Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] attempt at critical thinking
[email protected]
In a message dated 04/15/2001 1:43:44 PM !!!First Boot!!!, SandraDodd@...
writes:
And very well, I thought. The day you need my help, Sandra, in voicing an
opinion . . .
Anyway, my children are young (6 and almost-8) but I do find that "science"
is an interesting area with them. One of the reasons is that it is so
complex and changing.
The other day we received an email (from this list -- I don't know??) dealing
with new planets that had been discovered. Now, that's a pretty awesome
thing to me -- the kiddos were not that amazed -- I think they are being
raised in a time when amazing things happen every day. Or maybe we just hear
about them more quickly.
I deliberately try to present things in a kind of muddle -- because I think
that's how things are. Not distinct topics but many events hooked together
and overlapping and influencing our understanding of the next event. Or
maybe it's that I wouldn't know how to present anything not in a muddle --
thing don't happen singularly -- people don't act for one clear reason --
changes happen slowly and not in a straight line.
So when we talk about anything we try to see how it fits in -- how people
might have lived and survived or not -- not just the fact (or what we think
is a fact so far removed) and also how they might have thought they knew what
was going on (the earth is flat, etc.) and then someone figured out a little
part of it and then thinking changed. And how there might be a scientist's
or explorer's or inventor's knowledge of X, but that normal everday life
might still operate on the old ideas. How long it takes knowledge to spread.
Etc.
So, science is cool around here, I think, because we are starting to discover
how little people know. Now or then. How long it takes us to figure out
what later seems like such an obvious thing and then is later repaced with
something a little closer to the truth but by now you'd think we'd know
better than to think we actually know anything!
Nance
writes:
I was defending inquiry and change.
And very well, I thought. The day you need my help, Sandra, in voicing an
opinion . . .
Anyway, my children are young (6 and almost-8) but I do find that "science"
is an interesting area with them. One of the reasons is that it is so
complex and changing.
The other day we received an email (from this list -- I don't know??) dealing
with new planets that had been discovered. Now, that's a pretty awesome
thing to me -- the kiddos were not that amazed -- I think they are being
raised in a time when amazing things happen every day. Or maybe we just hear
about them more quickly.
I deliberately try to present things in a kind of muddle -- because I think
that's how things are. Not distinct topics but many events hooked together
and overlapping and influencing our understanding of the next event. Or
maybe it's that I wouldn't know how to present anything not in a muddle --
thing don't happen singularly -- people don't act for one clear reason --
changes happen slowly and not in a straight line.
So when we talk about anything we try to see how it fits in -- how people
might have lived and survived or not -- not just the fact (or what we think
is a fact so far removed) and also how they might have thought they knew what
was going on (the earth is flat, etc.) and then someone figured out a little
part of it and then thinking changed. And how there might be a scientist's
or explorer's or inventor's knowledge of X, but that normal everday life
might still operate on the old ideas. How long it takes knowledge to spread.
Etc.
So, science is cool around here, I think, because we are starting to discover
how little people know. Now or then. How long it takes us to figure out
what later seems like such an obvious thing and then is later repaced with
something a little closer to the truth but by now you'd think we'd know
better than to think we actually know anything!
Nance
Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall
>> I was defending inquiry and change.That was my feeling too, sorry if you felt all alone Sandra. I was not really interested in getting into such a vehement argument.
>And very well, I thought. The day you need my help, Sandra, in voicing an >opinion . . .
>Nance
Nanci K.
------------------------------------------------------------
Show off your pagan (and Idaho) pride, get Idaho Pagan Mail(tm) today!
Sign up at http://www.idahopagan.com/