Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Fri, 17 Feb 2006 07:55:01 -0500 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
I've been trying to break the habit of referring to what we do by
what it isn't..."informal", "out of school" etc. People seem to
respond well to the idea of museum learning when we use the phrase
"free choice learning." I guess its just spin, but...
I don't remember who posted earlier about how much effort it takes,
as a parent, to mitigate the negative effects of formal learning on
our children. I hadn't really formulated it that way to myself, but
in fact this is true. In our "excellent school district" (blue
ribbon schools, etc etc) the kids are so pressured that I can see the
joy of learning slowly being excised from my 14 y/o twin girls.
Interestingly, a survey of parents in our district reflected that an
equal proportion found their kids' schooling "too demanding" and "not
challenging enough." So what's a school administrator to do?
All that said, a shout out to my daughter Nica, whose team took 1st
place in the regional Science Olympiad, a first for our district.
Her bridge won first place. She and the rest of the self-named "geek
squad" have been walking on air for a week.
Eric Siegel
Executive VP
Programs and Planning
NY Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
[log in to unmask]
718 699 0005 x 317
www.nyscience.org
***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]
|
|
|