nothing to do with the debate since it was about the science of evolution.  I've read and studied the Bible with an open mind, and the only thing it accomplished was convincing me it shouldn't be taken literally and is definitely not a science book.

 

eta: I also wanted to add that many, many people are ignorant about homeschooling. I've met Christians that are pretty ignorant about homeschooling. I think being scientifically literate is more important than being well versed in all the different homeschooling philosophies.

[Χά�ων]

I am so glad we have never had to deal with kids like that. We know some very religious families, but they don't push their beliefs on anyone else. I'm sure my ds would find it very intrusive if other kids started quizzing him about whether or not he went to church or if he believed in God. (I am also quite sure he would immediately tell them it was none of their business.)

Lucky. DS had to deal with his first attempted conversion at age 6 and still has to deal with it.

[Belacqua]

Until I started coming to this board I had no idea that Bill Nye was taken seriously as an educator or scientist.  I only knew of him because he was an actor on a local comedy show in Seattle in the 80's, and "Bill Nye the Science Guy" was just one of the sketches where he would blow something up or do some other type of visually exciting demonstration.    :laugh:

 

Heh. Another one of his characters was Speed Walker...I wonder if anybody is hitting him up to design an exercise program?

 

Now I’d buy those! :)

 

I love Bill Nye as a cool funny guy on science videos that make my kids laugh and learn a little. And as an evangelical Christian who believes in evolution I always feel like either a total weirdo in these discussions or someone who could infiltrate either side. But I don’t really care that much what Bill Nye thinks about homeschoolers or what he’s like as a person. We check his videos out of the library, the kids love them for our “Friday Movie Lunchâ€. Works for me. 

 

Definitely the latter. You're not a weirdo...you're a homeschool ninja! 

[ChocolateReignRemix]

I find it rather interesting that, in spite of his desire to make Christians look ignorant and narrow-minded, this "open-minded", secular "scientist" has shown everyone how ignorant he is. Who knows? Maybe if this guy would crack open a Bible and actually read it with an open mind, he might begin to agree with Ken Ham! 

 

He still managed to make Ken Ham look like a buffoon.  Although I guess to be fair doing so isn't that terribly difficult.

[Χά�ων]

I find it rather interesting that, in spite of his desire to make Christians look ignorant and narrow-minded, this "open-minded", secular "scientist" has shown everyone how ignorant he is. Who knows? Maybe if this guy would crack open a Bible and actually read it with an open mind, he might begin to agree with Ken Ham!

You jest, right?

[Audrey]

The first time I mentioned homeschooling to my very progressive flaming liberal (gee he might be a communist) husband he said, "Isn't that something religious ******* do?"

 

And here we are over 7 years into homeschooling.

 

 

My dh had the same reaction as yours. I would even bet he used the same expletive-asterisked. :laugh:

[swimmermom3]

Listing people like Newton and Pascal on lists of famous homeschoolers is a habit that I find extremely annoying. Everyone in their days who had an education started that education at home working with a tutor or a parent. It's ok to point out that homeschooling is a return in some ways to a traditional education method but it's just messed up to lump people who were essentially tutored at home before the advent of grade schools with modern day home schoolers. IMHO. Just saying, as a big supporter of homeschooling and a homeschool parent of 4 years myself. It's disingenuous.

 

I am not sure I understand some of the unpleasantness around Mtn. Teaching's post?  There was a need to attack because not only was Albert Einstein or Pierre Curie listed, but Reid Barton, who is all of 30, was listed as well? I could be wrong but I think there were public schools around when Samuel Ting and Ruth Lawrence were born.

 

So you are irritated? Okay, fine, but the poster is "just messed up?" "Disingenuous?"

 

I have read many of your posts with interest and enjoyment. This was not one of them.

[Luanne]

You're not implying that his public-school socialization left him with poor social skills as well as poor public speaking skills are, you?  :glare:

 

I don't know how you even got that out of what she said.  Maybe you should just take what people say as is and stop trying to read stuff into it. 

