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 NEW LIBERTY VILLAGE
EDUCATION

As very young children become aware of the world around them one of the first things they do is imitate. The 'education' of a child begins very early, and we are told by the age of three or four, the child has already adopted enough of her or his stance to the world and those around them that much could already be predicted about their approach to it in the future. Having warm and secure surroundings with loving parents and caretakers is most important.  

About the time that children lose their baby teeth, the development of feelings and emotions  begins to come to the foreground.  It is especially important that if the child is to spend much time away from his or her parents, that the persons who are responsible for their care are open to expression of the child's feelings and help them to remain comfortable with them. A perceptive teacher realizes what each individual child is capable of and are themselves sensitive to feelings. The children will not be pushed to use their still slumbering thinking before it's time has come. Rarely have we seen what a child who is handled with a light touch, as Sylvia Aston Warner expresses, really can be in such surroundings where undue pressure upon them to perform beyond their years is avoided. 

The above opinions express some elements of the editor's educational leanings. We would like to hear many other's. 

A discussion of the place of other elements of social life in relationship to the education of children requires a fresh reexamination ... who should decide what the children are taught, and how they are taught?  Who should pay for it? How much say does the parent have as compared with government influence? 

 

Articles, comments and other input on these
 topics will be greatly appreciated!

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
EDUCATION DISCUSSION GROUP

PRIMARY
EDUCATION
ADULT EDUCATION
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
HOME
 SCHOOLING



EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY


OUR PRIMARY GOAL is to help students, whatever age, become the healthiest, happiest, brightest, most powerful human beings possible; WHOLE persons. Our goal is not to impart the most knowledge to our students, train them to make the most money, or be a model follower for which ever government or major belief system is prevalent in the locality they live. A human being able to question, think, and explore for himself, is our goal. An able body, an alive heart, mind, and spirit is the result we hope for. We are always exploring the especial nature, propensities, and potential of each individual at their particular age cycle. Rather than try to fit the child into some mold or model of what we think they should be, we attempt to enable and encourage growth towards their own fullest potential and talents. In our view, education, a major part of the Spiritual/Cultural Life of our Society, is a matter which falls under the individual free choice of the parents. This important choice is made according to their own values and beliefs, not a group of persons outside the family, or any governing body.

Our town being a part of a larger society, still has a public school system, but more and more parents are opting for programs similar to ours, where parents chose the type of education they want for their children.  Not that all aspects of all public schools are bad. Given Public schools culture bound views and limitations, many of our parents want schooling in line with their own goals for their children until they reach the age to make their own choices. Some parents choose to educate their kids at home. Along with all day programs, we support this choice as well. Several parents have begun a home-schooling alliance which allows them to provide their children with extensive periods of shared activities, both educational and athletic. This cooperative endeavor provides that the children are not deprived of the socialization process, and assures the parents that peer influence is under surveillance, beneficial to the well being of the child.  At the earlier years of childhood, some children are just not ready for a full day away from home. When the child reaches his teens, some of the negative influences such as drugs and violence are avoided. Parents exchange their time and duties. The volunteer educational association can help parents plan their own teaching programs, and allows for different parents to tutor different subjects according to their interests, knowledge and abilities.

The issue of compulsory education, determining if in fact an education should be one of societies human rights, is presently up for vote in our New Liberty Village City counsel. We welcome any input you might add on this important matter, and encourage your vote. Because our local governments presently require all kids regularly attend a registered school, all associated New Liberty Village type schools meet or exceed  local and national standards and requirements.


Children are very smart. They learn quickly how the world works, and know keenly what they don't know. They also want to grow up to feel confident and competent. Kids (natural kids) WANT to learn and to learn everything. Witness a 2-year-old in action to see what the natural learning of a human child is. In my experience, this remains, unless it gets dampened by coercion or testing. Only then does the joy of learning become dulled.

I have not seen an unschooled child yet that didn't swallow learning in whole bites. (Even one I know with serious dyslexia is an incredible learning machine when left to her own devices! She simply needs some help with reading.)  My two are 14 and 10, and both still consider learning the greatest game in the world.

Does it not require subtle, but intelligent nudges by parents?
Generally, the loss of the desire to learn is done by a formal educating program (done anywhere) that does not come from inside the child. The more the child's own desires are guiding the learning, the more intense the educating will be. Certainly a good parent will provide access to materials, people, areas, books, outings, interests of their own, interests of others, etc., to their children. These are fantastic jumping-off points, and will instigate HUGE amounts of learning. The older the child, the more they think of on their own.

Reading TO a child will also stimulate all sorts of interests; questions from the child, resulting in the provision of more books and interesting situations being provided; parent as guide... Again, the older the child, the more they think of and do for themselves. A parent interested in learning will be mimicked at the younger ages. Curiosity in new stuff and a can-do attitude are "catching." Children who grow up with these will be at an advantage.

