anything "done right" is lovely. An in-school education "done right" is perfectly sufficient for the needs of most students.
Well, we're hung up on semantics, here. I'm really thinking more of the averages. When I say "done right" I mean "not the sort of homeschool parents the news channels love to show."
After all, as you said, most student don't really have the drive to learn more than necessary. Do you think putting them in an at-home individual setting will suddenly make them want to learn geometry? or make history more interesting to a kid who only wants to dig worms out of the soil? Yes, you do have more ability to focus on what the student is good at, but you still have to teach the "boring stuff".
No, you really don't. Or at least, homeschool can minimize boring stuff in a way that public school cannot. Like I said in another thread, I never took any formal spelling or grammar instruction. I had VERY little history. You really don't have to teach "the boring stuff." Consequently, homeschool students absolutely can be more motivated than traditional students. Most that I've known are. It's not just the subject choice, either. Parents are naturally good at motivating their kids. They know them best, after all. They know that asking the kid to write a five page report won't be as effective as having them watch an animated lecture online (or whatever).
That is based on your personal experiences. I've seen home schooling go very differently. I've seen a kid throw math books around a living room because she didn't want to do homework, and her mother not do a whit about it. So my personal experiences paint a very different picture for me. On the other hand, during the summers I was "home schooled" to a degree by my mother and I found that at least interesting, even if I hated those danged math books (PS the child in the aforementioned throwing was not me ) But the point here is, those experiences are very different. As a system, there is not consistency in quality in home schooling
Parents can motivate children by tailoring subjects, AND by tailoring their teaching style to methods that the student responds well to.
Unless the parent is an idiot or can't teach worth a hoot. Obviously, your parents were neither, but you assume that all parents can accomplish these tasks. Parents can sometimes hardly managed to motivate their children to wake up in the morning. You really think that same parent will manage to motivate a child to practice their multiplication tables? What about the parents who's children wail in grocery stores?
A teacher can't either. As for the school's resources, it's basically a library, and some teachers. The teachers rarely know much more than their subject matter requires, and develop lesson plans by reading the textbook, and coming up with an outline. Parents can do the same thing. They can pick textbooks based on solid peer reviews and awards, too, rather than just going with whatever the school can pick up cheap. Up to a point, parents already know the majority of what they're teaching their kid, too. That point is usually high school, and most home-schooling parents do "outsource" a lot of the schooling. In high school, I took some community college courses, and some courses at a local co-op group, which brought in parents from their field to teach, to supplement what I did at home. At the high school level, you do lose some of the benefit of having a parent teach you, but you still have all the flexibility to tailor towards what interests you, and to learn in the manner you see fit, whether that be community college classes, job shadowing, whatever.
A single teacher cannot answer every child's question, no. But there is always more than one teacher just a few foot steps away. The library is only a few more steps than that. My point is that all these resources are within easy access to a student willing to access them, or a teacher willing to do a bit extra for a student. And I don't know how much you know about teaching (honestly, I'm not trying to egg at you), but I can assure you that plenty of teachers do more than formulate an outline from a textbook for their curriculum. Trust me, I've seen more lesson plan books than anyone outside a college of education should. I've had more of that since entering college than anywhere else.
A quality home school education require a parent to give a quality education. This is far from impossible, but there are enough parents out there that are total idiots both with knowledge and their children that I would quake in fear if home schooling was made the predominant system of education over in-school teaching.
Still Empress of the Poofy Purple Pillow Pile Palace!!
Continued Love of my Aussie <3
Continued Love of my Aussie <3
This message last edited by LadyLorraine on 03/03/2010 at 06:45:11 AM
Homeschooling: German Family Gets Political Asylum in U.S.
02/03/2010 10:30:01 PM
- 1402 Views
Looks like a win-win situation to me.
02/03/2010 11:01:22 PM
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Germany does have a history of getting rid of people it doesn't like *NM*
03/03/2010 02:08:37 PM
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Yawn. At least beckstcw was joking when he invoked Godwin's law below. I hope. *NM*
03/03/2010 02:10:18 PM
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That is a load of crap
03/03/2010 02:53:02 PM
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uhm, how would Germany be offending the US?
03/03/2010 02:56:52 PM
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Um.
03/03/2010 02:57:53 PM
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But our religious beliefs and belief in allowing religious freedom is fair game?
03/03/2010 03:09:48 PM
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Yes?
03/03/2010 03:40:30 PM
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If you made fun of the Native Americans I would be offended
03/03/2010 03:46:05 PM
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It's actually quite the opposite.
