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Genevieve
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| Posted: Aug 25 2005 at 6:09pm | IP Logged
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Have you ever felt like that is so many cool ideas and experiences you want to introduce to your child/children that it is almost overwhelming? I feel that way more and more lately as I start to deschool.  How have you managed to organized strewing. For example, I am trying to set different learning corners and strew as I rotate through them. When I'm at the library corner, I flip through booklist to come up with books my children will enjoy. When I'm at my science corner, I may introduce a magnifying glass or maybe a pouch of new bird seeds. And so it goes. Of course, I might jump corners should a prevailing new interest emerges. I rotate children too though my younger one is primarily interested in different textures to chew on.
What about you? Do you have a secret game plan too?
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Genevieve
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juliecinci
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| Posted: Aug 25 2005 at 7:39pm | IP Logged
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Lol! "Secret game plan."
I have two ideas for this.
One: The One Thing Principle.
To keep from being overwhelmed by choices, I like to focus deeply and narrowly on one thing. For instance. last year we got into the Civil Rights Movement. For a month, that really is all we did. We read, watched movies, made lap books, and wrote all about the CRM. We didn't also do art or music or history or, or, or. Interestingly, the CRM led to interest in abolition, the Underground Railroad and quilting! 
We followed those interests but they clustered around the CRM. We even picked poetry for our teatimes that had to do with black history. I especially like the poetry of Langston Hughes.
So when you are interested, exhaust the interest or get exhausted (which ever comes first) before doing something else.
Two: "Clearing the Coffee Table"
When things get stale or we run out of enthusiasm, I clear the coffee table and put out something new. Sometimes it's a DVD, sometimes an art project, sometimes a new cooking tool, sometimes a game or craft kit.
The coffee table is figurative. We didn't even own a coffee table until a year ago. But what I mean by it is to clear the cluttered space in your home and invoke new energy through centering your attention on something brand new, still in the box or wrapper. It catalyzes and rejuvenates.
To me, this is the kind of strewing that works best for us. I'm not directing their learning as much as salting or seasoning it, catalyzing it, stimulating it. Sometimes my choices flop. That's okay. That's part of the process. And sometimes I'm the only one who gets into it! (Notable example: I loved the Underground Railroad quilt sqaures and tried to interest the kids in helping me make them out of colored paper. No one wanted to. So I made them myself. )
Hope those help!
Julie
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Julie
Homeschooling five for fourteen years
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Leonie
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I also make notes in my diary - for example I might write down Lego for August, reminding me to strew more Lego. August may become Lego month or it may not "take" with the dc but I feel like I get a handle on all the great ideas I hear about.
IOW, I don't panic but I schedule strewing!
This is, of course, in addition to the natural strewing that happens in our day or week.
Leonie in Sydney
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Genevieve
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| Posted: Aug 30 2005 at 6:48pm | IP Logged
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Panic is what I'm going through right now. So many cool ideas to introduce that I feel like my head is about to burst. I'm trying to write down all the things I would like to do but my list gets longer and longer and I'm sure that before I hit nature studies, my child would be long grown. Perhaps I just have to accept the gap in my children's "education" *gasp*
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Leonie
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| Posted: Aug 30 2005 at 7:12pm | IP Logged
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Also, Genevieve, I find lists such as yours can work two ways for me.
One way is as idea starters or strewing reminders.
The other is almost like a checklist or scope and sequence - put away the list for awhile. When you come back to it, you may be surprised at the connections you and your dh have made - so, yes, you have even gone into nature study. 
There will also be things you have done that are not on the list. Gasp!
I think we have a tendency to segregate ideas into learning areas but often these are all inter-related.
For example, I am just home from helping the yougnest two deliver the local newspaper. Ostensibly, we were just delivering the papers.
In reality, we ended up with a long discussion on rights and responsibilities. This lead into a discussion/explanation on trade unions, worker's rights, rights and responsibilities of employers, the Eureka Stockade and gold rush in Australian history.
Mornings like this help to bury the panic. 
Leonie in Sydney
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Genevieve
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| Posted: Sept 01 2005 at 5:41pm | IP Logged
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Trying not to segregate ideas is hard, but having stared at my growing home library and figuring out how to organize them I realize a book can be filed in so many different directions... better to just to call it a good picture book!
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Willa
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Neat ideas -- Julie, if the coffee table is figurative could you explain how you strew things on it? I mean, is the strewing sort of figurative too, in a way?
You write:
"But what I mean by it is to clear the cluttered space in your home and invoke new energy through centering your attention on something brand new, still in the box or wrapper. It catalyzes and rejuvenates. "
Does this basically mean a sort of decluttering and re-focusing type thing? As much a mental state as a physical thing? Could you give an example, please?
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Willa
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Meredith
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Another question about Leonie's lego idea. Now do you simply put a box of them out, do you have a building theme and do you *suggest* ideas for creation, or do you merely put them out and see what happens??? I have a very non-user friendly three yo and I'm afraid he'll *literally* strew them everywhere if I give them carte blanche 
Loving this thread and ideas 
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Genevieve
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Meredith,
I am not Leonie but I have done the Lego idea from time to time. Sometimes simply putting the box out does the trick. There was once when I cleared the floor and literally dumped a whole box in the center so that my child would come down in the morning and just saw a mountain of Legos. He thought it was Christmas or something. *laughs* Sometimes my infant son does that for me. *laughs* As for what they do with it, sometimes I suggest, sometimes I don't. Honestly when he follows my suggestion, that's because I was sitting beside him and was engrossed in building my own suggestion. If the suggestion is that cool for him, then I'm usually itching to try the idea out myself. That is when he comes over and wants to help and literally takes over. *laughs* Sometimes he follows the suggestions at the cover of the box. It all depends.
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Leonie
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| Posted: Sept 01 2005 at 11:36pm | IP Logged
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I like Genevieve's ideas.
And sometimes I have got the Lego out and sat and started building - myself. Mum's involvement always sparks an interest.
Sometimes, when we had littlies, we made a Lego room - littlies elsewhere or asleep.
Recently, looking at Lego websites sparked a re-interst in Lego.
We also have Duplo - good for younger oens when older ones have Lego.
And, yes, there is often a need for clean up!
Leonie in Sydney
P.S. - Meredith - my 9 year old is happy to correspond with your 6.5 year old, esp about skateboarding!
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Genevieve
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| Posted: Oct 12 2005 at 8:03am | IP Logged
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Leonie wrote:
Also, Genevieve, I find lists such as yours can work two ways for me.
One way is as idea starters or strewing reminders.
The other is almost like a checklist or scope and sequence - put away the list for awhile. When you come back to it, you may be surprised at the connections you and your dh have made - so, yes, you have even gone into nature study.
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Leonie,
Thought you might appreciate that the nature study did finally happen! We were at the park today and I was looking at the fallen acorns and was thinking about how cute they would be as acorn people. So as I gathered them, my son of course grew curious. Before long, we had a lovely discussion about acorns, squirrels and autumn.
Thanks again to everyone who eased my fears. Sometimes I like to pretend I am everything to everyone
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Leonie
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I love your autumn nature study, Genevieve.
We are in spring here and went to the beach on Monday for "Beach Biology" - nature study together as a group. It was fun and learning happened!
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Organized Strewing.
