"My" unschooling lesson
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/17/03 10:13:00 AM Pacific Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
<< We've had a batch of new subscribers to this list. So someone say
something
fascinating which will spark a priceless exchange that will last several
days, okay?
exchange,
but I did want to share a "mommy" unschooling lesson I learned the other day.
I am 7 mo. preg and have three kids 5, 8 & 9. Knowing that after the babe is
born we will probably be limited to what we can do and where we can go for
awhile, we have been going to as many activities, field trips etc as possible.
One of the hs groups we participate with was offering some science classes.
They were 1 hr each (not too long) and would offer 3-6 hands on experiments.
The topic was to be gases. I thought, ok this has the potential to be a lot
of fun and (in my mind I am thinking-- hey they might learn how some of this
stuff works!) I ask the kids if they want to go, I said it was an experiment
class and they said sure.
So we go to the first class and I sit in. And I am sitting there thinking,
gee
I wish I had a science teacher like this in school. But my kids aren't in
school...She was fast pace, explained things well, funny personality but
well, kind of boring...even with the experiments...and a couple were really
cool! My dd kept looking back at me and I kept trying not to meet her
gaze as I knew : 0 that she wanted to let me know how bored she was
with a heavy sigh and eye roll LOL. Precious girl doesn't she know I know
her so well? As soon as the class was over I asked the boys if they
wanted to come again. They said no. I didn't even need to ask dd.
After class I asked the organizer if she had turned in my check yet,
and if not could I give her a new check that covered the kids for the day.
Well technically she was not supposed to do that. I assured her that
it wasn't the teacher, she was really good, but my kids just weren't
into that kind of learning and some of the info was really above their
heads (even though it was meant for their age range). She did give
me my check back and I gave her a new one, bless her heart! Phew
we all walked out much relieved.
So as we sat in the car on the way home I asked the kids (mostly dd)
why they didn't like the class. She tells me its because they have done
all that stuff at home. I am incredulous. Uh, when? Well the first was
easy, it was blowing up a baloon and discussing pressure. They mess
with baloons all the time. Well what about the water in the paper cup
that she turned upside down onto a piece of paper (and the cup sticks
to the paper and no water comes out)? "We do that all the time when
we are letting the water out of the tub" they fill up some such thing
playing with suction, air etc. So how about when you blew air through
a straw into plastic baggies and made the piece of plywood rise? "I
saw that in a book" LOL. OK OK I give up!
So what did I get for my money? ($30 just for the one class for 3).
I learned that my kids don't separate "science" from life, that they
are living it in their daily lives. That you don't have to know the why
of something to just know that it "does" (experiments). One of the
experiments did lead to a longer conversation (could we lift the Twin
Towers with air bags?). And finally, my kids saw that once again,
I would not force them to do something they didn't want to do. I
lovingly reminded them what a good mom I was and did they realise
that some moms would make their kids take the class (probably
didn't even ask if they were interested to start with)? They couldn't
understand that and felt bad for the other kids. (If I had been stuck
paying for the class I would not have made them continue attending.
I would have asked the instructor for a refund and if not "sold" my
kids spaces at a discount rate to another family or worst case, just
eat the cost if I had to. It was my fault for paying in advance, which
is what they want you to do, but I could have just paid on the date, so
next time I won't pay in advance for anything iffy!)
So it was a good lesson for us all the way around I guess. My instinct
told me the class might not work out, even though I had thoroughly
quizzed the organizer on the class/teacher etc. So I stumbled,
we tried something that wasn't completely delighful and survived it <g>
and are back to normal again LOL.
Kathy
SandraDodd@... writes:
<< We've had a batch of new subscribers to this list. So someone say
something
fascinating which will spark a priceless exchange that will last several
days, okay?
>>Hmm, well don't know if this is fascinating enough to spark a priceless
exchange,
but I did want to share a "mommy" unschooling lesson I learned the other day.
I am 7 mo. preg and have three kids 5, 8 & 9. Knowing that after the babe is
born we will probably be limited to what we can do and where we can go for
awhile, we have been going to as many activities, field trips etc as possible.
One of the hs groups we participate with was offering some science classes.
They were 1 hr each (not too long) and would offer 3-6 hands on experiments.
The topic was to be gases. I thought, ok this has the potential to be a lot
of fun and (in my mind I am thinking-- hey they might learn how some of this
stuff works!) I ask the kids if they want to go, I said it was an experiment
class and they said sure.
