Homeschooling is typically done by semi-educated middle class, White, two parent families living in rural areas. About half of homeschooling families do so for religious/moral education, or school safety concerns. I've always wondered what kind of learning material is being utilized, but didn't check it out until now.
One self-proclaimed homeschooling resource has unwittingly popped up. A charter school teacher in Washington, D.C., has been fired for allegedly supplying his students with "interesting" math problems, downloaded from this website that appears to support homeschooling. People are understandably angry, but perhaps they should be more concerned with the thinly veiled agenda the website appears to promote.
Sample "math" problem:
　
"I was sleeping one night when a hungry vampire sucked 3652 liters of blood from me and 1865 liters of blood from my little brother. How much blood did the hungry vampire drink that night?"
Okay, that's really just silly. We've all seen the movies; no one sleeps through a vampire bite. A little fact checking shows that the average human adult holds about 5 liters of blood. Therefore, it follows that this question is illogical, fantasy characters aside. Violent? Maybe, but we could argue the merits of video games, movie content, and other avenues that kids access. Blah, blah, blah. Let's dig a bit deeper, though. Other problems mention "bloodthirsty aliens" leaving large numbers of teachers for dead. SWAT team members killing even larger numbers of "terrorists, murderers, and arsonists."
Why was a teacher accessing such content from an unaccredited website? Perhaps this was his passive-aggressive way of expressing his discontent within his chosen profession. Maybe his meds stopped working. None of this really matters. He allegedly lost his job, so he is no longer a problem. This particular homeschooling website, however, is.
A quick look at the website (not reflective of the homeschooling culture) in question creates some concerns. Let's start with the use of the word "paradise" in the URL (www.homeschooling-paradise.com). This word is historically used in a religious, or emotional context. So where, exactly, do vampires, dead teachers, and criminals fit in? The publisher of the site proclaims that this "revolutionary concept of keeping children in school" will save children by getting "gangsters, prostitutes, drug addicts, and murderers" back into mainstream life.
I thought we had rehabilitation programs, as well as juvenile, and adult correctional facilities for that.
Using racially divisive language to promote "self-righteousness" seems to be the real goal.
"...Support the neglected children of the world... these lost souls are our responsibility too." How self-aggrandizing. Sounds like a Cliffsnotes reference to John Milton's 1667 epic poem, Paradise Lost, written to "justify the ways of God."
I'm unclear on how such silliness inspires children to stay in school. One of the fundamental lessons of school is the work and reward system the American culture is based on. How does disrespect for children foster a desire to learn, both individually, and as a team member? The condescending, ridiculous tone (not to mention wordiness) of the "Singapore math" problems seems intended to perpetuate racial stereotypes among rural children who may be more isolated, and therefore less "worldly" than their city-slicker cohorts.
I don't see how "gangsters, prostitutes, drug addicts, and murderers" might be "mainstreamed" by this caliber of problem solving. Check out the subpage entitled "laws." A few lines down is this little gem: "No one wants to break the law- it can be extremely unpleasant and costly" (sic). No mention of ethics, or consequences, just inconvenience. The website "dares to be different" as well as "controversial", apparently by creating engineers and lawyers instead of murderers and gangsters. Although lawyers, and the use of the English language, are denigrated here, as well.
The publisher of the website claims that "our weak society pussyfoots around the issue rather than taking the bull by the horns." That is the type of unhorned bull that one steps in, but I won't pussyfoot around. This website is just a place for someone to hide behind the facade of education, while self-righteously promoting racism and hate with ridiculous, polarizing language under the guise of "free" resources.
More simply put, the publisher is wrong. We are taking a stand against bullies who prey upon others, and promote hate. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that at least one of those bullies is using the logic of certain religious fanatical groups to do so.
How... typical.
What do you think of the math problems used by the teacher?- Other math problems available on the worksheets at the website the teacher used -
"I was sleeping one night when a hungry vampire sucked 3652 liters of blood from me and 1865 liters of blood from my little brother. How much blood did the hungry vampire drink that night?"
"I took a nap in a bog one day and woke up screaming. 3796 leeches, 2910 fleas and 1044 vampire bats were stuck to my bald head drinking my blood in ecstasy. How many bloodthirsty bloodsuckers were dining on my head?"
"John's father gave him 1359 marbles on his birthday. John swallowed 585 marbles and died. 9 of John's friends came for his funeral the next day. John's grieving father gave the remaining marbles to John's friends in equal numbers. How many marbles did each friend get?"