The less quizzing and testing, the better --- because, again, kids are smart, and KNOW.

"Knowledge, freely given, is a golden gift; testing is a demand for repayment."
Enjoy and appreciate the process, if you decide to embark on it; it's pretty nifty.   -    Ellen


EDUCATION DISCUSSION GROUP


Sarah July 1. 2010

Great website with help for home schooling your kids.    

I've been looking for resources to add to learning packets that I'm making for my kids.  
(I hate letting them get rusty over the break, haha)  I found a page with a lot of information
that you might like:  http://education.une.edu/the-ultimate-lesson-plan-guide/

There's some good stuff on there; lesson plans for just about every area of study.

- Sarah 

keith:  metal_man_692001@yahoo.com
Education

I'm a working dad and im wanting to get my h.s. ed.  i work during the day and have no time to go to a school so im looking to
get my education on the internet  please e-mail me at metal_man_692001@yahoo.com if u can help me or know where i can 
get some help.  thank you very much for your time.

sincerly,
Keith E Henningsen


January 31, 2000
Ellen
Unschooling

One of the difficulties surrounding what people think of homeschooling has much to do with parent impression of how "hard" it is. When exploring this, it will generally be found that the parent is thinking "school in the home" rather than homeschooling --- a different animal altogether. And "unschooling" is WAY different from that. Homeschooling, of ANY type, (while it DOES embody the difficulties of personalities immersed in loads of time together) actually can be an incredibly easy project to partake in.

I hope that discussion will be stimulated on your site, simply to give parents and children options to explore. Simply feeling there are alternatives can ease up intense schooling experiences for students, even if the choice remains the same.  Ellen


 
PRIMARY EDUCATION


A good education should support children to grow up to be free and responsible adults ready and able to take their place in society. All elements of the Waldorf curriculum and teaching methods fit together in service of this central objective.

Children are children, not miniature adults. They learn in different and quite distinct ways at different stages in their development. For example, pre-schooler's receive the world primarily through their physical senses while grade school children engage the world more with their emotions. Only once they have entered their teenage years do young people begin to think about matters conceptually, as adults do. Waldorf schools teach all subjects in an age-appropriate way that corresponds to the developmental level of the children.

Children have different temperaments and different learning styles. A Waldorf teacher is trained to meet the children on each one's own terms in order to provide each with proper guidance. There is no grading and only infrequent testing at a Waldorf elementary school because such methods emphasize uniform retention of content rather than learning. Instead, each child's progress is closely monitored by the classroom teacher who moves from grade to grade with the class.

Education should be a wondrous journey, not a race. Learning needs time to take root in a child's growing awareness. This cannot happen if the child is hurried by artificial goals or scattered by a disjointed daily schedule.

Imagination is central to the learning process. A good education makes development of the imagination a high priority.

Children are whole people. Education that truly serves the child must integrate the intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual.

Story telling is an effective, time-honored method to introduce role models and moral principles. Children love stories that come alive for them through their imaginations. Waldorf schools use story telling to bring choices and values to life.

The arts are a critical element in a well-rounded education. They enhance knowledge by linking together inner and outer experience. Music is especially important, and the children at a Waldorf school learn to sing and play both wind and string instruments. Manual arts such as woodworking and handwork help the brain develop the capacity for organized thought. Seeing the physical results of their work gives children a sense of accomplishment and builds their self-esteem and self-confidence.

Children, until around age 12 or 14, learn best through the direct experience of their physical senses and their imagination. Experiential learning keeps subjects vital and alive. For example, body movement in rhythmic patterns contributes to a fuller comprehension of arithmetic. In the upper grades science is taught largely through hands-on experimentation and demonstration. Adults learn primarily through concepts and abstract ideas. For young children, however, abstraction is an inappropriate teaching method which confuses a child's growing understanding of the world. Adults often fail to realize how differently a child receives and integrates knowledge.

The class is a social unit, not just a series of individuals. Children learn a great deal from each other as well as from the teacher. Sometimes the teacher acts almost like an orchestra conductor, seeing that the whole class moves forward so that everyone benefits.

The approach used to teach a given subject and its timing are as important as the content of the teaching. For example, geography is taught starting locally and then spreading to the rest of the world. This mirrors a child's scale of view from the local to the universal. The study of history begins with the oldest stories of humanity and works toward the present. In this way the children acquire a firm sense of rooted-ness.  (source lost)


Home Schooling


Sarah July 1. 2010

Great website with help for home schooling your kids.    