So we go to the first class and I sit in. And I am sitting there thinking,
gee
I wish I had a science teacher like this in school. But my kids aren't in
school...She was fast pace, explained things well, funny personality but
well, kind of boring...even with the experiments...and a couple were really
cool! My dd kept looking back at me and I kept trying not to meet her
gaze as I knew : 0 that she wanted to let me know how bored she was
with a heavy sigh and eye roll LOL. Precious girl doesn't she know I know
her so well? As soon as the class was over I asked the boys if they
wanted to come again. They said no. I didn't even need to ask dd.
After class I asked the organizer if she had turned in my check yet,
and if not could I give her a new check that covered the kids for the day.
Well technically she was not supposed to do that. I assured her that
it wasn't the teacher, she was really good, but my kids just weren't
into that kind of learning and some of the info was really above their
heads (even though it was meant for their age range). She did give
me my check back and I gave her a new one, bless her heart! Phew
we all walked out much relieved.
So as we sat in the car on the way home I asked the kids (mostly dd)
why they didn't like the class. She tells me its because they have done
all that stuff at home. I am incredulous. Uh, when? Well the first was
easy, it was blowing up a baloon and discussing pressure. They mess
with baloons all the time. Well what about the water in the paper cup
that she turned upside down onto a piece of paper (and the cup sticks
to the paper and no water comes out)? "We do that all the time when
we are letting the water out of the tub" they fill up some such thing
playing with suction, air etc. So how about when you blew air through
a straw into plastic baggies and made the piece of plywood rise? "I
saw that in a book" LOL. OK OK I give up!
So what did I get for my money? ($30 just for the one class for 3).
I learned that my kids don't separate "science" from life, that they
are living it in their daily lives. That you don't have to know the why
of something to just know that it "does" (experiments). One of the
experiments did lead to a longer conversation (could we lift the Twin
Towers with air bags?). And finally, my kids saw that once again,
I would not force them to do something they didn't want to do. I
lovingly reminded them what a good mom I was and did they realise
that some moms would make their kids take the class (probably
didn't even ask if they were interested to start with)? They couldn't
understand that and felt bad for the other kids. (If I had been stuck
paying for the class I would not have made them continue attending.
I would have asked the instructor for a refund and if not "sold" my
kids spaces at a discount rate to another family or worst case, just
eat the cost if I had to. It was my fault for paying in advance, which
is what they want you to do, but I could have just paid on the date, so
next time I won't pay in advance for anything iffy!)
So it was a good lesson for us all the way around I guess. My instinct
told me the class might not work out, even though I had thoroughly
quizzed the organizer on the class/teacher etc. So I stumbled,
we tried something that wasn't completely delighful and survived it <g>
and are back to normal again LOL.
Kathy
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/20/03 1:22:00 PM, Natrlmama@... writes:
<< So how about when you blew air through
a straw into plastic baggies and made the piece of plywood rise? "I
saw that in a book" LOL. >>
OOH! We saw people lift an ice cream truck up off its side one night with a
giant balloon and a big generator and compressor. They yelled at us: "GET
OUT OF THE ARROYO!"
That was me, Keith and our dog, way pre-kids.
Albuquerque has a big paved drainage between the sides of I-40 from the
mountains to the river. A side drainage came out of our neighborhood.
A Baskin Robbins truck (medium sized one--three ton?) ramped up over a
little car and went into the raging-river ditch during a rain storm. Okay,
it wasn't raging river by most standards, and the truck was on its side and
bumping up and scooting along every few minutes.
The driver was rescued by a policeman with a rope. The truck was rescued
with a giant balloon and a giant tow truck, later than night, after they ran
me and Keith off.
<<One of the experiments did lead to a longer conversation (could we lift the
Twin
Towers with air bags?). >>
What twin towers?
<< My instinct
told me the class might not work out, even though I had thoroughly
quizzed the organizer on the class/teacher etc. >>
It's interesting that someone will consider their lesson plan and
presentation to be entirely radically non-schooly, and from unschoolers'
points of view it's as structured as can be.
Holly and Kirby play Harry Potter at a shop where the owner, having a
homeschooling group come in once a week, has scheduled a comic book reporting
hour. They buy a comic for $2, sit all quietly and read, and then they do
reports.
EEEEYEW!!!
Yuck!
