So – in a perfect little nutshell – here is my reason (right at this moment) for wanting to homeschool our kids: I want them to know who they are. I want to help them find their own path, and then I want to walk with them just a little bit of the way. And ultimately, of course, I want to set them free.
From Why Homeschooling? by Pam Dolan.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Identity and power in the homeschool “movement”
Drop by Principled Discovery to read Identity and power in the homeschool “movement”
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Dr Laura on Homeschooling
Research examining home-schooled students’ academic achievements have consistently found that they score higher than the national norms on standard achievement tests. So the only grenade left to throw at home-schooling parents is that they are hurting their children socially and emotionally. The few studies in these areas have generally found home-schooled children to have equal or better self-esteem than traditionally schooled students. Then the argument becomes one of how to truly know you are measuring self-esteem.
Short Sighted
I think the decision to ban homeschoolers from the Subway/Scholastic Writing Contest, was short sighted. In the event a homeschooler won the athletic equipment could have been donated to a community playground, recreational sports league or church of the homeschoolers choice.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Historian Wants People to Remember Memorial Day's Beginnings
It's a Southern thing.
A Purdue University historian says credit really belongs to thousands of Southern white women.
"If Confederate men would have organized memorials to honor their fallen soldiers in 1866, a year after the Civil War ended, it would have been considered treason against the United States," says Caroline Janney, an assistant professor of history. "Instead, women organized each event, and the men were figuratively hiding behind the skirts of these women. The memorial celebrations served as shields so that participants could simultaneously criticize the postwar government and praise their 'Lost Cause.' What many people don't realize is that these women, who are often portrayed as politically indifferent, were motivated by politics, too."
The women, through Ladies' Memorial Associations, organized dozens of memorials during the spring of 1866 and the years after. While Memorial Day is now a one-day celebration, historically these memorials were scheduled throughout the spring as a sign of renewal and rebirth, and each community chose its own symbolic date on which to gather. For example, some selected the May 10 anniversary of Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's death while others settled on April 26, the day Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his troops in 1865.
Read the rest here.
A Purdue University historian says credit really belongs to thousands of Southern white women.
"If Confederate men would have organized memorials to honor their fallen soldiers in 1866, a year after the Civil War ended, it would have been considered treason against the United States," says Caroline Janney, an assistant professor of history. "Instead, women organized each event, and the men were figuratively hiding behind the skirts of these women. The memorial celebrations served as shields so that participants could simultaneously criticize the postwar government and praise their 'Lost Cause.' What many people don't realize is that these women, who are often portrayed as politically indifferent, were motivated by politics, too."
The women, through Ladies' Memorial Associations, organized dozens of memorials during the spring of 1866 and the years after. While Memorial Day is now a one-day celebration, historically these memorials were scheduled throughout the spring as a sign of renewal and rebirth, and each community chose its own symbolic date on which to gather. For example, some selected the May 10 anniversary of Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's death while others settled on April 26, the day Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered his troops in 1865.
Read the rest here.
Carnival of Homeschooling
Teacher advocates violence
In today's Soundoff
Those little angels
• To all you angry bus drivers: After the kids get done with you in the morning they come to us, the teachers, and continue the abuse. I have never seen anything like it. I have been kicked in the leg, punched in the stomach, and do you know what the parents' response is? Someone must have provoked him/her to do that. Parents don't want to take responsibility for their children's actions. This new breed of "no discipline" parenting has got to go. Parents, get off your behinds and do your job. Stop being lazy. You need your tail torn up by someone for not tearing up your child's behind. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out. Unless you want to visit your child in jail, parents, you better do your job and stop thinking your child is a little angel.
Those little angels
• To all you angry bus drivers: After the kids get done with you in the morning they come to us, the teachers, and continue the abuse. I have never seen anything like it. I have been kicked in the leg, punched in the stomach, and do you know what the parents' response is? Someone must have provoked him/her to do that. Parents don't want to take responsibility for their children's actions. This new breed of "no discipline" parenting has got to go. Parents, get off your behinds and do your job. Stop being lazy. You need your tail torn up by someone for not tearing up your child's behind. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out. Unless you want to visit your child in jail, parents, you better do your job and stop thinking your child is a little angel.
Who needs real science when a myth will do
A remarkable new genetic study published last week has demonstrated that the closest living relative of the giant T. rex are birds — specifically, chickens and ostriches — rather than reptiles like alligators and lizards.
Friday's study also creates some problems for political activists who continue their assault on the teaching of Darwinian evolution in public schools. Actor and game show host Ben Stein was in Missouri this month to promote a new film that questions evolution.
