Sandra Dodd

So...

Yesterday was "Pi Day" because it was 3/14 and 314 is close to pi,
that fun mathematical concept that separates the inflexible believers
from the heathen scientific.

Marty knew it, because it was on the trivia desk calendar he has in
the bathroom, and then as he watched the news while eating his
oatmeal before work, he heard that Explora, the hands-on science
center, was doing something in honor of Pi Day.

I was asleep through that first part, but when he came home for lunch
he asked if we could go to Explora when he got home, and so I
recruited Holly (woke her up at 2:30) and we were ready to go when he
got home. I asked Keith, but he wanted to work in the garage because
it was a warm day. Fine.

When we got there, the person who had been doing the little Pi
business was gone. It was 4:30 by the time Marty got off work and we
got downtown. But we had fun with the puzzles downstairs and were
sitting there as others came in and out of a staff-only door. They
were apparently doing a training session for the teen volunteers.
After a while one of the adults asked us if we would be interested in
helping them with a trial of a spider, up in the little theater, for
half an hour or so. The kids said sure.

So...
It was set up as a courtroom and each chair was marked, and some had
scripts and costume bits. I thought Holly might not do well
emotionally if it was reading aloud (though I bet she would've done
great at the reading, but she doesn't like to be put on the spot
without time to work up courage and ask questions). Marty
volunteered to be the bailiff. I was a witness for the prosecution.
I was a fly. My costume was wings and big funny glasses, only I
needed my real glasses to read the script, so I propped those up
above mine, which gave me extra eyes and that was more fly-like anyway.

Marty had a work shirt with a badge as his costume. There were nine
speaking parts and five jurors (Holly and the two adult trainers were
among those).

Marty's main part was to swear witnesses in by having them put their
left hand on a copy of The Origin of Species and swear to tell the
truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (or something). He
was doing his part from memory sometimes, and reading sometimes, but
except for the plaintiff, who had one longish speech and did it
loudly and well, Marty was the best. He pronounced the spider's
name right (Araña) and everyone else missed or guessed or didn't do
the ñ right. Two others were mumbling school-style, in that way that
says if you pronounce each word and keep moving along, it doesn't
matter if others can hear you; you've read.

When I was sworn in there was a spotlight right in my eyes and I
couldn't see anyone else. Kinda fun. I could only see my script. I
probably had the biggest part of anyone, and one line started off
with a "umm... well... but... I... kind of beginning, so for Holly's
amusement I did the Vicky Pollard "yeah, but no, but yeah, but no"
instead. I couldn't see her reaction but on the way out to the car
she said it was fun that I did the Little Britain bit.

So for free, a bonus lesson at the museum, my kids got to see how
high school kids read aloud, and how enthusiastic they can fail to be
even in a situation for which they volunteered, and were screened for
best-only, and in which they were basically training to work with the
public in a happy, chirpy way. It was kind of sad, really, that
those are the kids my kids have been compared with by others who
don't know them, as people who wouldn't measure up.

All the kids were nice, and friendly, and they'll all learn a lot
working at the museum, and some will probably have their lives wholly
enriched and all that good stuff, but as to reading aloud and having
fun... not so much.

The one boy who was so good, Marty and Holly remember as a museum
volunteer for at least three years, since the museum was in the
mall. So he's probably been in that play a couple of times before.

The spider was real. It was a tarantula. The jury could go either
way on the guilty or not guilty (of scaring a strongman in an alley
so much that he dropped and broke his Mr. Universe trophy and
suffered mental anguish). They said not guilty.

Sandra

jenstarc4

--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd
<Sandra@...> wrote:
>
Two others were mumbling school-style, in that way that
> says if you pronounce each word and keep moving along, it doesn't
> matter if others can hear you; you've read.
>
>

I see this all the time! It's weird how they forget to be in the
moment, or that the moment has become all about reading and nothing
else. Chamille doesn't read super well, but is never out of the
moment when she does, her reading has purpose and meaning beyond
just "reading".

The neighbor girl who is 1 yr older than Chamille, so 13, reads
picture books to Margaux (4). The reading is choppy, and doesn't
flow. The story gets lost. It would almost be better and more fun
to have her make it up, instead of read. This is a very smart kid,
who is put in "special ed" classes because she struggles. I think
she struggles with dislexia but no one else seems to think this,
they just buy the "behind" stuff and put her in "stupid" classes
(her words). The first time I heard that she was in "special ed"
classes I was stunned actually, followed by sadness.

