Christine

Lisa, This is a wonderful response!! So many times I've had to defend my
position on TV and other non-traditional forms of learning activities. I
let my children watch all sorts of Movies, because their attention span has
grown huge leaps and bonds and it helps their imagination take off. My
Three year old wants to learn all he can about Dinosaurs, and knows words
like Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Pterodactyl because of movies like Jurassic
Park, and We're Back. Television has given me some of the best
opportunities to discuss things like being nice, getting frustrated, the
solar system and so much more with my 5 year old. Shows like Blue's Clues
discusses EVERYTHING! We love it. The Disney Channel, Nick Jr. and the
Discovery channel are great discussion starters... heck even the dumb
cartoons from my childhood on the Cartoon network can start discussions on
things like how to react to dumb situations, and how cartoons have changed
with computer animation. It's all about what you choose to discuss with
your kids. The world is a tool, it doesn't have to be mind numbing!

Christine - Pomona, Ca.

> << but then all he wants to do is read Star Wars books, Robert Jordan
> >books, play nintendo 64, or play on the internet. I keep wondering when
he
> >will finally be "deschooled" and ready to learn >>
>
> He is learning. Star Wars is nothing but the story of the entire reason
for
> human existence. What is good? What is bad? Where does evil eminate from?
Who
> is responsible? Where is God, What is the Force?? If he was reading
Dante's
> Inferno or Milton you'd be proud, but you know what, he'd be going over
the
> same issues.
>
> Science Fiction takes the science we know and tries to extend it. Ever
seen
> a rerun of Buck Rodgers??? They seem so childish now. <G> He's getting a
> good dose of real science mixed in with what if... That's scientific
thinking
> at it's best.
>
> Video games are math in action. Find an algebra 2 book and look for the
> chapter on Matrix's. Then play a video game. A Matrix in action. The
> logical thinking that is required to play most video games rivals the
logic
> used in any textbook word problem. My 9 year old spent most of yesterday
> drawing his own mazes for his own *video game*. Math in action, as he had
to
> use scale and porportion, measurement (as in graph paper boxes) He then
> spent at least 2 hours, if all totalled up reading....struggling to read
his
> video game magazines. He's not working on Dick and Jane words using that
> magazine. :)
>
> If he's on the net, what is he reading... (there's that reading and
> vocabulary thing again). Is he typing... um.. writing at all. Does he
have
> email pals that he writes to daily?? He could be doing an incredible
amount
> of English..........
>
> One day I found my teen on the computer just as dawn was beaking. I was
> really irratited, knowing that she'd stayed up all night and would sleep
all
> day and I needed her. ( her sibs are 7, 9 and 11 years younger, sometimes
I
> have to have her help) Know what, she'd gotten involved in a discussion
> about God and the universe. She'd sent all night defending her positions
and
> really listening to people who held vastly different beliefs. Where else
but
> the net is she going to get that?? ((We live in AL and almost everyone is
a
> fundamentalist Christian, including many members of our family. Religion
is
> just not a topic we discuss very much because the feelings run so deep,
even
> between relatives who just practice Christianity differently from each
> other.)) Theology at 16.
>
> I don't know your son, but I do know that our teens are awesome. They are
in
> their own heads, thinking and comparing and wondering. Sometimes they are
> overwhelmed by the adult world and are confused by how we compartmentalize
> our world. They aren't ready to put things in nice neat boxes...... boxes
of
> ticky tacky.
>
> It's shift of persepctive to look at what they ARE doing and see the
learning
> and connections inherent in their choices. He hasn't been deschooling
for 3
> years getting ready to go back to schooling. He's been unschooling for a
very
> long time. :)
>
> Lisa
>
>
>
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>
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>
> Message: 18
> Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 09:04:34 EDT
> From: KaeKaeB2@...
> Subject: Re: New to list with real important questions!
>
> In a message dated 6/3/99 7:44:27 AM Central Daylight Time,
> tl2b@... writes:
>
> << but then again I have an 8yo that is begging to learn algebra. there
are no
> books for kids that age. SO I am just putting in letters for numbers and
> letting him solve the prob. my partner will have to take over when isaac
> gets past that stage. >>
>
> try doing a web search for a book called Calculus for 7 year olds. I think
he
> goes by the title The Mathman. I'll go hunting, but if someone else has
it
> bookmarked would you send it on, pretty please. :)
>
> Lisa

NONNA OWINGS

When my son was little the doctor told me to encourage him to play NES
because it would help his hand and eye cordination...

> Christine - Pomona, Ca.
>
> > << but then all he wants to do is read Star Wars
> books, Robert Jordan
> > >books, play nintendo 64, or play on the
> internet. I keep wondering when
> he
> > >will finally be "deschooled" and ready to learn
> >>
> >
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