Showing posts with label commentary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commentary. Show all posts

fundamental beliefs

In The Bias Against Homeschool Posted by Rachael Brownell (Redsy), the writer mentions that the bias against homeschooling relates ...
to a fundamental belief that children should be educated in a classroom, along with their peers, though clearly the days of the peaceful one-room schoolhouse, or effective public school are more or less long gone.

The phrase fundamental belief really caught my eye. I want to linger on it awhile.

The word fundamental in this case can be best defined as profound, or
being or involving basic facts or principles; "the fundamental laws of the universe"; "a fundamental incompatibility between them"; "these rudimentary truths"; "underlying principles"

So in other words the belief that children belong in a classroom instead of in the home is profound, ingrained, fundamental and rudimentary. This would mean that putting a child in the classroom is a natural and basic thing to do... that a child is as inclined to belong in a classroom is as natural as their urge to walk and talk.

But there's nothing natural about taking a child from a parent who can actually teach them and making learning difficult in a classroom situation full of distractions and frustrated teachers...is there?

To make things worse, if you look up the word fundamental belief, what you will find are references to fundamental religious beliefs.

Am I the only person sensing an oxymoron here?

So if it is a fundamental belief that children should be in classroom settings, shouldn't they also be exposed to fundamental beliefs?


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Homeschooling Mom Gets Mad, really mad

This video is in response to a tirade from someone who was offended by my homeschooling videos on youtube. People like this are the real problem with public schools.



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A hair-raising school suspension

My son hasn't cut his hair since before he started homeschooling over 5 years ago. It is quite long and depending on how it is styled, is all the way down his back. Most strangers mistake him for a girl, and he just corrects them. For a black child, his hair is just too long, and definitely an oddity, but he likes it that way.

So when I read this story about an Ohio school that suspended a Kindergartener over his Mohawk, I had to wonder how much grief my kid would get if he were in school.

I mean the school had given them 2 warnings that the hairstyle was unacceptable, but the mom continued to shave the sides of the kids head and spike the hair on top. Was she out of line... after all, this is a little boy? But she said he likes it that way.

I know my 13 year old bristles when we say 'haircut' but he does go out of his way to pull his braids neatly into a band when he goes to his classes or to church. He is also a big fan of newsboy hats which make him look quite stylish. He goes out of his way to not draw attention to his hair.

So I guess my question is, while I know the school went too far in this fight over a hairstyle, did the mom go to far as well?

I am undecided.

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Kill the Potty Mouth, Build the Vocabulary

Reading the Google News Alerts this morning, I came upon at a couple of blog posts or articles where parents complained about bad words and potty mouths for different reasons.

In one instance the child in public school was tempted by the potty mouths of others and found himself using a few choice words.

Another complainted about the potty mouths on sports teams. I can remember where I found the other... possibly a comment of agreement.

Anyway, dealing with potty mouths is a part of raising kids. Maybe I was lucky, but I have not had to deal with this in a big way.

Now I am not saying my kids have not dropped a bomb or let a word slip. What I am saying is that each time it happens it is a new word... they never repeat the previous word again. With each new explitive that I hear, I stop, find out where the word came from and in a matter-of-fact manner explain exactly what the word means and why it is not appropriate for civilized conversation. I think because I don't make a huge deal of it, that it does not become a problem in my home.

My kids do have friends, or rather have had friends with potty mouths. My son, especially asks the friend to refrain from cursing as it bothers him... if he in turn gets cursed out for making the request, he chooses not to hang out with that person. This is without my prompting. I just noticed a pattern of when I ask what happened to so-and-so, my son says, he curses too much.... end of conversation. I have actually had to ask my son to give his friends another chance.

I think our biggest problem with cursing in our home is curse word substitutes. I do find myself saying that word "shoot" is just a substitute for (insert unexceptible word), or 'when you say 'darn' do you really mean something else? To be perfectly truthful, my kids say the same thing to me.

Anyway, I guess my point is, cursing is a huge part of this world, I think we just need to inform our kids why we don't use them, morally and for reasons of intelligence. Sometimes we have to give ourselves the same reminders.

