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Chris V
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CrunchyMom wrote:
I just a few minutes ago saw this quote by Fulton Sheen
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| "It is not always easy to see just how much progress we are making toward our goal. We are very much like the tapestry workers who work not from the front of the tapestry, but always from the rear, keeping ever before their eyes the model of the work to be achieved. They go on drawing thread after thread in a monotonous but thrilling way, never destined to see their completed work until the last thread has been drawn, and the tapestry is turned about to show them how well and how truly they have labored. Archbishop Fulton Sheen |
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What extraordinary words to ponder when in the context of us, as mothers, being guardians over our children's lives - not just educationally, but in every regard to their spirituality and their morality. How humbling the task before us ... Yet, exciting and inspiring at the same time ... but not daunting ... not daunting because it doesn't take place all at once, it is one moment at a time, over time.
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Chris
Happy Wife with my Happy Life
Mama to My Five Girls ('04~'07~'09~'11~'11) 
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Chris V
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JennGM wrote:
I remember asking here a long time ago about FIAR books and could a book stand alone, or do they need discussion and reinforcement. I was leaning so heavily towards CM philosophy, but not quite sure--so many things looked attractive.
When we read picture books, I felt the book, if it was good, stood on its on merit. The FIAR activities seemed so contrived and ruined the book for me. A pattern that kept returning is the wonderful reading of the book and there my activities ended. The connections and extensions happened by my son's volition, but he would find them in all sorts of places. It was wonderful to behold, but at the time I wondered if I was doing something wrong, or missing the boat?
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I found this to be true with how I felt about FIAR also ... we started out with BFIAR, but sadly never actually used the guide at all. I say sadly because if memory serves, I spent $35 on it  . I made the investment to buy all the books on the list (over a year's time or so), and likewise with FIAR the next year. ... In fact, I recall buying the FIAR guide the next year and promptly returned it when I realized that I would never actually use it. We still enjoy all those books, and like you, have always felt that the pre-orchestrated activities just clouded the experience of just enjoying the book for what the book is.
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Chris
Happy Wife with my Happy Life
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Mackfam
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lapazfarm wrote:
| I think a major distinction between a unit-study and a rabbit trail is that a unit-study is typically pre-planned (sometimes to the nth degree) by the parent/teacher, while a rabbit trail is usually spontaneous and student/delight directed and open-ended. |
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That's a great distinction, Theresa! And it is very helpful!
I think that a rabbit trail often fits very well and quite naturally as something that takes place within Masterly Inactivity - wise and purposeful letting alone. And perhaps that is what I think of most when I consider this idea. I enjoy finding resources and books that I can place "in the child's way" (strewing) which the child then pursues. The child explores and investigates and digs deeper around an idea. This can sometimes grow and deepen to encompass a great deal of their learning.
Having said that, there are sometimes topics which interest ME, or at least they're on my radar before they're on the children's radar. Examples of this might be a seasonal topic...something like Journey South or signs of spring, or a meteor shower, or maybe even a calendar sensitive topic, like something attached to the Liturgical Year or a historical anniversary. These are usually still delight directed, but not as spontaneous since I've likely been looking into them, and perhaps to a certain extent, planning books to read. What they lack in spontaneity they make up for in relevance which does inspire a certain momentum.
I wonder if both can be dynamic, living, animated, often surprising? I have my own thoughts - anyone else?
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CrunchyMom
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I think this truly a major distinction.
lapazfarm wrote:
| I think a major distinction between a unit-study and a rabbit trail is that a unit-study is typically pre-planned (sometimes to the nth degree) by the parent/teacher, while a rabbit trail is usually spontaneous and student/delight directed and open-ended. |
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Which is why I'm not sure that what you said here is entirely accurate, at least not in terms of what is most effective.
lapazfarm wrote:
Now, which way of being "choppy" do we choose?
