PCS Edventures and Jason Project
Mara Winders
Hi all,
I introduced myself the other day and have been reading along. You all
certainly find interesting things to talk about!
I'm really curious to find out about PCS Edventures and the Jason
Project. Does anyone have anything (good or bad) to share about these
projects?
Mara
I introduced myself the other day and have been reading along. You all
certainly find interesting things to talk about!
I'm really curious to find out about PCS Edventures and the Jason
Project. Does anyone have anything (good or bad) to share about these
projects?
Mara
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/11/03 6:17:28 AM, mara@... writes:
<< I'm really curious to find out about PCS Edventures and the Jason
Project. Does anyone have anything (good or bad) to share about these
projects? >>
I don't even know what they are.
If they're educational materials, not many unschoolers use "educational
materials," and you might do better asking on a more structured homeschooling
list.
Sandra
<< I'm really curious to find out about PCS Edventures and the Jason
Project. Does anyone have anything (good or bad) to share about these
projects? >>
I don't even know what they are.
If they're educational materials, not many unschoolers use "educational
materials," and you might do better asking on a more structured homeschooling
list.
Sandra
Mara Winders
I found out about these at an unschooling conference - one person
mentioned that they might be good for my son's interests in science.
I've looked at the sites, but in order to see what Jason is really
about, you have to get involved and pay out the bucks, so I was hoping
to find someone who has done it. It's supposed to be a planned science
project led by a researcher (can't remember his name but the guy who
found the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean) where you do activities
where you can learn about the project he is doing for the year, and then
become involved in a sense through internet tv watching him carry out
his real life science.
PCS Edventures seems to be building projects, mostly from LEGOs, in
different areas - engineering, architecture, etc.
These both seem to be geared toward 'school supplements'. Things that
kids can do with school or aside from school that would actually be
interesting to them. But they both have put a hand into the homeschool
market. Anyway, I was hoping to get perspectives on them from
*unschoolers*, because if they are too schoolish, my kids won't do them
and that's pretty much what I was afraid of.
And I'm afraid I disagree. Unschoolers use educational material all the
time. Just not usually things that are marketed as such. :-)
Mara
SandraDodd@... wrote:
mentioned that they might be good for my son's interests in science.
I've looked at the sites, but in order to see what Jason is really
about, you have to get involved and pay out the bucks, so I was hoping
to find someone who has done it. It's supposed to be a planned science
project led by a researcher (can't remember his name but the guy who
found the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean) where you do activities
where you can learn about the project he is doing for the year, and then
become involved in a sense through internet tv watching him carry out
his real life science.
PCS Edventures seems to be building projects, mostly from LEGOs, in
different areas - engineering, architecture, etc.
These both seem to be geared toward 'school supplements'. Things that
kids can do with school or aside from school that would actually be
interesting to them. But they both have put a hand into the homeschool
market. Anyway, I was hoping to get perspectives on them from
*unschoolers*, because if they are too schoolish, my kids won't do them
and that's pretty much what I was afraid of.
And I'm afraid I disagree. Unschoolers use educational material all the
time. Just not usually things that are marketed as such. :-)
Mara
SandraDodd@... wrote:
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> In a message dated 1/11/03 6:17:28 AM, mara@... writes:
>
> << I'm really curious to find out about PCS Edventures and the Jason
> Project. Does anyone have anything (good or bad) to share about these
> projects? >>
>
> I don't even know what they are.
>
> If they're educational materials, not many unschoolers use "educational
> materials," and you might do better asking on a more structured
> homeschooling
> list.
>
> Sandra
>
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Mara Winders
I guess what I meant was that I was wondering if they were educational
materials or "educational materials". Thinking about your quotes Sandra.
Mara
Mara Winders wrote:
materials or "educational materials". Thinking about your quotes Sandra.
Mara
Mara Winders wrote:
> I found out about these at an unschooling conference - one person[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> mentioned that they might be good for my son's interests in science.
> I've looked at the sites, but in order to see what Jason is really
> about, you have to get involved and pay out the bucks, so I was hoping
> to find someone who has done it. It's supposed to be a planned science
> project led by a researcher (can't remember his name but the guy who
> found the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean) where you do activities
> where you can learn about the project he is doing for the year, and then
> become involved in a sense through internet tv watching him carry out
> his real life science.
