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21:02:20 |
Webmama_Tina |
tonite i'm so pleased to have author
david albert! |
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21:02:27 |
Webmama_Tina |
David is a homeschooling dad, writer,
storyteller, and author of three books
about homeschooling: Have Fun. Learn
Stuff. Grow. Homeschooling and the
Curriculum of Love (Common Courage
Press, in Press); Homeschooling and the
Voyage of Self-Discovery (Common Courage
Press, 2003); and And the Skylark Sings
with Me: Adventures in Homeschooling and
Community Based-Education (New Society
Publishers, 1999); editor of a book
about his Indian parents The Color of
Freedom (Common Courage Press, 2005); as
well as two books about the uses of
storytelling, The Healing Heart~Families
and The Healing Heart~Communities (New
Society Publishers, 2003). He writes a
regular column \My Word!\" for Home
Education Magazine, and a second column
\"What Really Matters\" with Joyce Reed,
for The Link. His work has appeared in
scores of magazines and journals
worldwide, ranging from Life Learning
Magazine to the Journal of the American
Philosophical Society. As founder of New
Society Publishers, he was both editor
and publisher of John Taylor Gatto's
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum
of Compulsory Schooling, and more than a
100 other titles. David lives in
Olympia, Washington with his wife and
partner Ellen and younger daughter Meera.
His older daughter Aliyah is an
undergraduate at Smith College in
Northampton, Massachusetts, majoring in
music composition. He holds degrees from
Williams College, Oxford University, and
the University of Chicago, but says the
best education he ever received was from
his kids. Visit his website at
www.skylarksings.com or write him at
david@skylarksings.com. " |
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21:02:40 |
David H. Albert |
Wow, you type fast! |
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21:02:44 |
Webmama_Tina |
lol |
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21:02:51 |
Webmama_Tina |
gotta love copy/paste |
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21:04:21 |
Webmama_Tina |
ok David, anything you'd like to add to
that intro? |
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21:04:43 |
David H. Albert |
Just that I'm happy to be here, and
typing rather than speaking (bad chest
cold...) |
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21:05:02 |
Webmama_Tina |
aww, hope you feel better soon! |
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21:05:17 |
SandraMort |
Oh, that's no fun. |
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21:05:18 |
David H. Albert |
sickness is a sign of moral turpitude. |
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21:05:29 |
Webmama_Tina |
lol ok |
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21:05:34 |
SandraMort |
Oh, I hope not. |
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21:05:56 |
Stacey B |
? |
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21:05:56 |
Webmama_Tina |
well mamas, if you have questions for
david, just throw out a question mark
and chat_manager (juliet) will gather
the list :) |
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21:06:04 |
Webmama_Tina |
stacey, go for it! |
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21:06:13 |
SandraMort |
Wow, a helper! |
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21:06:19 |
Webmama_Tina |
yup! |
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21:06:49 |
Stacey B |
I've read both your books I am
interested in what things were like
during the earlier years of the
\learning\"" |
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21:07:23 |
David H. Albert |
Actually, I have three homeschoolin'
books (LOL!) I presume you mean the kids
(not me?) |
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21:07:40 |
Stacey B |
yes, sorry I guess I'm off a little |
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21:08:39 |
David H. Albert |
Well, we mostly just had a very, very
good time! The kids allowed us the
opportunity to revisit our own
educations, and do it right this time.
