Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Fri, 21 Aug 1992 11:15:03 EDT
From:         MKLINE%VDH.BITNET@VTVM2.CC.VT.EDU
Subject:      Re: Questions for educators at home
X-To:         christia%asuacad.BITNET@VTVM2.CC.VT.EDU

Subject: Re: Questions for educators at home


Michael Kline writes about teaching his kids:

> They will get "Creation Science" this year as well. The one book is
> "Creation or Evolution" by Richard B. Bliss.  We also have "Streams of
> Civilization" Part 1 by Mary Stanton and Albert Hyma; Part 2 by Richard V.
> Pierarv and Robert G. Clouse.

> As I said, they will get Creation Science, not evolution.


I have a few questions about this.

As your children grow up, they will likely be expected to have a working
knowledge of evolution, simply as a matter of cultural literacy.  Do you
mean to say that you don't seriously address it at all?
MAKS> I asked around I got "It's a stupid theory." They know of it,
      that's more than enough. I was going to do one of my replies along
      the lines of:
        "Let's see, when I went to ICM to learn programming... No, I
      didn't need to use any evolution traing then... I know, when I
      went to work at the bank... No, didn't need evolution... I know
      when I went to work at the time share company.... No.... The
      job at ER Carpenter? No. Virginia Dept of Health? No. Well
      someday maybe."

Should they get technical degrees, the kids will probably encounter scientific
data which supports parts of evolutionary theory -- they will almost certainly
run headlong into a vast array of information which points to a very old
earth.  To what degree do you address this kind of information, if at all?
What do you say?
MAKS> We have a complete set of Britannica and about 1,000 other books.
      We have the full support of the Home School Association, and many
      of them are teachers with Master's degree. There are 4 other
      families that home school on the street.
         The twins wanted to be jockies. I'm not thrilled with it, and
      at 12, they could change their mind. They also wanted to be vets.
      I really doubt that though they might see some of evolution in
      this, it wouldn't be a critical part of their training. I mean
      I doubt that treating a boil on a horse would involve trying to
      determine that this horse evolved from a dog or a cat.
         I have lived so far from 1951 to the present. It doesn't matter
      to me if the world has been here 6000 or 6 billion years. All
      that matters is how things are going today and if we are being
      responsible in our use of it.

What sort of scientific background do you and your wife have?  One of the
advantages to a large school is that you can arrange specialisation: I took
physics from someone with a Masters, and my chemistry and math professors both
had BS degrees in those specific fields.  Since few couples have degrees in
a lot of different fields, it seems that you might be less able to answer some
questions than would a teacher who specialised in the subject matter.  Does
this come up at all?  (Your kids might not care why glass is amorphous.  8-)
If so, what do you do?
MAKS> Classic Britannica advertisment. "Look it up, dear." We go to
      the library, Rachel returned last night with about 9 books, Linda
      about 3 books. The twins normally 2-5 books... every 2 weeks.
      Rachel's "age" score are 25, 29, 32. I think it means she knows
      as much as someone that old. I think she'll do fine.

On a non-evolutionary note, I'm also curious about the supply of equipment you
have at hand.  I grew up in a rather wealthy suburb (your tax dollars, spent
by Ronald Reagan on military aircraft, paid for my cable TV  8-), and my high
school had fully-stocked workshops, everything from lathes to sheet metal
benders to a complete electronics lab.  It seems to me that relatively few
parents can arrange all that equipment -- especially if you don't know how to
use it and only one kid is interested.  Do you find that this limits what you
can expose your children to?  Do you worry that they may miss something they
would be good at, simply because they aren't aware it exists?
MAKS> Yes, if they want to bend sheet metal, we've got a problem. You
      can by a chemistry class with chemicals, ciriculum, microscope
      and all the goodies for about $200-700 depending on "just how
      far you want to go."
         Rachel's first "exposure" was Civil Air Patrol. The senior
      members said she was the smartest, sharpest, well mannered
      cadet they have seen in a long time. "Simply astounding."
      I think they'll do fine... :-)


Darren F Provine / kilroy@gboro.glassboro.edu
"Dogs are so useful I'm surprised they're not sold in vending machines. ('You
 got any change? I need a dog.')" -- Dave Barry

Maks....
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