> So for free, a bonus lesson at the museum, my kids got to see how
> high school kids read aloud, and how enthusiastic they can fail to
be
> even in a situation for which they volunteered, and were screened
for
> best-only, and in which they were basically training to work with
the
> public in a happy, chirpy way. It was kind of sad, really, that
> those are the kids my kids have been compared with by others who
> don't know them, as people who wouldn't measure up.
>
> All the kids were nice, and friendly, and they'll all learn a lot
> working at the museum, and some will probably have their lives
wholly
> enriched and all that good stuff, but as to reading aloud and
having
> fun... not so much.
>

This seems to be standard. You've summed up about every experience
that I've had with the general population of schooled children. The
spark is lost somewhere so deep. They are relying on the only
skills that they've been taught. It is sad! Imagine what a great
museum it would become (not that it isn't pretty cool now) if all
those kids put their real true selves in there, the selves that
exist buried beneath all that schooling!

Trully, this is where unschooling kids thrive, by putting their
whole selves into the world. All of their strengths come forward
and shine. This is what I see in my own children as they get older
and put themselves out into the world.

Our kids are being compared to schooled kids, but always on school
terms instead of in real ways. It's a shame really that the general
population gets lost on that.

squeakybiscuit

I had never heard of celebrating PI day. How cool. On my comcast
start page there was an article about a kid who recited over 8,000
digits of PI. Could you imagine memorizing all of those numbers?
Really difficult- since there is no repeating pattern to help you.

http://www.comcast.net/news/science/index.jsp?
cat=SCIENCE&fn=/2006/03/15/346571.html&cvqh=itn_pi


--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd
<Sandra@...> wrote:
>
> So...
>
> Yesterday was "Pi Day" because it was 3/14 and 314 is close to
pi,
> that fun mathematical concept that separates the inflexible
believers
> from the heathen scientific.
>
> Marty knew it, because it was on the trivia desk calendar he has
in
> the bathroom, and then as he watched the news while eating his
> oatmeal before work, he heard that Explora, the hands-on science
> center, was doing something in honor of Pi Day.
>
> I was asleep through that first part, but when he came home for
lunch
> he asked if we could go to Explora when he got home, and so I
> recruited Holly (woke her up at 2:30) and we were ready to go when
he
> got home. I asked Keith, but he wanted to work in the garage
because
> it was a warm day. Fine.
>
> When we got there, the person who had been doing the little Pi
> business was gone. It was 4:30 by the time Marty got off work and
we
> got downtown. But we had fun with the puzzles downstairs and
were
> sitting there as others came in and out of a staff-only door.
They
> were apparently doing a training session for the teen
volunteers.
> After a while one of the adults asked us if we would be interested
in
> helping them with a trial of a spider, up in the little theater,
for
> half an hour or so. The kids said sure.
>
> So...
> It was set up as a courtroom and each chair was marked, and some
had
> scripts and costume bits. I thought Holly might not do well
> emotionally if it was reading aloud (though I bet she would've
done
> great at the reading, but she doesn't like to be put on the spot
> without time to work up courage and ask questions). Marty
> volunteered to be the bailiff. I was a witness for the
prosecution.
> I was a fly. My costume was wings and big funny glasses, only I
> needed my real glasses to read the script, so I propped those up
> above mine, which gave me extra eyes and that was more fly-like
anyway.
>
> Marty had a work shirt with a badge as his costume. There were
nine
> speaking parts and five jurors (Holly and the two adult trainers
were
> among those).
>
> Marty's main part was to swear witnesses in by having them put
their
> left hand on a copy of The Origin of Species and swear to tell
the
> truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (or something).
He
> was doing his part from memory sometimes, and reading sometimes,
but
> except for the plaintiff, who had one longish speech and did it
> loudly and well, Marty was the best. He pronounced the spider's
> name right (Araña) and everyone else missed or guessed or didn't
do
> the ñ right. Two others were mumbling school-style, in that way
that
> says if you pronounce each word and keep moving along, it doesn't
> matter if others can hear you; you've read.
>
> When I was sworn in there was a spotlight right in my eyes and I
> couldn't see anyone else. Kinda fun. I could only see my
script. I
> probably had the biggest part of anyone, and one line started off
> with a "umm... well... but... I... kind of beginning, so for
Holly's
> amusement I did the Vicky Pollard "yeah, but no, but yeah, but
no"
> instead. I couldn't see her reaction but on the way out to the
car
> she said it was fun that I did the Little Britain bit.
>
> So for free, a bonus lesson at the museum, my kids got to see how
> high school kids read aloud, and how enthusiastic they can fail to
be
> even in a situation for which they volunteered, and were screened
for
> best-only, and in which they were basically training to work with
the
> public in a happy, chirpy way. It was kind of sad, really, that
> those are the kids my kids have been compared with by others who
> don't know them, as people who wouldn't measure up.
>
> All the kids were nice, and friendly, and they'll all learn a lot
> working at the museum, and some will probably have their lives
wholly
> enriched and all that good stuff, but as to reading aloud and
having
> fun... not so much.
>
> The one boy who was so good, Marty and Holly remember as a museum
> volunteer for at least three years, since the museum was in the
> mall. So he's probably been in that play a couple of times before.
>
> The spider was real. It was a tarantula. The jury could go
either
> way on the guilty or not guilty (of scaring a strongman in an
alley
> so much that he dropped and broke his Mr. Universe trophy and
> suffered mental anguish). They said not guilty.
>
> Sandra
>