Ptuie!!!!!
Sandra
<< So how about when you blew air through
a straw into plastic baggies and made the piece of plywood rise? "I
saw that in a book" LOL. >>
OOH! We saw people lift an ice cream truck up off its side one night with a
giant balloon and a big generator and compressor. They yelled at us: "GET
OUT OF THE ARROYO!"
That was me, Keith and our dog, way pre-kids.
Albuquerque has a big paved drainage between the sides of I-40 from the
mountains to the river. A side drainage came out of our neighborhood.
A Baskin Robbins truck (medium sized one--three ton?) ramped up over a
little car and went into the raging-river ditch during a rain storm. Okay,
it wasn't raging river by most standards, and the truck was on its side and
bumping up and scooting along every few minutes.
The driver was rescued by a policeman with a rope. The truck was rescued
with a giant balloon and a giant tow truck, later than night, after they ran
me and Keith off.
<<One of the experiments did lead to a longer conversation (could we lift the
Twin
Towers with air bags?). >>
What twin towers?
<< My instinct
told me the class might not work out, even though I had thoroughly
quizzed the organizer on the class/teacher etc. >>
It's interesting that someone will consider their lesson plan and
presentation to be entirely radically non-schooly, and from unschoolers'
points of view it's as structured as can be.
Holly and Kirby play Harry Potter at a shop where the owner, having a
homeschooling group come in once a week, has scheduled a comic book reporting
hour. They buy a comic for $2, sit all quietly and read, and then they do
reports.
EEEEYEW!!!
Yuck!
Ptuie!!!!!
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/20/03 1:10:48 PM Pacific Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
<<
<<One of the experiments did lead to a longer conversation (could we lift
the
Twin
Towers with air bags?). >>
What twin towers?>>>>>>>.
That was my sons definition of "really tall buildings". He knows they no
longer
exist, but these are the ones he has seen/heard of the most that have a name.
<< It's interesting that someone will consider their lesson plan and
presentation to be entirely radically non-schooly, and from unschoolers'
points of view it's as structured as can be.>>>
I guess it was structured, she had a lesson plan to get through that
was for sure. A couple of experiments the kids couldn't do involving
fire (the egg falling into the beaker, and testing barometer pressure
in boiling water). One experiment the kids would have liked to do but
couldn't in the interest of time (I think she could have skipped the '
measurement one using the boiling/cold water which the little kids
didn't get anyway and allowed them to DO the other one where they
broke a stick, karate chop style that was only being held to the table
by several sheets of newspaper). She did offer to let the kids do that
experiment after class. Mine were so outta there LOL.
<<< Holly and Kirby play Harry Potter at a shop where the owner, having a
homeschooling group come in once a week, has scheduled a comic book
reporting
hour. They buy a comic for $2, sit all quietly and read, and then they do
reports.>>>
Oh yeah I can see my kids wanting to do this....NOT!
Kathy
EEEEYEW!!!
Yuck!
Ptuie!!!!!
Sandra
SandraDodd@... writes:
<<
<<One of the experiments did lead to a longer conversation (could we lift
the
Twin
Towers with air bags?). >>
What twin towers?>>>>>>>.
That was my sons definition of "really tall buildings". He knows they no
longer
exist, but these are the ones he has seen/heard of the most that have a name.
<< It's interesting that someone will consider their lesson plan and
presentation to be entirely radically non-schooly, and from unschoolers'
points of view it's as structured as can be.>>>
I guess it was structured, she had a lesson plan to get through that
was for sure. A couple of experiments the kids couldn't do involving
fire (the egg falling into the beaker, and testing barometer pressure
in boiling water). One experiment the kids would have liked to do but
couldn't in the interest of time (I think she could have skipped the '
measurement one using the boiling/cold water which the little kids
didn't get anyway and allowed them to DO the other one where they
broke a stick, karate chop style that was only being held to the table
by several sheets of newspaper). She did offer to let the kids do that
experiment after class. Mine were so outta there LOL.
<<< Holly and Kirby play Harry Potter at a shop where the owner, having a
homeschooling group come in once a week, has scheduled a comic book
reporting
hour. They buy a comic for $2, sit all quietly and read, and then they do
reports.>>>
Oh yeah I can see my kids wanting to do this....NOT!
Kathy
EEEEYEW!!!
Yuck!
Ptuie!!!!!
Sandra
>>