August homeschool reads

August 6, 2009

I'm on a homeschool roll these days. Maybe because I'm working on the kid's portfolios for their review in a couple weeks. I seem to recall being in an "education state of mind" last summer around this time.

I've come across some interesting reads & listens lately that I wanted to share.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is a fascinating read. This is not a homeschool book or even an education book but what he writes has implications for both. And implications for understanding life in general, which is what education is all about anyway. It blows out of the water our false assumptions about success (work hard enough and you'll financially succeed, for one) and tells such interesting stories.
Don't even ask me who this Exuberant Animal person is (Damien sent me this link) but I love what this guy/gal has to say about lower education. Wow, there's actually a term, newly formed no doubt, for what we hope to teach our children. I don't want to re-hash the whole thing here but if you question the pace of modern education and it's disembodied, head knowledge focused, no-good-at-basic-life-skills outcomes you'll want to visit this post.
I heard J.K. Rowling's Harvard graduation address recently on NPR while... in the kitchen - where else?? Click through that link and then listen to the story, it's great stuff. Rowling talks about the value of failure and imagination (in the sense of empathy) to change our own selves and the world. A very good listen while cookin' in the kitchen.
My friend-in-real-life, Emily "paints" a lovely picture of family life and in turn, homeschool life, in a piece called Watercolor Living.

Does anyone have a good educational read/listen to suggest? A book, podcast or news story that challenge our educational notions. Please do pass along.

Now I'm jumping back into my week and all our current learning projects, community involvements and life lessons. Helping my younger two learn to read (a reading post coming soon), taking the kids to swim lessons at a local lake, attending public dance and music performances, picking blueberries, trips to the library and making time for Celine to sew a backpack with her Daddy.