Heidi

borrowing from Gatto here.

John Gatto mentions the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin in one of
his online articles, and so I read it. The Autobio, that is. And
learned something that amazed me, though I did know it: Benjamin
Franklin wasn't brought up a printer. His father was a chandler who
scraped by, but filled his dinner table with conversation from
interesting people, and that is what Ben. Franklin grew up on:
working hard to help his dad with the candle shop, listening to
diverse, high quality adult conversation regularly, and he also
mentions being an early reader. But not so good at math. He taught
himself algebra at age 16.

Okay. Though Franklin advocated a system for educating all of
society, if he'd taken a look around him, he would have seen
(according to Gatto's stats in his Big Book) a 94% literacy rate
amongst adults, and even among African slaves, an 80% literacy rate.
They were getting their education from parents who wanted their
children to be readers. In fact, wasn't it expected of parents, that
they would teach reading and math, along with the Family Trade.

Those who displayed an ability in academics, went on to be scholars.
In fact, Franklin himself went to a clerical school for a year, but
the family couldn't afford it. The point I am drawing from this
is: "those who displayed an ability in academics"...

IOW, not every single person in society got a formal education. Ben
Franklin's father recognized a scholarliness about the boy, and
wanted him to get some of that formal education. Didn't work out, and
he ended up starting a print shop, eh?

So...diversity in society. Americans owned businesses, and children
learned the business from their parents, or were apprenticed to
businesses/trades. Because parents knew their responsibilities,
children learned to read and write, and do math...and learned the
things their parents did. A child with a bent towards learning
visually, might be spotted as a potential scholar, but not every
child was expected to be scholarly. Bookish.

Do you think America had more doers then, than now? And that the
public school system has created a homogeneity that is unhealthy and
inhuman? And that homeschoolers who are willing to let their children
run on the road of their own choosing, are coming BACK to something
that we once had in abundance, and pushed away with generations of
our "scientific method" of educating?

well, some thoughts, anyway
HeidiC

Stephanie Elms

> John Gatto mentions the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin in one of
> his online articles, and so I read it. The Autobio, that is. And
> learned something that amazed me, though I did know it: Benjamin
> Franklin wasn't brought up a printer. His father was a chandler who
> scraped by, but filled his dinner table with conversation from
> interesting people, and that is what Ben. Franklin grew up on:
> working hard to help his dad with the candle shop, listening to
> diverse, high quality adult conversation regularly, and he also
> mentions being an early reader. But not so good at math. He taught
> himself algebra at age 16.

Hey, I am reading this too! He was not brought up as a printer, but he was
apprenticed to his brother (who was a printer) when he was 12. I just find
it so fascinating that he had such a desire to figure out how things work,
constantly questioning. I also love how he had so many phases in his life
and how much he did in his later years (especially back then when 60+ was
considered really old).

I love how much he taught himself...including how to swim!

Stephanie E.

Heidi

--- In [email protected], "Stephanie Elms"
<stephanie.elms@d...> wrote:
> > John Gatto mentions the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin in one
of
> > his online articles, and so I read it. The Autobio, that is. And
> > learned something that amazed me, though I did know it: Benjamin
> > Franklin wasn't brought up a printer. His father was a chandler
who
> > scraped by, but filled his dinner table with conversation from
> > interesting people, and that is what Ben. Franklin grew up on:
> > working hard to help his dad with the candle shop, listening to
> > diverse, high quality adult conversation regularly, and he also
> > mentions being an early reader. But not so good at math. He
taught
> > himself algebra at age 16.
>
> Hey, I am reading this too! He was not brought up as a printer, but
he was
> apprenticed to his brother (who was a printer) when he was 12. I
just find
> it so fascinating that he had such a desire to figure out how
things work,
> constantly questioning. I also love how he had so many phases in
his life
> and how much he did in his later years (especially back then when
60+ was
> considered really old).
>
> I love how much he taught himself...including how to swim!
>
> Stephanie E.


Thing is, I had gone into that autobiography thinking that the
Founding FAthers were all classically educated, as youths, sitting at
their desks under tutors and being given Latin, Greek, etc. to learn.
Nope. Same with Geo. Washington. He didn't go to school until age 11,
and at that, he knew how to read and do his math. At age 11, he
entereed a course of trigonometry, and became the county surveyor at
age 17. His passion was horse riding, and he was athletic more than
bookish...which perfectly fit him for the position he was to take in
life.

These guys lived their lives, learned how to do things from their
parents and other adults in the community, and taught themselves
whatever else caught their fancy. They weren't under the tutelage of
classics teachers. But I bet there were many amongst them who could
read Latin and Greek.

They followed what they thought was interesting, and history calls
them great...because they were. The internal drive makes greatness.
Some people have that leadership in them. Some people are going to be
content earning their living, loving their kids, having some
enjoyable hobbies and interests without the push and the drive. Why
put every kid through the wringer, as if doing so would make them
great? ugh.

HeidiC