I'm going back (again) to the time-tested family read.  I emailed out a collection of short writings about family reading.  If anyone knows how to attach it to the blog, please let me know how!!  If not, I hope you enjoy it from the comfort of your email account!  Love you!
Jenny

Next Meeting: October 22nd

We will be meeting on October 22nd at 7:30 pm to discuss the first six chapters of the book A Mind at a Time by Mel Levine.

So far, I'm finding the book very interesting with lots to think about and apply. I hope you all have a chance to take a look at it. I'll see you at my house (1762 Downington Ave.) on October 22nd!

Next Meeting: September 24, 7:30pm

Hi all, here's my address for all who can come next week! 363 S Douglas St. (1250 E), 84102. From 1300 East, go west on 400 South, then north on Douglas. We are the red brick house on the east side of the street. Although you may notice there is restricted parking on our street, it is not in effect after 6pm -  just park anywhere along the street.

We will be discussing "Calm and Compassionate Children" by Susan Usha Dermond. Can't wait to see you all there!

Play School Co-op

Hi ladies,

I wondered if any of you would be interested in a Playschool co-op for our 3 and 4 year old children?  I'm not sure exactly how spread out we are (I'm in Millcreek), or if anyone else is interested, but I thought I'd throw it out there.  Here's what I'm thinking:

Tuesday and Thursday morning maybe 9-11am
5-6 kids
Rotate houses, with each mom taking a week every 5-6 weeks
No "curriculum," but maybe choose a subject your child is interested in, and during playschool read some (age appropriate) books about it, talk about it, act it out, make it with play dough, sing, play, play, play, etc.

You ladies are the education experts, so the content is entirely up for re-thinking.

Anyway, I have a (barely) 4 year old who would love to have time to play with other kids, read books with mom (and other mommies), and work with his hands. If you are interested, please let me know!

Julia Bernards
479 426-0012
julia.bernards@gmail.com

Here's the summary of the Music Classics from last month's show and tell:  Nurtured by Love by Suzuki, The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers by Kavanaugh, Bernsteins Favorites, Kindermusik, Fun with Composers Just for Kids by Ziolkoski, Rhythm Games by Abramson, Musical Spoons (notes) by Neil A. Kjos Music Co., A Galaxy of Games for the Music Class by Athey and Hotchkiss, the Gifted Music School (in SL), Music Mind Games by Yurko, Fantasia, The Salt Lake Children's Choir conducted by Ralph Woodward, Jr., the Millcreek Children's Choir conducted by Kathryn Monson, Utah Symphony's free concerts, and the Classical Kids CD series (Beethoven Lives Upstairs, etc.)

Enjoy!
Jenny

I just signed up for a newsletter today that intrigued me.  I'm sharing it with you in case you are also looking for ways to promote leadership and freedom and heal our ailing society.  Or if you are just looking for something else to read in the scads of free time on your hands.

 

http://www.thesocialleader.com/

 

Love,

Jenny

I too loved our meeting this month.  Thanks for hosting us, Heather!!

Our next book is on my very short list.  It lives on my nightstand because I refer to it often.  For those of you who read many books each month anyway, you might consider reading Leadership Education:  The Phases of Learning by Oliver and Rachel DeMille first, because the learning phases are referenced repeatedly in the Home Companion.  The first book we read together (A Thomas Jefferson Education), the Phases of Learning, and the Home Companion make up the three books I originally wanted to introduce you to when starting this group, and speak to my beliefs about what I do to educate my children.

I've actually posted a reading assignment for this month, and it can be found on the sidebar to the right if you wish to participate.  The Classics Show-And-Tell is FOOD!!! 

I'll relate the list of music classics shared last month in another post soon, but until then, goodnight and happy reading, writing, and thinking! 

Jenny

August Meeting

Thank you, ladies, for a great discussion last night.  I took lots of notes and came away thinking, which is always good!

I volunteered to host next month's discussion at my home.  My address is:

821 E. Shady Lake Dr.
Millcreek, UT

It sounded like we will be discussing "A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion" by Oliver DeMille and Diann Jeppson in August.  (Someone please correct me that if that is the wrong book!)  There look to be about 7 copies in the SLCo Library system, and all checked out, so get your reservation in quickly! Alternatively, it is available on Amazon for about $16.

