A Successful Week

Last week was definitely one of those "this is why we home school" weeks. It was filled with challenges, frustration, success, but most importantly child-led learning. It also helped that I managed to squash the little voice that only knows one way to learn, and was actually able to facilitate their learning.

Zoë managed to make 2 skirts and a shirt as part of her fashion project. Her seam ripper got a workout, but she kept at it and is very pleased with the result. She's also working to improve her blog and started reading the first book on her completed reading list. In her downtime she has been learning how to use Scratch (an open-source program put out by MIT to help people learn how to program).

We also managed to find (thanks to one of the gifted homeschooling listservs that I belong to) an online physics program. The kids decided that they were interested in taking the 6 week class on sound. So they split the cost and used their education budget to join the class. They're really enjoying the live webcast and the fun experiments he has them do. They will have to do the last class while they're at their grandparents, but otherwise it fits nicely into our schedule.

Aiden has been busy making a "cat battler" game on Scratch. Originally he wanted to make a Zelda type room using game maker, but by mid week he was completely frustrated. Scratch seems to be more of a middle step between gamestar and game maker. It was still frustrating for him, but he managed to complete his project. He also made a funny illness diagnoser.

Next week is very busy. We're going to the FIRST Lego League Championship, watching the space shuttle launch, having a piano recital, and a day at JET.

Treading New Waters

It has been quite an eventful week in our household. After only a few weeks of hard work, Aiden has already managed to meet his gamestar mechanic goal. On Monday his game "Meso's Adventure (Part 1)" made it to the front page on the top rated games. We all went out to dinner to celebrate. Since then we've started discussing new goals and the idea of balance in learning. I'm all for games as a tool, but I can't bear the thought of it being the ONLY tool! So he is now self-imposing his own restrictions on daily screen time.

Zoë has been preparing for her art show this Sunday. In addition we're starting a new approach to her learning. I gave her a list of about 25 "courses" that she could pick from to study and she narrowed it down to 4. Taekwondo, piano, and French (she decided) will be mandatory. Starting on Monday she will be doing fashion design, blogging, astronomy and an independent study literature in addition to the mandatory things. Each week we will work together to set new goals. Hopefully this balance between help with goal setting and child led learning will be successful.

Our First Hurdle in Deschooling

This week has been fairly uneventful. Last night the kids decided to have a kids camp out. They said it wasn't a survival night because they wanted a tent and didn't want to have to find their own food. So they spent the night by the fire they built toasting marshmallows and then slept in the tent. They had egg salad for dinner made by boiling eggs in a wax paper cup in the fire. They also wrapped potatoes in foil and cooked them in the fire. It never ceases to amaze me what children are capable of when the adults get out of the way!

Aiden has decided that he has exhausted his learning on game star mechanic. His goal was to make a game that ended up on the front page of the top rated games. Currently one of his games is on page 3 and still moving up. He also made a 100 level game that took him over 100 hours of work. He's still making games there, but he's also now learning game maker, which is a much more powerful game making site. I've also loaded lynx on their laptop because he said he'd like to start learning coding. This will truly be a test of his ability to teach himself. I know absolutely nothing about programming and will be of no help whatsoever.

Right now it's Zoë that seems to be floundering. I'm not sure if it's because she is having a harder time adapting to coming up with her own ways to spend her learning time or some other reason. She's the queen of accomplishing anything I ask her to do, but she seems to be struggling with things on her own. She keeps coming up with great ideas, but seldom finishes them. Right now she wants to have an art show, and I feel like I'm having to tug her along the process. She just doesn't seem to be able to find a passion and dive into it.

I've also noticed that since we've started this hands off approach to learning, Zoë has become much more bossy toward Aiden. It's almost like she can't handle the idea of letting him do his own thing and if I'm not going to tell him what to do, then she will. It's very interesting to watch. Several times this week he has come inside saying "I'm not playing with her anymore. She's just bossing me around and it isn't any fun." I feel like if she could find somewhere to put her energy and focus, this might go away.