We have K's brother and family staying with us right now. The kids are on easter hols and we are chillin out together. We have been to the park and the pool and chatted and read books and generally relaxed. It's been wonderful. I have a tma due; when do I not? and I am supposed to be taking today to write it while they visit Dubai but I have stalled again and am really too tired after a lousy night's sleep last night. Poor K is working and has not been able to hang out with us much. He is working really hard right now and I can't wait for the inspections to be over and us to finally get a little time together.
Kiki just asked me how to spell Alex as she was drawing a picture of Lexy and she wrote it beautifully. Her drawings are great too. She is such a little cutie but she is so bossy and manages to have everyone running to her beck and call. She now has mastered the DVD remote and pauses at will while she goes to get things, that is of course if she has not commanded someone else to get her things for her. If you ask any of the other kids why they give into her they just claim it's easier that way. She even had her cousins under her spell this week. TJ sticks up to her sometimes but even he gives in a lot. Apparently she is so compliant and lovely at school and never bosses her friends around. It's reassuring to know she can be nice when seh wants to.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Screen Learning
I have said before that fear of the children not learning usually has me running for the textbooks and workbooks. I also worry about trying to explain unschooling to people steeped in the education system. So yesterday I lied. Someone asked me if I get my curriculum from the UK and I said yes. It's only a little lie and I have got textbooks from the UK that we never use or use occasionaly but the truth is I just don't want the hastle of trying to explain it to people.
Most of our learning is conversational learning inspired by TV series or Films usually. Lexy also does a fair bit of on screen learning on the computer. With Lex there is a lot of input and not much output other than dialogue. She draws a lot and writes occasionaly, I am glad I don't have a HE inspector demanding to be "shown work".
I read the HE blogs of people out in fields and museums all over the UK and think about how much of our Home education is actually done in our home. I worry that we are all too screen dependant, myself and K included. My computer is always on and I love TV and films. K loves computer games. The kids all love screens. Movies as Kiki now calls films are her favourite thing in the world.
The other thing they do- is watch the same movies over and over again. Why is that? I can only assume they are learning something that really interests them. When I talk to Lexy about it she says it is because you notice different things and especially in a long TV series like Alias there is so much in it that when you get to the end you want ot go back and watch again. When we watch a series we do talk about everything in it. For example, Re-genesis. I cannot actually recommend this as the amount of bad language was horrendous - I didn't know Canadians swore so much but the topics Lexy and I discussed were vast and there was so much science in it. When she watches movies she also talks a lot about how they are made and how they are written; about plot development and character development. About the use of music in film. We talk about genre and about putting a new spin on old ideas. We discuss why we don't like something- Firefly- just couldn't get into that series.
We talk about the things I am learning about as well and we all three enjoyed watching Pride and Predjudice together. Lexy watched that about 8 times too. She likes to read the same books over and over too, so I think repitition of familiar material must be important to her learning style. I am so the opposite I am always hungry for new things and new ideas.
Not all days are screen days. Some days we are baking together or like yesterday we went to a talk on Persian carpets and saw some of the most beautiful carpets and learned how they were made. We occasionaly get out in the world and meet real people. We met an interior decorator turned art teacher yesterday and Lexy was thrilled as those are her two dream jobs at the moment.
Most of our learning is conversational learning inspired by TV series or Films usually. Lexy also does a fair bit of on screen learning on the computer. With Lex there is a lot of input and not much output other than dialogue. She draws a lot and writes occasionaly, I am glad I don't have a HE inspector demanding to be "shown work".
I read the HE blogs of people out in fields and museums all over the UK and think about how much of our Home education is actually done in our home. I worry that we are all too screen dependant, myself and K included. My computer is always on and I love TV and films. K loves computer games. The kids all love screens. Movies as Kiki now calls films are her favourite thing in the world.