[Luanne]

I'm always surprised that very introverted parents seem to end up with all these extra extroverted kids.  DH and I are both introverts and our kids are the same.  I can barely get them to sign up for stuff.  They don't have issues socially.  Meaning they can talk to people, hold their own, etc., but no they don't have some intense need to constantly be around others. Thank goodness!  LOL  I admit I might need to resort to school if I had a very extroverted child. I wouldn't know what to do with him otherwise.

 

My daughter is a perfect example of heredity being stronger than environment.  Her father is an extrovert and I am a major introvert.  He left when she was 2 and she has only seen him a hand-full of times since (she is now 25).  She is very much an extrovert.  It made my raising her somewhat of a challenge.

[Elfknitter.#]

I don't know how you even got that out of what she said. Maybe you should just take what people say as is and stop trying to read stuff into it.

It's called sarcasm.

[creekland]

Bill Nye's comment was annoying, but yes, his viewpoint is common and NOT always related to religion.  Middle son's Bio prof at college interviewed him for a TA position and all was going well UNTIL he asked where he went to high school.  Then he was told he was "lucky" he was raised on a farm or he wouldn't know science at all and essentially dismissed... :glare:  The prof enjoyed him as a student prior to that interview (before class discussions, etc) - but it only lasted as long as my guy stayed in the closet (about homeschooling).

 

The lad has a 4.0 in all of his science classes so far (Bio, Chem, Orgo I, Genetics, & two science Brain and Cognitive classes and Microbio from cc in his high school years).   His only non-A has come in his Writing Class where he got an A-.

 

He also is part of a dance troupe (admin position + dancer), chess club, Christian club, ASL club (admin position), was selected to officially work with freshmen this year (he's a sophomore), has been invited to become an RA next year (quite possible he will), works in a (science) research lab with a prof and grad students, was invited to apply to overseas research positions for the summer (no guarantee he will get one, but few are invited to apply), and volunteers in their med school hospital.

 

Bill Nye and this Bio Prof can believe what they like (seriously, they can - it annoys me, but I certainly don't dwell on it).  I'm PRETTY SURE homeschooling didn't hurt my guy academically or socially.

 

And I also feel certain he'd have had a tougher road to climb at his Top 30 college if he had stayed in ps due to the poor academic foundation locally.  His best friend - they were pretty identical academic talent-wise - didn't have the stats to get into such a school.  He had a great GPA, but not the foundation to do well on the standardized tests (SAT/ACT and no AP).  Living on a farm counts for a ton, you know!  :lol:

 

In my guy's case, I'm just hopeful he put a crack in the ice - but I wouldn't bet on it.  Fortunately, he hasn't encountered ANYONE else there who feels that way about him and his homeschooling (no idea what they feel about homeschooling in general).  When I thanked the Dean of Admissions for considering him as a homeschooler back when he got accepted I was told they LOVE homeschoolers - as long as the homeschooler can prove they are likely to do well in both the academic and social setting of a residential 4 year school.  My guy had no problems with that.

 

Still, it can be best to prepare our kids for the ugliness of discrimination that can still reside out there in even educated places.  It's not likely to go away.

 

Oh, and don't be turned off from my guy's school due to that prof.  Right now he's off due to medical issues (serious ones).  I don't know if he'll even be back.  In general, my guy LOVES the school.  He even loved that Bio class...

 

 

[stripe]

Listing people like Newton and Pascal on lists of famous homeschoolers is a habit that I find extremely annoying. Everyone in their days who had an education started that education at home working with a tutor or a parent. It's ok to point out that homeschooling is a return in some ways to a traditional education method but it's just messed up to lump people who were essentially tutored at home before the advent of grade schools with modern day home schoolers. IMHO. Just saying, as a big supporter of homeschooling and a homeschool parent of 4 years myself. It's disingenuous.

I cringe at that, too. I'm willing to go for Margaret Atwood, who trudged around with her scientist father, but George Washington Carver? That's ridiculous. He received very minimal instruction at home, was not welcome at the local school, and DID run away to a nearby town to attend school that would enroll black students. 

