What Kelly @ Generation Cedar considers 'education' part 2

[aggythenostic]

http://www.generationcedar.com/main/201 ... l#comments

I'm seriously appalled that reading the inset to a Mozart CD is 'history' [she hasn't even checked any facts - girl, I'm a copywriter and it could be the worst kind of Wikipedia BS], and a ten minute 'conversation' on credit card is economics. Really? And how is this 'education:'

They learned that my favorite thing to do in the morning is snuggle them tightly, whispering how thankful I am for the gift of their lives.

They learned to quadruple a recipe we made to take to our volunteers at the job site.

They learned patience, tying a sister’s little shoe and helping her sound out her letters.

Keep writing, Kells. It's just more evidence of how badly you are neglecting your 'blessings.'

[starfish]

She's raising them to be her slaves. She envisions them being totally dependent on her. She's the worst kind of control freak, religious-homeschooling mom, except for Carrie Williams.

We need a better word for her type of homeschooling. Because schooling,

it is not.

[Kelya]

She's raising them to be her slaves. She envisions them being totally dependent on her. She's the worst kind of control freak, religious-homeschooling mom, except for Carrie Williams.

We need a better word for her type of homeschooling. Because schooling,

it is not.

So much of this is what average and usual parents would consider additions to daily schoolwork- learning how to follow a recipe and enlarge it is an important skill, but generally one kids can figure out once they've had basic math. So when you're making cake with your third grader and say you're gonna double it, your kid should be able to double it, maybe with a bit of help from you. But it shouldn't be their introduction to doubling numbers, or their only practice! Its not schooling, like you said...its a weird substitution of typical parenting and trying to make it count for all a child needs.

[jenny_islander]

One quibble--I did use cooking to explain doubling because it's a tangible way to show what doubling means. But, yes, this is the stuff we do outside school hours. Inside--are these kids learning foreign language, handwriting, history, geography, elements of scientific inquiry, or how to carry the ones to the tens place?

[cindyluvs24]

They hear her spout some facts, but they aren't learning how to learn, how to think, how to analyze. Even koko the gorilla learned 400 words in sign language - watching a conveyor belt, wow, very deep. Of course, in mommy's school, everyone is at the top of their class.

[starfish]

I've noticed that Kelly and her loyal minions who parrot her every opinion love to tout the "flexibility" of homeschooling. Translated from fundie speak: they didn't do anything but hang around the house and blog all day.

[Kelya]

One quibble--I did use cooking to explain doubling because it's a tangible way to show what doubling means. But, yes, this is the stuff we do outside school hours. Inside--are these kids learning foreign language, handwriting, history, geography, elements of scientific inquiry, or how to carry the ones to the tens place?

Oh yeah, definitely on using cooking and other activities- I can't tell you how many apples and oranges were sacrificed in my house for teaching me fractions! Involved parents do enrichment activities, sucky parents call enrichment activities schooling and let it suffice for real education.

[YPestis]

It seems Kelly is trying to convince herself/readers that every bit of things her kids do is equivalent to actual schooling. While one can make a case that everything we do helps us grow, that's different from an education which sets the foundation for more advanced topics. Before ever seeing a patient, I had to sit through classes and classes covering biochemistry and physiology and all those topics I'm not going to pick up by taking a history and physical. However, was my classes useless because it wasn't picked up through "real experience"? I think Kelly needs to rethink how she's approaching education. Her kids may end up resenting her for what she's doing....

[aggythenostic]

I understand that the Kelly Lites turn to her to be encouraging. Because she's encouraging the same ignorance to go through another generation. Her point is that even when they don't get around to 'book work' - it's still learning! But it isn't 1850. She's educating them **cough** as if they were expected only to have to sound out words to figure out a bus schedule. I can't believe the state allows this. And then one of her followers will post about how their kids tested at 12th grade level - Sure. I mean, it's impossible to learn advanced subjects without a decent foundation.

