Comments on: Thanks to Doc Searls, I burned the soup..but it was worth it

By: the head lemur

the head lemur — Mon, 16 May 2005 22:35:12 +0000

IQ Testing is all my fault!
http://theheadlemur.typepad.com/ravinglunacy/2005/05/iq_testing_doc_.html

By: JB318

JB318 — Mon, 16 May 2005 07:27:59 +0000

Your question/thought was, essentially, “My kids are smart but I’m not sure that they know how to *take tests*.” There are plenty of books devoted to teaching kids (and not-so-kids–ask me how I know) learn how to take standardized tests of the popular variety. They might not help with Mrs. Jones’ calculus exam, but any of the common standardized test (SAT, ACT, AP, CLEP, etc. etc.) will have thorough coverage–and to a large degree, knowledge of some of those would enable them to deal with Mrs. Jones as well, I suspect. If your kids are truly smart, they’ll be able to pick up a book or two and read up on the tips and techniques, should the need one day arise.

It’s a bit surprising to me that you evidently didn’t know about the existence of that particular industry–although with a little reflection maybe it’s not *quite* so surprising, if you spend your time as far from the current American educational system as you can manage.

By: Will Emerson

Will Emerson — Fri, 06 May 2005 01:50:55 +0000

Julie:
My children are grown. My wife and I partly homeschooled them and also formed a school with neighbors and friends and educated our children together for their early years. they all joined public school as teenagers. They were all way ahead of their peers academically and had very little trouble fitting in. Our little school started a month late, ended a month early, met 3 days a week, took many trips and covered much more ground than public school.
I know it is a great fear that you are somehow damaging your children by keeping them out of the educational system but I think you are doing a great thing and they will thank you for it later as my children have.

The difference I see between the kids I worked with and public school detainees is that the home school kids came through with their imaginations intact and the belief that they can chart their own course. They know that they can be producers and not couch-potato consumers. They can make friends of different ages easily and they value friendship greatly.

I think you are doing a brave thing. Keep up the good work and keep writing about it.

Will

By: Tom Guarriello

Tom Guarriello — Thu, 05 May 2005 19:45:36 +0000

It feels silly thanking a blogger for a post, but, silliness has rarely stopped me before, so: thank you, Julie. Your words capture the struggle so many have in preparing children to live in a world dominated by values at odds with their own. Too much conformity and they’re swept away by the stream. Too much isolation and they’re lost in the woods.

BTW, nice recovery with the Tabasco!

By: JTH

JTH — Thu, 05 May 2005 14:35:00 +0000

Julie:

Ran across your piece this AM after having read Doc’s very (very) early this AM.

First off, thanks for the insight on Lakeside and Bill G.
I suspect that you have hit the nail on the head.

Doc summed up the “factory factor” of the current school model, let’s not call it education. So I won’t delve into that.

Very glad that you are trying to nurture the love of learning in your daughters.
Raised a couple myself, but chose public schools, later, private colleges.

Public Schools, in part, for the social aspects.
Living day to day with youngsters of all walks of life, economic, social and varied intelligence or capabilities.
There are many social skills that I think can be developed in this environment. If nothing else, a sense of empathy for others.

Sure, classrooms can be frustrating, but life can be frustrating. Learning to deal with it, find the good in a situation, make the best of it, accept the challenge is itself, educational. Educational in a â€œlife lessonsâ€ sense.
As long as you have access to other educational venues outside the classroom or school system, and engaged parents.

I was fortunate to grow up in a University town, and had pretty much free run of the Campus Library â€¦ it was â€˜the web before the webâ€™ for me, following leads and ideas.
I challenged my daughters to do the same.

BTW – just bookmarked your pages

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 04 May 2005 21:23:37 +0000

After I saw your comment on the fencing post yesterday I kept waiting for something to show up in the Doc Searles post. I knew it would grab your attention

By: Ernie

Ernie — Wed, 04 May 2005 18:08:33 +0000

Hi Julie,
Very moving, as always. In add sort of way, this reminded me a lot of some (rather abstract) philisophical questions we’re pondering on Centroids:

http://radicalcentrism.org/pipermail/centroids_radicalcentrism.com/2005-May/001333.html

e.g., that knowlege only has value within a given context of purpose, and that our environment shapes our understanding of what is valuable (or even true). Or, as I like to say, “Choose your friends and role models carefully, for we are all prisoners of our value community.” I am glad to see you creating such a healthy one for your girls.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 04 May 2005 15:34:02 +0000

Julie, you and Ted might be interested in this post (http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/01/most_classroom_.html) by one of my co-authors, Kathy Sierra.