If we are of a CM mindset, then we relax about integrating the subjects and just choose good living books that follow their own lovely threads, leaving the child to weave them together into his own tapestry in his own way.
If we are of a unit-study mindset, then we do the work to weave subjects together for him, but leave him to piece together those mini-weavings over time into some cohesive whole.
( sounds a lot like the previous quilting analogy, right?)
So, either way works. The question is do you prefer tapestry or quilt? |
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When Dr. Nebel describes how children learn he puts it this way
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and
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| Effective learning depends on students self-monitoring what they know, and don't know, and striving to fill in gaps. |
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Something that the teacher plans to the nth degree and uses as a means to introduce a hodge podge of ideas doesn't have hooks to hang on and isn't retained as well.
However, when a child is interested in something and is encouraged and enabled to immerse themselves in it. My reasoning is that when children self-monitor and choose, they are naturally choosing things that fill in gaps and things for which they already have a foundation.
My impression is that, as Charlotte Mason groupees, we aren't likely to do anything that resembles a "unit study" unless it is born out of our child's inclination to delve deeper.
This is also probably why unschooling can be effective.
Whereas, it seems that a lot of modern classrooms in addition to homeschoolers rely on the unit study as the principle means of *introducing* concepts. The idea, I think, is that children are "engaged." But it would seem that it does not necessarily result in retention or literacy of a subject as a whole.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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oops Cross-posted. 
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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Mackfam wrote:
| I wonder if both can be dynamic, living, animated, often surprising? I have my own thoughts - anyone else? |
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Well, as mothers and teachers, I think we probably can predict with some accuracy the types of things that will interest and engage our children. As adults, we know more about subjects that interest them to know where to guide them for the understanding they crave. So, yes, I think that both can be dynamic.
Perhaps "Masterly Inactivity" addresses areas in a more spontaneous way, but that doesn't mean we can't use those pursuits as inspiration for a more planned inclusion down the road.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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kristinannie
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Grace&Chaos wrote:
I recently came across a post at Afterthoughts blog. I had never really thougth about the two probably because I've just never really approached school as a unit study and if I do it's not intentional. Like Jen, I love those side tracks that naturally happen. But even more I enjoy watching my kids make those natural connections without me giving it to them.
I'm not familiar with the works of some people she talks about (and for CM I've only read volume 1 and haven't gotten as far as some of her discussion) but I found the post very interesting |
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Thanks for posting this article. I realized that this is how I conduct my unit studies:
For example, I met a gal who explained that she and her children would go to the library and check out a stack of books on whatever subject they were interested in. Isn't this what an adult would do? If I really wanted to know about, or simply had my mind on, a topic, I'd read a number of books on that topic, right? (Quote from the blog)
Maybe I am not doing unit studies, per se, but just delving deeply into a particular subject.
I do completely agree with whoever said that they buy the unit studies for the book lists. I bought an Alaska unit study during our North America study (actually, I got it for free on Currclick  ). I loved the book lists. I found a couple really great books that I might never have found. I did do one of the activities (we made a book about dogsledding where they matched the words to the pictures and we bound it). They did really enjoy that. I don't think it's bad to do things that reinforce what you are reading, but some of the activities just seem so contrived and unnecessary (in planned unit studies).
Speaking of definitions, maybe I should ask you if I am even doing unit studies. This is our plan for the Solar System. I have RSO Earth and Space and Apologia Astronomy. I am going to use both of those as our spine. We are going to study the sun and the planets so I am going to do readings and experiments from those books and I also got a large stack of books from the library. The kids will create a book we will bind throughout by coloring while I read and drawing the planets and putting "clues" so Daddy has to figure out which planet we did that day (this was actually an idea I got from Amanda Bennett's unit study on Canada to make Who Am I books for the animals of the day...the kids LOVED it and so I have done that from then on...the rest of the unit study was not really to my liking). We are going to build a solar system and make the planets the correct size and distance from the sun. Our novel will be The Little Prince. Is this a unit study? Maybe not. 
