math everyday
julie1264
>From: Priss1000@...Priss,
>I'm near Greenville, SC,
>My husband is supportive of homeschooling but not of unschooling. He is an
>engineer so he insists that we cover math every day.<
My dh was real leary of the whole hs issue over all not to mention unschooling. I discussed it with him and he said that we will see as our kids are 2 and 4 months. I let it go for a few days and found a new way to present it.
My dh loves cars and we have several that he buys, rebuilds the engine to make them faster and races them at the dragstrip. It is a family event and he wants the kids to be interested in them as well.
Last week while getting ready to race the one car, I pointed out that the whole concept of racing and building a faster car was math. Ratios, speed, how much gas goes through the carb and etc. was all math. Then I pointed out that since he wants his kids to be as involved with the cars as he is and taught them everything he know, he was.........UNSCHOOLING!!!!!!!
You know what??? I have a much more receptive husband.
I hope that you can find something like this for you, it just makes the homefront a littler easier!!!
Julie G.
PROUD TO BE A GROWER OF KIDS
[email protected]
******Last week while getting ready to race the one car, I pointed out that
the whole concept of racing and building a faster car was math. Ratios,
speed, how much gas goes through the carb and etc. was all math. Then I
pointed out that since he wants his kids to be as involved with the cars as
he is and taught them everything he know, he was.........UNSCHOOLING!!!!!!!
You know what??? I have a much more receptive husband.
I hope that you can find something like this for you, it just makes the
homefront a littler easier!!!
Julie G,******************
Thanks, Julie, for the good ideas! My husband has cars he wants to rebuild
and that I want him to sell, LOL. (One has the engine out of it and in boxes
ALL OVER my basement, the other takes up half our carport. Neither one has
been worked on in years) Now should I try to get him to keep the cars so that
he can unschool through rebuilding? Or should I try to get him to sell the
cars so I can unschool through economics? I'm still thinking economics here.
<G>
Anyway, thanks, and I'll have to ponder some more acceptable ways to get my
husband involved, LOL.
Priss
the whole concept of racing and building a faster car was math. Ratios,
speed, how much gas goes through the carb and etc. was all math. Then I
pointed out that since he wants his kids to be as involved with the cars as
he is and taught them everything he know, he was.........UNSCHOOLING!!!!!!!
You know what??? I have a much more receptive husband.
I hope that you can find something like this for you, it just makes the
homefront a littler easier!!!
Julie G,******************
Thanks, Julie, for the good ideas! My husband has cars he wants to rebuild
and that I want him to sell, LOL. (One has the engine out of it and in boxes
ALL OVER my basement, the other takes up half our carport. Neither one has
been worked on in years) Now should I try to get him to keep the cars so that
he can unschool through rebuilding? Or should I try to get him to sell the
cars so I can unschool through economics? I'm still thinking economics here.
<G>
Anyway, thanks, and I'll have to ponder some more acceptable ways to get my
husband involved, LOL.
Priss
David Albert
Dear Julie -
Good story, and good point. Actually, what you illustrate through your
story is that the difference between "unschooling" and other approaches
to homeschooling are often not as different as some would make it seem.
All "unschoolers" allow their children to be influenced in what they
become interested in either by themselves, siblings, other adults, or
things which come their way. It is possible to use workbooks and be
consistent with "unschooling" approaches if the child acknowledges,
understands, and contracts to use them if s/he appreciates (and desires)
the value to be obtained at the other end.
Example -- "Jim, you want to be able to set the torque on the engine
with me?" "Yeah, Dad, that would be great!" "Okay, but I have to tell
you that in order to be able to do that you'll have to understand and be
able to compute torque ratios. That's what I have to do." "Oh? How do
I learn to do that?" "Well, I could show you how to do the math and
give you some problems to practice. Might take a couple of weeks. Are
you up for it?" "I'm not sure, Dad." "Well, you think about it, and
remember, all you have to do is ask and I'll be here to help. Okay?"
The difference is not whether one sits at a desk, runs the lemonade
stand, uses the pocket calculator, or just hangs around with Dad (or the
next door neighbor). The difference in "unschooling" lies in allowing
the child to understand the positive consequences of learning and
allowing her to contract for it when she, and she alone, is ready.
Facilitating lots of exposure, and giving the kids the benefit of your
experience and judgment in helping them understand how they can fulfill
their knowledge quests (knowing there may be many different ways to do
so), is what my concept of "unschooling" would be. So if the
"unschooling" word is block to mutual understanding, get rid of it (as
you found you finally didn't need to, but it might have helped along the
way.)
David Albert
julie1264 wrote:
Good story, and good point. Actually, what you illustrate through your
story is that the difference between "unschooling" and other approaches
to homeschooling are often not as different as some would make it seem.
All "unschoolers" allow their children to be influenced in what they
become interested in either by themselves, siblings, other adults, or
things which come their way. It is possible to use workbooks and be
consistent with "unschooling" approaches if the child acknowledges,
understands, and contracts to use them if s/he appreciates (and desires)
the value to be obtained at the other end.
