When I encounter an idea in education, it seems that I will eventually approach it from each of three angles below. Here's a sample idea that weighs on my thoughts:
"Teaching kids to ask questions and think about problems before
receiving the solution encourages more non-linear, divergent and
creative thinking, to produce better innovators, problem-solvers, and
problem-finders."
The educational value of creative disobedience
1. They are failing to do this in schools, and I find this lack so offensive that I would be unhappy sending my child to school.
2. How will I succeed on this point when arranging for my daughter's education?
3. How could we change our institutions so that this great idea is implemented for more children?
Friday, December 28, 2012
Being the Change I Want to See
My toddler and husband are out of town for the weekend, and I am beached on the couch with a cold. Thus the numerous blog posts. Good to know that when separated from my child, I immediately go to work studying how to best educate said child.
When I started blogging I set up two blogs: one for homeschooling Ladybug, and one for me to use to reflect on education policy. I spend much more time on this homeschooling blog and haven't posted on the policy one since the summer. I'm obviously more comfortable posting here, taking on that easy, conversational style while I reflect. What I am noticing today with all my free time is that if I let some of the theory and policy questions make their way to this blog, it is a better reflection of my thought process. And probably a much more interesting blog.
For a long time I have felt split down the middle, like I am two selves. There's homeschooling Rachel, who unschooled herself as a teen and hopes to let her own children do most of their learning outside of a school. Then there's social justice Rachel, who is outraged by so much in the public schools, from disparities for rich and poor to outright discouragement of creativity. Social justice Rachel knows that homeschooling isn't the answer for everyone, and she has hopes for a better public system. Feeling so split, of course I would create two blogs for the two selves.
To be honest, I am somewhat afraid of a career in education policy. It's a hot topic right now; I'm not the only person wringing her hands about what to do with our public schools. Maybe the cause doesn't need me too. There are a lot of interests involved and not much agreement on the right course. I think a person could easily throw their life's work into the problem and come up empty, with a sense that none of the work had made meaningful change.
Contrast that picture with the idea of homeschooling my own family. Here's great opportunity for success! I am reasonably confident that I could provide my children with an education that encourages creative inquiry and protects a love of learning. I could provide my children with the education I would want for all children. As I type that I see how self-centered it is. As a child, freedom was explained to me as being allowed to have a white picket fence on your property while accepting that you can't make the neighbors all build white picket fences. There's a reason that it's harder to change society: many people don't want your change and have the right to reject it. For me, homeschooling is in part about being the change I want to see.
When I started blogging I set up two blogs: one for homeschooling Ladybug, and one for me to use to reflect on education policy. I spend much more time on this homeschooling blog and haven't posted on the policy one since the summer. I'm obviously more comfortable posting here, taking on that easy, conversational style while I reflect. What I am noticing today with all my free time is that if I let some of the theory and policy questions make their way to this blog, it is a better reflection of my thought process. And probably a much more interesting blog.
For a long time I have felt split down the middle, like I am two selves. There's homeschooling Rachel, who unschooled herself as a teen and hopes to let her own children do most of their learning outside of a school. Then there's social justice Rachel, who is outraged by so much in the public schools, from disparities for rich and poor to outright discouragement of creativity. Social justice Rachel knows that homeschooling isn't the answer for everyone, and she has hopes for a better public system. Feeling so split, of course I would create two blogs for the two selves.
To be honest, I am somewhat afraid of a career in education policy. It's a hot topic right now; I'm not the only person wringing her hands about what to do with our public schools. Maybe the cause doesn't need me too. There are a lot of interests involved and not much agreement on the right course. I think a person could easily throw their life's work into the problem and come up empty, with a sense that none of the work had made meaningful change.
Contrast that picture with the idea of homeschooling my own family. Here's great opportunity for success! I am reasonably confident that I could provide my children with an education that encourages creative inquiry and protects a love of learning. I could provide my children with the education I would want for all children. As I type that I see how self-centered it is. As a child, freedom was explained to me as being allowed to have a white picket fence on your property while accepting that you can't make the neighbors all build white picket fences. There's a reason that it's harder to change society: many people don't want your change and have the right to reject it. For me, homeschooling is in part about being the change I want to see.
TED Talk - Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?
I wanted to post this video that a friend shared with me. It is laugh out loud funny, poignant and well-stated. My favorite quotes from this talk:
"[Education is] one of those things that goes deep with people...like religion and money..."
