I don't know if all of you know this, but next year I am not sending Miriam to Kindergarten. I am going to *gasp* homeschool. I don't have any high falutin reasons for it. I am very much a supporter and fan of public education. I think teachers do a great job and that students--with involved parents--can get a great education through the public system in most areas of the country. Also--I don't think homeschool is for everyone, so don't send me weird hate mail about how you love your kids as much as I love mine. That is a strange but prevelant reaction to my announcing my homeschool ambitions. Truth is--I'm not ready to spend that much time away from my very young, very innocent little girl. I want her with me. That's it. That's the whole reason.
After deciding to homeschool I asked some other homeschoolers what I should read to prepare myself for this new adventure. They said, "Hey girl, you are a teacher and know more about this stuff than us, but read A Thomas Jefferson Education." Which I did. And I LOVED it! So, although I will be creating my own curriculum because that is fun and I love to create curriculum, I did pick a "methodology" if you will.
Part of that methodology is that you cannot educate effectively if you are not effectively educated yourself. I thought that a fairly valid point. And although I read CONSTANTLY and have from a very tender age, I sometimes spend a little too much time reading that which is fluff instead of that which provokes thought. I also am out of practice with writing nonfiction.
To rectify those problems I am starting a book chat on this here blog to encourage myself to read and reflect on a more constant basis. My sister Kami has agreed to participate--which is good because she added books to my list that I never would have, left to my own devices. And due to knowing she would be contributing, I didn't include any YA dragon-oriented novels. Although, I am sure I can work one in eventually when Kami isn't looking.
If any of you would like to participate---please, feel free. And if you are going to participate, by all means share your ideas for what you would like to read.
The schedule for the next little while goes as follows (although subject to change based on what comes up in our lives):
February 24-March 8: The Life of Pi, Yann Martel
March 9-March 22: A Thomas Jefferson Education, Oliver DeMille
March 23-April 5: We Now Know (Cold War), J. L. Gaddis
April 6-April 19: The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare
April 20-May 3: Fermat's Enigma, Simon Singh
May 4-May 17: A Thomas Jefferson Home Companion, Oliver DeMille
May 18-May 31: The Little Prince, Katherine Woods Translation
June 1-June 14: Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War, Elaine Tyler May
June 15-28: The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis
June 29-July 12: Little Britches, Ralph Moody
All of these books are subject to change except The Life of Pi, if I get people's comments back and they want to change something or add something.
For your information: it is encouraged by Oliver DeMille that actual, good discussion take place with these books, but also that writing takes place. I will be writing a list of the ten things I find most worthy of writing down from the book (things I like, don't like, big ideas, metathinking on my part--whatever), and then I will take one of those ideas and develop it into an essay. Feel free to do that as well and post your essays where we can all read them, or send your lists and essays to me and I will post everyone's ideas on my blog. Or, just read the books with us, or do nothing.
That is the end of this really, really, really long post. Can't wait to hear what everyone has to say about The Life of Pi! It is one of my favorites but it has been too long since I last read it, so I am glad I get to read it again. (It was one of Kami's picks. I won't tell you which other ones she picked as I don't want to scare you off!)
5 comments:
Would love to join......once I am done with pathophysiology. I already read the life of Pi. I'll post my thoughts later.
Hi Ans! I'm actually really intersted in what you are doing! I've been wanting to do something similar for AGES (since I read the TJED Book). Will read Life of Pi, but maybe not as quickly as you'd like. I think I will LOOSELY follow this "book group" and add when I can. As you see, I'm trying to stay with our own homeschool focus of study (Currently discussing Antarctica/Penguins and reading Mr. Popper's Penguins with the kids and Troubling a Star by L'Engle for myself). I'm thinking summertime will allow me much more freedom in the reading dept. I would love to add some books to the list, as well.
Young Fu of the Upper Yahngzee is one I'd love to discuss and write about. AND, I have to argue with what you have described as "fluff" reading....Mary Higgins Clark, Anita Stansfield, etc.... Those are what I consider fluff. Never have you suggested a book to me that doesn't have MUCH to discuss and MUCH to contribute to my own feelings on education. I search for hidden messages and morals in almost everything I read.
So, there you have my OPINIONS on the whole thing! :-) LOVE you for doing this!! And I hope to contribute soon. LOL JULIA
Julia!! Nice to hear from you. I thought you would be interested in this--and, by the by--I added my comments about Edward's Eyes mostly for you as it deals with siblings and that has been your thing of late. Thanks for the reading suggestion. I am off to Amazon to find out all about it.
As for fluff--I agree, really quality fiction is never a waste of time, but sometimes a good nonfiction, or something outside of your "favorite zone" is worthwhile as well.
PS Have you read The Great Turkey Walk with your kids yet?? If you haven't--repent and do so soon and tell me what they thought.
Ands,
No more cold war books!!! I think two is plenty. :) And if we're reading so many on the cold war, I think next time we should throw in a book about Colombia. Like: The Making of Modern Colombia: A Nation in Spite of Itself or Systems of Violence: The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia. Don't they look fascinating? Also eventually I'd like to throw in a Shakespeare. Chao.
Shakespeare, excellent idea!! Um yeah, so you noticed the Cold War stuff. Hmm, hate to admit it but since I will be teaching a class on the Cold War I thought I should know something about it, and thought you could read them with me. They were both on several syllabi from well-respected universities, so I thought they would be worthwhile. Someday, I am going to get a syllabi from a young adult literature prof and read everything on the list. Although--I will probably have read most of them anyway. Still--self-educating is much easier now that professors post their syllabi online.
As for Columbia---we'll see. :)
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