The other thing they do- is watch the same movies over and over again. Why is that? I can only assume they are learning something that really interests them. When I talk to Lexy about it she says it is because you notice different things and especially in a long TV series like Alias there is so much in it that when you get to the end you want ot go back and watch again. When we watch a series we do talk about everything in it. For example, Re-genesis. I cannot actually recommend this as the amount of bad language was horrendous - I didn't know Canadians swore so much but the topics Lexy and I discussed were vast and there was so much science in it. When she watches movies she also talks a lot about how they are made and how they are written; about plot development and character development. About the use of music in film. We talk about genre and about putting a new spin on old ideas. We discuss why we don't like something- Firefly- just couldn't get into that series.
We talk about the things I am learning about as well and we all three enjoyed watching Pride and Predjudice together. Lexy watched that about 8 times too. She likes to read the same books over and over too, so I think repitition of familiar material must be important to her learning style. I am so the opposite I am always hungry for new things and new ideas.
Not all days are screen days. Some days we are baking together or like yesterday we went to a talk on Persian carpets and saw some of the most beautiful carpets and learned how they were made. We occasionaly get out in the world and meet real people. We met an interior decorator turned art teacher yesterday and Lexy was thrilled as those are her two dream jobs at the moment.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Christmas in the sun
I am doing totally rubbish at my Christmas planning. Truth be told I was pretty horrendous at doing Christmas in England where I wish it could be Christmas everyday was playing from about September and trees and decorations were for sale as soon as the Easter bunny had hopped off. But here without the daily reminders that the season is approaching the weather a very pleasant 2osomething degrees I have done nothing to get ready. This is particularly bad as I am sure international posting dates have now long passed and so none of my friends and family will be receiving gifts or cards.
Not that they ever got cards when we lived in England mind you; but now that I am far from their presence and cannot gift them with my delightful company I feel slightly bad about it. If I didn't send a card I could give a hug and a hearty Merry Christmas to all I met.
I now realise they probably would rather have had a card. Even if I just wrote from Gillian on it with no message. I may send something electronic if I can work that out.
We do have a tree up; a very scrawny looking artificial tree from Lulu which the kids were allowed to choose a set of decorations each to adorn it with. So it is a scrawny unco-ordinated tree with flashing blue lights. I actually love it- there is something a bit 1970's naff about it which appeals to me. I almost bought a white one for that truly nostalgic feeling. I remember my cousins having a white tree when I was a kid and I always thought it was lovely.
I am also baking some Christmas biscuits next week with Lexy for a Christmas bake sale at school. The kids have a festive concert at school next week so I should feel more in the Christmas mood then and I can dash out to Bawadi mall and get them all a few presents. Hopefully Santa will find us but it is a bit doubtful. I seem to remember one of the reasons given for how he manages to get round the whole world in one night is that he doesn't visit Muslim countries because they don't believe in him there. Do you think if we get one of those Santa stop here signs he will see it on his way to Europe?
I'm trying to come up with some more ideas to get the festive feeling flowing. We could always go to the cinema to see Scrooge although I'm a bit dickensed out with Great Expectations. We could have a card making evening and the kids could make cards to send to their friends. We could go to the carol singing evening at the Rugby Club. I could get some spices and try turning that bottle of Argentinian wine into a mulled beverage. It all still feels like we're faking Christmas as it doesn't really happen here. I'll start a piggy bank for a trip home next December and wrap it in tinsel.
Not that they ever got cards when we lived in England mind you; but now that I am far from their presence and cannot gift them with my delightful company I feel slightly bad about it. If I didn't send a card I could give a hug and a hearty Merry Christmas to all I met.
I now realise they probably would rather have had a card. Even if I just wrote from Gillian on it with no message. I may send something electronic if I can work that out.
We do have a tree up; a very scrawny looking artificial tree from Lulu which the kids were allowed to choose a set of decorations each to adorn it with. So it is a scrawny unco-ordinated tree with flashing blue lights. I actually love it- there is something a bit 1970's naff about it which appeals to me. I almost bought a white one for that truly nostalgic feeling. I remember my cousins having a white tree when I was a kid and I always thought it was lovely.