Sandra Dodd

On Mar 16, 2006, at 10:31 AM, jenstarc4 wrote:

> Our kids are being compared to schooled kids, but always on school
> terms instead of in real ways. It's a shame really that the general
> population gets lost on that.


There it is.

Even in "school ways," that day Marty sparkled.
(He just didn't see it as school ways. <g>)

Sandra

Sandra Dodd

> I had never heard of celebrating PI day. How cool. On my comcast
> start page there was an article about a kid who recited over 8,000
> digits of PI. Could you imagine memorizing all of those numbers?
> Really difficult- since there is no repeating pattern to help you.


Worth
absolutely
nothing.

Yet some people will think it's good, and academic, and scholarly.
It would be MUCH more useful to memorize all the baseball stats, or
all possible D&D character permutations, or all the spices in the world.

Sandra

rina_groeneveld

--- In [email protected], "squeakybiscuit"
<squeakybiscuit@...> wrote:
>
> I had never heard of celebrating PI day. How cool.

Sigh, I think we totally lost out on that here in Europe, because here
it was 14/3. Well actually I found it now listed in the German google
but missed it on the day.

That got dh and I into a discussion on how weird the US dating system
is, because it is neither a top down (060314) or bottom up one
(14/3/06) but starts in the middle.

Rina

Nina Pike Echeverria

I'm surprised to hear Sandra say it was worth absolutely nothing -- in the right circumstances -- that kid would make out great in a barroom bet for a dollar for each number of Pi a person can recite correctly without missing... ;-)
Plus, he or she must feel really proud. In between maybe feeling really, really dorky. I mean, is not all knowledge worth something? I wouldn't *encourage* my kids or my friends to memorize 8000 bits of knowledge about anything, (to engage in trivial pursuit as it were), but I hope I wouldn't call it worthless.

Nina
(Julian 2.8, Heidi 9.5m)





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

On Mar 17, 2006, at 2:30 AM, Nina Pike Echeverria wrote:

> I wouldn't *encourage* my kids or my friends to memorize 8000 bits
> of knowledge about anything, (to engage in trivial pursuit as it
> were), but I hope I wouldn't call it worthless.


All those places of pi aren't 8000 bits of knowledge. No one of them
helps anything. To know that it goes on and on is enough. THAT is
"the knowledge" involved with the concept of "pi," not the details of
how it goes on and on. Knowing even five or six places doesn't help
anyone with definitions or calculations.

I can remember lots of TV jingles, commercials, from early
childhood. I remember and can recite with the original inflection,
and could probably draw it out if I had artistic and animation
abilities, the "Channel 11—Good looking!" station identification from
some Dallas/Ft. Worth tv station in the late 50's. THAT is worthless.

I can sing the theme song (and play the guitar part) of the Dick
Bills show which was on in Albuquerque in the 1960's. That's not
quite as worthless because it's a song, and it rhymes "Albuquerque"
with "beans and jerkey" (the "b" does an alliteration thing), and it
made the call letters (KOB) into a ranch ID, like a brand, for the
cowboy purposes of the song.

Ridin' down the trail to ALbuQUERque
Saddle bags all filled with beans and JERKey
Headin' for K-Circle-B,
The TV ranch for you and me—
K-Circle-B in Albuquerque.

If I could win a bar bet with that, it would be worth a dollar. And
it amuses my kids sometimes. And I can remember that Channel 4 is
KOB (but I would remember it anyway, and it's not very valuable to
know).

Maybe it's just that I live more in music-and-word land that I think
that song is a little more valuable (i.e. less worthless <g>) than
the umpty-dozen places of pi.