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lapazfarm
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Mackfam wrote:
I wonder if both can be dynamic, living, animated, often surprising? I have my own thoughts - anyone else? |
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Yes, most certainly! I think that there are a myriad of ways to approach education and they each have their merits. And I think unit-studies done well can beat CM done poorly hands down, and vice-versa.
It would be hypocritical for me to say one way is the "best" way or that children learn *this* way and not *that* way because we have to bring the millions of variables of our children's personalities, talents, and challenges, as well as our own teaching and organizational strengths into the picture along with educational methods/philosophies. And I think anyone who says "children learn this way..." is making some very broad generalizations. Children, as we well know, are not a homogeneous lot. They do not all learn the same way. And that is a beautiful thing, though it does make our job a bit harder, right?
I know what works for us, for now. That's about all I can say with any confidence!
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Theresa
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guitarnan
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Quote:
I know what works for us, for now. That's about all I can say with any confidence! |
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Exactly, Theresa! And isn't that a wonderful gift? We're so blessed to have so much time with our children, and to get to know them as individuals who learn and grow and change.
We have used unit studies most effectively when we are visiting family and are away from home for a week or two at a time. The unit study approach allows us to do something "new" and "fun" during a time when getting the traditional subject-by-subject work (CM or otherwise) is hard because we are not at home and well-meaning family members are always in the background. With a unit study, we can do field trips, read alouds, projects, etc. etc. and our family members can be part of those opportunities. (One year we did a baseball unit study...went to an LA Dodger game...ate Dodger dogs...got free donuts from Krispy Kreme because the Dodger pitcher did so well...my kids remember this game, nearly 10 years later, vividly and fondly!)
I have also built unit studies around family visits (e.g. California Missions, desert ecosystems) and trips (colonial Boston). Rather than bring my pre-organized unit study on the trip, in this situation I tailor reading, history and science around the opportunities available wherever my family members live, or where we are traveling together. Math is math...it comes along on the trip regardless...
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lapazfarm
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We went through a period of doing some awesome unit-studies and I have to say they were some of the most fun, most satisfying years of our homeschooling "career". I look back on those years with very fond memories as do my children.
But as my children have grown in very different ways I see that it is no longer the best "fit' for us. So we have evolved our methods to fit who we are now.
So, with that experience I cannot in good conscience claim that the CM way of "connectedness" is any better than the unit-study way. It's just different, that's all.
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CrunchyMom
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Just to clarify, I think that there are a variety of ways that children can learn. I went to a traditional public school and used textbooks throughout, so I'm not discounting that either.
Obviously, I make choices based on what I think is more effective, and I have reasons why, but I'm not trying to discount anyone's methods!
I also am using the Beautiful Feet guides, which I suppose could be seen a unit studies  Mostly, I like them for the mapwork that I'm not sure I could do myself.
And I chose the study on Paddle to the Sea because my children were interested in the Great Lakes after our trip to see family in Michigan.
So, I'm probably just resistant to the idea of doing unit studies when in actuality I do do what everyone else calls unit studies.
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My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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lapazfarm wrote:
And I think unit-studies done well can beat CM done poorly hands down, and vice-versa.
It would be hypocritical for me to say one way is the "best" way or that children learn *this* way and not *that* way because we have to bring the millions of variables of our children's personalities, talents, and challenges, as well as our own teaching and organizational strengths into the picture along with educational methods/philosophies. And I think anyone who says "children learn this way..." is making some very broad generalizations. Children, as we well know, are not a homogeneous lot. They do not all learn the same way. And that is a beautiful thing, though it does make our job a bit harder, right? |
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Well, I think that there are some broad generalizations that carry more weight than others, and I imagine that discerning the best in the broader sense can serve as a guide our choices as they become more personal and directed.
