I recently read the book about Helen Keller and how she was taught. Her teacher says that any child should be taught like that, according to their interest and in context.
That is what you saw with your dog, when you see things in context they make sense. The same applies for learning.
Children and of course people are naturally curious so why would we not want to learn?
However put us in a class and teach us things that have no relation to our lives, we are learning tricks but no life skills or things we know what to do with.

If we can get society to dare to accept that people can discern for themselves and managers dare to discern for themselves we do no longer need uniform education and pieces of paper. We can look at people’s performance and make up our own mind. Don’t they wonder why staff can do work without an MBA when it serves the manager’s agenda?????

I think home schooled children are far better of than formal educated children.
They learn to think and see things in context. I did not home school my children, they are now adults and I am sorry that I didn’t.

Kerry, lots of thoughts. I’ll have to compose them later when I’m not popping online for a recipe for movie night!

I agree, Sunniemom. Sometimes I wonder if it is because of all the activity. All day, children are shuffled about and told what to do. Do they have enough time to get bored enough to undertake their own endeavor?

We recently adopted a pup that was rejected by its mother at 3 weeks- it was like having a baby all over again. She’s 6 months old now and as big as my 8 yob, but she’s so fun and takes protecting the house, yard, and family VERY seriously. Nothing makes her happier than knowing she’s done something to please us.

Instead of thinking of it as their “job” or “purpose”, which can lead to utilitarian thinking, perhaps instead we should consider the nature? What is the dog’s nature? Surely, he has been bred for a purpose if he is a purebred, but even so that is only one part of his nature. (And if he is not a pure breed?)

The same goes for ourselves and our children. Rather than considering our purpose, perhaps the focus should be on our Nature. (”human being not human doing”)

I suspect you really mean the same thing, but in our culture there is too much emphasis on “usefulness” which has led us to discount anything that doesn’t have a measurable benefit…utilitariansim. There are so many things which are vital to life that do not have a measurable benefit…or are damaged by being measured. (love for example…how do you measure it? in the number of hugs? Surely not.)

So, perhaps we consider our children’s and our own natures…how did God make us to be: individually and generally? Then we can better consider what sorts of things we should be doing.

I bet your dog is going to LOVE the new place – he sounds like a good dog with lots of energy! Where better than out in the country where he can display and you can enjoy his full and true nature for no other purpose than delight in God’s creation.

I then sought a BA going nights and weekends after working my career M-F. Not a single thing I learned in those classes was ever applied to my job yet the corporation valued it so highly.

Right before becoming a stay at home mom at the urging of several managers, I applied for a promotion with MBA optional as a prerequisite, I didn’t have an MBA having just finished my BA in Corp Mgmt. I lost the position to a person with an MBA from Columbia. Some of management went there and they told me they held that degree in high regard. Great. I was already doing that job half of my week but not getting the higher pay and not holding that title.

So you can see I don’t want any part in having my kids lose opportunities due to not having a college degree even if I question how much it is actually relevant to a person’s everyday work at their career.

One challenge is how we educate our children at home sometimes must conform with the real world’s expectations. If they are to seek X kind of college degree they must have done X, Y, and Z types of academic learning. This makes us change our homeschool to be in line with the real world.

Since so many attend college but so many feel it was a waste of time and money, yet society still wants that degree, this is all frustrating to even think about. Let’s face it not every person winds up holding a career where their college education really, really matters (law, medical doctor, engineer). Even nurses used to not have to go to college but they’re pushing that now. I feel too many kids are being put through a factory type system out of fear that if they don’t get that college degree or get into certain schools their life will be ruined. I feel that some kids wind up falling through the cracks on the quest to that goal that they miss out on something that either nurtures their true talent, prepares them for more gainful employment in their adult life or messes them up emotionally so they are a different person.

I don’t know if what I’m saying makes sense as I have H1N1 right now but anyway…