Apparently expecting public schools to teach 'real science' and not theology as science is asking too much.
Once again this year, a bill has been introduced in the Legislature that would encourage students to question evolution. House Bill 2554, sponsored by Rep. Robert Wayne Cooper, R-Camdenton, claims to support academic freedom for teachers, and to help students "develop critical thinking skills." Those are the latest fig leaves used by creationists in their long war against science and evolution.
The war is being waged in legislatures and movie theaters because it cannot be waged in the pages of scientific journals. Adherents of so-called intelligent design criticize what they call gaps in the evolutionary record, but offer no scientific alternative to explain the evidence. Indeed, they have tried to redefine the very nature of science to accommodate their preferred conclusion.
If you want to give a creationist heartburn just ask them about Genesis Chapter 6, Verses 1-4 (King James)
If that doesn't stop them in their tracks you can always bring up the fact that there are numerous creation and flood myths. It seems reasonable that if we are going to teach one religions creation myth as science we should teach all the creation and flood myths as SCIENCE. After all who needs real SCIENCE when a myth will do.
Friday's study also creates some problems for political activists who continue their assault on the teaching of Darwinian evolution in public schools. Actor and game show host Ben Stein was in Missouri this month to promote a new film that questions evolution.
Apparently expecting public schools to teach 'real science' and not theology as science is asking too much.
Once again this year, a bill has been introduced in the Legislature that would encourage students to question evolution. House Bill 2554, sponsored by Rep. Robert Wayne Cooper, R-Camdenton, claims to support academic freedom for teachers, and to help students "develop critical thinking skills." Those are the latest fig leaves used by creationists in their long war against science and evolution.
The war is being waged in legislatures and movie theaters because it cannot be waged in the pages of scientific journals. Adherents of so-called intelligent design criticize what they call gaps in the evolutionary record, but offer no scientific alternative to explain the evidence. Indeed, they have tried to redefine the very nature of science to accommodate their preferred conclusion.
If you want to give a creationist heartburn just ask them about Genesis Chapter 6, Verses 1-4 (King James)
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them. That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.Since the creationist whole argument is based on the belief that we MUST take the biblical account of creation as TRUTH then why don't they insist that everything in the bible is TRUE. It's in the BIBLE that GOD had many sons and that they took human women for wives, therefore it must be true following the creationist logic. The fact that it sounds a bit like the Greek myths (Zeus was forever sleeping with some poor human girl that his wife Hera then 'punished' for catching her husbands eye.), is irrelevant it's in the Bible. And never mind that it contradicts the new testaments claim that Jesus is God's only begotten son, I am sure the creationist can find a way around it, no matter how illogical.
If that doesn't stop them in their tracks you can always bring up the fact that there are numerous creation and flood myths. It seems reasonable that if we are going to teach one religions creation myth as science we should teach all the creation and flood myths as SCIENCE. After all who needs real SCIENCE when a myth will do.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Tennessee Education Board Fails Research Test
Drop by REDSTATE to read Tennessee Education Board Fails Research Test.
Respect is a two way street
There is one group of people who seem to have seriously impaired social skills. They seem to think it is perfectly acceptable to belittle and demean people and then they are shocked that their RUDE comments are meet with hostility. If you have ever made any of the following statements consider that you may need to work on your social skills as they are sadly lacking.
- I think you are damaging your children because you send them to public/private/home school them
- I think all public/private/home schooled children are social misfits.
- I think parents who send their children to public/private/home school are elitist.
- I think parents are too stupid to teach their own kids, but they should help them with their homework.
- I know what's best for your kids, so just listen to me and do what I say (who made you God?).
New Blog Find ~ Derfwad Manor
Read Mrs. G's Homeschooling Part One at Derfwad Manor. Hat tip to Doc for pointing me to this excellent post.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Students Performed Better When Taught By An Inexperienced Teacher
the results were clear: students performed better when they had an inexperienced TFA teacher than when they had a veteran educator at the blackboard."
I guess all those annoying anti~homeschoolers will have to come up with a new argument since their belief that only those with an educational background are capable of teaching has just been blown to smithereens.
Teach for America recruits and selects high-achieving college graduates, many of whom have no prior experience or coursework in education, and places them in needy schools after short but intensive training.
HT: O'Donnell Web
I guess all those annoying anti~homeschoolers will have to come up with a new argument since their belief that only those with an educational background are capable of teaching has just been blown to smithereens.
Teach for America recruits and selects high-achieving college graduates, many of whom have no prior experience or coursework in education, and places them in needy schools after short but intensive training.
HT: O'Donnell Web
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)