I was thinking on this, and it occurred to me that both Charlotte Mason and Dr. Nebel have their experience primarily based in a classroom setting rather than a more one on one setting like a homeschool. In that situation, defining a more broad truth about how most learn best and are effectively engaged and can effectively become literate in a subject (not just knowledgeable, but have true understanding) becomes more essential. There is less leeway for modifying one's methods or even choice of topics to suit an individual child. Part of my reservations about unit studies come from seeing it used in a classroom setting where it seems especially disjointed. This seems different than using one as a tool to address a topic that is relevant to a family's particular interests or activities.
I think that regardless of which method one chooses, a lot of the success of homeschooling is likely associated with the instincts and intuitions (even on a subconscious level) we have as parents in knowing our children's hearts and minds. In great part, this likely addresses some of the broader theory from Dr. Nebel's principles of learning such as how children delight in and retain knowledge best as it relates to things they already know.
Personally, I think that this is more *difficult* to achieve through some methods rather than others. For instance, I admire unschoolers and love reading about what they do, but I think it requires more work, so that plays into the temperament aspect you speak of.
Anyway, I don't think that broad generalizations are bad as they can still represent truth. Broadly speaking, most of us here don't think that a traditional school setting and curriculum is going to be the most effective way to teach a child. It doesn't mean they don't learn there, though. Some children may thrive there. But there are broad, general reasons that most of us would agree on as to why that is so, even if we all have a slightly different approaches addressing them.
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Lindsay
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My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Mackfam
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You know, I've been thinking about this over the last couple of days, and I wonder if another analogy is more useful here? CM used the analogy of *spreading the feast* before the children most often in her books. So, I started thinking about our discussion in light of a feast.
I think we're most familiar with CM's ideas as a banquet of healthy, inviting food presented to the child. They enjoy in small, satisfying amounts from the feast before them and are nourished. They may enjoy something roasted, or delicious fruit, or a savory roll - they move through the feast enjoying the variety.
I wonder if a Unit Study, and even a rabbit trail to a great extent, is a lot like an episode of Iron Chef - a feast, certainly, but one which has been prepared around the banquet!
Have you ever seen this show? In case you haven't, the basic premise is important for the analogy. Two chefs are given a challenge: to create a multi-course feast that focuses on one (secret) ingredient revealed at the beginning of the challenge. At their disposal are the tools they need and a pantry full of the freshest seasonal ingredients. They labor for an hour and then present their dishes, their feast, to a panel of judges. These judges draw conclusions based on the use of the secret ingredient, the flavors presented, the balance and play of texture and ingredients, and more.
It occurs to me that when we, as home educators that embrace the idea of a feast of living education - a liberal, wide and generous curriculum - may embark on a unit study in our home, with our family, then we are a lot like the Iron Chef. We begin with one, quality idea or book. We have access to a whole pantry full of other rich ideas, the freshest seasonal offerings, and we bring those to our idea. We labor to provide several courses that intentionally include the idea (secret ingredient), but not in a shallow way, rather in a way that incorporates the ingredient into the whole. Then, there are more courses - now it's a feast. The child enjoys the feast and draws their own conclusions, and really, for the most part, makes their own connections in this scenario because just as in our other CM feast, time has been given in order for the child to enter into relationship with ideas. They may notice the different characters, common profiles, the layers, connections between historical periods...and more. But, it is theirs to connect, their feast to enjoy. We act as chef, choosing from among the freshest, tastiest offerings, and presenting them as a feast.
I suppose where this could go wrong is if, instead of the freshest, most choice offerings, the chef presents with much fanfare, a feast of processed-wrapped-in-plastic-pumped-with-preservatives offerings...as their feast. Not terribly nourishing, although, who doesn't enjoy a twinkie every now and then?
Or perhaps, in another way, we take our secret ingredient, the primary idea, and simply add one other ingredient....and call it a rich course. It's not very rich or satisfying, and doesn't offer the variety needed to be a feast. I wonder if this is more reflective of a Herbartian type unit study?
In this analogy, I think there is room for feasting in a variety of ways, but they could both be considered feasts.
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CrunchyMom
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To tag further to your analogy, if it is viewed as a feast, we don't feast ALL the time, right? We feast seasonally or for special occasions. Or does that not fit in your analogy?
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Lindsay
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My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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lapazfarm
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I LOVE the analogy!  (probably because I am a huge Iron Chef fan!LOL!)
And Lindsay, I really appreciate your point about broad generalizations being useful in a classroom situation. That makes a lot of sense.
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Mackfam
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CrunchyMom wrote:
| To tag further to your analogy, if it is viewed as a feast, we don't feast ALL the time, right? We feast seasonally or for special occasions. Or does that not fit in your analogy? |
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I think if we look at CM's use of the analogy of feasting, then yes, feasting happens all the time. She speaks of all of a living education as a feast. The moderation comes in the way a child feasts - remember there are short lessons and variety, not gluttonous consumption. It is education as a whole that is THE FEAST. In her analogy, I don't ever remember her speaking of periods of fasting.
Perhaps it's important to mention that the word feast here in this analogy is used as a noun, not a verb. I mean I suppose you could say that the children feast, and that wouldn't be inaccurate, but it would be more accurate to say that the child is brought to the feast (living ideas, worthy books, opportunities for relationship, opportunity to explore and investigate through Masterly Inactivity.) I think when feast is used as a verb certain connotations of gulping and ravenously consuming everything in sight come with that (or they do for me anyway). And, it's key to remember that a living education IS a great feast, and we assist them in enjoying the rich variety in moderation, so that there is time to digest. This is done through those short lessons, narrations, rich discussions (Socratic), syntopical reading (Mortimer Adler, How To Read a Book), margin in the day which leaves room for Masterly Inactivity.
I think the analogy might work because a Unit Study can still be a feast as long as it is rich, varied, and is presented to the child in a way that still respects the child making their own connections. It seems a seamless transition from one to the other (or maybe that's just me speaking from our own experiences)...because it IS the SAME feast and those foundational principles and methods are not compromised.
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Grace&Chaos
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I too love this analogy. To add a point, both chefs create wonderful meals and presentations although different from each other. So do we, provide our children with different feasts. Which in the end doesn't it just make home education such a wonderful place? Each of our homes probably looks different than the other even though we might all have the key ingredient as our core 
I've learned so much from this conversation!
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lapazfarm
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Grace&Chaos wrote:
I too love this analogy. To add a point, both chefs create wonderful meals and presentations although different from each other. So do we, provide our children with different feasts. Which in the end doesn't it just make home education such a wonderful place? Each of our homes probably looks different than the other even though we might all have the key ingredient as our core
I've learned so much from this conversation! |
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And now I'm wishing I still had cable so I could watch Iron Chef!
ps: Should we start a new thread on who is our fav Iron Chef? I'm a Bobby Flay fan myself, though ds likes Morimoto and dd likes Kat Cora.
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Theresa
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lapazfarm
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Grace&Chaos wrote:
I too love this analogy. To add a point, both chefs create wonderful meals and presentations although different from each other. So do we, provide our children with different feasts. Which in the end doesn't it just make home education such a wonderful place? Each of our homes probably looks different than the other even though we might all have the key ingredient as our core
I've learned so much from this conversation! |
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Iron chef aside, I think you make a great point. The way I lay out a banquet for my kids will look different from the banquet Jen or Lindsay or anyone else lays out, because we tailor the menu to our children's tastes, as well as our own talents, but I am sure they are all just as nutritious and delicious!
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Theresa
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kristinannie
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I love the Iron Chef analogy. That is what is going on with our "unit studies" right now. We are laying out a feast about our Solar System and the kids are having a blast!
BTW, I love the Japanese Iron Chef. Somehow the show is less thrilling for me when the food actually looks tasty!
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Question about CM and unit studies
