Ivan was good about taking them to to beach but he had a tendency to forget about the tide.Last night's Poker party was a total success. Well, except for the part where I didn't win. We had a great time, lots of laughs, and we got to know each other better - the whole point of the evening. I would never have pegged Shawn for an animal science major, never mind a Marine. I'm impressed.
The trip home was the first time I've driven Gerta at night. I had checked the headlights and knew they worked. Now I know I need to adjust their alignment.
If you don't laugh, or groan out loud as you watch this, check your pulse.
Women Drivers
I had planned to take just tomorrow's session of Foundations (our second hour) for a discussion of the different versions of the Bible. But as I did my prep I realized that in order to do this topic justice we really need to back up and talk about textual variants, and that requires talking about the process of copying the early manuscripts. So we're going to expand this into two sessions. I've created a handout with some terms that we'll need to know: formal equivalence, dynamic equivalence, version, paraphrase, etc. I've asked them to bring any different Bibles they have so we can do a comparison of some key passages that will illustrate the issues involved. Should be interesting.
I'd understand if you questioned the objectivity of this statement, but I think anybody who knows them would agree - I have bright, intelligent sons. They both did well academically, including through college, and have distinguished themselves in their respective careers. I bring that up as background and support for a few observations.
Preschool somehow became not just normative, but one of the presumed requirements of good parenting. We won't go into the discussion of working mothers and the cost/benefit ratio for the family, at least not now. But even most stay-at-home moms seem to have bought into the thinking that sending your child to preschool is essential if they're going to maximize their intellectual and social skills. Hey, I have nothing against preschool. It has many advantages, and not just for the working mom. It gives the stay-at-home mom a break for a few hours each week for shopping, housework or just catching her breath. But preschool also adds to the expense column of the family budget and an increasing number of families are finding month left at the end of the income. Drop preschool?? That would put Suzy or Sam at a terrible disadvantage entering first grade. We can't do that to our child - have them the dumbest 5-year old in the room.
First, there are other places to learn to read - like home. They hadn't invented preschool when I was a kid and I could read entering Kindergarten, thanks in part to my parents and my grandmother. OK, I was naturally precocious, but my brothers could read too, and they're dumb as posts.
Secondly, it may just be that skills like reading aren't learned best when learned earliest. Horses race as two-year olds but anyone who knows horses will tell you that while they can run at that age they run better, with significantly less risk of injury when they're at least four years old, even older. (Greed pushes owners to race them as early as the law allows.) Methinks three- and four-year olds are best wired for play, discovering the world around them through experience.
Again, I don't have a principled objection to preschool per se, but I hate to see parents sending Johnny or Mary because they've been convinced it's essential to his/her full development, especially when it places the family finances under additional stress. Somehow America managed to turn out men and women who led the world in all areas of knowledge for the better part of two centuries without sending kids to preschool. And without even a hint of humility I'll submit my sons as exhibits A and B.
I'll also put them forward as proof that a kid can get a good education in the public school system. I agree that there's a place for private schools and for home schooling. But those who choose those options can't make the case that public schools are necessarily bad because they are public. The public school system is filled with teachers who are dedicated professionals. Yeah, there are some real doofuses in the classrooms but the same can be said for any profession. There's a 50/50 chance that your dentist finished in the bottom half of his/her graduating class.
Our sons' pre-high school years were spent in California public schools, arguably not the most traditional, value-oriented place to spend the earliest years of a kid's education. But they had excellent teachers, many of whom were believers. We moved back to MI where they both went to High School and there, too, they had some great teachers (and a few of those doofuses). Anybody want to argue that there aren't some unqualified teachers in private schools? (I won't cast any aspersions on the quality of home schoolers. Contrary to popular opinion I did not just fall off a turnip truck.)
A case could be made that the worst thing that ever happened to public schools, and the factor which most contributed to any decline they've experienced has been the massive withdrawl of believers who fled the public square to hole up in educational monastaries known as Christian Schools (and home schools). What impact would it have if every family of believers re-entered the public school system and got involved? Imagine the power for reform that would bring!
OK, I'm going to have to come back to the whole learning to learn thing. Pam's going to be home in a few minutes, and I still have some printing to do for tomorrow morning. I also try to get to bed early on Saturday nights so I'm well rested for Sunday's efforts on his behalf. So we'll get to the learning part tomorrow night.
