Thad Martin

hi,

they have a web site and their first issue is free (the issue this
article is in is the second issue). i enjoy the mag very much. i find
it intelligent and thought provoking as well as some what diverse - not
just homeschooling but includes many different alternatives to
mainstream thought on education. they include writes of students which
is a very nice addition.

-susan

Debra Bures wrote:

> Susan Tell me more about this magazine, paths of learning, please
> Debra

Debra Bures

Susan
Tell me more about this magazine, paths of learning, please
Debra
----- Original Message -----
From: Thad Martin
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2000 5:51 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Respecting children's choices


this is a great story. it shows a great level of empathy.
I think if i concentrate on the values i believe are important, like honesty, tolerance, kindness, respect, she can go through as many 'fads' as she wants and come out with things that really matter.
fads and peer pressure do cause problems but nothing they will not encounter when they're adults. i think it's very important for kids to develop the strength and courage to think for themselves rather than be completely sheltered (though they do need a certain degree so they don't become overwhelmed) and as adults be confronted with situations that are vastly different than what they are use to.

i was just reading the editorial in a new mag paths of learning which is about how compassion/altruism is developed. richard prystowsky, the author, states that:

'one of the most important of these points [how altruistic attitudes and behavior are developed] is that... parental influence was a monumentally influential factor in rescuers' (of victims of the holocaust) attitudes and behavior towards those whom they helped (or tried to help).'
also:
'...the perceptions of altruistic rescuers: compared to the perceptions of nonrescuers, "significantly more frequently, [rescuers] perceived themselves as like other people, sharing a fundamental humanity".

finially, he suggests that we:
'...ask ourselves how we might develop an ever-stronger ethic of caring so that, more often than not, we can teach with compassion and model this teaching for our children, our students, our communities and the world at large. ... primarily, we want to choose a path of teaching, living and learning that helps us to create the kind of world in which violence would be unknown and rescuer behavior, thus, unnecessary.'

just some interesting ideas.

-susan
austin,tx


JENNIFE30@... wrote:


My daughter is 8 and when she first became interested, i mean obsessed :-), i
became a little concerned. I don't want to dictate what she can and can't be
interrested in though; i want her to learn to make her own choices and not
rely on someone else to tell her what to do, so i just let it go. I found
that she isn't into it because it's cool to be, she really loves the
characters and the shows.
I have also found some positive aspects to the craze. One thing, it's
something that just about every kid knows something about, and it's an easy
ice breaker. She starts conversations with kids all the time with pokemon.
I notice they may start with pokemon, but they end up talking about or
playing other things after a while. And at the few burger king trading
nights we've been to, it all begins with pokemon, but after a while the kids
end up in the play area making up new games and just playing.
One of the best 'pokemon experiences' i had was when i was with my daughter
at the swap meet, and she told the vendor that he was selling a certain card
for much less than it was worth. He looked it up, and sure enough, she was
right. He was very impressed and thanked her for telling him. Afterwards,
she said she really wanted the card, and had enough money to buy it at the
low price, but she knew that that was the wrong thing to do. I told her i
was proud of her. I think if i concentrate on the values i believe are
important, like honesty, tolerance, kindness, respect, she can go through as
many 'fads' as she wants and come out with things that really matter.


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