>
> PCS Edventures seems to be building projects, mostly from LEGOs, in
> different areas - engineering, architecture, etc.
>
> These both seem to be geared toward 'school supplements'. Things that
> kids can do with school or aside from school that would actually be
> interesting to them. But they both have put a hand into the homeschool
> market. Anyway, I was hoping to get perspectives on them from
> *unschoolers*, because if they are too schoolish, my kids won't do them
> and that's pretty much what I was afraid of.
>
> And I'm afraid I disagree. Unschoolers use educational material all the
> time. Just not usually things that are marketed as such. :-)
>
> Mara
>
>
> SandraDodd@... wrote:
>
> >
> > In a message dated 1/11/03 6:17:28 AM, mara@... writes:
> >
> > << I'm really curious to find out about PCS Edventures and the Jason
> > Project. Does anyone have anything (good or bad) to share about these
> > projects? >>
> >
> > I don't even know what they are.
> >
> > If they're educational materials, not many unschoolers use "educational
> > materials," and you might do better asking on a more structured
> > homeschooling
> > list.
> >
> > Sandra
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> > ADVERTISEMENT
> >
> <http://rd.yahoo.com/M=219695.2850578.4203976.1925585/D=egroupweb/S=1705542111:HM/A=1400466/R=2/id=noscript/*http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;5046279;7790548;y?http://www.ameritrade.com/o.cgi?a=cjx&o=roc&p=/offer/25.html
> <http://rd.yahoo.com/M=219695.2850578.4203976.1925585/D=egroupweb/S=1705542111:HM/A=1400466/R=2/id=noscript/*http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;5046279;7790548;y?http://www.ameritrade.com/o.cgi?a=cjx&o=roc&p=/offer/25.html>>
>
> >
> >
> >
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > [email protected]
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
> > <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>.
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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>
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[email protected]
In a message dated 1/11/03 10:40:08 AM, mara@... writes:
<< > And I'm afraid I disagree. Unschoolers use educational material all the
<< > And I'm afraid I disagree. Unschoolers use educational material all the
> time. Just not usually things that are marketed as such. :-)That's why I used quotation marks.
> >>
Nancy Wooton
on 1/11/03 9:34 AM, Mara Winders at mara@... wrote:
the street when I was a kid.
Nancy
> It's supposed to be a planned scienceDr. Robert Ballard. He was friends with my older brother, and lived down
> project led by a researcher (can't remember his name but the guy who
> found the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean)
the street when I was a kid.
Nancy
Kimberlie King-Patraw
Sadly Sandra,
I know about the Jason Project. I have only heard about PCS Edventures,
but I only had time to learn about the Jason Project. The reason it even
interested me is because this year they were doing the Channel Islands,
and we were planning our own camping trip to one of the islands. They
also do some kind of meat the scientist for one week, I am trying to
get in, but I didn't finish the inservice, so I don't know if I will be
able to get in.
Any way, I don't think any of these have very much educational merit. I
don't really have anything good to say about them, and from an
unschooling point of view, my oldest son looked at it, and said they
really didn't accomplish their objectives and should give up. The rest
of us never did get into it much, we were more interested in the
camping trip and meeting the scientists, so attempted to jump through
some hoops. Made the first one and just stopped. Sadly the camping trip
was canceled due to my son's surgery, and the children are not sure if
they want to meat the scientists.
I have too much negative examples and experience with this to share over
the loop, but hey it only cost $75 dollars and a full day of your time
to look into it. OR you can split the cost with a friend and then just
slink through their workshop and leave when you get the picture like me.
(A bit costly and time consuming)
They are set up to work in a classroom, the project are cheesy and pre
designed so any instructor can use them for about 40 students. The trip
and meeting sound coool, but the rest is not worth it, and if your son
loves science this will not foster a love for it. Supposedly the first
Jason Projects that were published were more along the scientific lines,
but some school academics committee got a hold of it, and redesigned it
to meet each separate subject in school. So now it is no longer as
scientific. I haven't seen the first ones, just the complaints by the
teachers that they were not classroom friendly and very difficult to
read---so scientific that only a scientist could follow. I assume they
were better, based on those statements.
Kime
I know about the Jason Project. I have only heard about PCS Edventures,
but I only had time to learn about the Jason Project. The reason it even
interested me is because this year they were doing the Channel Islands,
and we were planning our own camping trip to one of the islands. They
also do some kind of meat the scientist for one week, I am trying to
get in, but I didn't finish the inservice, so I don't know if I will be
able to get in.