--Julia Bernards

Fun Family Activities--Summer Stuff

Here is a link to the company that will outfit you with a river tube, life jacket, and shuttle ride for $10 to float the Provo River.  Awesome fun!!  (We just recently took our 6, 5, and 3 year old and they LOVED it.)

http://www.highcountryrafting.com/tubing/

Also, here is a link to the Monday evening concert schedule at Liberty Park.  The concerts start at 7 pm each Monday in July and August and feature international music and dance.  It is so relaxing to bring a blanket and a picnic and sit back (or get up and dance) and fully enjoy.

http://playlist.krcl.org/event/monday-park-concert

Summer Reading Progams

Thanks for a very inspiring, fun night last night Ladies! Looking forward to next month!
Here is the list of reading programs I know about. If you know of any more let us know. Thanks!

Local County Library: "Dig into Reading" Read and get FREE prizes during the summer!
-Sign up at your local library.

Barnes & Noble: Read 8 books to get a book FREE
- Click HERE to sign up

Governor & First Lady: When your family reads 20 hours you get FREE prizes
- Check out the Details HERE

Sylvan - "Book Adventure": Read and get a FREE prize that you can choose during the summer
- Details HERE

Scholastic Summer Reading challenge: Read to get FREE virtual prizes During the summer.
- Details HERE

Utah State Fair: Read 10 books to get FREE admission to the Utah State Fair, a bookmark, free medium soft drink, and one FREE ride at the Fair
- Details HERE

I have had a chance to meet Amy Edwards and her book is on my next shipment from Amazon.  I wanted to share her blog in case there are any of you out there who want some basics about the love of learning phase (approx. 8-12).  She's wonderful.

http://www.lolipoplearning.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-end-of-another-school-year.html

A different kind of education

A friend shared this talk with me a few days after I decided to make a major shift in our home-school curriculum, to focus on the kids' social/emotional/spiritual/physical preparedness instead of the academics.  I just felt like there was a window and for this period, academic learning just wasn't important.  Anyway, watching this talk was like a confirmation about the importance of an education that has nothing to do with academics.  I really appreciated it.

http://www.upworthy.com/the-earth-shatteringly-amazing-speech-that-ll-change-the-way-you-think-about-adulthood-4?g=2&c=o98

TED talks on Education

I love TED talks, and I listened to this one, by Sugata Mitra this morning.  I thought it was definitely worth sharing.  Springing from that talk, this challenge/contest is also going on, that I think might be fun to do (individually.)  Here are some other great talks on education.

Enjoy, and I look forward to meeting you all on Tuesday!

Julia Bernards

Here is another one . . .

Why French Kids Don't Have ADHD

French children don't need medications to control their behavior.

Published on March 8, 2012 by Marilyn Wedge, Ph.D. in Suffer the Children

In the United States, at least 9% of school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and are taking pharmaceutical medications. In France, the percentage of kids diagnosed and medicated for ADHD is less than .5%. How come the epidemic of ADHD—which has become firmly established in the United States—has almost completely passed over children in France?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/suffer-the-children/201203/why-french-kids-dont-have-adhd

Another tidbit to add to the discussion this month . . .

Psychiatrist Leon Eisenberg, the “scientific father of ADHD,” stated seven months before his death (in his final interview) that “ADHD is a prime example of a fictitious disease."

Here is the article:

http://www.currentconcerns.ch/index.php?id=1608

"The task of psychologists, educators and doctors is not to put children on the 'chemical lead' because the entire society cannot handle the products of its misguided theories of man and raising children, and instead hands over our children to the free pharmaceutical market. Let us return to the basic matter of personal psychology and education: The child is to acquire personal responsibility and emphatic behavior under expert guidance – and that takes the family and the school: In these fields, the child should be able to lead off mentally. This constitutes the core of the human person."

The Sixth Factor . . .

I'd like to add another "factor" to Leonard Sax's list: Helicopter Parenting.  This article, taken from a psychology publication, explains.

"A Nation of Wimps" By Hara Estroff Marano

Parents are going to ludicrous lengths to take the bumps out of life for their children. However, parental hyperconcern has the net effect of making kids more fragile; that may be why they're breaking down in record numbers.  [or failing to launch in general]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200411/nation-wimps

May Discussion: Boys Adrift

As I've come to expect, last night's discussion was interesting, educational, and motivating. Thanks so much, Cody, for hosting and for all of you who shared your wonderful ideas. I wish I could spend more time around each one of you!

