'Talking with hands'

Find out about chironomia. Who talks with their hands?

'Talent is pointless'

Discuss:

'Talent is pointless. Talent is transitional. Fleeting. Nice but dull. Fervour, enthusiasm, diligence, passion, bravery, naivety, fun - all way more important.'

- Mme Smoking Gun

'The point of education is to change lives'

Do you agree?

The full article is here.

RSPCA Young Photographer of the Year

Click on the images. Which one would you have to win?

I'm voting for the solitary sheep. That looking-very-stupid face is a cunning plan. All sheep do it. But they are brighter than you think.

'Would you want to be homeschooled?'

The New York Times ran this article and invited comments.

It's worth spending time reading through them; they start from mostly school-attending children, but quickly the homeschoolers discover the site and start to voice their opinions!

What comment would you add?

What to do with Wyoming's wild horses?

Here is the BBC news article.

The horses are apparently quite a sight. (But I can't get rid of the ad.) Can you see different sides of the debate?

I guess it's a little like the issue of stray dogs and cats on the island. Should we keep them and find them homes? Or is this poor management which leads to problems?

Remembrance Day

Review the faces of men who fought in the First World War, 1914-1918.

Click on some of the thumbnail images and bring them to large size. Could you imagine seeing these faces today on the streets, in the shops and as you move around England?

In some cases, the families of the men are presently alive as great-great granddaughters and great-great grandsons. They may even live on our street at home.

What do you feel, looking at old photographs?

Remembrance Day is also known as Armistice Day.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Visit Rotten Tomatoes to read the reviews for the 1939 film starring Basil Rathbone.

Watch this film with me!

What would your review be?

Photography

Set the slideshow in motion. Which image stays with you? Which image is the most beautiful, or the most strange?

Tell me a story

About how someone misread a sign.

From that moment, life was never the same again.

Are there jokes we shouldn't tell?

Jesus came upon a small crowd who had surrounded a young woman they believed was unfaithful to her husband. They were preparing to stone her to death.

To calm the situation, Jesus said, 'Whoever is without sin among you, let them cast the first stone.'

An old lady from the back of the crowd picked up a huge rock and threw it at the young woman, hitting her directly on the head. The young woman collapsed, dead.

Jesus looked at the old lady and said, 'Mother, sometimes you really piss me off.'

Should we tell jokes that might offend?

'The house stood alone in the middle of the wood'

Tell me the story.

Kitchen table debate

Should shipwrecks be left alone?

The beer rationing tablet

...and some early writing, thanks to instruction from The British Museum.

What's the point of writing?

Recording information?
Controlling information?
Keeping tally of exchange, debt, sales, ownership?
Creative exploration?
Showing complex thinking which can be scanned quickly?

What else can you think of? Listen to the podcast for an early clay writing tablet.

'Look on the bright side'

Does this expression ever help?

What do you feel?

Kitchen table debate

Are temper tantrums a good thing?

Time opened up

A hole opens in the universe; you have one turn of the earth. In one day, you can go where you want, do what you want; no limits, no consequence. What are you going to do?

Kitchen table debate

Here is a (slightly modified) extract from a UK government site about the concepts for this strange subject, PSHE:

Can you:

1. Understand that identity is affected by a range of factors, including a positive sense of self?

2. Recognise that the way in which personal qualities, attitudes, skills and achievements are evaluated affects confidence and self-esteem?

3. Understand that self-esteem can change with personal circumstances, such as those associated with family and friendships, achievements and employment?

Well, there's a lot to talk about. I don't necessarily agree with them all... like in number 3. I don't share some of those assumptions. I feel my self-esteem is not dependent on personal circumstance. I value myself for qualities which endure beyond personal circumstance.

What are some of your first thoughts?

Singalong

I don't know whether to give you this link or not.

The Pink Floyd song Another Brick in the Wall has become an anthem for some people in the home ed community, so you're going to hear it, and you'll hear people refer to it. We need to talk about this, at least.

On the link below, it is sung against the video.

I find the video sad, disturbing, provocative. Some of the reactions that maybe people say prove good art, because these reactions cause a person to think about values and truths in how we live.

Well, I shall give you the link to the song with the video. If you want to hear the song, then disappear the screen. (You'll probably say, oh, I've heard that.) If you want to see the video, then listen to the song and watch the screen, and we'll talk about it all.

There are so many issues raised by both the sound and the visuals that really we could keep going all year on this alone.