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Friday, November 21, 2008

Taking a Time Out, the Computer Is Anyway

I have no problem coming back to my irregularly scheduled blog posting.

Just as soon as I have the screen taken care of on the computer. The screen on my laptop cracked today. This would be, out of all irony, the only computer in this house.

I'll be posting once again, once I have this screen issue taken care of.

And I'll tell you all about it.

Have a Great Day!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

And The Final Three Top Reasons For Using k12 Begins

And so it would be that the life of this hectic homeschooler got just a little too hectic to keep up with her own blog. But then again, my life doesn't always give me the time to sit and write in front of the computer. Once again, I'm back to my continuation of my top ten reasons for using k12. My number 3 reason would just so happen to be:

k12 writes directions with a purpose.

I've learned in life there are two types of directions.

One type of directions is designed to exercise social control over people. I've found, through experience that this type of direction is designed by people and given by people for the pure purpose of watching the victim person execute the directions. I'm not sure what thrill people get out giving directions for the pure pleasure of making someone else do something. I find this behavior oppressive and revolting. May someone please bring the porcelain goddess? I'd like to throw up from over exertion of social control.

My dad Dick Fife is very good at doing this. I remember being asked to do stuff just so he could look important. He never gained any respect out of anything he asked us to do. then again, we never felt respected in the first place.

School teachers are another good example of directions being given for personal pleasure. Frequently, I hear from parents, complaints about directions teachers give. I hear all about Johnny's teacher tells him to do something just because she wants him to. Or I hear about how Johnny gets bored in school because she spends so much time giving directions that there isn't time left for doing the work he's supposed to do in the first place. I've heard it all. I've witnessed it all.

If there is a teacher reading this post, please tell me in non-union speak what kind of example you think KNOW you are setting. For the desire to see if you can handle practicing what you preach my sake, and my sake only, I can only accept scholastic format essays with your bibliography in AP format. Please send me a "Thought for the Day" comment requesting complete instructions.

Notice my kids aren't in a regular school anymore for a reason.

Bigfoot was subjected to a teacher who did this. Yes, I would happen to be talking about the last teacher he had in a school. She turned him off from school by using social control as a silent excuse for giving the directions that she did.

After all, If a child has a math worksheet sitting on his desk when he comes back from recess. Wouldn't you think the child already knows he's supposed to complete the work? I would think so. So, Bigfoot (before the big feet came) would find a worksheet on his desk, take out his pencil and do the work. typically, he would finish before she would even begin the math lesson. Of course, this means he now has nothing better to do than dance on his desk, talk to third graders, talk to second graders (who were doing the worksheet he had already finished), read a book, fall out of his chair, and just be generally distracting.

Her response? Get ready for this. She would tell him to sit down and follow along.

Hello!!! He is already DONE! Why aren't you following along with him? His answers are correct. What is your problem? He did what you expected him to do. He finished early. Give him more work. Let him work two pages of math to everyone else's one.

Every time she would give directions, as far as I can figure out, she had no other purpose but to keep the kids where she wanted them. If anything moved beyond her box, she lost all understanding of her classroom. Every time I was in that classroom, I got the message that she wanted these kids to follow her pace for no other reason than to keep them where she wanted them.

Will someone please educate me as to how kids are expected to grow mentally if they're repeatedly told to be controlled by another person? This is nothing more than the same social control of Red China. I don't dig it.

On the other hand, there are directions that can be given that will actually help kids become better people. This type of direction is meant to make the world a better place.

I have come to the conclusion that public schools aren't allowed to exercise this type of direction giving. Kids may become high achievers out of their own individual gifts rather than the suppressed work force that now drives Bill Gates into India for employment recruiting. Kids may end up sounding intelligent if given directions made for sheer purpose of generating a greater good.

Which brings me to why I dig using k12 for homeschool material. There are no directions given out of social control. All directions given come with a purpose designed for learning. My kids need to write some of their math answers using complete sentences, not for the sake of passing the waste-of-taxes WASL, but for the development of communication. My kids are put through directions explaining the writing process, not as a waste of time, of clearly to teach the benefit of thinking about what you really want to say before you say it. I've never seen directions given in any k12 material that didn't have learning clearly in mind.

As a result, my kids now have a better understanding of handling their schoolwork. They both understand what needs to be done, and the benefits that come from it. I have better listeners in my kids (for the most part). I have two kids on their way to becoming better citizens.

I can't help but enjoy it.