"We have a huge vested interest in education. Partly because it's education that's meant to take us into this future that we can't grasp."
"Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status."
"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."
"The whole [public education] system was invented...to meet the needs of industrialism."
Sir Ken Robinson makes an extremely compelling case for educating the whole child and nurturing the needs of all different learning styles. I am saving this to watch again and again when I think my children aren't learning in the ways they "should." I hope it will remind me to look for who they are instead of who I want them to be.
How to Talk about What I Don't Like
I've been thinking to myself that I want to start blogging about all the ideas I have to educate my family differently from a standard public school. If I'm going to take on the task, I should at least write out my ideas so I can better reflect on them. I want to be clear with myself (and anyone interested in reading along) what my goals are, and why I would make such an unorthodox choice as to homeschool my kids.
My hesitation here is that this involves some criticism of school. Not everyone homeschools because of a dissatisfaction with public or private schools. For many families it's simply a way of life that works well, without reference to a school. I do believe our family will grow into that way of life, but I also have some negative things to say about what goes on in many schools. This is a very political topic and always has been. Socrates was found guilty of corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens. We get testy when it comes to teaching our children.
I cannot speak about every school in the country, first because I don't have the experience, but second because they are so varied that it's useless to try to talk about them as if they were one institution. Additionally, the last time I attended a public school was in 1998. A few things have changed. The changes I know about, such as increased standardized testing, do not impress me. My point is that there are many things I just don't know. But I still need a way to talk about my philosophy and my concerns.
I have friends and relatives who work hard in public schools. I know so many good teachers, and I respect their experience and the work that they do. I had good teachers in school, people who left such a strong impression on me that I think back to them decades later. But I also know teachers who I privately think aren't that bright and I wouldn't want teaching my kids. I sat in a restaurant next to two student teachers whining about how much math they had to learn (10th grade level) to teach elementary kids. It was all I could do to restrain myself. What kind of model of learning are those people providing? What kid deserves the sentence of learning math from a teacher who sees little value in the subject?
If my only concern were the occasional lame teacher, I would probably send my children to school. I think most teachers are probably great; I certainly learned from many great people. But I firmly believe that they are good people working in a bad system. My biggest concern for my kids' education is the preservation of a love of learning for its own sake. Grades, busywork, teaching to the middle, teaching to the test, cutting P.E. then punishing kids for wiggling...what else can we come up with to make learning a more godawful experience?
Then there's "good schools." These are the ones in the nice neighborhoods with the good funding from hefty real estate taxes. People buy homes in these neighborhoods so their kids can attend the "good schools." This must be a happy experience for enough families because the schools gain that "good" reputation. However, I still object to the emphasis placed on letter grades, overscheduling of extracurriculars, standardized testing, and general sense that you must get into Harvard to have a meaningful life.
There probably are schools that would not offend my idea of an education that is exciting and respectful to the student. However, I believe they cost a lot of money that, at this point, I would rather save for my daughter's college tuition.
We may all find that she does well in a school setting when she is a little older. Some very religious homeschoolers are comfortable sending their children to high school, because by then the students' value systems are in place. My thoughts are very similar, but the values I want to protect are a joy in learning and inquiry. I want to promote doing your best work regardless of a letter assigned to it. I believe young children shouldn't have to swim upstream for a healthy education. So I'm starting at home.
My hesitation here is that this involves some criticism of school. Not everyone homeschools because of a dissatisfaction with public or private schools. For many families it's simply a way of life that works well, without reference to a school. I do believe our family will grow into that way of life, but I also have some negative things to say about what goes on in many schools. This is a very political topic and always has been. Socrates was found guilty of corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens. We get testy when it comes to teaching our children.
I cannot speak about every school in the country, first because I don't have the experience, but second because they are so varied that it's useless to try to talk about them as if they were one institution. Additionally, the last time I attended a public school was in 1998. A few things have changed. The changes I know about, such as increased standardized testing, do not impress me. My point is that there are many things I just don't know. But I still need a way to talk about my philosophy and my concerns.
I have friends and relatives who work hard in public schools. I know so many good teachers, and I respect their experience and the work that they do. I had good teachers in school, people who left such a strong impression on me that I think back to them decades later. But I also know teachers who I privately think aren't that bright and I wouldn't want teaching my kids. I sat in a restaurant next to two student teachers whining about how much math they had to learn (10th grade level) to teach elementary kids. It was all I could do to restrain myself. What kind of model of learning are those people providing? What kid deserves the sentence of learning math from a teacher who sees little value in the subject?