Homeschooling is typically done by semi-educated middle class, White, two parent families living in rural areas. About half of homeschooling families do so for religious/moral education, or school safety concerns. I've always wondered what kind of learning material is being utilized, but didn't check it out until now.One self-proclaimed homeschooling resource has unwittingly popped up. A charter school teacher in Washington, D.C., has been fired for allegedly supplying his students with "interesting" math problems, downloaded from this website that appears to support homeschooling. People are understandably angry, but perhaps they should be more concerned with the thinly veiled agenda the website appears to promote.Sample "math" problem:　"I was sleeping one night when a hungry vampire sucked 3652 liters of blood from me and 1865 liters of blood from my little brother. How much blood did the hungry vampire drink that night?"Okay, that's really just silly. We've all seen the movies; no one sleeps through a vampire bite. A little fact checking shows that the average human adult holds about 5 liters of blood. Therefore, it follows that this question is illogical, fantasy characters aside. Violent? Maybe, but we could argue the merits of video games, movie content, and other avenues that kids access. Blah, blah, blah. Let's dig a bit deeper, though. Other problems mention "bloodthirsty aliens" leaving large numbers of teachers for dead. SWAT team members killing even larger numbers of "terrorists, murderers, and arsonists."Why was a teacher accessing such content from an unaccredited website? Perhaps this was his passive-aggressive way of expressing his discontent within his chosen profession. Maybe his meds stopped working. None of this really matters. He allegedly lost his job, so he is no longer a problem. This particular homeschooling website, however, is.A quick look at the website (not reflective of the homeschooling culture) in question creates some concerns. Let's start with the use of the word "paradise" in the URL (www.homeschooling-paradise.com). This word is historically used in a religious, or emotional context. So where, exactly, do vampires, dead teachers, and criminals fit in? The publisher of the site proclaims that this "revolutionary concept of keeping children in school" will save children by getting "gangsters, prostitutes, drug addicts, and murderers" back into mainstream life.I thought we had rehabilitation programs, as well as juvenile, and adult correctional facilities for that.Using racially divisive language to promote "self-righteousness" seems to be the real goal."...Support the neglected children of the world... these lost souls are our responsibility too." How self-aggrandizing. Sounds like a Cliffsnotes reference to John Milton's 1667 epic poem, Paradise Lost, written to "justify the ways of God."I'm unclear on how such silliness inspires children to stay in school. One of the fundamental lessons of school is the work and reward system the American culture is based on. How does disrespect for children foster a desire to learn, both individually, and as a team member? The condescending, ridiculous tone (not to mention wordiness) of the "Singapore math" problems seems intended to perpetuate racial stereotypes among rural children who may be more isolated, and therefore less "worldly" than their city-slicker cohorts.I don't see how "gangsters, prostitutes, drug addicts, and murderers" might be "mainstreamed" by this caliber of problem solving. Check out the subpage entitled "laws." A few lines down is this little gem: "No one wants to break the law- it can be extremely unpleasant and costly" (sic). No mention of ethics, or consequences, just inconvenience. The website "dares to be different" as well as "controversial", apparently by creating engineers and lawyers instead of murderers and gangsters. Although lawyers, and the use of the English language, are denigrated here, as well.The publisher of the website claims that "our weak society pussyfoots around the issue rather than taking the bull by the horns." That is the type of unhorned bull that one steps in, but I won't pussyfoot around. This website is just a place for someone to hide behind the facade of education, while self-righteously promoting racism and hate with ridiculous, polarizing language under the guise of "free" resources.More simply put, the publisher is wrong. We are taking a stand against bullies who prey upon others, and promote hate. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that at least one of those bullies is using the logic of certain religious fanatical groups to do so.How... typical.
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Comments (26)
I was homeschooled and I never heard of anything weird like that before. Though I don't consider Charter schools to be regular homeschooling, but still. As a responsible parent, I research the curriculum I want to use for my child. Going to that site would have given me red flags and I wouldn't have gone through them.
This whole article rather pissed me off. "Homeschooling is typically done by semi-educated middle class, White, two parent families living in rural areas."
Wow. I don't even know how to respond to that. Maybe it's my semi-education (I have a college degree)? Maybe it's because I have a white family (I'm white, my husband is black - and therefore my children are mixed)? Or maybe it's simply my geographical location and lack of citified options (my husband is in the military and we go everywhere in the nation and beyond)?
But really, I wish I wasn't so deficit. Then maybe I could come up with a reason for why I homeschool my children. Or I could ask my parents why I was homeschooled myself. Or maybe then, I could find a legitimate source for curriculum for my kids. If only. If only.
Um, huh? As the above commentor pointed out, the fact that homeschooling is primarily done in white, semi-educated, middle class, two parent homes, might very well be a fact. But what does this have to do with the rest of the article? Are we to make the connection between these demographics and stupid homeschooling websites going hand-in-hand with each other?
And also, I really don't understand the purpose of this at all. No one is going to say those math problems are perfectly normal. But... no one is saying your average homeschooling parent would use those math problems in their curriculum. Just because something exists doesn't mean that it will actually be in demand.
The interwebs are great because they provide information to people, by people, far and wide. The downside is it's always going to be full of crappy information. I'm a quilter, and I run across no less than one or two sites a week that provide incorrect information and instruction on certain techniques and skills. You can apply this theory to any category. Take Wikipedia - how much incorrect information is floating around out there? The bottom line is, any homeschooling family I know takes the time to research their curriculum from valid sources rather than using some errant source floating around in cyberspace.