Both my wife and I recareered so that we
could spend much more time with the
kids. Moved to a place which was muc |
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21:09:07 |
David H. Albert |
much less expensive, went lots of place,
explored things we had never been able
to explore in our own youth. |
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21:09:40 |
David H. Albert |
In some sense, I think of it like a
Jackson Pollack painting - we threw lots
of paint around, and watched for what
stuck. |
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21:10:25 |
David H. Albert |
We learned so much from both of the
kids, including their differences! I
like to tell folks I have one \noun\"
and one \"verb\". The first didn't
prepare us at all for the second!" |
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21:11:03 |
David H. Albert |
Since my wife and I are both very
\nounish\" (and I nerdy in addition),
having a verb was a wonderful new
experience!" |
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21:11:18 |
Webmama_Tina |
lol |
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21:11:38 |
David H. Albert |
I have always thought of school as a bad
substitute for a good family. Well, we
HAD a good family. |
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21:12:12 |
David H. Albert |
So the way we looked at it, school was
the \alternative\" - the family was the
first option." |
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21:12:41 |
David H. Albert |
Then, just a lot of watching and
listening and patience - all very
difficult for a New Yorker! |
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21:12:53 |
Stacey B |
I understand that |
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21:12:59 |
David H. Albert |
Love and listening are synonyms, really. |
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21:13:10 |
SandraMort |
You're a New Yorker? |
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21:13:13 |
Stacey B |
yes |
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21:13:18 |
David H. Albert |
Born and bred. |
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21:13:22 |
SandraMort |
Cool! |
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21:13:29 |
SandraMort |
? |
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21:13:34 |
chat_manager |
Reminder: If you have a question for
David, please type a ? and you will be
added to the list of upcoming chatters.
Be sure to have your question ready when
you are called upon. |
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21:13:41 |
David H. Albert |
Born in the Bronx, grew up in Queens,
went to school in Manhattan. |
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21:13:49 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: SandraMort |
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21:14:06 |
SandraMort |
Born in Queens, grew up in Manhattan,
high school in the Bronx and currently
in Astoria |
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21:14:25 |
SandraMort |
Though if you went from Queens to
Manhattan I'd guess Stuy or Hunter. |
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21:14:44 |
Beating_Earth |
? |
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21:15:10 |
David H. Albert |
Used to sneak into the 1963 World's Fair
through a hole in the fence. (yes,
Stuy). That's where I learned all about
Corfam shoes, and electronic people
singing \It's a great big, beautiful
tomorrow.\"" |
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21:15:44 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: SandraMort,
Beating_Earth |
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21:16:27 |
Beating_Earth |
My biggest question is how to you get
started?? I really have no idea how
this would work. |
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21:16:43 |
SandraMort |
Does that mean it's my turn yet? |
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21:16:46 |
chat_manager |
Beating_Earth, hold on... |
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21:16:54 |
Beating_Earth |
sorry |
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21:16:57 |
chat_manager |
David, are you ready for a new question |
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21:16:58 |
chat_manager |
? |
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21:17:03 |
David H. Albert |
Ah, yes. Well, once you've figured out
that you are doing it, you've started.
Really! |
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21:17:08 |
David H. Albert |
ready |
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21:17:11 |
Webmama_Tina |
? |
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21:17:13 |
chat_manager |
If David is ready, then it is time for
SandraMort |
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21:17:29 |
chat_manager |
OK, SandraMort, go ahead and then
Beating Earth you'll be next~ |
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21:17:55 |
SandraMort |
I sent in a IHIP and they sent me back a
form and I panicked. They've sent me
mail a couple of times and I haven't
been brave enough to open the letters.
Am I going to jail? |
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21:18:17 |
David H. Albert |
No legal expertise here. I'll send
cookies. |
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21:18:22 |
SandraMort |
LOL Tanks |
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21:18:45 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: Beating_Earth,
Webmama_Tina , |
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21:19:38 |
hillyb6 |
. |
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21:19:48 |
Webmama_Tina |
david just let us know when you are
ready for the next question...so juliet
can let the next person know to go. :) |
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21:19:56 |
David H. Albert |
ready |
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21:20:06 |
chat_manager |
OK, Beating_Earth, you are up! |
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21:20:16 |
Beating_Earth |
Ok, do you start with just kinda going
in the direction the kids wanna go. But
after that .... what. |
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21:21:06 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: Webmama_Tina , |
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21:21:16 |
David H. Albert |
Well, you find what stuck to the
painting. Or what feeds their souls.
Then you strategize about how you can
feed it further. I like to call what we
do \child-directed, family-centered\"
learning." |
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21:21:37 |
Beating_Earth |
so no real cirriculum per se |
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21:22:15 |
David H. Albert |
It took me a while, but I finally
figured out that 99% of the time the
kids were able to tell me what they
needed, if only I listened hard enough.
It's not as direct as \on-demand breast
feeding\", or " |
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21:22:41 |
chat_manager |
Reminder: If you have a question for
David, please type a ? and you will be
added to the list of upcoming chatters.
Be sure to have your question ready when
you are called upon. |
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21:22:48 |
pazeley |
? |
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21:22:57 |
David H. Albert |
cooing back and forth, or entering into
the 21-month old's \gift exchange\", but
it is the same idea." |
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21:23:12 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: Webmama_Tina ,
pazeley |
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21:23:20 |
Beating_Earth |
that makes sense. thank you |
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21:23:41 |
David H. Albert |
When we discovered curricula that could
feed their needs we used them. But we
never, or almost never, picked the
curricula first. (honestly, we didn't
use very much.) Ready... |
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21:24:02 |
chat_manager |
OK, Webmama_Tina, you are up~! |
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21:24:10 |
Webmama_Tina |
ok |
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21:24:17 |
Webmama_Tina |
i'm currently homeschooling my 6yr
old...but because of my 20mo old i'm not
yet able to do much focused work...i
usually tell people we are \unschooling
unintentionally\"...not that i don't
want to be unschooling, but i do want to
do some planned stuff too...do you have
any suggestions as to what to do with a
precocious 20month old? i swear he
freaks even when i just sit down and
read a book to my dd!" |
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21:24:31 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: pazeley |
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21:25:04 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: pazeley, hillyb6 |
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21:25:08 |
David H. Albert |
I LOVE 6 and 7 year olds! In fact,
someday, I've got a book coming out
about them. |
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21:25:11 |
Webmama_Tina |
its been darn near impossible to get
into any sort of a routine... |
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21:25:30 |
David H. Albert |
Their chronological sense of time, there
is a before and there is an after
expands in all kinds of new ways. |
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21:25:32 |
Webmama_Tina |
i think i'm routine challenged |
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21:25:34 |
Webmama_Tina |
LOL |
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21:25:48 |
David H. Albert |
The coiled spring that is within them
springs out in new directions. |
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21:26:18 |
David H. Albert |
New potentialities, new possibilities.
The questions in the car change, and
their are so many of them!!! |
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21:26:45 |
David H. Albert |
What to do with the 20 month old? well,
you juggle! |
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21:26:49 |
Webmama_Tina |
LOL |
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21:26:56 |
Webmama_Tina |
that's the problem...i'm not so good at
that |
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21:27:04 |
David H. Albert |
I don't mean that lightly - it is part
of the lesson the 6-year-old is taking
in, too. |
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21:27:11 |
Webmama_Tina |
and i swear i'm ADD because i get
knocked off track very very easily |
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21:27:34 |
David H. Albert |
That moms have multiple responsibilities
and that we all make choices to meet
them as best we can. |
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21:27:37 |
David H. Albert |
Don |
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21:27:58 |
David H. Albert |
don't worry, because your 6-year old
takes that all in, and it is a GOOD
thing. |
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21:28:15 |
Webmama_Tina |
between the housework, the computer (i
have 2 online businesses), the extra
curricular activities, the baby's needs,
etc...the \school\" work gets pushed to
bottom of the list of priorities most
days...i'm fighting right now to bring
it back to the top" |
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21:28:22 |
David H. Albert |
Probably more important that reading
that book while the 20-month old howls. |
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21:28:46 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: pazeley, hillyb6 |
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21:28:50 |
David H. Albert |
Reframe the school work!!! |
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21:29:06 |
hillyb6 |
bootedmyself sorry |
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21:29:16 |
chat_manager |
Upcoming Chatters: pazeley, hillyb6 |
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21:29:21 |
Webmama_Tina |
yeah i've read that during this age that
i should just go lightly with any sort
of homeschooling...because the toddler
needs me more...i can get my daughter
caught up later? do you agree with that? |
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21:29:34 |
David H. Albert |
Look, we live in a numerate and literate
culture. |
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21:29:52 |
