Donna's Journey

Friends,

I have decided to post my answers here instead of the boards and leave a link to my site. The below question was posted on TJEdMUSE yahoo group…

> I’m gathering suggestions of books to read with a group of twelve year old youth. I’d like to discuss some books that REALLY get these kids thinking about owning their own education, their missions in life, transitioning through the phases, etc. I’d like to read some books that could be followed up with a great simulation or activity that gets the children working together, communicating, etc.
> Most of these children are in Love of Learning phase and need inspiration. The majority of these children are boys.
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Robin
>
Robin,

Sounds like these boys are in shut down.

How is their core phase? In core phase they learn values, self discipline, habitudes, work ethic, and more. I usually refuse to work with youth this age in shut down or not, unless I work with the parents too. Sure, an inspiring teacher can make a difference. However, success rates increase with home support. Home support increases as parents gain understanding. Usually, parents will put boys with shut down issues into a class hoping the teacher can inspire them. I also see anxious parents try to get kids in a class early because they are “bright.” I interview youths and parents before I let them into my class. If the kids are not ready they show it.

If they are twelve year-old boys and not transitioning into practice scholars, I do not feel it is not time to move into simulations etc. Twelve and not inspired? Chances are they have neither a solid core phase nor love of learning. Transition is not likely to happen if they are in shut down and have a lot of assignments and hoops to jump through. It is time for full on love of learning. Set aside thoughts of transition and focus on love of learning. When they get it, they will usually start to transition. Remember boys often transition later and the more one focuses on transition before they have a love of learning, the longer it will take to transition.

One thing that delays transition for many boys is very little homeculture and too many distractions.

I feel young boys need lots of hands on projects, games of stratagem like chess, intricate puzzles, building projects, science projects, exposure to a wide variety of things, field trips, and more. I like to get them into classics for boys, biographies, JRR Tolkien’s Trilogy, Narnia, history, math literature, and more. I love Edison’s story. His mom read to him and dovetailed that with all her other farm duties. He learned to read because the stories inspired him and he did not want to wait to find what happened next. I believe parents should continue reading aloud even after kids are readers.
Here are some book ideas:
Childhood Biography of Famous Americans Edison/ Childhood Biography of Famous Americans Bell/ Childhood Biography of Famous Americans Ford/ Childhood Biography of Famous Americans Franklin/ Childhood Biography of Famous Americans Paul Revere
Carry on Mr. Bowditch
Lonesome Gods by Lamour
String, Straight Edge and Shadow Julie Duggins (The history of geometry)

Expose them to many ideas, let them explore, let them experiment, and they will discover and treasure knowledge.

One more idea especially for boys: I feel boys need to have a circle of supportive males in their life. Fathers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, friends, neighbors. With their fathers and at times with this supportive group, I feel boys need to learn fixing, mending, entrepreneurship, and service. Some of this can be done in scouts, but I feel that the dads need to be involved and not just leave it to other men. If families and fathers seize the day and grasp this opportunity. When they do young boys will be more likely to be anxiously engaged in good causes, and less likely to be disinterested and falling into distraction as a lifestyle, floundering and not moving forward. A kind of synergy happens when men lead boys to manhood. This is the essense of sowing seeds of greatness.

S. M. I. L. E.
The first letter of the last five words in this scripture spell out the acronym S.M.I.L.E.:
O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal. (II Nephi 9:39)

I have pondered this scripture a lot. Carnal Minded is the arm of flesh, by our own way. Spiritually minded is to counsel with the Lord in all things and to be guided by his spirit. To be carnal minded is to chart our own course, do it our way, without seeking our following the Spirit. He reminds us that we are free to choose between the Lords way and our way. We need to remember that no man comes to the Father, but by Christ. He is the way. His vision is greater than our own. The arm of flesh does not lead to eternal life, only through following the enticings of the spirit can we be led there.

U. T. A. H.
In the printed form the word Utah lines up pretty well on this verse that refers to Utah, though Utah had not received its name yet, and the Saints did not know they would be inhabiting Utah at the time this was translated.

And it shall come to pass in the
last days, when the mountain of
the Lord’s house shall be established
in the top of the mountains, and
shall be exalted above the hills, and
all nations shall flow unto it. (II Nephi 12:2)

“How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about arithmetic and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be everything to someone? No, a woman’s function is laborious because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.”

