Soon after we moved here, several buttons fell off our first dishwasher and refused to be reattached. We started the dishwasher using a pair of needle nose pliers. In poorer times than these, I laid hands on that dishwasher and prayed it would survive a few more rounds. It served faithfully for many years.

Eventually it was time to replace the dishwasher, and Brian brought home a seemingly sturdy mid-range model. It looked great and lasted precisely two years.

Initially, I thought it might work out to just use the racks for air drying dishes, but the younger kids aren’t quite as proficient as they need to be to keep up with all our dishes. They can load the dishwasher, but having full responsibility for sanitation is beyond them. I ended up with more dishes than I could keep up with. Brian set out for a replacement, which arrived a few months ago.

This dishwasher is a beautiful machine. I have, on several occasions, opened it mid-cycle not even realizing it is on. Of course, it is possible that my hearing is shot, but I’m pretty sure the dishwasher is quieter than anything else in the house.

As a modern invention, it is energy efficient. Brian informed me that the heat from the stainless steel inner walls would dry the dishes. That sounds impressive, but there are tradeoffs.

The interior is small, and we generate a lot of dishes, so the energy efficiency may be lost when we run an extra load. The built-in digital timer informs me that a regular cycle takes precisely two hours, eight minutes to complete. Most egregiously, this dishwasher requires a chemical rinse aid in order to produce spotless dishes.

As I have no desire to spend money on a chemical that will coat my dishes and enter my groundwater, I now have spotty glasses, a phenomenon we had not previously encountered. I guess this is the trade off for energy efficiency, but it seems like a poor swap.

I was reminded of my new dishwasher this week as I was reading a new educational theory that proposed trading textbook learning for classroom time on Facebook. The author of this proposal suggested that by engaging and entertaining the students, students could learn to interact socially. Students, apparently, need encouragement to use technology and have conversations with each other.

This educational proposition embraces the insipid idea that children are happier if they are constantly entertained. Since they don’t get excited about math homework, abandon it. Just do the fun stuff. How this will generate educated, literate members of society who know how to take on the responsibilities of career and family is beyond me.

The lament that teens have nothing to do is universal. Increasing job opportunities — and reducing some of the restrictions on hiring minors — is one way to keep teens occupied. Before they get to the interview table, though, those potential employees need to have the perseverance to stick with something — like math homework, perhaps — even if it isn’t fun. There aren’t a lot of jobs out there that require someone to generate conversations on social network sites.

My dishwasher traded function for form, energy efficiency for spotty glasses. Some theorists would trade entertainment for education. New ways aren’t always better; sometimes they’re just new.

Dishwashers and Education is a post from: Learning at Home

I’m thinking they don’t know enough about history.

Sure, by now it is history, in the sense that the Superbowl happened in the past, but it isn’t exactly the stuff textbooks are made of.  Celebrate (or mope as the case may be), it is still a game.

A Skewed View of History is a post from: Learning at Home

 Click here to view the embedded video.

Does training children to eat properly–on school time and at taxpayer expense–make any sense at all when schools are providing calorie dense, fat-laden, super-processed foods in the lunch room?

Kids have parents is a post from: Learning at Home

This is incredible. And evil. Suffer the little children — enlisted like SS youth. This is no accident. Obama is poisoning our public school system. He acts as if it’s his own private breeding farm. Once again academic learning  and achievement is hopelessly abandoned, and supplanted by radical leftist activism from the leftwing Alinsky indoctrinators in the perverse public school system.

Children must be advised to expose this ugly propaganda. Children must tell their parents how they are being used and manipulated. Parents, warn your kids. Better yet, home school.

When Government and Schools Mix is a post from: Learning at Home

PBS has a documentary coming up asking some interesting questions about the benefits of tech. More here.

Too much tech? is a post from: Learning at Home

From Feb. 1 through Mar. 15, all of Yuba Sutter, young and older, is invited to read Mark Twain’s American classic, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” A variety of book discussions, presentations, displays, arts and crafts, and entertainment is scheduled around the two counties throughout the six-week program.

Everyone is invited to the free kick-off on Sun., Jan. 31, 1 to 5 pm.

The Tom-apalooza  will take place in Franklin Hall at the Yuba County Fairgrounds in Yuba. It will include entertainment, book giveaways, contests and games with prizes, crafts, story readings, clowns, characters in period costumes & other fun for the entire family.  (And fun for grown-ups without kids, too!)

For a calendar of events and to get a copy of “Tom Sawyer,” call the Yuba Sutter Regional Arts Council at 742-2787, or visit www.yubasutterreads.ning.com or beginning Feb 1,  www.yubasutterreads.org.

The Big Read is a post from: Learning at Home

OK, I’m not advocating passing out dictionaries and giving kids a list (as if they need one from us old fogies) of words not to look up, but I suspect this is just one incident that has gotten out of hand and gotten more press than it should. I mean, everyone knows what words are in a dictionary for crying out loud. It is no surprise. Why all the hoopla now?

Words is a post from: Learning at Home

On the down side, the older kids do their core curriculum kinds of things on computers using the SOS curriculum for their grades. I printed off a few things so we could feel like we were doing something educational. As usual, though, we got a lot of education just by living life.

Today, life sent us a big ol’ storm. We had one chicken shelter flip. Out of 200 or so laying hens, we only lost one. When we saw that shelter flipping, I was thinking we lost more than that, but amazingly enough, there was little damage inside the yard.

So we got to go out in the sideways rain and fix things up for the chickens.

The funny thing is, it was a dreadful task but everyone did well and we laughed and talked and got through it.

What is not so fun is that 3 of the smaller children are sick right now. So we have the combination of can’t go out to play along with whiny and fussy. They still have all the energy, they just tire sooner so they get whinier faster. 

I’m trying to stay positive. To that end, Bella made cookie bars. I guess that is the silver lining to my cloudy day.

Storm Schooling is a post from: Learning at Home

This is one of the few times I wish we had television. It doesn’t change anything in the end, but I kind of like gluing myself to the weather reports.

More storms ahead in the next few days. Time to sit by the fire and read a book.  Oh, and take care of the kids and animals of course.

Missing TV is a post from: Learning at Home

Mallard, Pekin, Goose is a post from: Learning at Home