Posts by Oubliette

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

Oubliette

GrreatTeacher: your Algebra I problem is like one we work on as a bonus problem in the 4th grade! Of course, we just solve it without the algebraic equations, but it just goes to show the level of work that is now expected from younger and younger students.

Just to clarify, I took this problem straight out of our Algebra I textbook. In our school, this is a class that 9th and 10th graders would take, depending on their math proficiency.

In response to your comment that 4th graders could solve this I would say this: there are often multiple ways to solve a problem. I'm not sure how you might have 4th graders solve it, but I can imagine it would be an elementary method to have them make a table of arithmetic, adults 1-45 @ $4.50 each and children 45-1 @ $2.00 each. The kids could relatively easily multiply each pair of problems and add the sums to get a subtotal. It would be time consuming, but would certainly work.

But it would not be algebra. The whole idea of building an algebraic system of equations and understanding how to do the necessary substitutions is far more sophisticated than most 4th graders could accomplish. It is also a much higher level of thinking.

The point I was trying to make, and apparently did not, is that most parents would not know how to do this and would not be able to help their children solve this problem, which incidently is from the middle of the first semester in our Algebra I course.

To reiterate, this was in response to SotT's comment that because he has an "associates degree with childhood development coursework" he felt qualified him to help his stepson with his homework.

I'm glad he has some higher education. Hopefully it helps him understand what is and what is not developmentally appropriate for his children. It does not however prepare or qualify him to teach math, science or English.

Oubliette

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

Oubliette

GrreatTeacher: I think supporting your child in the charter school program is going to be harder than you think. ... I can't imagine how much more effort it would take to also have to teach time management and project management and supervise schoolwork those extra days of the week, a lot of that being self-taught by necessity. ... My son needs the structure of a daily school routine.

Thank you for adding your insight and experience on this point. These are exactly the issues I was trying to get SotT to consider in my posts. Many people UNDERESTIMATE the difficulties in independent study while at the same time OVERESTIMATING their abilities to "tutor" their child. It's a recipe for disaster.

Again, I'm a huge advocate of alternative education. But it's not for everyone and it most certainly is not easy.

I really appreciated your comment that, "If the child is extraordinarily organized and self-motivated and is not currently having academic difficulties, it could work." This is in a nutshell the essential qualities that a successful independent learner needs to have. I've been doing this for years and I know of what I speak.

Thanks for sharing your opinion!

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

Oubliette

JWDaughter, the reason I said for him to not worry about the the child academically was because the child has a TEACHER and there is a plan.

Agreed. But remember that SotT expressed that the concern that he didn't believe only 2 days per week would be enough academically. He also said that he thought that his "associates degree with childhood development coursework" would qualify him to help his stepson with his homework. He later added that he "has contempt for the [school] system."

My point is that his AA degree does not qualify him to do that.

As you appropriately commented, "It is the keeping up with it that will be the challenge." This is in complete agreement with my previous comment to the OP:

Think of yourself as his mentor and coach, part of a team with the teachers to assist his learning.

What you describe sounds almost like an independent study program. The students that do well academically in these programs are generally disciplined, organized and self-motivated. If your stepson has these traits, even in a moderate amount, he can be very successful in this type of educational setting. If he has severe deficits in this area then he will almost certainly not be successful in an unstructured learning environment.

I'm not sure why you wrote: "Do you have an issue with homeschooling in general? These programs are not the stereotypical kind of homeschooling plan."

Perhaps you did not read my first post on this thread where I said, "Alternative education programs are filling an increasing need in our society."

I'm a huge proponent of alternative education. It is in fact what I do. Without giving away too many details, I teach high school as an alternative education setting in the United States. I am fully licensed and credentialed in the state in which I work, with multiple credentials and certifications appropriate to the subjects I teach and the student population with which I work. I meet weekly with my students on an individualized basis teaching them: English, math, history and science. In addition I conduct regular group sessions which focus on collaborative, Inquiry-Based Learning.

It's what I do. I see students that this works well for and those that it doesn't. From what SotT is describing about his conception of the charter school he is considering and his abilities to help his stepson, it seemed prudent to give him a dose of reality.

Oubliette

29

Attacking the elders, can that bring down the cult??

by Crazyguy in

the borg has left out in the cold the victims of child molesters all to save their reputation and have used the elders to do their bidding in these evil works.

they have even made changes to their policies to put more of the responsibility on the elders.

so if the lawyers of these molestation victims which normally go after the money ie the borg were to also aggressively go after these elders in these cases could this not start a ripple effect where by elders find out and start resigning en mass to protect themselves knowing the borg not going to help them?.

Oubliette

Crazyguy, Even if the scenario you suggested played out as you suggested in your OP, it would require the word to spread among the elders in order to have any affect on individual elders.

The WTBTS has carefully cultivated a culture that keeps the average R&F JWs completely insulated from any news stories critical of the organization.

Ask the average JW if they know who Candace Conti is or if they know about the 20 court cases currently pending against the organization all related to pedophilia and you will almost certainly get blank stares of ignorance.