I hate that she's not only condemning her children, she's condemning other people's children. What a waste! If you're going to have 14 children under the age of five, and you have one tiny income and no help - ladies, please. You CANNOT manage a complete education too. That's why there are public schools, you see.

[Wolfie]

http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2011/11/homeschooling-on-accident-dont-fret-the-interrupted-day.html#comments

I'm seriously appalled that reading the inset to a Mozart CD is 'history' [she hasn't even checked any facts - girl, I'm a copywriter and it could be the worst kind of Wikipedia BS

From her link, it looks to be some sort of actual music history curriculum. I know nothing about it, but it appears to be the most "formal" of anything that they did.

But you know, I see this sort of thing among other homeschoolers- what would have been a somewhat typical day for a family with a SAHM, always has to be "schooling." Um, no, it is a typical day, those sorts of things should be happening anyway.

[dairyfreelife]

I found a gem commenter:

Yesterday I found this guy who is a school teacher teaching all these songs and silly stuff used to control and entertain or teach the children in a classroom. It was the silliest thing I had ever seen. I kept thinking how silly my son would become if he had this man for his teacher. I kept thinking of how boys nowadays don’t mature but keep on being boys even when old because of lack of good manly examples.

Yes, because children never learn anything through song. :roll: And how terrible of a man that guy is. He sings songs with his students, he couldn't possibly be a real man. :angry-banghead:

[Shirley MacLaine]

I will remember the quadratic equation until the day I die because of silly song I learned in school.

[Guest Anonymous]

I can't tell you how many times those "silly" songs have helped my daughter remember how to figure out her 5th and 6th grade math problems. So closed minded these people!! :x

[FuManchu]

One picture from our read-aloud-story sparked a 10-minute explanation about beavers.

I think Doug 'Anaconda' Phillips has competition in his quest to give life to a thousand innuendos.

[BoomerLynn]

My sons are currently using those silly songs to help with distinguishing patterns and certain math problems. My second-grader has even been trying to write out his own rhythms and my first-grader was trying to teach one that he learned in school to his little sister.

[notsocommon]

I do more with my daughter who goes to school all day! We are going to the mummy exhibit later this month. In prep we watched the NOVA episode about the ice man (what started her interest), watched Videos about egyptian mummies and read about mummies in general. My kid can yack you ear off about them.

Just one small example. She expressed an interest in mummies and we will run with it as long as her interest lasts. We do this with anything she expresses an interest in. I guess you could say that we unschool-afterschool.

Then again, I actually care about my kid's education and want her to be able to function in society. I bet Kelly is one of those people who claim that home schoolers out perform public school kids. Yeah no, Kelly. You can't sit on your ass and expect your kids to automagically get a quality education.

[sea_gale]

The filthy mnemonics my sister taught me helped me pass my neuroanatomy course at uni. So a big fat :p to anyone who thinks silly songs aren't real learning.

[jenny_islander]

Silly songs helped my daughter learn her multiplication tables and the names of the planets.

ETA: While Schoolhouse Rock has its problems--"Elbow Room," anyone?--it doesn't need to be Jesusweened. But somebody has done it. I was briefly the owner (it was donated to me) of a book of songs that attempted to replace the Schoolhouse Rock multiplication songs with multiplication Bible songs. Oh fer criYI.

[desertvixen]

I guess you could say that we unschool-afterschool.

This would be me, also. This weekend we went to the zoo (3-month-old lion cubs, a new female tiger, and a lot of peacocks and peahens, including an albino one christened the Snow Queen by my daughter) where they also got to pet snakes. Then we went to a botanical garden and butterfly exhibit. This weekend it is Girl Scouts and we are making a banner for next week's Veteran's Day parade. She's really into animals, so we have lots of books like Does a Mouse Have a Mommy and How Animal Babies Stay Safe.

This is what makes me sad, that there are kids not getting enough exposure to learning.