If my only concern were the occasional lame teacher, I would probably send my children to school. I think most teachers are probably great; I certainly learned from many great people. But I firmly believe that they are good people working in a bad system. My biggest concern for my kids' education is the preservation of a love of learning for its own sake. Grades, busywork, teaching to the middle, teaching to the test, cutting P.E. then punishing kids for wiggling...what else can we come up with to make learning a more godawful experience?
Then there's "good schools." These are the ones in the nice neighborhoods with the good funding from hefty real estate taxes. People buy homes in these neighborhoods so their kids can attend the "good schools." This must be a happy experience for enough families because the schools gain that "good" reputation. However, I still object to the emphasis placed on letter grades, overscheduling of extracurriculars, standardized testing, and general sense that you must get into Harvard to have a meaningful life.
There probably are schools that would not offend my idea of an education that is exciting and respectful to the student. However, I believe they cost a lot of money that, at this point, I would rather save for my daughter's college tuition.
We may all find that she does well in a school setting when she is a little older. Some very religious homeschoolers are comfortable sending their children to high school, because by then the students' value systems are in place. My thoughts are very similar, but the values I want to protect are a joy in learning and inquiry. I want to promote doing your best work regardless of a letter assigned to it. I believe young children shouldn't have to swim upstream for a healthy education. So I'm starting at home.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
2 Year Checkup: Thoughts on Preschool
I've been meaning to write about this for a few weeks now. We had Bug's two year checkup with the new pediatrician this month, and I think it went pretty well. The whole practice seems really gentle and kid-friendly. For example, when Ladybug began to freak out about having her head measured, the nurse patiently blew soap bubbles until she calmed down.
The doctor and I talked about good nutrition, made sure Ladybug was up to date on her vaccinations, and had a brief chat about toddlers watching TV. Doc was very non-judgmental. Then she asked if I had plans for preschool when Bug turns 3. Is this a standard pediatric interview question now? When did preschool for 3 year olds become quasi-mandatory? So I answered, "Well, yes and no." I first mentioned that there's a farm-based preschool that looks delightful, and I am considering it. Doc smiled warmly. I went on to explain that I was homeschooled and that our family is planning to homeschool. Doc took that in stride and replied that if we didn't do preschool we should make sure to get her around other children her age. Emphasis is Doc's, not mine. Doc looked appeased when I mentioned weekly Homeschool Playgroup.
So here we are, at the socialization issue already. I suppose if homeschoolers never let their children out of the house or did any group activities, there could be a problem. In our city, there is an overabundance of social activities for homeschooled kids. But what really struck me was the emphasis that these children Ladybug is to play with should be her age. Is there actually any research or evidence to support that recommendation? I realize that our public schools divide children by age. Does that mean same age groups are automatically a necessary requirement for a three year old's healthy development?
My quick google search turns up this article about the importance of friendship for children: http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/do_kids_need_friends
I didn't catch anything there about the friends needing to be the same age. Generally I hear homeschooling parents who are pleased with the wide age range of children who play together. I watch my daughter learning from older children at playgroup and church. I'm sure older children benefit from having younger ones around as it gives them the chance to be role models and teachers.
I'm lacking a neat way to tie up this post. Some of this is moot since Ladybug has close friends her age. I'm just resisting any suggestion, even a mild one, that I need to recreate a preschool setting in the ordinary course of our lives.
The doctor and I talked about good nutrition, made sure Ladybug was up to date on her vaccinations, and had a brief chat about toddlers watching TV. Doc was very non-judgmental. Then she asked if I had plans for preschool when Bug turns 3. Is this a standard pediatric interview question now? When did preschool for 3 year olds become quasi-mandatory? So I answered, "Well, yes and no." I first mentioned that there's a farm-based preschool that looks delightful, and I am considering it. Doc smiled warmly. I went on to explain that I was homeschooled and that our family is planning to homeschool. Doc took that in stride and replied that if we didn't do preschool we should make sure to get her around other children her age. Emphasis is Doc's, not mine. Doc looked appeased when I mentioned weekly Homeschool Playgroup.