Example -- "Jim, you want to be able to set the torque on the engine
with me?" "Yeah, Dad, that would be great!" "Okay, but I have to tell
you that in order to be able to do that you'll have to understand and be
able to compute torque ratios. That's what I have to do." "Oh? How do
I learn to do that?" "Well, I could show you how to do the math and
give you some problems to practice. Might take a couple of weeks. Are
you up for it?" "I'm not sure, Dad." "Well, you think about it, and
remember, all you have to do is ask and I'll be here to help. Okay?"
The difference is not whether one sits at a desk, runs the lemonade
stand, uses the pocket calculator, or just hangs around with Dad (or the
next door neighbor). The difference in "unschooling" lies in allowing
the child to understand the positive consequences of learning and
allowing her to contract for it when she, and she alone, is ready.
Facilitating lots of exposure, and giving the kids the benefit of your
experience and judgment in helping them understand how they can fulfill
their knowledge quests (knowing there may be many different ways to do
so), is what my concept of "unschooling" would be. So if the
"unschooling" word is block to mutual understanding, get rid of it (as
you found you finally didn't need to, but it might have helped along the
way.)
David Albert
julie1264 wrote:
>
>
> >From: Priss1000@...
> >I'm near Greenville, SC,
> >My husband is supportive of homeschooling but not of unschooling. He
> is an
> >engineer so he insists that we cover math every day.< Priss, My dh
> was real leary of the whole hs issue over all not to mention
> unschooling. I discussed it with him and he said that we will see as
> our kids are 2 and 4 months. I let it go for a few days and found a
> new way to present it. My dh loves cars and we have several that he
> buys, rebuilds the engine to make them faster and races them at the
> dragstrip. It is a family event and he wants the kids to be
> interested in them as well. Last week while getting ready to race the
> one car, I pointed out that the whole concept of racing and building a
> faster car was math. Ratios, speed, how much gas goes through the
> carb and etc. was all math. Then I pointed out that since he wants
> his kids to be as involved with the cars as he is and taught them
> everything he know, he was.........UNSCHOOLING!!!!!!! You know
> what??? I have a much more receptive husband. I hope that you can
> find something like this for you, it just makes the homefront a
> littler easier!!! Julie G. PROUD TO BE A GROWER OF KIDS
[email protected]
In a message dated 6/4/99 3:21:57 PM PST, shantinik@... writes:
<<
Example -- "Jim, you want to be able to set the torque on the engine
with me?" "Yeah, Dad, that would be great!" "Okay, but I have to tell
you that in order to be able to do that you'll have to understand and be
able to compute torque ratios. That's what I have to do." "Oh? How do
I learn to do that?" "Well, I could show you how to do the math and
give you some problems to practice. Might take a couple of weeks. Are
you up for it?" "I'm not sure, Dad." "Well, you think about it, and
remember, all you have to do is ask and I'll be here to help. Okay?"
You go out to the garage and start using the Torque Wrench. Child asks what
is torque? You explain. Child asks "how do you know how to do it?" You
explain. Maybe even give an easier example of the ratio situation. It
doesn't ALWAYS require sitting down to problems. Sometimes it is a matter of
talking it through as you are doing it.
Mary
<<
Example -- "Jim, you want to be able to set the torque on the engine
with me?" "Yeah, Dad, that would be great!" "Okay, but I have to tell
you that in order to be able to do that you'll have to understand and be
able to compute torque ratios. That's what I have to do." "Oh? How do
I learn to do that?" "Well, I could show you how to do the math and
give you some problems to practice. Might take a couple of weeks. Are
you up for it?" "I'm not sure, Dad." "Well, you think about it, and
remember, all you have to do is ask and I'll be here to help. Okay?"
>>This is an interesting example, but there IS another way to go about it.
You go out to the garage and start using the Torque Wrench. Child asks what
is torque? You explain. Child asks "how do you know how to do it?" You
explain. Maybe even give an easier example of the ratio situation. It
doesn't ALWAYS require sitting down to problems. Sometimes it is a matter of
talking it through as you are doing it.
Mary
David Albert
LammiesX6@... wrote:
David
> From: LammiesX6@...Agreed! And they would both be "unschooling".
>
> In a message dated 6/4/99 3:21:57 PM PST, shantinik@...
> writes:
>
> <<
> Example -- "Jim, you want to be able to set the torque on the engine
> with me?" "Yeah, Dad, that would be great!" "Okay, but I have to
> tell
> you that in order to be able to do that you'll have to understand and
> be
> able to compute torque ratios. That's what I have to do." "Oh? How
> do
> I learn to do that?" "Well, I could show you how to do the math and
> give you some problems to practice. Might take a couple of weeks.
> Are
> you up for it?" "I'm not sure, Dad." "Well, you think about it, and
>
> remember, all you have to do is ask and I'll be here to help. Okay?"
>
> >>
>
> This is an interesting example, but there IS another way to go about
> it.
>
> You go out to the garage and start using the Torque Wrench. Child
> asks what
> is torque? You explain. Child asks "how do you know how to do it?"
> You
> explain. Maybe even give an easier example of the ratio situation.
> It
> doesn't ALWAYS require sitting down to problems. Sometimes it is a
> matter of
> talking it through as you are doing it.
>
> Mary
David
>
>
> -
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