For the discussion in May, we will be reading, Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax.

I recently finished the book and have been dying for someone to discuss it with. Hope you all don't mind getting roped into it!

The book is divided by chapter into the five factors influencing young men today: educational changes at school, video games, ADHD medications, endocrine disruptors, and lack of positive role models.

While it is not strictly an educational text, I feel like the first, third, and fifth factors are especially relevant and applicable to our group and the educational goals we have for our children, so I hope you'll at least read those sections.

Also, just fyi, it is geared specifically for boys, but as I was saying last night, even if you don't have any sons, I think we all interact with boys on some level, so this kind of information is very pertinent. (Also, as Jenny said last night, our daughters are going to marry these young men, so it's useful to understand what's happening.)

We will meet to discuss at my house (1762 E. Downington Ave. (1810 S.)) on Tuesday, May 28th at 7:30 pm. Do I really have to wait a whole month before another one of these wonderful discussions?!

P.S. I'm not able to change the info in the sidebar, so will someone do that? Thanks!

I have missed the last two discussions and feel like I need this month's like I need air! Mostly I need to sit once again in a room of like-minded peers who inspire me to make it happen for my family, community, country, and planet!

I look forward to being with you all in a few weeks!

Finnish Schools

The following article caught my eye since Free Range Learning specifically mentions Finnish schools. I was hoping the article would discuss outdoor play and free time, but it doesn't. I thought you might find it interesting nonetheless.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

"The End of Wonder in the Age of Whatever"

I mentioned this talk at our last discussion.  Michael Wesch, a cultural anthropologist, explores the importance of formulating our own questions.  It is brilliant.  Here is the link:

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=authorsearch&authorChosen=Wesch%2C+Michael

March Discussion Group

I am so excited to have everyone read and discuss my favorite book about education, Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything by Laura Grace Weldon.

Now, before you think, "This book isn't for me...I'm not homeschooling, and I don't really want to homeschool!", consider the idea that we are all homeschoolers. Whether your kids are in public school, private school, or homeschool, we are all ultimately responsible and accountable for educating and raising our own children. This book has hundreds of great ideas that can help you supplement, in natural ways that are very effective but are harder to implement in school settings, the things your children are learning at school and at home.

Part One of Free Range Learning covers a wide range of topics, such as natural learning, nurturing learners, the importance of work and play, and social connections. Part Two of the book covers individual "school" subjects, like math, science & nature, the arts, and history, offering incredible information and resources related to each subject. I love that throughout the book are scattered actual experiences from families all over the world and really great quotes about education and children.

Let's plan to read Part One for our March discussion. Then, if everyone likes the book, we can move on to Part Two.

I hope you all enjoy Laura Grace Weldon's incredible knowledge and perspective...I can't wait to talk with you all about it!

John Holt

I've read through Learning All the Time twice this week, and I think I harvested as much "magnesium" from his "seawater" the second time as the first.  There were many things I disagreed with, of course, but many more that struck a chord and have hopefully become enough a part of me to show up in my actions every day. 

Even my disagreements, as I've contemplated them more deeply, aren't as confidently felt as at first.  I have become aware that I've been unwittingly constructing "experiments" to test them.  My lab rats are, of course, my children, my husband, and myself.  My thoughts in this vein center around the acquisition of reading skills.  My children are learning to read, but am I aiding or impeding this process?  How much of a role does my phonics instruction play in their learning, and, more importantly, in their feelings about reading?  I obviously need to fine-tune all my instruction for my family, but can I really eliminate all instruction and replace it with co-exploration?  DeMille would say yes.  When it really comes down to it, my phonics work with the children is just that:  I'm not teaching them something I already know well, because most of the material we're learning I've never seen before.  I'm learning it as we go, and the children know this.  It's exciting and new information for me, and the children know this.  Sometimes I don't understand it, so I get frustrated, and the children know this as well.