So here we are, at the socialization issue already. I suppose if homeschoolers never let their children out of the house or did any group activities, there could be a problem. In our city, there is an overabundance of social activities for homeschooled kids. But what really struck me was the emphasis that these children Ladybug is to play with should be her age. Is there actually any research or evidence to support that recommendation? I realize that our public schools divide children by age. Does that mean same age groups are automatically a necessary requirement for a three year old's healthy development?
My quick google search turns up this article about the importance of friendship for children: http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/do_kids_need_friends
I didn't catch anything there about the friends needing to be the same age. Generally I hear homeschooling parents who are pleased with the wide age range of children who play together. I watch my daughter learning from older children at playgroup and church. I'm sure older children benefit from having younger ones around as it gives them the chance to be role models and teachers.
I'm lacking a neat way to tie up this post. Some of this is moot since Ladybug has close friends her age. I'm just resisting any suggestion, even a mild one, that I need to recreate a preschool setting in the ordinary course of our lives.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Gingerbread Pictures
It was a busy day, with me going to church twice (in the morning for the Christmas pageant and in the evening for the Solstice service). I didn't prebake any gingerbread as planned, but I did manage to roll and cut out cookie shapes together with Bug. She liked pressing the cookie cutter and patting out the dough.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Gingerbread
Phew! I had a full day of last-minute shopping followed by baking. The gingerbread dough is rolled and chilling in the fridge. My idea was to have Ladybug help with mixing ingredients ("Would really like to dumpit!") like we did with a pumpkin bread a couple weeks ago. But cookie making has the potential to be whole intricate, multi-day process. There's dough making, chilling, cutting, baking, cooling, decorating, drying....And I want to bring the completed cookies to church on Christmas Eve without a last minute crunch. So I wound up making and rolling the dough tonight after Bug had gone to bed. I really enjoy baking, so it was a little treat to work calmly and without interruption.
I used this recipe, because I love soft cookies: Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
One of my birthday presents to myself was a copy of Cookie Craft, which is all about decorating rolled cookies. I tried tonight to use what I've learned, and I'm already loving rolling the cookies between sheets of parchment paper. Makes me wonder why I ever floured a counter top or rolling pin! Never again.
So my modified "gingerbread cookies with toddler" plan goes like this. I'll cut and bake most of the cookies tomorrow while she is napping*, leaving about one batch of dough raw. I'll also prep royal icing (which I've never done before) during naptime. Then when she wakes we can roll and cut the last bit of dough together and then begin decorating the already baked cookies. It will be like "the magic of TV" where the already cooked food is ready and waiting, ha ha.
All the library books I wanted for the holidays did arrive earlier this week. I am really pleased with Gingerbread Baby. It's energetic, full of animals, and has a really cute ending. You might even call it sweet. And of course, it's well illustrated. Our winter reading this year is so full of Jan Brett it's ridiculous.
Anyhow, Ladybug is all about making connections these days. She starts at least half of her sentences with the phrase "just like." After any loud noise, or even when she puts on her shirt and her head pops through, she says, "Just like Corduroy and the button goes POP!" So I am certain she will connect her book and her cookie decorating. I will try to remember to take pictures.
*When I say napping I mean that I will be praying she naps while she plays in her room, wide awake. At two, Miss Bug has already given up her nap and moved on to quiet time. Mom is still in denial on the subject.
I used this recipe, because I love soft cookies: Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
One of my birthday presents to myself was a copy of Cookie Craft, which is all about decorating rolled cookies. I tried tonight to use what I've learned, and I'm already loving rolling the cookies between sheets of parchment paper. Makes me wonder why I ever floured a counter top or rolling pin! Never again. So my modified "gingerbread cookies with toddler" plan goes like this. I'll cut and bake most of the cookies tomorrow while she is napping*, leaving about one batch of dough raw. I'll also prep royal icing (which I've never done before) during naptime. Then when she wakes we can roll and cut the last bit of dough together and then begin decorating the already baked cookies. It will be like "the magic of TV" where the already cooked food is ready and waiting, ha ha.
All the library books I wanted for the holidays did arrive earlier this week. I am really pleased with Gingerbread Baby. It's energetic, full of animals, and has a really cute ending. You might even call it sweet. And of course, it's well illustrated. Our winter reading this year is so full of Jan Brett it's ridiculous.Anyhow, Ladybug is all about making connections these days. She starts at least half of her sentences with the phrase "just like." After any loud noise, or even when she puts on her shirt and her head pops through, she says, "Just like Corduroy and the button goes POP!" So I am certain she will connect her book and her cookie decorating. I will try to remember to take pictures.