03/03/2010 03:57:19 PM
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and I would say they trying to fix intolerance with more intolerance
03/03/2010 04:13:49 PM
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That was probably the stupidest thing I ever saw you write
03/03/2010 03:28:39 PM
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You were the one who said good riddance
03/03/2010 03:43:24 PM
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It's the usual story of American ideology and European pragmatism.
03/03/2010 03:52:51 PM
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This is getting a bit off the discussion. Please keep it civil, everyone. *NM*
03/03/2010 06:55:11 PM
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Re: Homeschooling: German Family Gets Political Asylum in U.S.
03/03/2010 01:09:23 AM
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The socialization thing is mostly garbage
03/03/2010 02:32:19 AM
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Yep, exactly.
03/03/2010 02:41:14 AM
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Re: Yep, exactly.
03/03/2010 03:12:48 AM
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*shrugs* I said it was anecdotal. I have no hard figures, only experiences.
03/03/2010 03:28:29 AM
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The operative word IS mostly
03/03/2010 04:33:20 AM
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'Mostly' is all that matters
03/03/2010 05:46:01 AM
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Uhm, socialization is incredibly important.
03/03/2010 06:03:30 AM
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Yes, but you don't need to be taught to do it
03/03/2010 06:47:06 AM
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cats aren't pack or herd animals
03/03/2010 06:53:02 AM
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Something of an inside joke, sorry
03/03/2010 07:41:50 AM
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us closely associated with schools are sensitive on the issue too
03/03/2010 01:05:27 PM
- 438 Views
Re: us closely associated with schools are sensitive on the issue too
03/03/2010 10:19:21 PM
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I would agree that households with two working parnets shouldn't home school *NM*
03/03/2010 03:22:51 PM
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to jump on the "I was homeschooled and I have social skills" bandwagon...
03/03/2010 06:27:05 AM
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I was homeschooled through grade 12, and my mom has done pro bono legal work for HSLDA.
03/03/2010 02:20:38 AM
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I agree that it can be a very good option for some families
03/03/2010 04:42:21 AM
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Re: I agree that it can be a very good option for some families
03/03/2010 05:16:17 AM
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It depends on the public school.
03/03/2010 05:23:09 AM
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Re: It depends on the public school.
03/03/2010 05:45:07 AM
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"done right" is not always the case
03/03/2010 05:58:26 AM
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Re: "done right" is not always the case
03/03/2010 06:14:43 AM
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Re: "done right" is not always the case
03/03/2010 06:31:04 AM
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Well let's talk stats then.
03/03/2010 06:55:14 AM
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please do not get me started on statistis.
03/03/2010 07:11:19 AM
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Your comments on public school educations have rather limited relevance to other countries, though.
03/03/2010 09:53:30 AM
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While I support homeschooling, this is ridiculous.
03/03/2010 04:48:40 AM
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Meh.
03/03/2010 05:20:50 AM
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one year in a public school
03/03/2010 05:32:13 AM
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Re: one year in a public school
03/03/2010 05:58:48 AM
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No, I think i will nitpick.
03/03/2010 06:11:44 AM
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This is getting off track and wasting time.
03/03/2010 06:26:36 AM
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I'm not even certain it's 100% legal.
03/03/2010 06:34:44 AM
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Yes, but we can't argue abuse of law.
03/03/2010 06:51:23 AM
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I only used Mexicans because I'm from Arizona
03/03/2010 07:04:29 AM
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I think I have the gist of it,
03/03/2010 07:17:40 AM
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we haven't heard anything about their beliefs for me to think they're stupid.
03/03/2010 02:54:25 PM
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According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung...
03/03/2010 03:38:13 PM
- 562 Views
Say what?
03/03/2010 09:38:40 AM
- 507 Views
Being able raise your kids by your beliefs is a frivolous matter?
03/03/2010 03:21:23 PM
- 434 Views
Germany is not saying "you can't raise your kids by your beliefs"
03/03/2010 03:31:01 PM
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It's not a recent law, and supposedly other German families have moved to France and the UK.
03/03/2010 03:45:56 PM
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I think that would fly in very face of political assylum
03/03/2010 04:12:48 PM
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Yes, but they did not need political asylum.
03/03/2010 04:28:16 PM
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how is that different then other political refuges we allow in?