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

Oubliette

There is a real problem among people in general and JWs in particular. It is that they mistakenly believe they are qualified to do things for which they are not.

I believe a big part of this among JWs is the ingrained culture that constantly tells the R&F Witness that they are "qualified to be ministers" after studying a WTBTS publication or two and correctly answering a few questions.

This is nonsense. Being qualified to do anything takes YEARS of rigorous study, work and self-reflection, often under the tutelage of a master teacher. There are no "master teachers" among JWs. There just aren't. The only thing they have mastered is parroting the party line du jour and never, ever questioning the leadership.

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

Oubliette

JWD: Don't worry about your ability to help your son academically.

With all do respect, that is really bad advice. A parent SHOULD worry about helping their child keep up academically. It is their job (among other things).

The reality is: most parents are not capable of helping their children with their school work beyond about 6th grade. This is PARTICULARLY TRUE OF JW PARENTS. (Yes, I know that SotT is not a JW).

Here are some 9th grade problems for y'all:

ALGEBRA 1: Translate this word problem into a system of equations, then solve :
Tickets for The Hunger Games at the Bijou Matinee cost $4.50 for adults and $2.00 for children under 17. If 45 people attended and the Bijou sold $162.50 in tickets:

a) How many adults attended the show?
b) How amy children attended the show?

Earth Science: When methane combusts it produces carbon dioxide and water vapor. The chemical equation which expresses this is CH4 + O2 → CO2 + H2O. This equation is not balanced. Balance it and explain your answer.

English: The following sentence has a dangling modifier, a modifier improperly modifies something. This particular sentence has a participial phrase followed by an Expletive Construction. Analyze the sentence and repair it by changing the participial phrase into a full-fledged clause with a subject and verb.

DM: Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, there is an easy way to keep your car running smoothly.
Repaired Sentence: _______________________________________________________________________

Let me know when you're reading to tackle some chemistry, physics or pre-calculus. I'd love to get your views on Emerson's writings about the American Transcendentalist movement as a response to the European Enlightenment.

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

Oubliette

SotT,

I'm sorry your son is sick. But way to miss the point.

The fact that you attack me only proves the point I was making.That you neglected to inform the school that your child was home sick is further evidence that you either do not understand your role in working with your child's teacher or that you are incapable of doing it.

There is no "Lord" to save your family. There is only you, his mother and ultimately himself. Alienating people that try to give you a dose of reality suggests that your children are in for a rough time of it.

Oubliette

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

Oubliette

JeffT, I have to brag, he just got accepted into a PhD program at Berkeley

Brag away, you deserve to. That's a pretty exclusive program you're boy got into!!!

Your experience proves the importance of alternatives to traditional education. What a nice success story!

33

Semi Home Study Based Charter School vs. Regular School

by SonoftheTrinity in

i blame my stepkids bad grades in school squarely on the watchtower.

they don't get enough sleep because of the demands of family bible study and thursday meetings but comprimise isn't in my wife's vocabulary.

my stepson has friends at school but there are also bullies, and the classes are overcrowded with sicknesses spreading through them in a way that is detrimental to the family's health.

Oubliette

SotT,

Traditional education clearly does not work for all children. Many families are turning to Alternative Education Programs in the hopes that their children will fare better.

In reference to this, Tony Evers, Phd, Superintendent for the Wisconsin Department of Education wrote, "The large and/or traditional school environment is becoming less effective for increasing numbers of students. Research shows this is especially true for at-risk, vulnerable, and disengaged students."

Alternative education programs are filling an increasing need in our society.

That being said, please don't think that these programs are an easy fix. School is still hard work, and it should be.

You wrote: "I have an associates degree with childhood development coursework so I can help him with the increased homework."

It is important to be realistic about this. You didn't mention your stepson's age, but if he's in middle school or older, you need to understand that your AA degree does NOT prepare or qualify you to teach, particularly more difficult subjects such as math or science. And, not to be mean, but judging by the numerous punctuation and grammar errors in your post, you are also not qualified to teach English.

I know of many families that have made the same mistake, thinking they could teach their own kids. It's really not that easy.

If the charter school you mentioned is good--meaning: if the teacher's are well-qualified--then perhaps your stepson will thrive there. Think of yourself as his mentor and coach, part of a team with the teachers to assist his learning.

What you describe sounds almost like an independent study program. The students that do well academically in these programs are generally disciplined, organized and self-motivated. If your stepson has these traits, even in a moderate amount, he can be very successful in this type of educational setting. If he has severe deficits in this area then he will almost certainly not be successful in an unstructured learning environment.

42

National Public Radio (NPR) broadcasts today about JWs. Do you want to hear the secrets of what this religion has been keeping under wraps?

by AndersonsInfo in

to all those who frequent this discussion board:.

we just wanted you to know that an investigative public radio program named reveal, produced by cir (center for investigative reporting) and prx, will present today, saturday, february 14th, the results of new investigations uncovering hidden stories.

in this weeks story, there will be three different topics covered.

Oubliette

Thanks for posting this Barbara. I read the article. Very thorough without being overwhelming.