We want to share with all of our readers this excellent blog on how children learn. The author is Dr. Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology at Boston College. He has conducted and published research in comparative, evolutionary, developmental, and educational psychology and published articles on innovative teaching methods and alternative approaches to education.
The blog starts at the bottom of the web page with the Introduction and then progresses bottom to top. If you have any questions about the value or worth of how our family is being educated, we highly encourage you to read this blog.
http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn
Monday, September 22, 2008
What a great day!
Yesterday we went to the Carnegie Science Center because it was free from 10am to 5pm. The place was so big, we didn't have time to see it all. After the science center, we drove up to Franklin to have dinner with my Uncle Bill and his wife Marsha. Marsha also called my Uncle Dave and his wife Sue to come down and visit with us. We had a lot of fun.
My Uncle Dave brought the Mad Magazine board game to me. This game has a fun story...it's an old game that my Uncle Dave owned and I used to go play it every summer, but I would sometimes have trouble getting people to play with me. When I was 12, I asked my Uncle Dave if I could have the game. I then left and forgot to take it with me. I called him and told him and he told me I could take it next time I was there. I didn't go again until I was 25. By that time, the game was lost.
When I visited last year, Dave told me he still couldn't find the game, he thought someone else might have taken it or it may have been thrown out. Yesterday, he surprised me with the game! It's missing most of its pawns and some of the cards, but he managed to tape up the box and the board is still in good condition. Yay! A new game for me. :)
Today is Aurora's birthday and we'll be baking her a chocolate cake. So far, she's celebrating by playing Guitar Hero. The other 6 kids are letting her play as long as she wants.
Andrea
My Uncle Dave brought the Mad Magazine board game to me. This game has a fun story...it's an old game that my Uncle Dave owned and I used to go play it every summer, but I would sometimes have trouble getting people to play with me. When I was 12, I asked my Uncle Dave if I could have the game. I then left and forgot to take it with me. I called him and told him and he told me I could take it next time I was there. I didn't go again until I was 25. By that time, the game was lost.
When I visited last year, Dave told me he still couldn't find the game, he thought someone else might have taken it or it may have been thrown out. Yesterday, he surprised me with the game! It's missing most of its pawns and some of the cards, but he managed to tape up the box and the board is still in good condition. Yay! A new game for me. :)
Today is Aurora's birthday and we'll be baking her a chocolate cake. So far, she's celebrating by playing Guitar Hero. The other 6 kids are letting her play as long as she wants.
Andrea
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Hello PA!
Wow, this road trip is really truckin' along (pun half intended)! We spent a fantastic five days at Andrea's brother's house in Detroit, MI. The kids all got wild with their cousins, Shane included. Rachel is their three year old who is notoriously shy. Well, she took a shining to both Shane and Aurora, treating the latter like her extra big sister.
We've now pressed on to stay with a family near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are a fantastic family. We have found some more kindred spirits. Aurora has a friend in their daughter, Karma has a friend in their eldest son, and Caed has a friend in their youngest son. Shane is catching up on his sleep and Mom and Dad get along famously with their Mom and Dad.
We are considering buying an annual pass to the local zoo as the pass is reciprocal and we can use it in other cities we visit on the way home, plus several in Texas (not Austin's sadly). The Carnegie Science Center has free admission tomorrow from 10am to 3pm. We plan to visit that early tomorrow then head up to Franklin to see some of Andrea's family and have dinner.
We're not sure yet what it is we're doing for Aurora's birthday on Monday, just that we're baking a cake and she wants to hear 100 years by Five for Fighting ("15 there's still time to choose..."). I'm sure we'll plan something she'll love.
We've now pressed on to stay with a family near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are a fantastic family. We have found some more kindred spirits. Aurora has a friend in their daughter, Karma has a friend in their eldest son, and Caed has a friend in their youngest son. Shane is catching up on his sleep and Mom and Dad get along famously with their Mom and Dad.
We are considering buying an annual pass to the local zoo as the pass is reciprocal and we can use it in other cities we visit on the way home, plus several in Texas (not Austin's sadly). The Carnegie Science Center has free admission tomorrow from 10am to 3pm. We plan to visit that early tomorrow then head up to Franklin to see some of Andrea's family and have dinner.
We're not sure yet what it is we're doing for Aurora's birthday on Monday, just that we're baking a cake and she wants to hear 100 years by Five for Fighting ("15 there's still time to choose..."). I'm sure we'll plan something she'll love.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Wowee!!
Wow, this trip has just been a blast and we're not even a week into it. As mentioned previously, our first stop was in Norman, Oklahoma, to stay the night with a family we met on an unschooling list. They were great...seven kids and not a moment without someone to watch or interact with. We visited the omniplex in Oklahoma City with them and had even more fun, plus learned lots.
After we departed Oklahoma, we drove through Kansas and ended up spending the night in Kansas City, mere miles from the Missouri border. On Thursday, we made it all the way to Minnesota where we camped in a state park and hit the Mall of America on Friday.
The Mall of America was very exciting. We think it may be so named because you can find just about every major store in America in the mall, including a Best Buy! We do highly recommend a trip to the mall, it's worth it. Friday night, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows at our camp site.
We packed up Saturday morning to hit the road and head east for Detroit, but we didn't get very far before our car started dinging at us like there was a door open or something, but it gave us no message. We finally found an open Chevy dealership and took the car in to find that the electronic module on the passenger sliding door was not working properly. We were able to not have it replaced (big $$), but we did have to pay to have it diagnosed and the noise cleared, etc. As a result, we're on a much tighter budget than we began.
This has not dampened our spirits, however. We drove straight through from Minnesota to Michigan to save $$. Everyone has declared that this is a great vacation and so it shall remain.
After we departed Oklahoma, we drove through Kansas and ended up spending the night in Kansas City, mere miles from the Missouri border. On Thursday, we made it all the way to Minnesota where we camped in a state park and hit the Mall of America on Friday.
The Mall of America was very exciting. We think it may be so named because you can find just about every major store in America in the mall, including a Best Buy! We do highly recommend a trip to the mall, it's worth it. Friday night, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows at our camp site.
We packed up Saturday morning to hit the road and head east for Detroit, but we didn't get very far before our car started dinging at us like there was a door open or something, but it gave us no message. We finally found an open Chevy dealership and took the car in to find that the electronic module on the passenger sliding door was not working properly. We were able to not have it replaced (big $$), but we did have to pay to have it diagnosed and the noise cleared, etc. As a result, we're on a much tighter budget than we began.
This has not dampened our spirits, however. We drove straight through from Minnesota to Michigan to save $$. Everyone has declared that this is a great vacation and so it shall remain.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
On the road again
We started our road trip today!! We left Austin at 11:30am and arrived for our first stop in Norman, Oklahoma to visit an unschooling family we met in an online group. We're staying the night with this wonderful family and then visiting the omniplex with them tomorrow before hitting the road again.
We decided to leave the camp chairs and most of the camping gear at home (save for the tent and the sleeping bags), which gave us more space for things like coats--we're headed to the northeast don't cha know. :)
We'll keep you updated as we progress across the country. If you're reading this and would love us to stop and visit, drop us a line!
We decided to leave the camp chairs and most of the camping gear at home (save for the tent and the sleeping bags), which gave us more space for things like coats--we're headed to the northeast don't cha know. :)
We'll keep you updated as we progress across the country. If you're reading this and would love us to stop and visit, drop us a line!
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