Teach Yourself, Kids!

[BlueChair]

KimC over at Life in a Shoe is tackling the homeschooling issue of what to do when your children need to learn something that surpasses your own knowledge. Her answer? If you can't afford a co-op or private lessons, there's still a better way than putting them back into public school. They should teach themselves! She taught herself Latin, so it should be a breeze. :?

Now, there is something to be said for encouraging initiative in children, but with the barely literate fundie crowd out there, the kids are going to exhaust what mom knows pretty damn fast. They are then supposed to take the very shaky foundations they were provided by the SODRT and teach themselves a language, advanced math, etc? This is not realistic.

I guess it's safe to say the Duggars stuck to this method when it came to music lessons. :violin:

inashoe.com

[doggie]

should be inadumpster.com or in inatoilet.com

[fundyfunland]

I guess it's safe to say the Duggars stuck to this method when it came to music lessons. :violin:

I'm pretty sure this is how most Duggars get through the SOTDRT. I'd say it looks like at least half their curriculum is self-taught on the computer. Of course we know Michelle doesn't do any actual teaching.

[slickcat79]

I'm pretty sure this is how most Duggars get through the SOTDRT. I'd say it looks like at least half their curriculum is self-taught on the computer. Of course we know Michelle doesn't do any actual teaching.

I never thought I'd say something even the slightest bit positive about the Duggars' SOTDRT, but at least they have multiple computers and 7000 square feet of space to spread out and work on things if they need it. Trying to do school in the LiaS hellhole must be torture :shock:

[AmyP]

You would have to be very bright indeed to teach yourself higher math. Although, in her defense, it is all in the book, but most people need to see it explained and demonstrated before they understand.

[valsa]

You would have to be very bright indeed to teach yourself higher math. Although, in her defense, it is all in the book, but most people need to see it explained and demonstrated before they understand.

Exactly. I took higher math in middle school and high school and there were some things that I caught onto quickly and other things that I could re-read the lesson over and over again and still not figure out. If it were so easy for all kids to just teach themselves, we wouldn't need teachers (although this wackjob probably actually thinks we don't need teachers)

[YPestis]

I think this woman is merely writing out what many fundies believe in anyway. If fundies actually believe that teaching is a real profession which requires training, most would not talk so disparaging of them.

[Glass Cowcatcher]

And what would solve this problem?

Basic regulations on those who desire to homeschool.

[theologygeek]

I never thought I'd say something even the slightest bit positive about the Duggars' SOTDRT, but at least they have multiple computers and 7000 square feet of space to spread out and work on things if they need it. Trying to do school in the LiaS hellhole must be torture :shock:

Kim and her husband make me nauseous.

[MamaJunebug]

Taught. Herself. Latin.

Really.

Is anybody here able to post a comment on her blog in Latin, see how she replies?

I can't. But I'd love to see the look on her face when she saw the comment. :whistle:

[JesusFightClub]

And what would solve this problem?

Basic regulations on those who desire to homeschool.

And, er, no, I better not say that ;)

[jenny_islander]

*shrug* Three progress reports per school year, plus they have to pass the same standardized tests as the PS kids starting in third grade. No big.

ETA: This is in a school district in Alaska, which has been coping with the homeschooling issue for generations because of all the isolated families who would not see their kids at all for months on end if they sent them to school.

[Kitty]

This is what happens when parents are 100% responsible for educating their children without the help of "outsiders." Meaning, no tutors, no public school, no private school, just Mom and the kids at the dining room table for a few hours a day. This is what freaking happens, and this is why Christian homeschooling has the reputation it does.

I can't imagine having to teach myself French, or how to play the flute, or higher math, with absolutely no help from anyone but my parents who don't know those things (well, they know some higher math). That's all stuff I learned at my evil, godless public school, as much as it sucked later on. But I guess being able to memorize the KJV is more important than anything else :roll:

[YPestis]

The Maxwells were big advocates of textbooks because it requires little teacher prep and kids can do the work without supervision. Self-teaching scores bit with fundie homeschoolers because it enables parents to teach many children at different grade levels with minimal effort. It also makes the parents feel like they're teaching the kids something (see? the kids are reading books and doing problems!). A smart kid could probably grasp the basics with this with some gaps but any material that's extremely complicated or requires a more nuanced understanding would be beyond the ability of the student to learn.

