Monday, May 24, 2010

Science & My Homeschooling Daughter

This is our last week of school.  We are wrapping up a few things and I'm cementing our plan for next year.  I'm feeling so much better about my choices after getting some valuable input from Jimmie.  I've got everything pretty much decided except ...
S C I E N C E.

This year (being our first year, I feel as though I should remind you) we used the same curriculum our District uses.  Ho hum.  I felt accomplished that she finished the book early....but that's the list maker in me...checking off a task.  It really didn't ignite any passion.  We didn't get too dirty.  But we got that darn book done.

I was considering that we should go it on our own this year for science.  Maybe we'll get that textbook for the vocabulary, but I'm thinking we need to go deeper.

Then I read the guest post on the Well Trained Mind blog.  I'm not a fan of deciding my children's future, but perhaps that's what I am already doing passively.  Maybe my lack of mastery in science has influenced my children.  My excitement for my comfort subjects (English, history) must be palpable.  Had my assumption that my artist daughter would never be an engineer accurate (maybe, but did I have to voice it?).  OK, so I promise to demonstrate equal excitement about all subjects.  That's the best I can do.

Then my oldest daughter (my artist) shows me this insane YouTube video.  Awesome.  My wrists are slapped.  I have a renewed passion to introduce my youngest to science in the most engaging, get dirty, love it kind of ways.



Try watching all of the Symphony of Science videos; even if they push against some of your beliefs.  I'm curious if perhaps the poetry of science and the poetry of religion just use different words, but come to similar conclusions?

One of my favorite lines from The Poetry of Reality (An Anthem for Science) is, "I think that science changes the way your mind works.  To think a little more deeply about things." (PZ Myers).  Atheists or not, the ideas presented in these videos spark a renewed wonder of God's creation in me.

Then my youngest daughter (the one I'm supposed to be teaching...my 8 yr old) asks me if she can play with binary numbers for math.  Um. Sure.  How?  I wonder.  I guess I'll learn along with her.  My point being that the interest is there.  Was it there for my older girls?  In my focus on reading and imagination, did I miss it.

As a homeschooling mom, I now have to get past my insecurities in science and open the door for my daughters to explore.  It's now (and was then - *sigh*) my job.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love a discussion!