Just before bedtime we were watching a National Geo segment of the Liger. It was really interesting as I had no idea this animal existed. Questions of morality aside, I was impressed with the story of this creature and how a hybrid between a Lion and Tigress would actually turn out twice the size of the male parent. The liger is also considerably stronger than both parents; swims like a tiger and socialises like a lion.
The short segment really captured our attention and the children had many questions. It is fun to know that their world is their classroom. We have the opportunity to learn together and answer each other's questions. There is no shame in not knowing the answers either. And with the wealth of information the net has to offer, we can always google on up and find the answer side by side. We're each others' teachers as much as we are students, and as every student should know, learning really has no end.
A few weeks back we watched a part of "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader," and the show focused on laughing it out as a 5th Grade Teacher with a decade's worth of experience could barely get by the simplest questions without the help of one student each time. When the host asked how she answered questions in her class when she did know the answer, she said, "I tell them, let's look it up!"
We only watched National Geo for a while as bedtime was imminent (itchy heads, red beady eyes), so we said goodnight to the Liger once the credits were rolling. Ten minutes of that was enough to remind me that DH and my collective knowledge would never be enough to satisfy those endless questions. But that is one the advantages I feel we have in homeschooling. When we don't know the answers, we will look them up. And in time, as most homeschoolers advocate, their children take the initiative to look up things that capture their interest and their curiosity.
The short segment really captured our attention and the children had many questions. It is fun to know that their world is their classroom. We have the opportunity to learn together and answer each other's questions. There is no shame in not knowing the answers either. And with the wealth of information the net has to offer, we can always google on up and find the answer side by side. We're each others' teachers as much as we are students, and as every student should know, learning really has no end.
A few weeks back we watched a part of "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader," and the show focused on laughing it out as a 5th Grade Teacher with a decade's worth of experience could barely get by the simplest questions without the help of one student each time. When the host asked how she answered questions in her class when she did know the answer, she said, "I tell them, let's look it up!"
We only watched National Geo for a while as bedtime was imminent (itchy heads, red beady eyes), so we said goodnight to the Liger once the credits were rolling. Ten minutes of that was enough to remind me that DH and my collective knowledge would never be enough to satisfy those endless questions. But that is one the advantages I feel we have in homeschooling. When we don't know the answers, we will look them up. And in time, as most homeschoolers advocate, their children take the initiative to look up things that capture their interest and their curiosity.
Even tho' we're not homeschooling, we give our kids many opportunities to increase their knowledge, by reading books, watching learning channels etc. Of course they'll have many questions, and we as parents will look for the answers with them, not just for them. As they get older, they'll be more independent and will find the answers to anything of interest themselves. It's a normal part of growing up.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I believe parents should be in-tune with their kids, whether or not they are homeschooling. After all, they are your responsibilities and you have to do your best in bringing them up. There's no one way that is right or wrong, everything has pros and cons. It's up to the person to choose his/her path, in parenting and other things in life.
Just my two cents...
Thanks for the two cents. I agree whole-heartedly.
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