And also, I live in a large pocket of homeschooling families, and the majority don't claim their main reason for homeschooling as either 'safety concerns' or religious/moral reasons. We are one of those families.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - Exactly! Government schools are, by design, set up to provide only basic knowledge and skills for menial, average jobs later. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule, and there are some schools out there that have better teachers and resources. But as a whole, that is the point of public education. Also, schools provide a one-size-fits-all curriculum and teaching method. I'd rather teach my son using real world experience and lessons as opposed to just reading about things in a book and listening to someone talk about general subjects all day. Not to mention we live in Georgia, which is always the worst or second-worst in the nation. I'll take my chances on my semi-educated, white, two-parent, middle class household, thanks!!!
horrible math situations. I homeschooled my some of my kids and loved it.
I lived in a big city. I am American Indian. My father was military. My mother had a college degree. And my parents divorced when I was 8. I was home schooled through High School only.
Weird stereotyping in this article..
** AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN'T FIND THE WEBSITE LISTED IN THIS "ARTICLE"? **
I never had any math problems like that. My mom used actual curriculum from Bob Jones, A Becca (two very conservative schools that I don't agree with, but would still use their curriculum because it's good), Omega, and Saxon. Strictly curriculum that would count towards getting to the next grade....
The only time I've ever heard weird questions like that is when I recently took a math class in college, and almost all of the probability problems from our math book were about how likely it is for someone to die in there 20s, 30s, 40s, etc, or about how much more likely it is for you to die in a car crash rather than on a boat or in a plain......And that's as crazy as any of my math problems got (the craziest weren't even from while I was being home schooled).
This is a great article! Thank you for writing it!
Yeah, see, I've been looking for a good example of statement-by-fiat, unfounded "facts" and false equivalency for an upcoming post, but none have been as good as this.
@HopeWithinReach@xanga - I found this article about what happened: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/teacher-fired-for-giving-_n_1322173.html but the website itself that the teacher supposedly found the math problems on I cannot find at all.
I seriously can't tell if this is satire or if the author really is this bigoted and small minded.
I don't necessarily associate the word paradise with religion, least of all with a certain one.
I didn't click the site, but while I think that this is a little violent, I also know that many kids are into that kind of stuff anyway. Kids love vampires, they aren't real, and it might keep them focused. Giving it to a class is different than presenting it to your own kids whom you know, but he shouldn't have been fired.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - lol. Yeah, I'm black and my mom was a single mom and I was homeschooled between 6th grade and 10th grade/college (I went to college early).
I was homeschooled and I never ever heard of anything this stupid. My schoolwork was harder than the stuff in the public and private schools, so I don't really understand what this article is getting at.
hahahaha maybe if i had math questions like that when i was younger i'd have enjoyed math!!
@HopeWithinReach@xanga - idk, but I found it by typing in the exact URL.
It's all human. Some home schooled children are exceedingly smart. Some aren't. Some wind up in my husband' s 6th grade class, 3 grades behind in some subjects because their parents didn't believe in having them tested for problem areas. If done well, I say go for it. But in the public arena, you have a curriculum to work with, and can individualize from that base. My husband normally puts in 60 hours a week, individualizing some programs for some children, and working on other areas for some behaviorally challenged children. I really think it's time the bad feelings between both types of teaching stopped, and people started working together. Looking back, I had one teen child who could have been appropriately home schooled. But it all worked out, and she made it to grad school. Oh, and I really suffered through public school math, except for a couple of really fine teachers who worked with me.
Aside from all the inane points in this article and how ridiculous it is to paint such all-encompassing strokes with it, I've always wondered how home-schooled children learn social skills and learn to interact with children their own age. I have nothing against home schooling, but think there is a possibility to turn out a highly educated social moron.
Uhm..I don't know..I found those math problems to be rather gruesome personally. Especially, the last one. But hey, if you want to home school your children with creepy & weird math problems or whatever like that - that's on you as the parent. Or if you use non-creepy math problems as you home school your child. It's whatever to me.
lulz i prefer this style of narative to "how high is the kite". there is greater relevance in the methodology. it would be better still if it was:
a vampire drank 3859 liters of blood from bob, and 2839 liters from betty, considering the average person has 5 liters of blood at a time, how many normal people without any blood could that amount of blood be donated to in the vampire's stead?
"John's father gave him 1359 marbles on his birthday. John swallowed 585 marbles and died. 9 of John's friends came for his funeral the next day. John's grieving father gave the remaining marbles to John's friends in equal numbers. How many marbles did each friend get?"
Damn, I wish I'd had math problems like that. At least it would've kept my interest.
@firetyger@xanga - @sarahsmurfette@xanga - @HopeWithinReach@xanga - @blonde_apocalypse@xanga - I finally did find the actual site! I'm not sure why it didn't come up before, but here is the link. Still a weird post though.
@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Going to the actual site, the person talks about how they wrote up questions like that because of their kids' interest in Harry Potter. Which, makes a little more sense. I personally wouldn't use those kinds of math questions but the explanation on the site makes a heck of a lot more sense that how this post articulated it.
And yeah...this post is still weird.
@WaitingToShrug@xanga -
Thank You!