All readings present me with challenges.  John Holt jolted me to the core when he discussed uninvited teaching and the inadvisability of correcting mistakes unasked.  This phrase, especially, described me so well, ". . . I don't like being around people who act and talk as if their mission in life were to educate me, whose relation to me is always that of a teacher to pupil."  That Jimminy Cricket part of me shouted out, "There are people in your life who feel that way about you!"  It was an exciting revelation for me, because it holds the solution to some prickly feelings I've had as late, not just with my children, and I see in it's remedy the improvement of many relationships.  I've already completely changed the way I process Daniel's daily read-alouds, and we had the most pleasant bedtime routine to date last night.  Ahhhh!  Relational and emotional progress.  (There was reading skill progress as well, but that was just icing on the cake.)

I'm so eager to internalize and act on this information.  All of it.  Even the parts I'm questioning.  I'm excited as well for our discussion tonight.  I wonder if you were stretched as much as I.  I wonder if you still feel the stretching going on.  How elastic do you think we all can be?  Are we ready for another mind-blowing book, or will we simply snap?  Maybe we need to introduce more gelatin, bubble gum, and taffy to our diets.  Caramel, anyone?  (Liz, that wasn't a hint.  Honestly.)

January Family Read-Aloud Classics Shared

The Classic Show-and-Tell topic for January was family read-alouds, those books that contributed most to our family cultures. 

Liz Olson shared Fairy Tales and Illustrated Bible Stories

Catherine Scott shared the Little House on the Prairie series by Wilder, Beatrix Potter's animal stories, The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnet, Teaching Your Children Values by Linda and Richard Eyre, and 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Covey.

Helen Sullivan shared the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis.  My notes were funny here, so add any others you brought if I missed them, ok Helen?

Amy Johnson shared We are in a Book and Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems, The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dussen, The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear  (By Don and Audrey Wood, I think), the Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo, and The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden.

Many of mine were on the other lists, but I added the Childhood of Great Americans series, the Great Brain series by Fitzgerald, Created for Work by Bob Schultz, and the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody.

Someone (was it Lori) mentioned the Wizard of Oz and The Night Before Christmas.

So many good books, so little time. 

Feel free to add to this list, everybody, especially if I didn't catch something in my notes from the discussion or if you weren't able to be there that night.

November Math Classics Show-and-Tell

Some of the math favorites shared in November were. . . .

Websites:
kahnacademy.org
dreambox.com
aleks.com

Books:
The Man Who Counted
Mathematicians are People, Too
The Life of Fred Series

Curricula:
Singapore Math
Saxon Math
Math U See

Games:
The Saxon Math Manipulative Kit
The Farming Game
Meta-Forms
Mancala

Here are links to two of my family's favorite math classic videos.  Enjoy!
Jenny

http://www.khanacademy.org/math/vi-hart/v/doodling-in-math--spirals--fibonacci--and-being-a-plant--1-of-3

http://quietube4.com/v.php/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9MwNm0gXd8&feature=player_embedded%2522%25253

February 21, 2013 Email:

Dear Friends,

I apologize for the lack of communication regarding our education principles group this last month. Alex and I recently decided to put our house up for sale, which has thrown things into a bit of a dither. If you haven't checked the blog and are getting the book information in this email, there is still hope, because the book this month is very short.

At our last discussion we decided upon a change that is very exciting to me, especially with this possible move on the horizon. We will be taking turns acting as the discussion leader and host. This will involve choosing the book, leading the discussion, and arranging for the meeting venue (whether at your own home or at someone else's).

Our meeting this month is being spearheaded by Helen Sullivan, and she has included all the information on the sidebar of our blog.

I am so looking forward to talking with you next week. I really can't wait.

Sincerely,

Jenny

A Closer Look at Yale

Fellow scholars, below is a link to an interesting (and shocking) article written by a recent Yale graduate-- Nathan Harden.  It reminded me of some of the things we discussed at our last meeting, including the overt agenda of "openness" in our schools.

http://www.hillsdale.edu/images/userImages/mvanderwei/Page_6907/Imprimis_Jan13.pdf

January 20, 2013 Email:

Friends,

Remember Tom Peters' quote from the final appendix of A Thomas Jefferson Education? "Ready, fire, aim." Or as Alex put it yesterday when he looked at my growing pile of returns, repairs, shopping lists, and errands to be run on the kitchen counter, "Execute, Jenny. Execute."