And bummer Europe can never have pi day. <g>

Sandra

nellebelle

Last night I had a rare phone call from my father who has been mostly out of
my life. Way back when, he studied to be an engineer and had a career in
the military. He told me that he was concerned about my kids learning
"advanced" math as homeschoolers. He asked if they knew about pi.

During the last few minutes of my phone conversation, a friend showed up to
have dinner with us (we had picked up her son earlier because she had a
meeting and both our dh's are out of town). So, I hung up the phone and we
were eating and talking about the "advanced" math issue. This friend has a
master's degree in English and her dh has a PhD in physics. Their only
child goes to PS.

We were discussing my dad's concern that the kids know about pi, and my
friend said pi is 2.14. I said no, It is 3.14 and goes on forever, or at
least nobody has yet found an end. She was quite insistent that it was 2,
not 3, even when I told her about March 14 being pi day.

After dinner, Lisa was on the computer and we asked her to look up the
correct number for pi, which she did happily.

Mary Ellen

Sandra Dodd

I hope you sent this to your dad!

If not, I'll send it. Send me his e-mail address. <g> I'll tell him
all about my mathy-engineer husband and our three wildly unschooled
kids. I'll tell him my mathy-construction-guy dad died before he had
any grandchildren, and that he should see blessings when they look
him in the eye.

Sandra


On Mar 17, 2006, at 11:37 AM, nellebelle wrote:

> Last night I had a rare phone call from my father who has been
> mostly out of
> my life. Way back when, he studied to be an engineer and had a
> career in
> the military. He told me that he was concerned about my kids
> learning
> "advanced" math as homeschoolers. He asked if they knew about pi.
>
> During the last few minutes of my phone conversation, a friend
> showed up to
> have dinner with us (we had picked up her son earlier because she
> had a
> meeting and both our dh's are out of town). So, I hung up the
> phone and we
> were eating and talking about the "advanced" math issue. This
> friend has a
> master's degree in English and her dh has a PhD in physics. Their
> only
> child goes to PS.
>
> We were discussing my dad's concern that the kids know about pi,
> and my
> friend said pi is 2.14. I said no, It is 3.14 and goes on forever,
> or at
> least nobody has yet found an end. She was quite insistent that it
> was 2,
> not 3, even when I told her about March 14 being pi day.
>
> After dinner, Lisa was on the computer and we asked her to look up the
> correct number for pi, which she did happily.
>
> Mary Ellen

Su Penn

On Mar 17, 2006, at 6:20 AM, Sandra Dodd wrote:

>
> Ridin' down the trail to ALbuQUERque
> Saddle bags all filled with beans and JERKey
> Headin' for K-Circle-B,
> The TV ranch for you and me—
> K-Circle-B in Albuquerque.
>
> If I could win a bar bet with that, it would be worth a dollar.

Heck, Sandra, there are places in the country where you can win a bar
bet just for being able to SPELL Albuquerque! You're way overqualified.

Su

nellebelle

Thanks for the offer. I wasn't disturbed by his comments. I told him,
since I didn't want to deal with explaining unschooling to him, that I would
learn the advanced math along with the kids when the time came.

He lives on the east coast and we are on the west. He has never seen my
kids. He has only seen me once since I was about 8 years old. It's kind of
sad, more sad for him than me. I lost a relationship with one person (him),
but he lost with me, my siblings, and all our kids. Well, I lost two if you
count my half brother whom I've met only once. My dad can't even remember
my two kid's names and ages from one phone call to the next (about 2 or 3
times per year, he calls.) Gee, you'd think he might take notes or
something...

I do feel for my children, since dh's dad died before they were born and
mine is so far away and not part of our lives, really. They've never had
IRL grampa. Fortunately they do know some older people who *do* appreciate
them.

Mary Ellen


----- Original Message -----
>I hope you sent this to your dad!
>
> If not, I'll send it. Send me his e-mail address. <g> I'll tell him
> all about my mathy-engineer husband and our three wildly unschooled
> kids. I'll tell him my mathy-construction-guy dad died before he had
> any grandchildren, and that he should see blessings when they look
> him in the eye.

Drew & Tami

Andrew wants to know if you remember who the H&%$ "Grady Kilowatt" was.
He says it's an Albuquerque thing.

By the way, learning to spell Albuquerque was a heck of a memory thing!

And, we bought a book last year in NM called "Albuquerque Turkey."
Who'da'thunk there were words that rhyme with Albuquerque!

Tami, who once knew all the Pueblo names, but has since forgotten.

