Archive for the ‘What does “Education” Look Like?’ Category

Do Facts = Education?

Posted: July 13, 2011 in Mama Says Namaste, What does "Education" Look Like?
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It’s official.  My wonderful hubby (dubbed Papa Gray) and I (now Mama Rose) are embarking on a new adventure together – a crazy adventure into the world of being our children’s teachers.  (My first thought is geesh, aren’t we that already?)  However, what I’m talking about specifically is that we are publicly broadcasting to the world our journey with non-traditional schooling.  I’m hesitant to call it homeschooling yet, because it may not follow the homeschooling model.  I’m a fan of the unschooling method, and I’m checking out a few other avenues as well.    You can follow our progress on our new site, www.FamilyLifeLearners.com.

In this post, my personal rants blog, I want to talk about a certain quote I came across:

It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated.

~ Alec Bourne

Wow – of course there is a lot of weight in this quote to argue against the traditional school model in our US culture, but I want to take it outside of that realm and have it address us all.   I know different personality styles come to play, but some people thrive on facts and figures.  Others are “education junkies” and take course after course or read millions of books…all for the sake of learning.

But… does just knowing the words and facts create a wise mind?  Oh no, my friend.  It takes so much more.  It takes bringing in the lesson to your soul, formulating them in your mind, digesting the input and deciding what to glean from it, enforcing it in your heart, and intentionally applying it to your life.  Many people learn, but unfortunately, not everyone is truly teachable.  A teachable moment is identified as when the timing is right…yet I think it goes deeper to really be about when the mind/heart is open to embrace a lesson beyond just the facts and/or words. 

What do you think?  Does knowing the facts make you wise?  What’s your definition?

MamaRose Shares Her Story

Posted: July 12, 2011 in Family Life Learning, What does "Education" Look Like?
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Well, well, well.  One week into a new site and I get the opportunity to do an hour-long video interview with The Homeschool Netcast Network!  Oh so coincidentally, Gerald interviewed my father, Dan Miller, the week before, so he got the perspective of a “retired” homeschool dad, so his goal was to interview me as a homeschool-ee.  However, little did he know at the time that I was embarking on a whole new endeavor with this site!

Here is the video in its entirety.  I hope it sheds some light on where we came from and what the heck we’re thinking now.  I love that Gerald asked me some hard questions not only about how/why I want to teach my kids, but threw the words the naysayers are whispering about us not knowing what we’re doing.  I love it – questions and challenges?  BRING ‘EM ON! 

And yes, you get to see Papa Gray make his grand debut by crawling in at the side around 28 minutes in.  Yes, I said crawling. Seriously – you have to watch it.

Finally, check out the “Free Stuff” page on his site.  I haven’t made it to all the links yet, but it looks like I’ll have plenty of info to get started.  Let me know what you think!

What is Education? Papa Gray

Posted: July 6, 2011 in What does "Education" Look Like?
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Every decision we make as parents ultimately affects our kids.  Knowledge of this fact will either cripple you in fear or energize you to action.   Either way, our kids are a direct reflection of us and those around us.  To add to this monumental task, Mama Rose and I have decided to home-school our kids.

Now I know what many of you are thinking…it’s the same thing I used to think when someone uttered that conservative word dripping in stereotypes.   Visions of my children writing on hand-held chalkboards and calling me “Papa” flash in my head as I confidently protect them from the evils of the world.

I want to do the exact opposite! 

I want my kids to see, hear, touch, taste, smell, and experience all that this wide world has to offer.  

The idea of sending them to a monochromatic brick-o-block school house where they will be put on our traditional assembly line of knowledge makes me want to do more, give more, and be more for my kids education.

Too often (me being in this category) our kids exit this system, with a shiny new diploma that depreciates faster then a new car driving off the lot.

We/They are left feeling lost, alone, used, depressed, and then stuck…in whatever sticky job we fall into in the name of security.

Just think of the power of doing the exact opposite of what the “system” provides.  I want to be like Keating in Dead Poet Society, asking those questions to excite and educate my kids.

What would you do if you were given the steering wheel to your child’s education?  How would you direct, stretch, encourage, expose, protect, challenge, develop, etc.?

These are important questions that are not just for those who willing/able to immerse their kids in this world.  How well do we show the world to our kids in our down time, time off, or weekends?

What is Education? Mama Rose

Posted: July 6, 2011 in What does "Education" Look Like?
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What are we doing, you ask? Heck if we know! Seriously, this is the deal: We know what we don’t want for our children:

  • have a 40-hour work-week
  • require them to memorize merely for the sake of passing a test
  • force them to choose their friends based on the grade/age/zoning they are in
  • give them a black and white process of learning
  • create a resentment or aversion to education

I can’t knock any one educational system.  There are pros and cons to each.  It’s easy to point out the bad (public school kids can get lost in the crowd, private school is too expensive, homeschoolers are lost in the Little House on the Prairie).  However, I don’t want to lay the groundwork that we’re choosing a new path because everyone else is wrong.  This is exactly the message I’d be mortified for my kids to think. Let me tell you this – education is NOT the bad guy.

We are choosing a lifestyle that works for us.  I think, ultimately, we’d all like to have this for our kids.  This is what we do want for our girls:

  • an ability to think outside of the box
  • a desire to learn, always
  • understanding on how to find an answer for themselves
  • ease in interacting with people of all ages/creed/ability/ethnicity
  • confidence in who they are and who they aspire to be

For us, the path is clear.  We’re forging our own path.  We’re not sure where it’s going to take us, but we want to learn with our children.  We want to give them the tools to live up to everything they want to, and we want to teach them not merely for the sake of education, but because learning is fun and makes life sweeter. This is what it’s all about.  Welcome to our journey – we’ll all learn along the way!