Finding truth is difficult. Living it when we have found it is where it gets really, monumentally hard. Alex made his comment in reference to my new year's resolution to follow through more effectively. I love to learn, to make plans, to study things out, to "aim". I also know how to "fire", and have been known, on occasion, to pull off some tremendous event, effort, or coup. (Like bearing four children!) The problem is that my planning-to-execution ratio is somewhere around five million-to-one. I do a whole lot of aiming and not enough firing. I know this may resonate with some of you. I also know there may be others of you who will be thinking something like, "Are you kidding?!? If I squeeze off another shot without first making a plan I may well turn "friendly fire" into my epithet!" Either way, your participation in this study group is evidence that you care about paying the price to find truth and implement it.

Which brings me to the point of this missive. One possible prompt for your written refelections might be: "What steps do I need to follow this year to implement a world-class education for my family?" OR "What steps do I need to follow this year to earn a world-class education for myself?"

Another way to think/write this through is to name your children (or others you mentor), one by one, and, in writing, list everything you know about them. Then stop, ponder, pray, and add more to the list. Follow that with a list of things you want for them, or feel they need, or visions/dreams you have for their futures. This will give you a blueprint for creating the custom-made systems to meet those needs, provide those wants, and make those dreams a reality.

Monumentally hard. Absolutely necessary. Completely worth it.

By the way, after all this time, and on my third reading of the book, I have yet to do this for myself and my children.

Execute, Jenny. Execute.

See you Tuesday!

Jenny

January 2, 2013 Email:

Dear Fellow Scholars,

Happy New Year!! Here is a summary of what is coming this month and next:

January discussion: Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 7:30 to 9:30 pm, Curtis home, 3629 S. 2140 E. SLC UT 84109

January Reading: A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century, by Oliver DeMille, Pp. 69-195 (Chapter 6 -- appendix F)

January "Show-And-Tell" Monthly Focus: Favorite family read-alouds -- Bring the book(s) that have strengthened your family culture as you have read them aloud. If you do not yet read aloud with your family, what are the core books that have informed your life that you plan to share with them? I am so excited to see your favorites and treasures because I have a serious book disease and there's nothing I love more than a pile of good reads!!!!

Next book (for February/March?): Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning by Oliver and Rachel DeMille. This book is meatier than the first, and may take longer to tackle, but we can discuss that at our January meeting. I'd love to take a pulse Jan. 22 on what we'd like the next book to be, so bring any proposals you have and we'll make that the first order of business so we can get our next book ordered during February and March. John Holt has been proposed, any others?

I receive the DeMille's newsletter each month, and last month there was an incredible article that I wanted to share. It gives, incidentally, a taste of February's book, as well as a free family e-book. I have linked it here.

http://www.tjed.org/?cat=3#superfood

I'll work on the blog soon. I'm grateful that "soon" is such a subjective word. My priorities there are to transfer the info above, include the items from our November share on math, and add possible writing prompts for this month's reading. If anyone gets to any of that before I do, all the better. (Hint, hint.)

Finally, I know I passed on to all of you the information for the family forum. Discounted registration ends January 15th. I have heard back from some of you that you are planning to attend. If you do register, would you let me know? There's nothing better than filling a Suburban full of friends and their youth and heading to the forum! If nothing else we can meet up for lunch to compare notes. I will be there Friday for the Family Builder seminar and Saturday for the adult forum classes. Alec (my 12 year old) will be there Friday for the Taste of Freedom event put on by Youth for Freedom, and Saturday for the remainder of the youth forum. We are also considering attending the Friday night showing of "The Family is the Cure" as a family.

See you in a few weeks!

Warmly,

Jenny

Liz Olson shared this video.  I passed it on to all of you, but wanted to share it here as well in case you lost it.

My cousin, Charlotte McKenzie, shared this with the Salt Lake Home Educator's Group.  I thought it sounded fun and wanted to share it with you:

I just wanted to let you all know about a fun field trip our family just went on. It was to the central kitchen of the Granite School District kitchens. It's the place that makes the food for all the Granite School District schools. They sent out a postcard invititing people to come see their kitchens and we were the first ones to respond! They are VERY nice and it's fun to see the huge mixers, ovens, fridges, freezers, storage, docking/loading, even washing dishes. They REALLY want people to come see their set up (it's fairly new), so if this is any interest to you, here's the contact person. Just tell her you'd like to set up a field trip. Amy O’GradyCommunications Rep for Food ServicesGranite School Districthttp://fs.graniteschools.orgTel: (385) 646-4321 Option 0 They take you while people are working, so it's not quiet in there. So I would suggest going as smaller groups (families). I think you'll have a better experience and be able to hear better and have a personalized experience. Happy field tripping! Charlotte McKenzie