I've been looking for resources to add to learning packets that I'm making for my kids.  
(I hate letting them get rusty over the break, haha)  I found a page with a lot of information
that you might like:  http://education.une.edu/the-ultimate-lesson-plan-guide/

There's some good stuff on there; lesson plans for just about every area of study.

- Sarah 



Home Schooling Web Sites

 http://education.une.edu/the-ultimate-lesson-plan-guide/

Suppliers of new textbooks and curriculum materials

http://www.abeka.com
A Beka Books (Christian textbook publisher)

http://www.home-schooling.com
Alpha Omega Publications (Biblically based homeschool curriculum)

http://www.criticalthinking.com
Critical Thinking Books and Software (original texts and workbooks)

http://www.greenleafpress.com
Greenleaf Press (Religious based history books for children)

http://www.lifetimeonline.com
Liftetime Books and Gifts (Books, music, toys, and games for homeschoolers)

http://www.saxonpub.com
Saxon Publishers (math and phonics books for school and home study)

http://www.elijahco.com
The Elijah Co.(catalog of materials from a family that has homeschooled for 16 years)

http://www.fiveinarow.com
Five In A Row (Christian-oriented, literature-based unit study)

http://www.writingstrands.com
Writing Strands (Language arts materials for homeschoolers)

*******************************

Suppliers of Used Curriculum Materials

http://www.bookmobileonline.com/bookmobile
Bookmobile Online.Com (A division of Homeschool Associates -- new and used materials)

http://www.members.xoom.com/hiswayhome
HIS WAY Homeschool Resources (Christian-oriented, new and used materials)

http://www.vegsource.com/wwwboard/curriculum/wwwboard.html
SchoolSource (a division of Vegsource -- curriculum swap)

http://www.homeschool.crecon/classifieds/classifieds.cgi
Creations Unlimited (The New (Almost) All Used Homeschool Classified Ads)

*******************************

Suppliers of Lesson Plans

http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson
Education World ("Where Educators go to Learn" -- not just for homeschoolers)

http://www.members.aol.com/donnandlee
Mr and Mrs Donn's Ancient History

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/index.html
Kids Domain Craft Exchange (craft projects for young children)

http://www.dreamcatchers.net/treasure
Teaching Unit for "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson

http://www.staa-homeschool.com
St. Thomas Aquinas Academy (Catholic classical liberal arts program)

*******************************

Electronic Field Trips

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/expltx/eft/eft.htm
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/cmceng/childeng/html
Canadian Museum of Civilization ("The Great Adventure")

http://www.lcsweb.loc.gov
The Library of Congress

http://www.exploratorium.edu
The Exploratorium - The Museum of Science. Art, and Human Perception

http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/pges/virtual_trip.htm
Eleven Virtual Field Trips on the internet (courtesy of Pleasant Grove Elementary School, Henry County Schools, Georgia; includes the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

http://www.camelot-group.com/tower Virtual tour of the Tower of London

*******************************

Cyberclasses

http://www.mathstories.com
House of Math -- Word Problems for Children (hundreds of pages, all levels of difficulty)

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/pao/educators
Johnson Space Center (space-related education links)

*******************************

General Information about Homeschool Sites

http://www.homeschoolcentral.com
Homeschool Central (Links to other organizations)

http://www.homeschoolcentral.com/high.htm
Homeschool Central's High School links

http://www.hslda.org
Homeschool Legal Defense Association

******************************

Protestant Sites

http://www.cheact.org
Christian Home Education Association of Central Texas

http://www.sethsa.org
Southeast Texas Homeschool Association

******************************

Catholic Sites

http://www.catholic-homeschool.com
Traditions of Roman Catholic Homes

http://www.homeschoolcentral.com/catholic.htm
Catholic Homeschool Sites

******************************

Muslim Sites

http://www.home.ici.net/~taadah/Homeschool/muslim.html
Islamic Educational and Muslim Home School Resources

http://www.arabesq.com
Arabesq. Islamic Homeschooling and Arabic Resources

******************************

Jewish Site

http://www.snj.com/jhen
Jewish Home Educator's Network






What a dangerous activity reading is; teaching is. All this plastering on of foreign stuff.  Why plaster on at all when there's so much inside already?  So much locked in? 

 If only I could get it out and use it as working material.  And not draw it out either.  If  I had a light enough touch it would just come out under its own volcanic power.  What an exiting and  frightening business it would be:  even that which squeezes through now is amazing enough.

In the safety of the room behind my eyes, where the inspector shade cannot see, I picture  the infant room as one widening crater, loud with the sound of erupting creativity.  Every subject somehow in a creative vent. What wonderful design of movement and mood! What lovely behavior of silksack clouds!

An organic design.  A growing living changing design. Unsentimental and merciless and shockingly beautiful.

- Silvia Ashton-Warner in her preface to Teacher

 

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