In short... this is what this word means, but I am sure you can look into your vocabulary and find a much more intelligent word to use. Use potty mouth moments as a chance to build the vocabulary.

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Did anyone do the math?

There is a movement called ED in "08" that is working to get presidential candidats to address education in American. A documentary they filmed is called 2 million minutes which they claim is how many minutes the average student spends in highschool in America, India, and China. The purpose of the movie is to show how much of ths time is sqandered by American students. Let's look at the numbers:

2,000,000 minutes
33,333 hours
833.33 hours per month (based on 10 month school year for 4 years)
193.79 hours per week (based on 4.3 weeks per month)
38.75 hours per day (based on 5 day work week)

...wait... there are only 24 hours in a day.

There is no way any child in any country spends that much time in school, even if you include homework and extracurricular time.

To get 2,000,000 minutes of education, a student would have to work
33,333.33 hours in the four years
8333.33 hours per year
694.44 hours EVERY MONTH with no break
161.49 hours every single week
meaning 23 hours every single day.

That leaves 1 hour per day to eat, sleep and socialize.

Perhaps the movie should be more realistically called 600,000 minutes which would equate to 10 hours per day with summer breaks and holidays.

Anyway, while the title and premise of the movie is mathematically flawed, you still get the picture they are trying to get across.



Perhaps the real problem is with unrealistic expectations? I don't believe it is possible for students to achieve EVERYTHING that is heaped on them in high school. It would be alot more realistic to let children choose their avenue of study in high school so that the ones more inclined to math and science actually have the time to concentrate on it. Maybe then American students will be able to compete with children in China and India

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The Bigger Picture Speaks Volumes

This is a photo of the entry into the US Department of Education building in Washington DC.

If you search the internet for photos of the building you will find that this is the only image on the official US Dept. of Education Websites.

While this entry facade was originally installed to protect employees and visitors during a dangerous construction period in 2002, the little school houses have been left up to promote the No Child Left Behind Program and to remind workers that they "serve the ideal of the little red schoolhouse." (quote)


Sounds nice, doesn't it?
This is what the building really looks like. Instead of the ideal of the little red schoolhouse, what I see is schools being crushed under the weight of a restrictive and overpowering bureaucracy.

Sometimes you just have to look at the big picture.

(the structures were supposed to be removed in 2007, but I cannot find any evidence that it has happened.)


This post was inpired by Michael Umphrey.

update: the pics were not taken by me, they are from wikimedia commons and available for free use.

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Does anyone find this peculiar?

Here's the quote:

"Yet after seven months and four letters, some students still have not had the shot and risk being barred from school, although the district has promised home schooling."

Here's the story the quote comes from.

I find it amusing that homeschooling is such a problem until it serves the school districts needs. Plus, it seems that they are using homeschooling as a threat. "Do what we say or homeschool your kids". Most amusing of all, is that is what spurred me to homeschool. I was told do what we say, or homeschool your daughter. I said "OK", and I did. I am still doing it almost 5 years later.


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This "blog" is getting on my last nerves

I get google alerts each morning on topics I am interested in reading about. Of course homesschooling is on my list of alerts. For the past few days, I have been getting posts by Articlespad and they have been doing a daily article on homeschooling. They are so annoying.

It is painfully obvious that these posts are not written by a homeschooler, but hired out by an article farm and some idiot (yes I said it) looks up homeschooling and writes some crap from their anti-homeschooling point of view.

Today's topic: What You Should Know About Home Schooling Socialization. Apparently, "After all, children cannot socialize whenever they are not around other children. Therefore, home school socialization is at a huge disadvantage." Ugh. Previous articles include Possible Home School disadvantages.

Previously,


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New York Schools Turning Away Homeschoolers

It looks like New York decided that it is not in their best interest to provide homeshoolers with special education services. I find this interesting because in the state of Georgia, where I currently reside, the public school solicit us like crazy to provide special education services. They want the homeschoolers back in the schools because even a part time student will allow the school to get big time money.