G. K. Chesterton

Chesterton saw a woman’s function as motherhood (though he only used the examples of what mothers do and did not mention mothers or motherhood per se) and the gigantic function it is.

Not too long ago I saw a book entitled “All I Really Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten” by Robert Fulghum. The premise intrigued me and I wanted to see where the tagline led. So, I bought the book and leafed through its pages. I then pondered what I had read. I considered where I learned and to me, kindergarten seemed a bit late for many of those lessons. Perhaps the outsourcing of rocking the cradle and the outsourcing of childhood has delayed these lessons and many have missed these lessons altogether. No wonder we are in such dire straights as a society.

Perhaps I need to write a book! Oh that is right, I have written a book to mothers about rediscovering the lost arts of Godly Womanhood. However, I wonder if its is too late to write the book on the lost art of a nurturing home? I probably need to write that book, plus, All I ever Needed to Learn I Learned at Home.

I have often found parents struggle with the idea of inspiring their kids to love learning. This does not surprise me. Most of us were raised to think that seat work and seat time = education. We cannot imagine any other way. Learning has not always been equated with seat time and seat work.

So, in 2002 I created a class for children under 12 to help them explore and love learning. I have done more refining of the class along the way. My daughter, Julia, taught a love of learning class last spring. We have decided to teach a class again to help children to explore and love learning. This time I offer the class, it will be with the part-time assistance of my daughter Julia Ann Groves. I am offering this class through Moor House Academy, my private online school, where sometimes I teach live classes here in Orem, Utah.

My hope is that we record the classes in digital video VGA format to support people at a distance. Of course, this is a work in progress and I have a lot of logistics to work through to bring this to reality. My digital camera should be here Friday. Then I have to learn how to use it and many other things. Always an adventure.

The Parent Information and Enrollment Meeting-
Date Wednesday 28 October 2009
Time 6-8 pm
Location: The Goff Residence
RSVP for directions.

Of course, I have parent information meetings so I can consolidate and answer all the questions at the same time, rather than spending hours on the phone and answering individual emails all day. It is counterproductive to spend hours on the phone answering questions and also have an enrollment meeting.

Autumn Classes begin 3 November and end 3 December.

A Leap into the Love of Learning class for children 8-12- is a Junior Scholar class that will meet Tuesday and Thursday morning from Noon-2:30 pm. Leap into the Love of Learning with this hands on class where we will explore the world in which we live. Subjects and activities of our class will vary depending upon the interest of the students, we plan to learn about the treasure of history, science, art, literature and more.

I first taught this class in 2007 and I will be teaching it again this fall.

Back by popular demand!

The Moor House Academy Orem Lyceum
Presents
The Art of War
Defenders of Life

A class designed especially for youth 12-16 years and older
(project scholar and up).

~

From Supporters of Life
Arise
Defenders of Life;
Standing Between
Supporters and Attackers.

We live in a time of wars and rumors of war.
Violence has been with us since the beginning of the World.
There was a War in Heaven.
Is there a proper role of violence?
What do the scriptures say?
What do the inspired writings of mankind say?
Is there an application today?

This class will explore this theme and more, using the scriptures, classics,
games of stratagem, projects, and more.

Classics we will use in the November class:
Scriptures
Sun Tzu’s Art of War
Tolkien’s The Hobbit
and selected readings…

Event: Information and Sign Up Meeting
Date: Wednesday 28 October 2009
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Place: Orem, Utah (RSVP for directions)

Autumn Classes begin 3 November and run through 3 December.
Classes are held twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 3:00-5:30 pm. this way those who have seminary classes will not need to rearrange their schedules.
No classes will be held Thanksgiving Week.
Please: RSVP

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” The Tyranny of Moral Supremacy From C.S. Lewis

Happy Columbus Day! Yes, I celebrate Columbus Day. We celebrated it by canning 30 quarts of Jonathan Apple sauce!

What an exciting time!!! Mary turns elven today. Wow, has it really been 11 years since she was born, right here at home. This launches her last year in childhood. We have such a wonderful year planned!

“Your success as family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens inside your house.” Barbara Bush