Any way, I don't think any of these have very much educational merit. I
don't really have anything good to say about them, and from an
unschooling point of view, my oldest son looked at it, and said they
really didn't accomplish their objectives and should give up. The rest
of us never did get into it much, we were more interested in the
camping trip and meeting the scientists, so attempted to jump through
some hoops. Made the first one and just stopped. Sadly the camping trip
was canceled due to my son's surgery, and the children are not sure if
they want to meat the scientists.
I have too much negative examples and experience with this to share over
the loop, but hey it only cost $75 dollars and a full day of your time
to look into it. OR you can split the cost with a friend and then just
slink through their workshop and leave when you get the picture like me.
(A bit costly and time consuming)
They are set up to work in a classroom, the project are cheesy and pre
designed so any instructor can use them for about 40 students. The trip
and meeting sound coool, but the rest is not worth it, and if your son
loves science this will not foster a love for it. Supposedly the first
Jason Projects that were published were more along the scientific lines,
but some school academics committee got a hold of it, and redesigned it
to meet each separate subject in school. So now it is no longer as
scientific. I haven't seen the first ones, just the complaints by the
teachers that they were not classroom friendly and very difficult to
read---so scientific that only a scientist could follow. I assume they
were better, based on those statements.
Kime
Mara Winders
Thank you! This is exactly what I wanted to know! I appreciate you
taking the time to tell me about it. Sounds like it would be a complete
waste. Very sad really, the idea has such potential.
Mara
Kimberlie King-Patraw wrote:
taking the time to tell me about it. Sounds like it would be a complete
waste. Very sad really, the idea has such potential.
Mara
Kimberlie King-Patraw wrote:
> Sadly Sandra,[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I know about the Jason Project. I have only heard about PCS Edventures,
> but I only had time to learn about the Jason Project. The reason it even
> interested me is because this year they were doing the Channel Islands,
> and we were planning our own camping trip to one of the islands. They
> also do some kind of meat the scientist for one week, I am trying to
> get in, but I didn't finish the inservice, so I don't know if I will be
> able to get in.
> Any way, I don't think any of these have very much educational merit. I
> don't really have anything good to say about them, and from an
> unschooling point of view, my oldest son looked at it, and said they
> really didn't accomplish their objectives and should give up. The rest
> of us never did get into it much, we were more interested in the
> camping trip and meeting the scientists, so attempted to jump through
> some hoops. Made the first one and just stopped. Sadly the camping trip
> was canceled due to my son's surgery, and the children are not sure if
> they want to meat the scientists.
> I have too much negative examples and experience with this to share over
> the loop, but hey it only cost $75 dollars and a full day of your time
> to look into it. OR you can split the cost with a friend and then just
> slink through their workshop and leave when you get the picture like me.
> (A bit costly and time consuming)
> They are set up to work in a classroom, the project are cheesy and pre
> designed so any instructor can use them for about 40 students. The trip
> and meeting sound coool, but the rest is not worth it, and if your son
> loves science this will not foster a love for it. Supposedly the first
> Jason Projects that were published were more along the scientific lines,
> but some school academics committee got a hold of it, and redesigned it
> to meet each separate subject in school. So now it is no longer as
> scientific. I haven't seen the first ones, just the complaints by the
> teachers that they were not classroom friendly and very difficult to
> read---so scientific that only a scientist could follow. I assume they
> were better, based on those statements.
> Kime
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> ADVERTISEMENT
> <http://rd.yahoo.com/M=219695.2850578.4203976.1925585/D=egroupweb/S=1705542111:HM/id=noscript/*http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;5046279;7790548;y?http://www.ameritrade.com/o.cgi?a=cjx&o=roc&p=/offer/25.html>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>.
Kimberlie King-Patraw
Your welcome Mara, sorry I adressed Sandra and not you, don't know what
I was thinking. I sure would have love to have seen their original ideas
though. Kime
Mara Winders wrote:
I was thinking. I sure would have love to have seen their original ideas
though. Kime
Mara Winders wrote:
> Thank you! This is exactly what I wanted to know! I appreciate you
> taking the time to tell me about it. Sounds like it would be a complete
> waste. Very sad really, the idea has such potential.
>
> Mara
>
>