03/03/2010 04:55:14 PM
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I believe Legolas linked an article
03/03/2010 04:57:09 PM
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I never saw the link
03/03/2010 05:08:21 PM
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I'm not sure if they offered "formal" assurances or some such
03/03/2010 05:21:54 PM
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that was a mayor, I doubt he would have the final word on the issue
03/03/2010 05:46:22 PM
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You don't have a law about removing children from parental custody? At all?
03/03/2010 09:43:15 PM
- 556 Views
They can take your kids from for not sending them to school but not for home schooling them
03/03/2010 10:35:48 PM
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Compared to not being able to feed your kids, yes, it is.
03/03/2010 03:42:58 PM
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yes but we don't grant political assylum for being hungry
03/03/2010 04:34:23 PM
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no we don't.
03/03/2010 04:50:31 PM
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Do you have a better system?
03/03/2010 05:05:42 PM
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Immigration processes could certainly use some reform
03/03/2010 05:32:22 PM
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The system sucks, big government typically does not function well
03/03/2010 05:48:25 PM
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Oh, and did you miss the part where the federal government is appealing the decision? *NM*
03/03/2010 09:40:42 AM
- 357 Views
I would consider the threat of losing my children because of my beliefs to be a real threat *NM*
03/03/2010 02:54:08 PM
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Doesn't matter why, but all parents should have the right to homeschool.....
03/03/2010 04:48:57 AM
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That whole thing is pretty silly
03/03/2010 12:18:45 PM
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Re: socialising.
03/03/2010 06:13:49 PM
- 666 Views
I am opposed to homeschooling but believe it should be a legal option.
03/03/2010 02:32:34 PM
- 606 Views
I think you make a good point here
03/03/2010 05:22:59 PM
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but...but...parents can't educate their children outside of school!!
03/03/2010 05:40:30 PM
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I don't agree with them I just support their right to be wrong
03/03/2010 06:04:11 PM
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The statistics are flawed, as I've noted above
03/03/2010 07:07:11 PM
- 496 Views
they tend to beat private schools as well would should flatten out the demographics
03/03/2010 07:53:38 PM
- 577 Views
Your views on this are not fact-driven
03/03/2010 09:13:07 PM
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No, what you're saying is that my answer isn't driven by STATISTICS.
03/03/2010 10:36:50 PM
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Granted, but there is no obvious source for bias
03/03/2010 10:57:19 PM
- 512 Views
You mean aside from the fact that you are already arguing about it?
04/03/2010 12:14:02 AM
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Yes, I mentioned this in my reply to Tom, see below...
04/03/2010 12:19:42 AM
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And the wikipedia article you pointed me to had a different study that contradicts your point.
03/03/2010 10:42:54 PM
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Religious or *moral* instruction
03/03/2010 10:49:48 PM
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I haven't really "met" you the way I meant it in that reply
03/03/2010 11:48:11 PM
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Granted but for our purposes I think people on this site would qualify
04/03/2010 12:05:03 AM
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Umm Massachusetts did have slavery in 1717
03/03/2010 02:55:25 PM
- 513 Views
His argument on the law of Germany is a bad one generally, though, not just for that reason.
03/03/2010 03:31:00 PM
- 429 Views
Wow....so this got the board going. A question for everyone...
03/03/2010 06:02:57 PM
- 704 Views
I think it is incumbent on the state to show that kids are being in some way harmed
03/03/2010 06:07:13 PM
- 613 Views
Interesting
03/03/2010 06:25:43 PM
- 722 Views
I never said there should be no limits on what parents should be able to do
03/03/2010 06:38:53 PM
- 669 Views
I think it's safe to say teaching your kids to be little sociopaths qualifies as harm.
03/03/2010 09:17:48 PM
- 443 Views
I think so too
03/03/2010 10:46:41 PM
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I think the problem there was it was seen as inherently political, that, and showing harm.
03/03/2010 11:44:21 PM
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Yes they do. Provided...
03/03/2010 07:04:46 PM
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There is a reason why education until 18 (or 16, depending) is not merely a right, but a duty.
03/03/2010 10:00:53 PM
- 613 Views
Hmmph. Inappropriate action on the part of the judge who allowed them to stay.
03/03/2010 06:22:08 PM
- 559 Views
You just skip the part where they have to show they are being persecuted
03/03/2010 06:54:20 PM
- 674 Views
As I said, most people would prefer to have their safety threatened to losing their kids. *NM*
06/03/2010 10:14:52 PM
- 420 Views
*walks in, looks around*
03/03/2010 07:52:09 PM
- 649 Views
Interesting
03/03/2010 11:02:27 PM
- 636 Views