But New Yorkers are wily (as a Native New Yorker I can say that) and are quick to call on every free service they can get. But the poop hit the proverbial fan when parents in St. Lawrence County requested the schools provide physical therapy for their homeschool daughter. The child has club feet and numerous other problems. Therapy for this child was going to cost the school a pretty penny.

I am sure the school administrators envisioned wings on its subsidy dollars. After all, such physical therapy is far more costly than the speech therapy and reading help Georgia public school usually give.

Anyway, it has been mandated that public schools in NY will no longer offer homeschooled kids services, and like the story says, some people will be upset because they have to get resources for their kids on their own or put them back in school.

For homeschoolers across the country who would prefer that public schools don't get involved in homeschooling, it is no big deal.

related story: We need to choose between homeschool and public school

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LEAVE THE PRINCIPAL ALONE!

If you are going to mock homeschoolers, you might as well be funny or at least irreverent. If you are dying for a reason to roll your eyes or for a guilty chuckle read this post that suggests picking teams should be foremost on a homeschoolers mind, and the one that followed after us homeschoolers ran the Principal off to Canada!

ps. He mocks Canadians, truck stops, and several other groups as well. Good fun!

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I want a big honkin' Nativity

I very seldom put anything religios in my homeschooling blog because though I am conservative and Christian, I don't homeschool for that reason but...


I just get so sick of driving into my neighborhood and seeing Giant blow up Santa's and Snowmen and everything that has nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas. I wish someone would sell a nativity scene that stands nearly as tall as some of these Santa's. I saw one today that was over a story high!

ps... here's an awesome youtube video that gets me in the Christmas mood.



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Do Not Annoy the Homeschoolers

I didn't write this, but I wish I did. Visit the Islamic Homeschool Diary for this post that gives non homeschoolers clear instructions on what not to say to us.


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Homeschooling is timeless

One of the things I like the most about homeschooling is that you can go by your own timeline, within reason. If you are sleepy, then you sleep a little longer. If yu are hungry, you stop what you are doing and eat. If you want to do something fun, interesting, or creative, you can always finish your work later.

This video gives a good visual of that sentiment.




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Schwarzenegger Signed What? (Reasons I am glad we homeschool)

"Mom and Dad" as well as "husband and wife" effectively have been banned from California schools under a bill signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who with his signature also ordered public schools to allow boys to use girls restrooms and locker rooms, and vice versa, if they choose. ... Analysts have warned that schools across the nation will be impacted by the decision, since textbook publishers must cater to their largest purchaser, which often is California, and they will be unlikely to go to the expense of having a separate edition for other states.


I am seriously at a loss of words with this news story. It is quite lenghty... read it. And they say the family is not under attack!

UPDATE... This post may be the result of Christian Hysteria... read my next post.


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Read this post from the Informal Learning Blog

As a homeschooler, creating a culture of constant informal learning is a most coveted goal. This post What is informal learning, hits the nail on the head.

In particular, this excerpt:

Many a knowledge worker has said “I love to learn but I hate to be trained.” Training is something that’s imposed on you; learning is something you choose. Knowledge workers thrive when given the freedom to decide how they will do what’s asked of them.


This is exactly how my son feels about learning vs. being taught.


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Do Public School Parents stop parenting too soon?

I really don't mean to pick on the blogger. His blog is actually quite intelligent. Still in his post "Good Idea Backfires", he talks about how the schools have gotten the kids to eat healthy and one day when the kids could not find healthy snacks they neglected to get on the school bus. As I read this, I scratched my head because I didn't think kids old enough to get on the school bus on thier own were young enough to care about getting a ticket reward for having healthy snacks. I was right.

I got to the bottom of the post and read: "This is two 10 year olds and an 8 year old."

