Home School Seventh Grade

Last year gave us a variety of obstacles to overcome. Learning curves, growth spurts, health dilemmas all crammed into the schedule along with academic pursuits.  Sixth grade, the year can be summed up in two words; boot camp. It did some butt kicking and yes, as I posted in the early part of our home school adventure (5th grade), we had some bruises to show for it. A great military hero helps us put 6th grade into perspective, "The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat." Marcinko, Rogue Warrior.  Goes along with that wonderfully true phrase, "no pain, no gain."

The sixth grade year put us through its training and toughened us up a bit. The effects were resounding to the point it made us re-work our strategy and make some well-planned changes for a smooth transition into the next year.

So here we are 7th grade, we have an idea of what you want and expect from us. We re-vamped our school room for operational success. We took extreme measures with our organizational tools, scouted the academic territory and came back with some helpful intel. Added a well-planned recreation outlet to de-stress and started off this year strong.

Off Topic But Still Relates 

There are some interesting topics I run across in our homeschooling adventure. I always wonder if others 'see' the same things I do or what their perspective is on these issues.

Entertainment: Reading Lists

I have noticed the reading lists for kids slant towards the topics of death and spiritism. Both of these highlighted in a manner that puts them in the realm of mysticism. These topics are breached earlier and earlier in curricula. Read Lee Duigon's findings on a few books that are popular material being pushed in the entertainment industry and some in schools.

It is so important in this day and age for parents to be aware of what their child reads and be there to teach as they maneuver through heavy material.

I can only speak from my experience, these are books I have personally run into either in the school curricula or recommended for kids and have found material that is not age appropriate or needs to be handled with wisdom as your child reads them. (Maybe substitute out and find an alternative to read as an option.)

Book 1: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
This book was required reading in Fourth grade at my daughter's public school. It is a World War II historical fiction based in Copenhagen. It depicts the life of one family dealing with separation, death and the fear that encompasses this time in history.

History is a great teaching tool, the realities of it are topics you can't dance around. It is what it is.  Children should know the truth of History. Use wisdom for your child's capacity to deal with emotional content.

My daughter felt very depressed reading this book. I also read it along with her and was uncomfortable with their focus on death.

Book 2: Paper Towns by John Green
We encountered this book this Summer. I read the summary for the book, the movie and reviews from actual readers. It was given high marks in the literary execution. We had issues with the promotion of teen sex, actions without consequences, suicide and revenge.

Life is filled with people who wrong and are wronged, yes, we can deal with it in humorous, creative ways. Life is what it is, filled with a wide range of human actions and reaction. Use wisdom for your child's capacity to deal with more adult issues involving emotional content that distracts from an academic pursuit of excellence.

I could list more books, but will refrain.

Dallas Museum of Art
Chandra and Alex
Photo: By Nathan Brown

The Question

Our family is asked quit a bit when we will be putting our daughter back in school. Or if she will be going back for high school with an air of 'won't she be missing out on life if we don't' let her go to 'school' for high school.

Read those sentences again....

My daughter IS IN school. She has a social life too, a healthy one!

I would like to clear up any misconceptions out there in the world. We know our lifestyle is different, we understand that our choice is not mainstream, we just ask for a little more respect when phrasing your question to us.

Sometimes the question is just plain curiosity but other times it is couched in thinking that somehow we are the problem, had to step out of the crowd to re-group and when we got a firm grasp of whatever it was we were lacking we'd re-enter 'normal' procedure and re-enroll our daughter to the system. We know this is not really intended but the implication comes off quite clear. I am here to say the box was meant to be stepped outside of for our family and it works for us.

For those that wonder, we do ask our daughter if she wants to re-enter the public school system at the end of every school year. We keep things open around here, we aren't totalitarian barbarians.

Her decision counts and she has chosen to HOME SCHOOL.

We appreciate it when someone doesn't ask us 'the question' but instead asks, like they do any other student, "How was your school year, are you ready for the next?"

Maybe next time someone asks when I'll be putting my daughter back in school, I'll ask when are you home schooling?


P.S.
What is it with me and bees at the beginning of the school year?  YES, I got stung by another bee today. OUCH!

Feria: Free Day

Today my sweet neighbors reminded me of what wonderful people living in a community can do for each other. They showed up at my door with gift bag in hand and wished me well on my 'free day'.  I pulled the paper tissue from the top of the bag and curiously peered inside. Stacked neatly, next to each other were bottles of beer. The labels cleverly chosen, each one a small portrayal of yours truly. A delicious chocolate brownie accompanied the arrangement with a humorous card that read, "Beer is the Answer" and when you opened it, the catch line said, "Who the hell cares what's the question."

The biggest smile spread across my face. I immediately thought of my neighbors and was thankful for their well thought out gift. I was flooded with amiable warmth thinking of their efforts to tell me they remembered my birthday.

Note: In Ancient Roman culture, Free Days, called Ferias in Latin, are days in which the people (even the slaves) were not obligated to work. These days were usually national holidays set legally by the State. Not so different than what we do now except, I think birthdays are personal holidays and should be implemented by families under the 'free day' idea.