*When I say napping I mean that I will be praying she naps while she plays in her room, wide awake. At two, Miss Bug has already given up her nap and moved on to quiet time. Mom is still in denial on the subject.
Monday, December 17, 2012
More Imperfect for Winter
I have a ton of planning and activities going on that I realize are not getting recorded in this blog. I think it's time for me to get a little less "edity." I want to begin thinking of this blog as less a place for perfectly formed essays and more of a place for journaling my thoughts about what we're learning in this house.
Today it's nasty weather outside and we're inside doing a variety of games. God help me, I taught my two year old how to use a pair of scissors. I did this the day I was cutting snowflakes to decorate for her birthday party. Of course she's closely supervised, but they're just the big kitchen scissors, not safety scissors or anything. Now she begs for scissors, saying, "Would really like to cut!" So I sat with her for a bit while she chopped up some construction paper. I'm actually impressed with how quickly she's caught on. I'm filing this in the "fine motor skills" category instead of "irresponsible mother." ;)
Also for fine motor skills, I've set up a playdough space. That means I taped wax paper to the floor. Works great. This morning I ran across two cookie cutters, so Bug has been cutting dogs and horses out of the playdough. Later this week I hope to make gingerbread cookies together that we can bring to church on Christmas Eve. Last week she had a blast doing all the dumping and pouring for a loaf of pumpkin bread. I've requested Gingerbread Baby from the library; we'll see if it gets here before Christmas. I'm deciding to not be a perfectionist and make the cookies together whether the book arrives or not.
Two books have arrived from the library and we're enjoying them. The first is The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett. It's gorgeous illustrations and wintery fun. The storyline is Goldilocks and the Three Bears, polar bear style. Makes me glad I introduced the classic three bears story a while back. Also makes me wonder what other basic fairy tales Ladybug would like/needs to hear. It seems that there are so many variations and fun retellings of the standard fairy tales that the point of the originals is almost just to appreciate the new spin when you encounter it.
The second book we got from the library is Winnie the Pooh. I wanted to try out a longer read-aloud. Pooh has a lot of text for a two year old, but it's essentially a set of short stories. And with such gentle, whimsical content, I figured it was a good one to try out. Ladybug really likes it and clutches the book to her chest. I've noticed that for the first several stories there were plenty of pictures which kept her focus during the longer passages. We hit a wall this morning when I finally reached a page with no pictures. So we stopped mid-story and will try later. I figure this book is probably a big stretch for her, the way I might feel reading Crime and Punishment, so we'll go slow. But I never lovingly clutched Crime and Punishment, so I don't think I'm pushing too hard.
Also for fine motor skills, I've set up a playdough space. That means I taped wax paper to the floor. Works great. This morning I ran across two cookie cutters, so Bug has been cutting dogs and horses out of the playdough. Later this week I hope to make gingerbread cookies together that we can bring to church on Christmas Eve. Last week she had a blast doing all the dumping and pouring for a loaf of pumpkin bread. I've requested Gingerbread Baby from the library; we'll see if it gets here before Christmas. I'm deciding to not be a perfectionist and make the cookies together whether the book arrives or not.
Two books have arrived from the library and we're enjoying them. The first is The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett. It's gorgeous illustrations and wintery fun. The storyline is Goldilocks and the Three Bears, polar bear style. Makes me glad I introduced the classic three bears story a while back. Also makes me wonder what other basic fairy tales Ladybug would like/needs to hear. It seems that there are so many variations and fun retellings of the standard fairy tales that the point of the originals is almost just to appreciate the new spin when you encounter it.The second book we got from the library is Winnie the Pooh. I wanted to try out a longer read-aloud. Pooh has a lot of text for a two year old, but it's essentially a set of short stories. And with such gentle, whimsical content, I figured it was a good one to try out. Ladybug really likes it and clutches the book to her chest. I've noticed that for the first several stories there were plenty of pictures which kept her focus during the longer passages. We hit a wall this morning when I finally reached a page with no pictures. So we stopped mid-story and will try later. I figure this book is probably a big stretch for her, the way I might feel reading Crime and Punishment, so we'll go slow. But I never lovingly clutched Crime and Punishment, so I don't think I'm pushing too hard.
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