[Gil]

Taught. Herself. Latin.

Really.

Is anybody here able to post a comment on her blog in Latin, see how she replies?

I can't. But I'd love to see the look on her face when she saw the comment. :whistle:

Consulting Latin-studying significant other as we speak...

[AtroposHeart]

The only thing I can see teaching myself is History and some sciences that catch my eyes, but everything else hell no.

[rhododactylos]

Taught. Herself. Latin.

Really.

Is anybody here able to post a comment on her blog in Latin, see how she replies?

I can't. But I'd love to see the look on her face when she saw the comment. :whistle:

Long-time lurker here, who happens to be a Latin teacher. Left an insincere but inoffensive comment in Latin on her post. We'll see if it's approved. I used the name "Magistra."

Also, hi. :D Never been a message board poster before, but I like you all (and snarking on fundies), so maybe I'll try to stay out of the lurker closet now. But, for the moment, to bed...

[JesusFightClub]

Welcome! :dance: :dance:

Latin is so cool, I wish I knew more of it. Magistra means teacher, right?

[heinz57]

You can't learn foreign languages from a book. Maybe Latin is less of an issue, because there aren't any actual speakers, so you can focus on vocabulary and syntax. But living languages must be taught by someone speaking the language! Someone who will at least correct your pronunciation, and say "well, it's grammatically correct, but you'd never say that".

I started learning Hebrew on my own, and it went fine enough to give me the basics, BUT it was the 4th foreign language I was learning, so I already knew *how* to learn, and after 6 months I started having some questions, so I got myself into a class.

Learning a language is not just memorizing the dictionary and grammar books.

[rhododactylos]

Welcome! :dance: :dance:

Latin is so cool, I wish I knew more of it. Magistra means teacher, right?

Thanks! I think Latin is pretty cool, too. :)

Yes, magistra is the feminized form of magister, which means "teacher" or "master." Instead of having my students call me Mrs. [lastname], they call me Magistra [lastname].

[freejoytoo]

I learnt Latin at school and I loved it. Sadly, I have forgotten most of it but it still comes in handy - I feel that it gave me a great boost with linguistics.

[browngrl]

...and here I am feeling like a fool because I spent thousands of dollars paying people to teach me medicine - I should have gone to the SOTDRT (the exams are a breeze - the answer to every question/problem is : pray and let God handle it ) :angry-banghead:

[ems]

Exactly. I took higher math in middle school and high school and there were some things that I caught onto quickly and other things that I could re-read the lesson over and over again and still not figure out. If it were so easy for all kids to just teach themselves, we wouldn't need teachers (although this wackjob probably actually thinks we don't need teachers)

When I took Calculus my first semester of college, I had a professor with an accent so thick I could barely understand most of the lectures, and I pretty much ended up trying to teach myself much of the material.

I got a D.

[ems]

You can't learn foreign languages from a book. Maybe Latin is less of an issue, because there aren't any actual speakers, so you can focus on vocabulary and syntax. But living languages must be taught by someone speaking the language! Someone who will at least correct your pronunciation, and say "well, it's grammatically correct, but you'd never say that".

I started learning Hebrew on my own, and it went fine enough to give me the basics, BUT it was the 4th foreign language I was learning, so I already knew *how* to learn, and after 6 months I started having some questions, so I got myself into a class.

Learning a language is not just memorizing the dictionary and grammar books.

Good points!

Out of any subject, a foreign (or even dead ;) language is probably the hardest (most impossible) to teach oneself.

[heinz57]

Good points!

Out of any subject, a foreign (or even dead ;) language is probably the hardest (most impossible) to teach oneself.

Quite possibly. I've met/read a few people who attempted that, and often mastered impressive vocabulary. The thing is, when they speak/write they are nearly impossible to understand! They use completely inappropriate register, formulate sentences in strange ways and almost always completely screw up idioms. They have no idea if this saying is completely obsolete, if that word has a heavy connotation, if this expression can be used in this context... They are as natural as Google Translate (or worse, Bing).

Sorry, I don't mean to derail the thread, but I work with languages, and love learning and talking about them :oops: