Blog Design

We're playing with blog design and would love your comments about what works, what doesn't, what's easy to read, what's not, what you'd like permanently linked, etc. etc.  Use the comments or email kim.

New thinking about Homework -- works for us!

The NYT has an interesting review of new research on conventional wisdom about homework.  Most reassuring was that kids (and adults) retain information better if they review it in multiple locations rather than studying in the same place all the time.  So, practice multiplication at the beach whenever possible! Although the article did not engage the question about how much homework children should have, it did discuss quality -- homework that pushes us to figure out what problem we're solving, as well as drilling us on the solution, is better than repetition of the same kind of problem.  Big picture, we need to develop the skills and toolbox for diagnosis as well as result.

Our family mainly conducts homework sessions at the kitchen table, with some finishing on the couch, in the car, and probably at school.  These are also the places I tend to do my work, with a little coffee shop thrown in.  How about your kids?  Where will homework get done in your house and when?

David Sobel on October 19th

David Sobel will visit Portland as part of FSP's Parenting for Peace speaker series on October 19th.  He will give a workshop for Pre-K - 8 educators (including community educators) in the afternoon and a free public talk in the evening (7:00 pm, Wild Play : Parenting Adventures in the Great Outdoors).

Official info soon!

To anyone who subscribes by e-mail

I believe I may have accidently just sent you a bunch of spam-posts - I pressed "publish" when I meant to press "delete" -- my sincere apologies if that happened!   Kim

Parenting Tips and Ideas

We all get our parenting information from different places, and it is funny how some of it becomes part of the cultural discourse while other ideas seem brilliant and new and other information helps us know ourselves as parents because it strikes us as so wrong. Where do you get your best ideas about parenting?

Dr. Laura Markham has a weekly newsletter that was suggested by another parent.

I'm a big fan of MojoMom and her podcasts and links.

NurtureShock, Mind in the Making, and Pink Brain / Blue Brain use cognitive science to help us think about child development

Where else do you go for new thinking or old reassurance about parenting?

School Dreams

Wow, another meet-the-teachers day and picnic! Those who have been around since the first one, when there were just 32 students in only three (?!) classrooms, have seen a lot of changes, all of them good if only because, even if some were uncomfortable, they resulted in forward growth for the school and our children.

So here's the question of the day: What are your dreams for the school for this year and into the future? There's not a great history of parents using the comments section to add their input, but we're hoping that's one more change that will take place right now.

More great music coming up

As summertime draws to an end and school is nigh, the fantastic music continues. On Sunday, September 12th, from noon - 7 p.m., Henryfest returns to North Yarmouth's beautiful Skyline Farm. Join us for a full afternoon plus of the best bluegrass around. Family admission is just $35, and there will be lots of kids of all ages running around barefoot. Food by Bruce's Burritos and the annual 317 homemade pie sale. Best of all, all proceeds from admission and pies go directly to 317 Main Street Community Music Center's (yeah, check them out, too! 317 is a happenin' place) scholarship fund. If I were all skillful like Kim, I would put the poster right up here for you to see, but I just play the fiddle, so you'll have to click on the links above.

Stories by the Garden

Technology and kids

In this week's Economist, the Technology Quarterly included an article about Dean Kamen. Kamen, who is based in Manchester, New Hampshire, is perhaps best known for inventing the Segway self-balancing scooter, but he also invented the insulin pump, the home dialysis machine, and has registered upwards of 440 patents in the last 40 years.

You can read the full, fascinating article through the link above, but I especially wanted to share a couple of quotes from Kamen:

"If you look at the way science and technology are presented today, it's worse than they just don't get their fair share of time. It's like somebody brilliantly set out to undermine any prospect for the average kid -- especially girls and minorities -- to feel excited about science. When children see a scientist on television, it's either a squeaky, geeky misfit kid or a middle=-aged white male with frizzy hair and a German accent."

"Technology is easy to develop. Developing a new attitude, moving the culture, is the difficult part... The reason it takes technology 15 or 20 years to come in is because 15 years is the time it takes a kid who saw it when he was young to become a functioning adult."

Critique of Disney

I can never resist some good criticism of Disney... apparently Disney's now marketing to boys which means girls can't be the title character... Also check out Allison Bechedel's youtube about the lack of female characters in film... Kind of takes the fun out of summer...