"...schools are supposed to prepare children..."

Thomas Sowell has an interesting comment on the recent problems we've seen in the schools. This link leads to Townhall.com, a fine political web site, but be warned that sometimes the readers comments can be rude and crude.

I normally don't quote articles at any length, but this section is well worth it:

The mindset that sees children in school as an opportunity for teachers to impose their own notions, instead of developing the child's ability to think for himself or herself, is a dangerous distortion of education.

Parents send their children to school to acquire the knowledge that has come down to us as a legacy of our culture-- whether it is mathematics, science, or whatever-- so that those children can grow up and go out into the world equipped to face life's challenges.

Too many "educators" see teaching not as a responsibility to the students but as an opportunity for themselves-- whether to indoctrinate a captive audience with the teacher's ideology, manipulate them in social experiments or just do fun things that make teaching easier, whether or not it really educates the child.

The commentary is well worth reading. Whether we home school, or choose private schools, we, as parents, will have greater influence over the education of our children. We cannot leave their education to the discretion of others, "experts"or not.

Another Reason to Home-School

It seems odd, but I have trouble working up some righteous anger over this - it has gone so far that it is now in the realm of being ridiculous.

You may have seen the classroom video (since removed from YouTube) of children singing (chanting) their praises of our President. Well, really, they are singing what the instructors taught, as I truly doubt these young children would sing songs about equal work for equal pay.

The religious imagery used is just silly. Taken from the children's hymn ("Jesus Loves the Little Children"), the verse is changed from:
Red and yellow
Black and white
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children
Of the world.

To:
Red and yellow
Black and white
They are equal in His sight.
Barack Hussein Obama.

The Principal of the school, on learning of this controversy, was justifiably outraged. Outraged, that is, that the video was leaked without permission. The indoctrination and pseudo-religious motif were not, evidently, problematic.

Let us forget the political aspect of this event; we can only laugh at the religious implications of these teachers using slightly altered Christian hymns to make obeisance to any political figure. But we can ask ourselves these questions: What did the teachers think they were going to accomplish? What did the teachers think the students would gain from the exercise? After all, isn't school about the kids, not the teachers? Why did they think this was in any way appropriate in a public school setting?

Of course, if we lack a Masters Degree in Education, we are told we are not qualified to second guess these educational experts. As parents, however, we are qualified to make decisions on whether this type of activity, rare as it may be, truly meets the educational needs of our children. That is why we home school.

Long Time No Post

Man, what a month. Not much time to post new stuff - been testing the kids (standardized tests required by the State of Colorado, assessments for St. Thomas Aquinas Academy), been dealing with church-related stuff, and... well, we are now dog people. More on that later.

Meanwhile, just to get back into posting... is that Alan?

A Database of Soldiers in Late Medieval England

An interesting site - not very pretty graphically, but it is, after all, a research site. University of Southampton received a grant to research medieval soldiery, and is compiling a database of profiles of soldiers of the time.

More of interest to older, history-oriented students, I am sure, but another layer of our improving historical knowledge.

And, yes, I was one of those geeky students. I admit that when my friends were playing with their plastic soldiers (U.S. of A. standard issue Army men), I had a set of medieval warriors - knights, archers, yeomen, pikemen, as well as the necessary siege machines - ballistae, towers... yeah, it is a wonder I ever got a date when I was older.

An Interesting Exercise for an Aspiring Artist (or Doodler)

Simple lines conveying basic emotions:

The Moon has Craters - what about Earth?

Yeah, the Earth has craters. Big craters. Huge honking craters. So, this question can evolve into a lesson in astronomy, geology, and erosion, with some uber-cool pictures, and a book recommendation thrown in for good measure.

A Financial Disclosure

The folks working at the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), having not much else to occupy their time, have decided that bloggers represent a clear and present danger to the safety and financial well-being of consumers throughout this land. As of this writing, they have not done much beside bluster, but I will take this opportunity to disclose all of the financial benefits I realize through this lucrative enterprise.

First, I am not paid to blog. I understand that some bloggers are paid to write about various things - products, vacations, and the like - and are either paid directly or else receive said products, vacations, etc. I am not paid, but... if anyone would like to send my family on a fully paid world cruise, I would be happy to write about it. I assure you, if that becomes the case at some future point, not only will I disclose the fact that I was paid to blog about the cruise, I will in fact brag about it to anyone within hearing distance.

Second, you will find almost every blog entry has a link of some sort. For the most part I am not paid to provide these links. The exceptions are the obvious ones: if I provide a link to a book at Amazon.com, or a product at buy.com, I will get paid if you follow the link and purchase the book or item*. So far the earnings are non-existent. But that's not really why I write about these books and products. Yes, some bloggers are paid to write about a book they may not have otherwise read. I write about books that I enjoy, that have proven to be important in our home school (or in my own studies), and that I think may be useful for you, the reader. If I can also (eventually) earn some small pittance from these recommendations, great. If not, I have still recommended a book someone will enjoy.

Third, you will see ads on this site. They are of two types. One set are affiliates. These are companies who do not pay me to place their banners, but which will pay a commission should someone follow the link and actually purchase something. As of this writing, this arrangement has profited me somewhere in the range of zilch. The companies I select (and that accept my application) are companies that I either have used myself (with an acceptable result) or are companies that I think will be of benefit to home schoolers. The other set are Google ads. I do not have control over what ads are displayed, but they generally relate to whatever I am posting. These have been more profitable - I believe that, as of this writing, I have earned just over $0.20. I am sure I would do better if I were to post the ads more prominently, but that is not the main purpose of this blog.

Well, I hope that this eases the minds of readers and bureaucrats alike. Now hopefully the FTC can move on to more pressing matters, like what to have for lunch.

* Please note: The geniuses that are the Colorado State Legislature have decided that, in an effort to raise revenue, they will chase more business out of the state. Now, maybe I'm not in politics because I don't understand how chasing businesses out of the state will increase tax revenue. I'm hoping for an explanation from some of the brighter minds in Colorado Government.

Basically, these Statesmen decided to make businesses like Amazon collect taxes on the huge sums (as noted above) their affiliates earn. Amazon decided it did not need the hassle, and pulled out of affiliate relationships in Colorado. Thanks, Governor Ritter! Thanks, Senator Shaffer! Thanks, Representative Carroll!  (Funny - all three are lawyers, none are businessmen. Curious thing, isn't it?)

At any rate, for you folks in the FTC - rest easy. You'll have less of that pesky affiliate income to chase down in Colorado! And for Gov. Ritter and the brain trust in the state house - how is it that tax revenues increase when bloggers in Colorado are paid nothing instead of something?