Note from a public school dad

And people wonder why we choose to homeschool.

He's in 11th grade. His course in American history -- or whatever name they disguise that by these days -- is coming to an end and the finale is a big project that will largely determine his grade for the quarter. In my high school, the college-tracked kids were taking electives by that time, and I remember writing two 20-page papers, on topics of the student's choice, approved by the teacher. One of mine was on the legal challenge to Reconstruction after the Civil War, the other was on the Congress of Vienna.

My son's comparable assignment: To write about the significance of the lyrics of "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel.

And it gets worse.

full story here

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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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