The trip home was the first time I've driven Gerta at night. I had checked the headlights and knew they worked. Now I know I need to adjust their alignment.
If you don't laugh, or groan out loud as you watch this, check your pulse.
Women Drivers
I had planned to take just tomorrow's session of Foundations (our second hour) for a discussion of the different versions of the Bible. But as I did my prep I realized that in order to do this topic justice we really need to back up and talk about textual variants, and that requires talking about the process of copying the early manuscripts. So we're going to expand this into two sessions. I've created a handout with some terms that we'll need to know: formal equivalence, dynamic equivalence, version, paraphrase, etc. I've asked them to bring any different Bibles they have so we can do a comparison of some key passages that will illustrate the issues involved. Should be interesting.
I'd understand if you questioned the objectivity of this statement, but I think anybody who knows them would agree - I have bright, intelligent sons. They both did well academically, including through college, and have distinguished themselves in their respective careers. I bring that up as background and support for a few observations.
- Preschool is not an essential ingredient to the intellectual development of a child.
- Public schools can provide a solid education.
- Learning to learn is more important than learning.
Preschool somehow became not just normative, but one of the presumed requirements of good parenting. We won't go into the discussion of working mothers and the cost/benefit ratio for the family, at least not now. But even most stay-at-home moms seem to have bought into the thinking that sending your child to preschool is essential if they're going to maximize their intellectual and social skills. Hey, I have nothing against preschool. It has many advantages, and not just for the working mom. It gives the stay-at-home mom a break for a few hours each week for shopping, housework or just catching her breath. But preschool also adds to the expense column of the family budget and an increasing number of families are finding month left at the end of the income. Drop preschool?? That would put Suzy or Sam at a terrible disadvantage entering first grade. We can't do that to our child - have them the dumbest 5-year old in the room.
First, there are other places to learn to read - like home. They hadn't invented preschool when I was a kid and I could read entering Kindergarten, thanks in part to my parents and my grandmother. OK, I was naturally precocious, but my brothers could read too, and they're dumb as posts.
Secondly, it may just be that skills like reading aren't learned best when learned earliest. Horses race as two-year olds but anyone who knows horses will tell you that while they can run at that age they run better, with significantly less risk of injury when they're at least four years old, even older. (Greed pushes owners to race them as early as the law allows.) Methinks three- and four-year olds are best wired for play, discovering the world around them through experience.
Again, I don't have a principled objection to preschool per se, but I hate to see parents sending Johnny or Mary because they've been convinced it's essential to his/her full development, especially when it places the family finances under additional stress. Somehow America managed to turn out men and women who led the world in all areas of knowledge for the better part of two centuries without sending kids to preschool. And without even a hint of humility I'll submit my sons as exhibits A and B.
I'll also put them forward as proof that a kid can get a good education in the public school system. I agree that there's a place for private schools and for home schooling. But those who choose those options can't make the case that public schools are necessarily bad because they are public. The public school system is filled with teachers who are dedicated professionals. Yeah, there are some real doofuses in the classrooms but the same can be said for any profession. There's a 50/50 chance that your dentist finished in the bottom half of his/her graduating class.
Our sons' pre-high school years were spent in California public schools, arguably not the most traditional, value-oriented place to spend the earliest years of a kid's education. But they had excellent teachers, many of whom were believers. We moved back to MI where they both went to High School and there, too, they had some great teachers (and a few of those doofuses). Anybody want to argue that there aren't some unqualified teachers in private schools? (I won't cast any aspersions on the quality of home schoolers. Contrary to popular opinion I did not just fall off a turnip truck.)
A case could be made that the worst thing that ever happened to public schools, and the factor which most contributed to any decline they've experienced has been the massive withdrawl of believers who fled the public square to hole up in educational monastaries known as Christian Schools (and home schools). What impact would it have if every family of believers re-entered the public school system and got involved? Imagine the power for reform that would bring!
OK, I'm going to have to come back to the whole learning to learn thing. Pam's going to be home in a few minutes, and I still have some printing to do for tomorrow morning. I also try to get to bed early on Saturday nights so I'm well rested for Sunday's efforts on his behalf. So we'll get to the learning part tomorrow night.
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I tried tocorrect my comment but failed! :)
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