 

I am not criticizing anyone on here who's posted a list; it's more that these lists have been created somewhere and, in our enthusiasm to say we're part of the mainstream or American history, we are suggesting something that isn't really the case. I would prefer to separate out home tutoring from homeschooling because having a teacher come to your house (or live in) to teach basic subjects way back when is really not the same as how most parents are running their homeschools in the modern era.

[Donna A.]

Did you know that Rick Warren performed the ceremony for his one and only marriage of 7 weeks?

 

I was surprised!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Nye

 

Surprised about what?  The fact that someone actually married Bill Nye, the fact that he was only married for 7 weeks, the fact that he made it 7 weeks, or the fact that Rick Warren performed the ceremony?  :001_rolleyes:  

[Tangerine]

His marriage was "invalid" but they never really addressed why.  His not-wife seems to have done some weird things.

[LucyStoner]

His marriage was "invalid" but they never really addressed why.  His not-wife seems to have done some weird things.

 

Yeah, I think he had to get a restraining order.  That's intense. 

[stripe]

His marriage was "invalid" but they never really addressed why.  His not-wife seems to have done some weird things.

And he doesn't appear to know her birth date. Sounds weird all the way around. Neither will reveal why their license was invalid.

[Catwoman]

Bill Nye's comment was annoying, but yes, his viewpoint is common and NOT always related to religion.  Middle son's Bio prof at college interviewed him for a TA position and all was going well UNTIL he asked where he went to high school.  Then he was told he was "lucky" he was raised on a farm or he wouldn't know science at all and essentially dismissed... :glare:  The prof enjoyed him as a student prior to that interview (before class discussions, etc) - but it only lasted as long as my guy stayed in the closet (about homeschooling).

 

The lad has a 4.0 in all of his science classes so far (Bio, Chem, Orgo I, Genetics, & two science Brain and Cognitive classes and Microbio from cc in his high school years).   His only non-A has come in his Writing Class where he got an A-.

 

He also is part of a dance troupe (admin position + dancer), chess club, Christian club, ASL club (admin position), was selected to officially work with freshmen this year (he's a sophomore), has been invited to become an RA next year (quite possible he will), works in a (science) research lab with a prof and grad students, was invited to apply to overseas research positions for the summer (no guarantee he will get one, but few are invited to apply), and volunteers in their med school hospital.

 

Bill Nye and this Bio Prof can believe what they like (seriously, they can - it annoys me, but I certainly don't dwell on it).  I'm PRETTY SURE homeschooling didn't hurt my guy academically or socially.

 

And I also feel certain he'd have had a tougher road to climb at his Top 30 college if he had stayed in ps due to the poor academic foundation locally.  His best friend - they were pretty identical academic talent-wise - didn't have the stats to get into such a school.  He had a great GPA, but not the foundation to do well on the standardized tests (SAT/ACT and no AP).  Living on a farm counts for a ton, you know!  :lol:

 

In my guy's case, I'm just hopeful he put a crack in the ice - but I wouldn't bet on it.  Fortunately, he hasn't encountered ANYONE else there who feels that way about him and his homeschooling (no idea what they feel about homeschooling in general).  When I thanked the Dean of Admissions for considering him as a homeschooler back when he got accepted I was told they LOVE homeschoolers - as long as the homeschooler can prove they are likely to do well in both the academic and social setting of a residential 4 year school.  My guy had no problems with that.

 

Still, it can be best to prepare our kids for the ugliness of discrimination that can still reside out there in even educated places.  It's not likely to go away.

 

Oh, and don't be turned off from my guy's school due to that prof.  Right now he's off due to medical issues (serious ones).  I don't know if he'll even be back.  In general, my guy LOVES the school.  He even loved that Bio class...

I blame the farm for everything. :D

 

(BTW, reading about your son was positively inspirational to me. He sounds like an incredible young man!!! :hurray:)

[Catwoman]

His marriage was "invalid" but they never really addressed why. His not-wife seems to have done some weird things.

Yeah, not the least of which was the fact that she married Bill Nye. ;)

[albeto.]

I am not sure I understand some of the unpleasantness around Mtn. Teaching's post?  There was a need to attack because not only was Albert Einstein or Pierre Curie listed, but Reid Barton, who is all of 30, was listed as well? I could be wrong but I think there were public schools around when Samuel Ting and Ruth Lawrence were born.