I am also baking some Christmas biscuits next week with Lexy for a Christmas bake sale at school. The kids have a festive concert at school next week so I should feel more in the Christmas mood then and I can dash out to Bawadi mall and get them all a few presents. Hopefully Santa will find us but it is a bit doubtful. I seem to remember one of the reasons given for how he manages to get round the whole world in one night is that he doesn't visit Muslim countries because they don't believe in him there. Do you think if we get one of those Santa stop here signs he will see it on his way to Europe?
I'm trying to come up with some more ideas to get the festive feeling flowing. We could always go to the cinema to see Scrooge although I'm a bit dickensed out with Great Expectations. We could have a card making evening and the kids could make cards to send to their friends. We could go to the carol singing evening at the Rugby Club. I could get some spices and try turning that bottle of Argentinian wine into a mulled beverage. It all still feels like we're faking Christmas as it doesn't really happen here. I'll start a piggy bank for a trip home next December and wrap it in tinsel.
Finally relaxing
This year Eid- al Adha and National Day coincided to give us a week long break. K has been working non stop since Sept and was glad of the break. We mainly chilled out and did nothing but we chilled out and did nothing on the beach in Dubai one day and chilled out and did nothing at the zoo another. We took the kids to the Hilton a couple of times where we chilled out and did nothing. I say nothing but now when I am reading I am no longer doing nothing but am intently studying as I have signed up for another course with the OU for feb. The best thing is reading for "work" feels much the same as reading for chillin'. Yet I get to feel like I am using my time wisley instead of wasting it.
My first assignment recieved a gobsmacking 94% leaving me only one way to go from there. I have submitted my second assignment and we will see how that goes.
The next course I have signed up for is Approaching Literature (A210), so in order to get a head start I am reading Great Expectations atm. It was all going well until yesterday while I was sitting in the car waiting to pick the kids up from school I read that Mr Jaggers lived in Little Britain. I realised that I had read the next two pages with that bit of the brain that reads things without having a clue what they have just read while my imagination was off thinking about the TV show little Britain and if the writers were Dickens fan and was it the modern take on Dickensian style satire of the state of our nation but mostly do those guys just really like dressing as women.
I have know idea if Little Britain was a real part of London in Victorian days or not but am glad I am finally reading great expectations as like most people I am vaguely aware of the plot but have never got round to reading the book.
I was really tied between taking the Philosophy course or the Lit. one but opted for Lit this time round plenty of time to pursue philosopy in my spare time. I have been getting into philosophy bites podcasts. they are little 15 minute interviews with various philosophers discussing a particular area of philosophy. Really accessible - I even understand what my brother was babbling about that night a few Christmasses ago when he was drunkenly trying to explain Plato's cave.
My first assignment recieved a gobsmacking 94% leaving me only one way to go from there. I have submitted my second assignment and we will see how that goes.
The next course I have signed up for is Approaching Literature (A210), so in order to get a head start I am reading Great Expectations atm. It was all going well until yesterday while I was sitting in the car waiting to pick the kids up from school I read that Mr Jaggers lived in Little Britain. I realised that I had read the next two pages with that bit of the brain that reads things without having a clue what they have just read while my imagination was off thinking about the TV show little Britain and if the writers were Dickens fan and was it the modern take on Dickensian style satire of the state of our nation but mostly do those guys just really like dressing as women.
I have know idea if Little Britain was a real part of London in Victorian days or not but am glad I am finally reading great expectations as like most people I am vaguely aware of the plot but have never got round to reading the book.
I was really tied between taking the Philosophy course or the Lit. one but opted for Lit this time round plenty of time to pursue philosopy in my spare time. I have been getting into philosophy bites podcasts. they are little 15 minute interviews with various philosophers discussing a particular area of philosophy. Really accessible - I even understand what my brother was babbling about that night a few Christmasses ago when he was drunkenly trying to explain Plato's cave.
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About Me
- Gillian
- I am a mum of 4 living and learning with my kids as we adjust to a new life in a sandy city in the middle east. K is my lets see what crazy thing we can do next husband.