Email from 11-26-12:

Dear Friends and Mentors,

We will be holding our discussion of education principles tomorrow, Tuesday, November 27th at 7:30pm at my home, 3629 S. 2140 E. All are welcome, including (and especially!) those who have not yet completed the readings or writings. We will discuss the first six chapters of "A Thomas Jefferson Education". We will also take a few minutes to share any "Math Classics" show-and-tell items. This would include anything you use to teach or learn math -- books, curriculua, websites, games, mentors, art works, music, etc. Just like in school, show-and-tell is OPTIONAL, so don't stress out about going on an expensive or time-consuming search for something amazing to share. Possible writing topics were listed in the blog, but I've copied them below in case you'd like to peruse them easily now. Writings will not be shared in a formal way, but you will certainly be able to share them if you wish. You can also add them to the blog now or after the discussion if you choose.

The key here is to COME AS YOU ARE to my JUST AS IT IS house. I'll be showcasing dirt and lint and dried-on food in my living room and kitchen (that's food in the living room and dirt in the kitchen, in case you were wondering).

See you there!!

Eagerly,

Jenny

Possible questions to consider for your writings might be:

What phases am I operating in right now? What about my children? Which phases are best nutured in my current family culture? (Think about the fact that we don't move from phase to phase, leaving one behind to enter another. Rather, we build phase upon phase, like concentric circles, and use all the phases we have experienced each day.) What phases could we revisit that might help us with current challenges we face in our family?

Which of the 7 keys seem the most natural to me, and why? Which are difficult for me to understand or accept? In what ways do I use or neglect these keys as I teach my family? If I were to choose one key to focus on for the next few months, which would it be and how would that focus look in our family's daily life?

If a classic is anything we return to again and again because every time we do we are deepened, then what are my personal classics? (A classic can be a book, song, work of art, activity, place, person, etc.) What are our family classics? Are there classics from my childhood I want to incorporate into my family culture? What would be my system for incorporating those classics (what would that incorporation look like on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis?)

Who are my mentors? Who looks to me as a mentor? How many mentors can I identify for each of my children? Which of the five environments of mentoring do my children experience on a regular basis? How could I incorporate more of them into our family's culture?

What inspirations did I receive while reading, or what ideas and themes were impressed upon me?

Email from 10-30-12:

Dear Friends,

This is the last email I will be sending with a blind copy, as we decided at our first meeting that we'd like to communicate with each other via email and a blog that Helen Sullivan will be setting up. I am also beginning to receive emails with articles and websites to share with each other and I'd love for us all to be able to share those directly with each other instead of them all going through me first. If you do not wish for others in the group to have your information, please let me know by the end of this week and I'll remove you from our list. If you do that, however, please know that you will no longer receive notifications, readings, writings, applications, access to the blog, or harrassment from me. Also, if there are others you know who would wish to join us, reel them in!!! All are welcome. I'll release our emails to Helen Sullivan at the beginning of next week so she can get the blog going.

At our first meeting we had a wonderful time getting to know each other and deciding how we'd like to see things work. As mentioned above, Helen Sullivan will be creating a blog to which we will all be able to contribute. It will be the clearinghouse for everything we do, including assignments, meeting times and locations, shared articles, discussions, our classics, and whatever else we decide we want.

For now, however, I wanted to let you know what is happening this month and into November. We will meet on the fourth Tuesday of November, the 27th, at 7:30 pm at my home on 3629 S. 2140 E. That will be the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Come fat.

Our first book is A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching A Generation Of Leaders For The Twenty-First Century by Oliver DeMille. This book can be purchased at www.tjed.org or on Amazon. It can also be checked out at the library, but the waiting list for it is generally several weeks long. I would like to follow it up with Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning, also by Oliver DeMille, as the two books really should be one. The first is a very short introduction and the second helps flesh it out. I am afraid that a reading of the first only will rob us of the real meat I outlined in the first email I sent out to you. Helen Sullivan has made a suggestion for the second author for us to explore, John Holt. I know that these books will lead us into an infinite number of books, articles, and other resources to explore.