>>>I can remember lots of TV jingles, commercials, from early
childhood. I remember and can recite with the original inflection,
and could probably draw it out if I had artistic and animation
abilities, the "Channel 11—Good looking!" station identification from
some Dallas/Ft. Worth tv station in the late 50's. THAT is worthless.

Sandra<<<

Sandra Dodd

On Mar 17, 2006, at 5:20 PM, Drew & Tami wrote:

> Andrew wants to know if you remember who the H&%$ "Grady Kilowatt"
> was.
> He says it's an Albuquerque thing.

I think Grady Kilowatt was a kind of carton mascot of the PNM (the
electric company), drawn by Uncle Howdy (later known as Howard
Morgan). I think he looked like a smiley lightbulb or a fuse, with
feet. Maybe there was a lightning bolt mark in or on there somewhere.

Howard Morgan is retired now and selling windows. Before that he was
much involved in local gardening and horticulture, and was a TV
weatherman. But before THAT he had a kids' program and he was Uncle
Howdy, and drew fast cartoons, to music. When he did the weather he
always drew his own sun and clouds and stuff.

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Drew & Tami

Andrew say he's impressed with your Google skills, but says googling
doesn't count as *remembering*<G>!!

Tami (and Andrew) finished engaging in idle over-coffee morning chit chat
on list! Now back to your regularly scheduled unschooling conversations!

>>> On Mar 17, 2006, at 5:20 PM, Drew & Tami wrote:

> Andrew wants to know if you remember who the H&%$ "Grady Kilowatt"
> was.
> He says it's an Albuquerque thing.

I think Grady Kilowatt was a kind of carton mascot of the PNM (the
electric company), drawn by Uncle Howdy (later known as Howard
Morgan). I think he looked like a smiley lightbulb or a fuse, with
feet. Maybe there was a lightning bolt mark in or on there somewhere.

Howard Morgan is retired now and selling windows. Before that he was
much involved in local gardening and horticulture, and was a TV
weatherman. But before THAT he had a kids' program and he was Uncle
Howdy, and drew fast cartoons, to music. When he did the weather he
always drew his own sun and clouds and stuff.

Sandra <<<



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

I did not touch google. I'm wounded.


On Mar 17, 2006, at 5:48 PM, Drew & Tami wrote:

>
> Andrew say he's impressed with your Google skills, but says googling
> doesn't count as *remembering*<G>!!

Sandra Dodd

I thought it was Reddy Kilowatt, anyway, but I'm not going to check
google to see. <g>


On Mar 17, 2006, at 5:20 PM, Drew & Tami wrote:

> Andrew wants to know if you remember who the H&%$ "Grady Kilowatt"
> was.
> He says it's an Albuquerque thing.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

On Mar 17, 2006, at 3:37 PM, nellebelle wrote:

> My dad can't even remember
> my two kid's names and ages from one phone call to the next (about
> 2 or 3
> times per year, he calls.) Gee, you'd think he might take notes or
> something...


All the math he knows didn't make him happy.
Or organized.

Poor guy.

Sandra

Drew & Tami

Yup, it's Reddy Kilowatt. It wasn't just PNM, he started in Alabama, looks
like.

Andrew say if indeed you did not google, he stands in awe of you! (He
doesn't do that often, being 6'5" and all....<G>)

Tami, who still thinks Blake's is the best "Albuquerque thing" there is.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Sandra Dodd
Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 9:53 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Re: Pi Day, and Marty Reads Aloud


I thought it was Reddy Kilowatt, anyway, but I'm not going to check
google to see. <g>


On Mar 17, 2006, at 5:20 PM, Drew & Tami wrote:

> Andrew wants to know if you remember who the H&%$ "Grady Kilowatt"
> was.
> He says it's an Albuquerque thing.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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Sandra Dodd

On Mar 17, 2006, at 6:51 PM, Drew & Tami wrote:

> Yup, it's Reddy Kilowatt. It wasn't just PNM, he started in
> Alabama, looks
> like.

Maybe it wasn't Uncle Howdy art then, and I'd have to totally buy the
drinks. <g>



-=-
Andrew say if indeed you did not google, he stands in awe of you! (He
doesn't do that often, being 6'5" and all....<G>)-=-

No, I just have vivid, BIG memories of childhood things. Details.
Mostly music and art and architectural stuff.

Sandra

Robyn Coburn

<<<< He told me that he was concerned about my kids learning
"advanced" math as homeschoolers. He asked if they knew about pi.>>>>

I have never thought of pi as "advanced" math. I guess it is because I do so
much stuff with circles. For example sewing skirts half or full circle. I
always just think of it as 22/7.

Robyn L. Coburn

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