Ok, so my kids were 10 and 8 once. (now 11 and 13) They also once rode the school bus once,as they went to school until 1st and 3rd grade. Here's the question I have... how are an 8 and 10 year old mature enough to choose healthy snacks and get on the school bus without parental supervision. How was the parent surprised that the kids made very immature choices and opted to stay home instead of getting on the bus sans snacks? I can't tell you how many stupid things I did at that age, and my kids... oh boy (last week my daughter took a can of icing to her coop classes as part of her lunch because she didn't want her cupcake to get soggy.)

Yeah, I started walking the mile walk to school with my brother around age 10, but this is a different world we live in. (Maybe the parent is still remembering those days?) Between the immaturity of pre-teens (and his kids are barely that) and the danger of strangers, it appears to me that this parent was lulled into a sense of comfort by the "let the schools raise the child" society, that he stopped parenting kids who still need constant supervision.

But that's just how I think.

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We need to choose between homeschool and public school

I just read a story about homeschoolers in the Baldwin Union Free School District in New York who want to participate in public school programs. I understand how parents are seeing tons of free resources for their kids that the kids can't participate it. But I feel like if you are going to separate your kids from public schools, then you need to separate your kids from public schools.

In life, you seldom get to have your cake and eat it too.... to homeschool while demanding use of public schools activities is in my opinion damaging to homeschoolers who are fighting for true separation and also unfair to the public school children.

If we, as homeschoolers want sports groups, and bands, and ensembles, then we need to create our own. It can be done. In the Atlanta area where I live we have a major homeschool sports organization that provides football, baseball, cheerleading, and more. There are homeschool choirs and bands. There are traveling soccer teams and more. Instead of fighting for the free public school resources, parents can spend the time and effort organizing groups that will trump what the public schools have to offer.

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In defense of the homeschool blog

I read what must have been the longest blog post ever, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Timothy Power of Sometimes I am Actually Coherent laid some ground rules for commenting on his blog.

It seems his family members got under his skin, and into his blog and wreaked havoc in the comments section. I think this is why my family members don't know much about my blogs. If they did, where would I complain when they got on my nerves?!

Anyway, in setting his ground rules, he also manages to relay his respect for teachers and demands respect for his decision to blog his own kids.

I would have left a comment, but apparently he has had enough for now, and shut off comments for that post.

In the end, what his post relayed to me the most is that in homeschooling, no one is trying to take anything away from public schools, and in homeschooling blogging, no one is trying to shame public schools. We, the homeschool bloggers are here to share with other homeschoolers and support those who choose to do the same. Period.



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Why I won't be HSLDA's pansy

I just got a note from the HSLDA.ORG urging homeschoolers to barrage legislators with calls to stop the Federal Employment Non Discrimination Act. "ENDA would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of "actual or perceived sexual orientation." They do not want the non discrimination act passed because it means that businesses would have to hire people who were gay or lesbian or were perceived as gay or lesbian. Of course religious organizations are exempt from this law, but HSLDA says that a business would have to prove it was a religious organization. While a church or Christian school might be able to freely discriminate, a business based on religious foundations like Chik Filet, Hobby Lobby, or Wells Real-Estate Funds would have to hire people of all sexual orientations.

Now I am a Christian, and a homeschooler, yet I am offended by this email. First of all, I think it is presumptios of HSLDA or use this "legal service" to homeschoolers as an avenue to control legislation. Yes many homeschoolers are Conservative Christians, but homeschool has become very mainstream in the last decade which includes many gay and lesbian families homeschooling as well. Furthermore, as an African American, I have problems with emails that say "stop and anti discrimination law". They need to open their eyes and take a close look at demographics before sending out such an email.

As a Christian, I have to ask, WHO AM I, to decide that an infeminate man (gay or not) cannot have a job in an organization with Christian roots. WHO AM I to exclude a woman who may be mistaken for a man (lesbian or not) from employment.

Maybe I'm wrong, Maybe I'm crazy, but I won't be calling my legislature to help HSLDA discriminate against people who just want to work. Read it for yourself.

I am kinda glad I let my membership lapse.


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12 grade year of homeschooling, Finishing Strong

We are almost done with my college prep series. There will still be a video on completing the transcript.    Stay tuned... meanwhile, ...