The reading in the TJED book to be completed for November 27th is chapters 1-6 (pages 1 through 96). They set forth some principles which will be illustrated in public school, college, career, and public service settings in later chapters. As you read, remember how writing can enhance your learning. Writing in the book itself ensures that you have a conversation with the author, and that future readers of the book will be able to have a conversation with both the author and you! Pay particular attention to the phases of learning described in chapter 3, the 7 Keys of Great Teaching in chapter 4, and the importance and roles of classics found in chapter 5.

Possible questions to consider for your writings might be:

What phases am I operating in right now? What about my children? Which phases are best nutured in my current family culture? (Think about the fact that we don't move from phase to phase, leaving one behind to enter another. Rather, we build phase upon phase, like concentric circles, and use all the phases we have experienced each day.) What phases could we revisit that might help us with current challenges we face in our family?

Which of the 7 keys seem the most natural to me, and why? Which are difficult for me to understand or accept? In what ways do I use or neglect these keys as I teach my family? If I were to choose one key to focus on for the next few months, which would it be and how would that focus look in our family's daily life?

If a classic is anything we return to again and again because every time we do we are deepened, then what are my personal classics? (A classic can be a book, song, work of art, activity, place, person, etc.) What are our family classics? Are there classics from my childhood I want to incorporate into my family culture? What would be my system for incorporating those classics (what would that incorporation look like on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis?)

Who are my mentors? Who looks to me as a mentor? How many mentors can I identify for each of my children? Which of the five environments of mentoring do my children experience on a regular basis? How could I incorporate more of them into our family's culture?

What inspirations did I receive while reading, or what ideas and themes were impressed upon me?

Why the heck is Jenny such a verbose and addled writer?

These questions are just helps. Write about what YOU need to write about. You will have the opportunity to share your writings through the blog and through the discussion, but that will not be expected or required. The important thing is to invest yourself in your learning by recording, pondering, and expressing your thoughts, impressions, and plans as you read. This is easier to do if you have access to chocolate or a bubble bath. Or both.

I would also like to introduce one more element into our discussions each month. We all have resources (our classics) we couldn't do without as we teach our families and as we learn ourselves. Let's share them with each other!! In order to do this in an organized, thoughtful way, I'd like to suggest we "show-and-tell" topically. To get us started, let's begin with something fun, simple, and (if you are Helen) straightforward: MATH. If you have something you use to teach or learn math, would you bring it to share on Nov. 27th? We will have a table there to display our math treasures, and everyone will have one minute to introduce their classic. It can be a toy, game, book, program, movie, website, tool, outing, article, person, whatever deepens you as you learn/teach math. If you don't have something that comes to mind, don't worry! You don't need to share something every time. This is just to be able to sample the great things that are out there without doing a ton of research or spending a bunch of money. We can decide the show and tell topic for the next month at each meeting (from discipline to books to art to life skills to writing to service to faith to fill-in-the-blank!) , and hopefully get a chance to incorporate Lori Koerner's great idea and address individual concerns along the way. We can also summarize our topical classics each month on the blog and add to them as we find more.

Finally, Amy Rich proposed giving our group a name. If you have an idea, email it to me. Helen can post all ideas on our blog and we can vote on our favorites. I'll forward some of Amy's suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.

For my part, I'm going to take a class on communicating more ideas with fewer words. That way, my informational emails won't become our readings themselves.

See you after Thanksgiving!!!

Admiring You All,

Jenny

Email Communication from 10-22-12:

Dear Friends,

Our first discussion on the principles of education will be tomorrow night, Tuesday, October 23rd, from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. We will meet at my home, 3629 S. 2140 E. 2140 E. is most easily accessed from 3900 S.

Note that this is not a discussion for women only, nor is it by invitation only. Bring anyone you feel might be interested, especially if they play a role in the education of your children (my husband, mother, father, and siblings will be there!) The exception to this is your children themselves. They play the biggest role of all in their education, but would be best served if you left them at home. My children will be asleep and as the playroom is also a bedroom, there will not be a place for them to play during our discussion.

Come prepared to briefly introduce yourself, share a concern or challenge you face with your family's education, and explain what you'd like to achieve through our discussions. A proposed outline for the evening is below.

