The meaning of "Freedom"...

With some authors, I'm never sure where to put their articles - like this one. I have separated my homeschool blog from my politics blog, as the politics part is - more often than not - negative - and a lot of people stay away from politics for that reason, so I thought it best to separate the subjects. Plus, I seem to have a lot to say about both.

The blog Right on the Left Coast: Views from a conservative teacher is about both education and politics - the politics of education, if you will. I suppose the two subjects can't help but be intertwined sometimes since our government is so involved with the schools. I love reading blogs by people who actually have knowledge about what they write. (Unlike yours truly - who has no experience teaching other people's children. I get most of my information on education news from people like this.)

At any rate, I'm posting this on both the politics and homeschooling blogs, because I think it's appropriate. Actually, I'll just post a snippet of Darren's comment on the subject of freedom, and I hope you'll click the link and go to his blog to read the rest.

"Too many people have only the vaguest notion of freedom. We in America have enjoyed its fruits for so long that many seem to have forgotten all the work required to care for the tree."

Homemade laundry detergent project...

I receive a newsletter from The Simple Dollar. Now Trent has started making videos. I must admit, his videos are are thorough as his blog. I thought this might be a good homeschooling project. I'm not sure if we'll try it or not because, as my husband pointed out, we don't really know what it would do to the washing machine. But it certainly seems interesting!



Hey, if anyone tries it, please leave a comment and let me know how it worked!

Having the self-control to wait for the second marshmallow.

"Is this what 'marshmallow roast' is supposed to mean?"

Yesterday, I received this post in an RSS feed I receive from Joann Jacobs based on an article in The New Yorker. I love it when people do studies and the conclusion agrees with the teachings of the Bible! The article is about a study that was done in the 1960's where children were given the choice of having one marshmallow immediately, or waiting 15 minutes and getting two marshmallows. The conclusion was that children who could wait for the two marshmallows went on to do better in almost every aspect of life, including socially and academically, if they were in the small group that could wait. They even got higher scores on the SAT.

The Bible has a lot to say about self-control, even including it in the fruit of the Spirit in Galations 5:22. I'm afraid, as a parent, I don't always model self-control or take the time to teach it to my children. Sometimes it's just easier, especially when you're engaged in an activity that requires concentration (like typing this post or talking on the phone) and your children are nagging you or fighting with each other, it's not always easy to pull yourself away long enough to deal with the problems at hand. It's easier just to say whatever will make them be quiet in the shortest amount of time rather than take down the Bible and show them what it says about whatever problem they're having - and self-control is probably at the root of a lot of their problems, and our own. Think about it - overeating, too much TV, overspending, overscheduling, overworking, too much of "good" things - it's all related to lack of self-control.

For more on what the Bible says about self-control, here are some verses online. However, I would suggest just going and getting your Bible. You wouldn't want to spend too much time online, you know! ;)

Billions of dollars for 0-5 education?

(This painting is entitled Preschool Paint by Susan Beauchemin and can be found at DailyPainters.com.)

Here is an interesting article from The Washington Post.

An excerpt:

President Obama has pledged to spend $10 billion more a year on "zero to five" education, and his 2010 budget makes a $2 billion "down payment" on that commitment. (Billions more are already in the "stimulus" package.) Any number of congressional leaders want more preschool, as do dozens of governors. Not to mention the National Education Association and the megabucks Pew Charitable Trusts, which is underwriting national and state-level advocacy campaigns on behalf of universal pre-kindergarten. At least three states are already on board.

Underlying all this activity and interest is the proposition that government -- state and federal -- should pay for at least a year of preschool for every American 4-year-old. One rationale is to boost overall educational achievement. Another is to close school-readiness gaps between the haves and have-nots.

Almost nobody is against it. Yet everybody should pause before embracing it.

I don't know why anyone continues to support the "zero to five" education initiatives - like Head Start. I've always thought the Head Start program sounds more like government-subsidized daycare, so why don't they call it what it really is instead of getting the NEA involved? Someone I know worked in the grocery store business for many years. During the last couple of years working in a small-town grocery, there were some ladies who came in from the local school to buy supplies. One of the supplies on their list was baby formula. My mom asked why Head Start was buying baby formula, and they told her that they take babies as early as six weeks old. Why? There is already government-subsidized daycare. If they want to improve it, I'm all for providing a safe, nourturing environment for babies and toddlers. I know there are a lot of single moms out there who need a good place to leave their children while they work.

Maybe I'm just a cynic. I don't know of a valid reason that the NEA would care to be involved in what is basically daycare. (I said "valid" reason...I believe I know the reason, but it's not valid.)
The Washington Post article makes some good points and gives some myths that people believe about preschool programs. I recommend reading the full article at the link above.

Source: The Washington Post

(H/T Edspresso)

Kerplunk! Whirr! Squeak! What's all the buzz about?

ZOINKS! Math Teachers at Play Onomatopoeia edition is up at Homeschool Bytes! This edition has something for everyone - as usual! So POP on over and SLURP up some good brain food with a plethora of goodies from the etymology of math words courtesy of Pat's Blog, to quilts and math crafts from Let's Play Math and SquidKnits, to fractions on a plate, to tips on teaching kids with dyslexia, Fibonacci sequences, and the first in a series explaining square roots!

So SCOOT, SWISH, SCRAPE, FLUTTER or CLICK on in to Homeschool Bytes and see what's CRACKING! It's a SNAP!

Before you go, enjoy this video!