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Although I am not completely against rewards, I believe they are overused in our schools.  If our schools were set up in such a way that we could reach the whole child  through music, art and reasonable class sizes, we would not need rewards.  I do not use rewards in my primary classroom.  I feel it stresses out small children when we resort to this token system and robs them of their internal satisfaction.  Punished by Rewards is an excellent book to read which sheds light on this viewpoint.  That being said, I believe there are some situations where rewards could be helpful.  Proper support and routine, however, should be the baseline.  

My children attend a school where rewards are not part of the system in any way.  They are very motivated and engaged with the material and can eloquently explain just why rewards are not needed at their school (MLC).  I believe this system grows more independent people who can think for themselves.

I also believe that we are forgetting just how negative rewards and labels can become.  I am aware of a primary classroom where children are awarded at assembly based on whether or not they can write their numbers to 100.  If you cannot do this task for whatever reason, you must sit down while the other students stand.  I believe this is an example of the worst kind of reward system where children are punished because they are not properly supported at home or are not on the same developmental plane as their peers.  

posted 3 years, 9 months ago
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I agree with the statement below. The folks usually doing the most complaining are not from Oregon. They are usually from the east or midwest. I consider it rather charming and provincial that Portland shuts down in the rare case of snow. Children play with each other at community sites such as sledding hills and neighbors come out of their houses to connect once again when snowy weather like this does happen. Portland is a small town after all. The one issue that bothers me is the media becomes completely obsessed with the issue. Is there nothing else happening in the world? Do we really need to focus on the weather happening on our street?

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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I completely agree with this statement. I was just frustrated by how this oversimplified question skirts the complexities of all that was involved with 9-11: Oil, politics, cultures. I think it could have been phrased a more intelligent way.

I've heard other "What?!" questions on this show or questions that I feel should not have been asked at all based on the previous statement of the speaker, but that's just my opinion.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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1. Actually, my intellectually gifted teen spends almost no time socializing in the summer. My 10-year-old spends a little time with same class, often same culture peers.

2. MLC is a K-12 school. The children are often involved with activities with younger and older students. My 5th grader has two buddies at lower levels and has done several projects with high school students. Yes, I do think public schools are a good training ground for the real world. I wish all public schools were k-12. I am happy with our choice.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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MLC is NOT a charter school. It is very much a public school, an alternative public school that uses techniques such as Outward Bound model and storyline to teach skills in a self-directed manner. And, yes, I'm very familiar with their educational history.

I feel that most things of value in MY education (and the education of my children) have been themes or topics that I would not have discovered on my own.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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You know, I really like this show and the fact that it is discussing local issues with local people, but please, get a moderator who can ask intelligent questions. What kind of a question is this: "Do you think we could have avoided 9-11 if we knew the Arabic language?" Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to a fourth grader.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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As I listen to today's discussion, unschooling sounds a lot like what my kids experience in the summer months and on the weekends. My theory is that every parent homeschools/ unschools their child to an extent. Involved parenting is often guiding your children from experience to experience and providing learning opportunities.

My concerns are the social aspects of schooling. In our society we often have to live, work and get along with others in a multitude of environments. Public education is a great training ground for this experience. My children attend an alternative public school (Metropolitan Learning Center) and we are very pleased with this choice.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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I try to stay away from "Patriotism". I believe that patriotism is a form of tribalism, which only leads to war, conflict and comparing yourself (as a country) to others. George Carlin was amazing when he said (to paraphrase) "God bless America?! Why? Because we have more money? Because he likes our national anthem? Because we have 18 delicious flavors of Rice-a-Roni?" I think I am touched by what people do in our country... I am touched by the generosity of groups and people (worldwide). The closest I've felt to patriotism is having my eyes tear up as I waved goodbye to my son's youth group as they headed to Honduras to repair a school building and build latrines for a village.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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I have a gifted son who is not passing his classes as a sophomore in high school even though his knowledge of the subject matter is way beyond his peers. How are we supporting these children who have the intellectual capacity but are not good at the busywork paper shuffling that so much of public school requires?

More importantly how is PPS address the needs of intellectually gifted children? This group is greatly at risk but can offer so much to our society.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
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