 

So you are irritated? Okay, fine, but the poster is "just messed up?" "Disingenuous?"

 

I have read many of your posts with interest and enjoyment. This was not one of them.

 

I see lists like this with regard to Asperger's. Suddenly every clever historical figure and entertainment character now has Asperger's. It's distracting from what Asperger's really is, what it really looks like, how it really affects people. It is disingenuous. I read the comment about the homeschool list to be a similar critique. It's not an attack, and irritation doesn't have to be a motivation to point out the inaccuracies of a claim made in public. Various people on that list offered are, arguably, poor examples of the effects of home education in the same way identifying Alex Keaton, played by Michael J Fox on the show "Family Ties" as having Asperger's is a poor example. Suggesting that to challenge a public claim is an "attack" or motivated by irritability is to trivialize the process of logical discourse. 

[twoxcell]

 

Yeah, not the least of which was the fact that she married Bill Nye. ;)

Ok, I will admit it this made me laugh...... :lol:

[creekland]

I blame the farm for everything. :D

 

(BTW, reading about your son was positively inspirational to me. He sounds like an incredible young man!!! :hurray:)

 

I'm just thankful we opted to move to our farm when the lad was 3.  If we had made a mistake there, he NEVER would have been able to be good at science due to our homeschooling... Who knew?  :svengo:  Who knew that anyone as educated as a college prof would believe such a thing???  And after the student in question earned an A in his class??? 

 

But stereotypes and pure misinformation are out there and not likely to go away overnight.

 

Middle son is an incredible young man who would have done well with anyone lucky enough to parent him.  We feel fortunate to have been in that spot.  (My other two are great young men too, but definitely more typical in personalities and things - they inherited more of my genes... :ohmy: )

 

The future spouse of middle son will also like that he's naturally neat!  I apologize to the spouse/future spouse of my other two.  Honestly, I tried...  Good luck!

 

But middle son has med school on his mind, so any future spouse will need to be able to put up with long hours... Oldest is great with finances and could easily end up with the most $$... Youngest will likely live on the water in the tropics (good for a spouse wanting this).

 

There are always pros and cons.  But I digress... or not... do any of mine fit the stereotypical homeschooling mold?  I doubt it.

 

[flyingiguana]

The other side of the Bill Nye's break up is on Blair Tindall's wikipedia page:

"Nye left the relationship seven weeks later when the marriage license was declared invalid. He filed a restraining order against Tindall after she entered their property to pour weed killer in his garden. Tindall admitted to emptying two bottles of weed killer in the garden and called the incident "a foolish, sophomoric act of poor judgment that was only intended to harm flowers, and certainly not people." She stated that she went to Nye's garden after watching an episode of Living With Ed in which "Bill commented that life would be perfect ... if only he had a woman with whom to share the house — a house I'd found, fixed up, and assumed I'd enjoy married life and motherhood as 'Mrs. Nye' within."^[15][16] Nye was granted a court order which required her to stay 100 yards away from him. Tindall violated the order in 2009 and Nye took her back to court to enforce it. The court ordered her to cover $57,000 in Nye's legal expenses"

 

If that's true, I can understand her reasoning.

 

If not, it adds a whole new dimension to wikipedia -- using it to justify one's criminal behavior.

[quelle.que.soit]

I'd say the response is commensurate with the question.

 

Bill Nye is a celebrity, not a scientist.  He plays one on TV.  He's a mechanical engineer who worked at Boeing.  He has no education credentials, and his experience consists of allegedly contributing to the writing of 1/5 of his television episodes and reading his lines.

It just goes to show the value placed on celebrity in some cultures.

 

Next thing you know somebody will be asking Jennifer Anniston to develop an Anatomy course because she has the contract for Aveeno skincare, so she must know about the human body and she played a receptionist for a doctor in some movie..

[Donna A.]

Yeah, not the least of which was the fact that she married Bill Nye. ;)

 

And some of us never did watch his show because we thought HE was weird.  Are we SURE he wasn't homeschooled? :lol: