Blog – Page 2 – Love of Lifetime Learning

March 19, 2020March 19, 2020

Around the Web-March 19, 2020

Today is a special COVID-19 “Help, I’m stuck at home with kids” roundup. There have been a lot of great people putting together lists of free educational resources for those parents who suddenly have a lot of time with their kids and need to keep them occupied in a relatively educational manner. So, in lieu of me putting together something myself, I decided to go meta and do a roundup of roundups.

While many of these options are more for homeschooling or traditional educational resources, I will definitely be going through them for some of the more offbeat alternative ones and adding them to my newly set-up Archive!

The Archive is a central repository for all the interesting alternative educational resources I’ve collected over the years. I’ve only put a small fraction of it up for now, and I will definitely be adding to it in the future. Please check it out and let me know your thoughts!

And for those of you who just want a little more beauty in your lives:

Met launches “Nightly Met Opera Streams”
Concert Highlights from the Pacific Symphony Orchestra (Videos)
Save with Stories (thanks to my sister for sending!)
Brit + Co creative classes are free through 3/31 (Code: SELFCARE, and thanks to my other sister for the heads-up)

Stay safe and healthy!

March 16, 2020May 6, 2020

Virtual Library Storytimes

Due to us trying to practice social distancing and staying at home as much as possible, along with all of MoonGirl’s activities cancelled until further notice, I’ve been trying to liven up the days with different activities. My sister send me a link on Instagram where the Los Angeles Public Library is doing virtual storytimes, which is amazing (especially as we’ve been regular storytime attendees at our local library)! I’ve put a few on for MoonGirl, and she is fascinated. When they do activities such as scarves or egg shakers, MoonGirl has her own scarf (from my closet) and maraca to play along. I think this is such a great idea, not just for those stuck at home, but also in the future to bring storytime to kids who may not be able to go to storytime because of distance or time constraints. There are also lots of storytimes on Youtube, if you’re interested. It’s become our daily routine.

March 15, 2020May 6, 2020

Braille Certificate Program-20% done!

I just turned in Lesson 4 of my free correspondence course as part of the Literary Braille Transcribing Certificate Program through the National Federation of the Blind. I’m sighted, but I have always been curious about braille and how English translates into a limited combination of 6 dots. There are 20 total lessons plus a final project, and I think I’m progressing at a steady rate. My instructor is super helpful in answering my questions too!

I think correspondence courses are a good blend of learning on your own at your own pace, but at the same time, having the feedback of a dedicated instructor. It’s actually made me curious into looking for more correspondence courses in the future, so we’ll see. However, with work and taking care of my daughter, MoonGirl, I can only focus on one class at a time.

Onwards to Lesson 5! My brain is starting to hurt with all the memorization.

February 15, 2020April 21, 2020

Around the Web: February 15, 2020

Not sure if it’s the websites I’m frequenting lately or just the general mood, but my roundup for today has a lot of links debating the merits of formal schooling.

In this view of American educational history, the public school is not seen to be a magnificent vehicle for upward mobility, as is the traditional notion; it is viewed instead as a machine that exists to disable students, to remove them from the running for middle-class status, thereby ensuring the maintenance of exploitative social structures. [Colin] Greer wants us to understand that school identifies those who can accept a strict routinizing of their lives, points out those who can be expected to perform, to know their places. It is seen as a giant sorting operation that helps define for America those students for whom the promise of “getting ahead” will be fulfilled. Those who are slated to live lower-class lives are conditioned to accept their fate and taught how to function in their prescribed roles.
Voices of the Self: A Study of Language Competence by Keith Gilyard

We Have Ruined Childhood (New York Times)
Children should learn mainly through play until age of eight, says Lego (The Guardian)
Why On Earth Do We Trap School Children Inside Four Walls to Learn? (Outdoortopia)
Why introductory chemistry is boring: a long-term historical perspective (21st Night)
Education Is a System of Indoctrination of the Young (Noam Chomsky, Video)

I’m not sure how I personally feel about formal schooling. I went to a private Montessori preschool and then public school all through university. My husband attended private schools for most of his early education. I’ve known people who were homeschooled that struggled to catch up and those who were homeschooled that were ahead of the game. I do think there are pros and cons for all forms of schooling from the strictest military schools to the most relaxed unschooling education, but I do also acknowledge that the American school system as it currently is has many deep flaws and struggles that don’t have any easy solutions. It bears thinking as MoonGirl emerges out of her toddler years and I’ll need to start thinking of possible options for her preschool years.

What do you think?

February 1, 2020March 19, 2020

To New Beginnings!

I’m so excited to launch this website! I’ve always had a passion for education, especially offbeat multidisciplinary multimedia education. I believe that one can learn from the most random places, as long as one keeps an open and curious mind. I’m glad you found this site, and I’m looking forward to sharing lots of interesting things with you. Stay tuned for more!