The Art of Quilting

Thanks to my friend Flossie I now have another "Art Full" Label to add to my blog. The Art of Quilting. These are my first two projects. They are both made in the "Quilt as you go" method which is a great way for a beginner quilter to start. The first one I did was the table runner and the second is a wall hanging that I want to hang in my bedroom. These projects are great because they go so fast. The hardest part is picking out the fabrics!

Srapbooking

I have completed the scrapbooks that I was working on of Britni. I made duplicate albums, one for her and one for Dan and I. It covers her life from birth through her graduation from highschool. Here is a look at some of the pages. I have now started a wedding album because I never bought a professional one. At least my addiction is legal!

Philosophy of Education Vol. 6 Ch. 9

‘The Way of Reason’

We should teach our children not to lean on their own understanding or reasoning. Reason functions in two ways. 1) It demonstrates mathematical truths and 2) it gives logical demonstration of the “initial ideas” that are accepted by the will. Most of the time we don’t even realize that reason is functioning, until we take a step back and see the point by point “argument” supporting one decision over another. Charlotte says this is “because every ‘pro’ suggested by our reason is opposed to some ‘con’ in the background. That is why people can take up both sides of a debate and present infallible proof to support their side of an argument and be convincing.

Reason can be used for both good and bad outcomes. The first example given is that of Shakespeare’s character Macbeth. In the beginning of the play Macbeth holds honors in the army as well as with his king but the idea of ambitious gain was presented to his will and his reason began to set up the arguments to achieve what he wanted, ending in tragedy. The second example given is of any inventor, army general, or discoverer that has made or done anything great. They used the power of reasoning to overcome all the ‘cons’ with the ‘pros’ to achieve his success.

It is worthwhile to ask our children “how did you think of that?” when they share a new game they invented or some other imagined “play”. They most likely will tell you of the idea that “put in into his head” and then the reasoned steps that led up to the finished “game or play” will follow.

We should present to our children examples like that of Eve in the garden when the persuasive arguments, reasoned out, led to disobedience and the consequences that followed. They should be told that when they want to choose to do the wrong thing, reason can convince them it is a good idea. We need to train them to use the power of reason to do what is right. They should recognize that reasonable is not necessarily right. We can train children that although reason works involuntarily, and all the enticing steps flow one after another, they cannot say they were forced into the wrong choice and couldn’t help it. Truthfully, it is not “reason” that that begins the process. Reason only comes into play after the choice to think about something is made. So if we choose to think about something good, excellent reasons will “hurry along to support it.” Likewise, if we choose to think of something bad, reason again will present arguments to make wrong seem right.

The power of reasoning is already present in our minds from birth. It is like all other powers of the mind in that it only “wants material to work upon.” Reason is no different than any other part of human make-up, it is “subject to habit and works upon material it is accustomed to handle.”

We as teachers must understand that “reason” should not only be fed by learning math. When using reason to figure out mathematical problems you learn that the logic is absolute and right. For example, 2+2=4 and not 5. This is supported by “reason” and in this case reason is proven right. But with the problems of life or the persuasion of a false religion or a political form of government “reason” can present arguments of persuasion to make wrong seem right.

52 week book challenge

The second book I read this week was An American Safari- Adventures on the North American Prairie by Jim Brandenburg, who is a well known wild-life photographer. The pictures in this book are beautiful. He does have an evolutionist view point and is also very pro-conservationilist with his view points but his information on our beautiful praries is vast. This book would be great for a junior high/highschool student studying the american praries.

52 week book challenge

The first book I read this week was The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry. It is the first book in the Detective Monk series that takes place in Victorian England. The book opens with Detective Monk waking up in a hospital after an accident not know who he is. His supervisor comes to visit him in the hospital and he finds out a bit as to his identity. He is released from the hospital when he is well physically but has not told anyone he doesn't have his memory.He is well enough to return to work and it put on a murder case that happened a few months back that is still unsolved. Through very clever writing the author unfolds this mystery by keeping you guessing at every turn. A great read.