In the celebratory spirit of free days, friendship and beer I'll dot this page with poetry and proverb for your pleasure.

Feria

Free Day

It's your fixed date holiday

and only comes once a year.

So tell your job to hit the bricks,

you're playing hooky, go grab a beer;

put your feet up, relax

and indulge in something fun

declare your own personal holiday

your free day has begun.

Make this standard practice and celebrate to the full,

Your birthday should be enjoyable

and that my friend is no bull!

By: Chandra Brown

Barley Pop

Hot Summer day

cold aluminum can

Pop the top

Lips open wide

Taste buds sing

Quench body drought

By: Chandra Brown

Drinking a Blue Moon and toasting to my sweet neighbor friends.. Thanks for making my free day memorable.

Service Design: Refreshed Business Tools for the Modern Age

"Modernism...means integrity, it means honesty, it means the absence of sentimentality, and the absence of nostalgia." Paul Rand, IBM logo creator. Design Thinking edited by Thomas Lockwood.

I am currently furthering my education in the business realm by reading about the new approach to the modern business model through advanced systems called Service Design.

Eads Bridge

Service Design in a nutshell is common sense strategies applied to the internal and external systems of a business model by tapping into experience and manipulating outcomes through creativity with the end goal of a refined, fluid, cohesive environment.

After reading my third book on the subject, it is interesting to see the modern world of business put its definition for success on the docket. The Design aspect of business is putting its stamp on our technological age yet I find myself still looking back to some of those tried and true methods the Agricultural and Industrial Ages have stamped on the pages of business.

When I read about Service Design I can't help but think of Lee Iacocca, business guru for Ford and Chrysler or Zig Ziglar, the quintessential motivational genius or Leonardo DaVinci, the all-encompassing man who defined the Renaissance.

I'll add a little to my running definition by saying Service design is a culmination of the successful thinking style from many ages applied to our current technological age.

When I think of the whole of service design I can't help but remember the well known, culturally encompassing Golden Rule. A basic principle to ensure success and best described by Matthew 7:2, "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." In fact, all I kept thinking about was how the Bible states the tenants of Service Design. Colossians 3:12-14, Ephesians 4:25 and practically the entire book of Proverbs. The Golden Rule and many of the wise teachings listed here involve a strong human element which effects us all, the element of emotion and handling that emotion correctly.

I used Paul Rand's quote for a catalyst for this blog entry. His quote is used (by Marc Gobe author of chapter 10, Design Thinking page 110. Chapter 10 is about emotional branding.) in context of past business models and paradigms, namely, the Industrial Age with the 'production model and the effect it had on consumerism and how it created subservient masses that could easily be manipulated and consumption habits regulated to fit a business production model.'. I thought about his words for a while. Do you agree with his quote in the context used?

I agree wholeheartedly with the first two declarations. Yes, indeed we should strive for those virtues. My question lies in why the absence of sentiment and nostalgia, two icons of what makes us human and can drive our decision making process to do the things we do, be the people we are and act upon those opinions, beliefs, attitudes and feelings that have some root in the past.

We can not be so ready to throw out the past and what it has to offer in terms of emotional branding. One of the tenets of the new marketing age is creating a brand message that incorporates meeting unmet emotional needs. This type of marketing can also fall easily into a model that manipulates the masses that supports production.

What I'm trying to get at is the human emotion spectrum is quite broad. Manipulation of this for business purposes on any level can be a Pandora's box. I think there is more of a common thread between the Industrial Age and Technological Age than this quote and context may not have realized and missed.

Here is an example from a more nostalgic time in business history to express my point, we can't forget our past, use it to build for the future. The Industrial Age did meet the 'emotional' needs of consumers for their time in history. (For instance; trust is a very important human emotion, especially in business. ) (Note: The Industrial Age is fraught with business problems just as our Technological Age will find it's own to worry about in the course of history).

Andrew Carnegie was contracted to build The Eads Bridge using his new, innovative product steel, there was speculation by the public whether this new concept for structures would be safe. Carnegie was brilliant in his solution to combat the mistrust towards the launch of his vision. He used an emotional context found in the form of societal gossip which had no scientific bearing to solidify trust in something scientifically proven and firm, his product. He used an 'old wives tale' involving an elephant and the factor of trust. It was said and believed, that an elephant wouldn't cross an unsafe structure. So Carnegie with his brilliant marketing mind, appealed to the emotional needs of the masses on bridge opening day with an honest to goodness, 12,000 pound elephant who strode past the threshold and over the bridge with not a even a slight vibration from the structure. The biggest emotion in successful business enterprise, trust was sealed with the public and they were ready to move on to bigger things, like skyscrapers.

Apple Computer Prototype

There is so much more to say about the 'emotional' element of business. I'll end it here with a question, can you name a modern business that has similarities to what Carnegie accomplished? I sure can.

This Texas based company sure does use nostalgia to promote its product.
TASTY! My local grocery store can't keep it on the shelves.
Yes, I think of my hometown with longing to be there with the good memories and people by just looking at the label and when I drink the well crafted liquid inside it comforts my sentimental side. AHHH!