I can't wait to get started! Most of all, I can't wait for you all to meet each other. You are in for a real treat as you interact with some of the dearest, most loved and respected people in my life! I actually have to pinch myself as I review our list of respondants.

Gratefully,

Jenny

Email communication from 10-18-12:

Hello Everyone!

Enough of you responded favorably to this discussion group and gave input on scheduling for me to move ahead with plans for our first discussion. The group will meet at my home (3629 S. 2140 E., SLC, UT 84109) the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm beginning Tuesday, October 23rd. We will plan on an hour for the first discussion, and make plans for the future from there. It is shaping up to be a diverse group, with homeschoolers, public schoolers, preschoolers, and higher educators planning to attend. It will be interesting to share all our viewpoints and wisdom!

Please RSVP at jrmcurtis@gmail.com, or 801-272-5571 so I can include you on an email list for sending out discussion details. For now, plan to arrive the evening of the 23rd ready to articulate your greatest concerns, questions, and challenges as you work to move forward with your families educations, as well as what you hope to gain from our discussions. We will begin with a brief introduction of some study direction options, make our study plan based our individual goals, and discuss the readings for the next month. I can't wait to start learning together!

Excited and Ready,

Jenny

 

I'm trying to transfer all we have communicated to this blog so newcomers can access the information quickly.  Here is the first email I sent on October 6, 2012

 

Dear Friends,

I, like many of you, have questions about education for my family. As I interact with you, our conversations often turn to education and our worries and frustrations about how things are going in our schools.

I have started looking for the basics of education that transcend time, culture, religion, politics, institutions, age, gender, methodology, individual needs, and social status. I know there are educational principles that advance freedom and prosperity. I know there are principles that work in public, private, charter, religious, higher education, trade, and home schools. What are they?

I don't know all the answers to that question, but I have found some resources for my search that ring true for me, and I'm determined to mine them until do know. I believe that the answers cannot be found in 30-second sound bytes -- there will be work involved in their discovery. I'm doing this now and invite you to join me.

My proposal: I would like to host a monthly discussion of educational principles in my home, assuming there are those who would like to join me. I propose the traditional read, write, discuss, and apply method for the gatherings. Our monthly format will be short assigned readings, one or two writings to do at home, a meeting to discuss the readings and writings, and ideas for implementation of what we discover. The books I'd like to explore are all available for check-out at the library or for purchase at amazon.com. Imagine a book group on steroids with a specific focus and immediate applications for our families.

While I personally home school my children, this is not intended to be a debate about which school is the best or what teaching methods are most effective. The answers to those questions will be different for each family and each child. My desire is to come to understand the core concepts of learning -- what underlying principles will guide my decisions and apply to each of my children, at every age, and in every context? When I know what constitutes a world-class education, I can compare that to what is currently happening for my own children, identify the holes, and make plans to fill them. Some of us may choose to fill holes by spending more time volunteering in classrooms, some might work to develop and implement new PTA programs, some may work with administrators to improve current programs, some may take action on capitol hill, some may create after school experiences, and some may make changes in their educational venues. For many of us, it might be a combination of these things. If based on sound principles, these actions would synergisticly impact education, and cover a much broader spectrum than any one of us could cover alone. We'll also feel more confident as we craft education plans for our children, knowing we do so on sound foundations.

The texts and experts I'd like to use will explore:

8 Keys of Great Teaching

5 Environments of Mentoring

Basic Tenets of Education

Phases of Learning

Making a Master Plan

The difference between poor education and leadership education

5 Pillars of Statesmanship

The Trivium and Quadrivium

The Greek Education Model and the Hebrew Education Model

Content and Context

55 Ingredients of solid core and love of learning phases

The power of read, write, discuss, and apply.

The History and Future of Education

If this interests you, please email or call me with your preferred meeting time. We'll need 1-2 hours once each month and I'm available any Tuesday evening after 7:30 and the 2nd and 4th Thursday evenings after 7:30. We can continue meeting monthly for as long as we choose. We'll hold an initial meeting in my home to assess interest and outline our group's education plan. We'll continue from there as decided at the first meeting. You are most welcome to forward this to anyone you feel may wish to join us.

Sincerely,

Jenny Curtis

801-272-5571