Philosophy of Education Vol. 6 Ch. 8

“The Way of the Will”
The function of the will is to choose or to decide and when the decisions take more effort the weaker the general will becomes. It seems that we tend to take on the opinions of society and the habits we develop are those of convenience but it is acceptable, so that is all we think is necessary for a decent and orderly life. But the one thing we should achieve is Character. Character is shaped like fine metal which is repeatedly beaten into shape and beauty by the force of “will”. Our aim in educating our children should be placed less on conduct and more on character. To quote Charlotte “Conduct may be arrived at, as we have seen, by indirect routes, but it is of value to the world only as it has its source in character. The will has only one action and that is to choose. Every choice we make we grow in force of character.
All of our lives we will be exposed to the opinions of others, whether it is in how we should take care of ourselves physically or what we should teach to educate the mind. The tendency is to accept what “makes sense to us” and follow the path of least resistance. Charlotte felt very strongly that teachers should not intrude on the minds of children but to “afford to each child a full reservoir of right thought of the world to draw from. For right thinking is by no means a matter of self-expression.” The “right thoughts” should come from ideas in great books about the lives of other men, nations, inventions, etc. Charlotte says “to fortify the will is one of the great purposes of education.” Parents need instruction on strengthening the will. It won’t just come as second nature to us. We should carefully expose them to characters, real or fiction, who are impulsive, self-pleasing, self-seeking, those who are willful, verses those examples of characters who are governed by will. “The will” cannot be exercised for personal gain repeatedly and grow strong. It needs to think outside ourselves to become powerful. The Bible tells us to “choose you this day whom ye shall serve.” Charlotte says there are only two services to choose from: 1 God, which includes others or 2 self. There is no act of will to serve ourselves because our desires are always there to show us what to choose but when our goal is to serve God first we are always watching to choose between right or wrong ideas that present themselves.
Charlotte says that “What we get in our youth we keep through our lives”. Although the “will” effects all our actions and all our thoughts it really only has one role of function and that is to accept an idea or reject it. Our consciences and reasons have an effect but our “will” is the supreme and our behavior will be determined by all the principles and opinions we have formed from our youth. When an unworthy idea presents itself that is supported by public opinion or we can reason it justifiable, and the will is weary of choosing, how should we handle this? By diversion- think of something else, even if it is something trivial, as long as we don’t think of how we “ought” to think about the idea in question. The weary will does not need arguments of support but rest. After a short time of rest the will is ready to choose the right path, even if it is a difficult or tiresome path.
Charlotte Mason says “the way of the will is a secret power of self government “. She says the statement of our will being a “free will” is true. Our will can only be free no matter if the choice is right or wrong. But many take “free will” to mean “free thought”. We forget that it is “the will” that orders our thoughts. If we belong to Christ we are not our own and are not free to think however we choose.
The ordering of the will does not happen suddenly. It is the “outcome of an ordered education” full of examples from the lives of great men. However the moment of choice is immediate and the action of the will is voluntary. The object of education is to prepare us for the immediate choices of everyday life. In training the will we need to be careful to not use words like “self-knowledge or self control” because Charlotte Mason says that education must be “outward bound” because the mind that focuses on “self”, even if some of the thoughts are righteous, misses the highest purpose of life. Duty and service to God and others is good reason to put our children through the training of their will, even though it is hard work.

52 week book challenge

This week I read More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison. This book expands on her first book, Charlotte Mason Education, with examples for applying this way of educating your children. Catherine goes into more detail in this book from more how-two's and quotes from Charlotte Mason to how to run a successful support group. This book was very informative and really is a must read for the homeschool mom teaching with Charlotte Mason methods.

Philosophy of Education Vol. 6 Ch. 7

“How we make use of our mind”

Herbart was a German philosopher that had developed a system of education that believed that children were “empty vessels” waiting to be filled by the teacher. Charlotte begins this chapter by pointing out that “our business is not to examine the psychology of Herbart…but rather to consider how Herbartian methods work out practically in education.” She begins by stating that Herbart’s psychology is attractive to teachers that want to “magnify their office” and how rewarding it is when the child graduates as the new creation of his teacher. This method is summed up as the teacher selects the “ideas” and then shows the student how they relate to each other. The work is complete and the ideas” enter the mind and grow and those that are the strongest rule and if they are “good” the “man is made”. Next she gives a detailed description of a lesson plan from a school using this way of educating that resembles a unit study approach where every subject is based in that unit. She points out that while it may look like much has been accomplished it really is setting the child up to be bored with learning. We already have learned that the mind needs ideas to feed upon. It may be that children appear to like easy lessons and abridged story books but in Charlotte’s words, “they like lollipops but cannot live upon them.” And yet there are schools that are trying to “supply the intellectual , moral, and religious needs of children by appropriate ‘sweetmeats’” When children are given books of great literary quality the mind takes the ideas presented and sorts, arranges, selects, rejects, and classifies the material all by itself.
Herbartian philosophy puts the burden of education on the teacher, which then exalts the teacher as the “chief agent” in education. This method appeals to teachers who hope to change the world with the children they have raised to a higher level. It also is appealing to education committees and administrators. They are relieved because the responsibility can then fall on the teachers to educate, because teachers can just turn on the faucet and out will flow the knowledge. They like the fact that the lessons are pleasing to watch and listen to. Lessons that are planned in this format may not show flaws in the practical working of the method, however, later, it “gives rise to dismay and anxiety among thoughtful people.”
Next we are introduced to a Mr. A Paterson who wrote a book criticizing the schools of the day. Charlotte Mason quotes him extensively in this section but basically he found problems with a system where the boys were given extensive lessons but were not trained to do the thinking themselves. Many were found struggling in their jobs because prior to graduating, the “thinking” had been done for them.
It was common in her day to educate young people according to their chosen vocation. They, too, had “trade” schools. She makes the point that employers have said that workers that had education specific to the trade did not produce any better than a boy who was a hard worker and learned doing the job. We put so much effort educating for profession because we believe that this is how young people will become beneficial to society but we forget that “man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, shall man live.” The Spiritual life of man is far more important. The spiritual life also requires the food of ideas. Charlotte Mason concludes “like the old saying goes knowledge is a virtue and knowledge informed by religion will result in seeing that righteousness exalteth a nation.”