Here’s what happened to Ethan over this week, which was the official start of school after Spring Break. With SelfDesign, the learning community that Ethan is enrolled in, we don’t have Spring Break.

We are given five weeks that we can use as holiday weeks and we get the usual Christmas break. We also don’t have professional days and Ethan’s learning usually goes through the weekends and holidays, too.

That sounds like a lot! But Ethan enjoys learning and is usually quite happy to learn about the things he enjoys, even on traditional days off for other students.

March 29

March 31

April 1

April 2

April 3

April 4

It was wonderful to see Ethan and his parents on Zoom. 

I attached an audio recording of our conversation as I was having problems with such a large digital file. 

Some of the highlights include hearing about Ethan’s now online Tae kwon do and violin classes. He told me about how he played chess with a friend online too. 

He is getting used to chatting with his friends online, but of course he misses spending time with them in person. 

We talked a bit about life in the Covid19 pandemic. Ethan says his is not that different besides not being able to visit people. 

I encouraged the family to take the time to focus on life skills like cooking, doing dishes and the laundry etc. These are all learning opportunities. 

Ethan told me more about his CSA projects and assignments and the video aspect. I am confident he will produce an amazing film as he has so much practice!

His family was proud to share his first e-book publication. Ethan seemed motivated to produce part 1 and part 2 of “Adventure of a piece of Paper”

Can you remind me about the 2 month Adobe Animate program you mentioned? Was Ethan going to try it for free? Were you wondering about possibly purchasing it next year with LRS funds? 

Enjoy your week off and we will connect again in an Observing for Learning for week 33. I look forward to seeing the new films Ethan has been working on. 

Have a listen to our great chat!

The post Unschooling Journal March 29-April April 4, 2020 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

Here’s Ethan’s week…

March 22

March 23

Ethan also made the following videos on this day.

March 24

The videos that Ethan made and published today.

March 25

March 26

The videos Ethan made and published today.

March 27

March 28

Ethan had a very busy week, learning new things about history, math and getting into animation by using Final Cut Pro and Adobe Animate. We still went out for some fresh air by going jogging when the weather was nice but also kept our physical distance from others.

Hopefully, this blog provides some inspiration for the families wondering what to do with schooling during this current coronavirus situation. Hope that you and your family are staying safe and healthy.

Spring Connection: 

My I Can… statement

I can get better at making new equations, and figuring out new equations. 

My photo

I put in this image, since I was having a hard time copying yours. 

My strengths

Complete these statements related to your I Can … statement

    
I feel I was really good at:
 

Figuring out those formulas was hard, and so was figuring out how to prove Heron’s formula, which said that if you have a triangle and you know it’s side lengths, you can figure out the area. (a, b, and c are the side lengths.)in fact, if s = (a+b+c) / 2, area  = sqrt(s * (s-a)*(s-b)*(s-c)). 

Thank you for your reflections Ethan, you are exceptional at figuring out new equations and finding new ones too. 

    
I want you to notice:    

 That the above photo does not at all look like area  = sqrt(s * (s-a)*(s-b)*(s-c)). so, I proved that they are in fact, the same! here is khan academy explaining it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZu7IZLhJRI

You are so resourceful at finding math equations and proofs which are of interest to you. 

My stretches

    
If I could change one thing, it would be:
 

 I would want to make a formula that solved both even and odd numbers.

    
because:
 

It can be a hassle to remember if it’s even or odd, and remember 2 formulas.

You have to use different equations based on whether the number is odd or even? 

I know you are on Brilliant, have you seen these questions: https://brilliant.org/practice/area-of-triangles-herons-formula/

I guess they have challenge quizzes too. 

I know you love visuals: 

Heron’s Formula: a Proof

The area S of a triangle ABC, with side length a, b, c and semiperimeter s = (a + b + c)/2, is given by S² = s(s – a)(s – b)(s – c).

Heron’s formula is named after Hero of Alexandria (1 century AD. The formula is a specialization of Brahmagupta’s formula for cyclic quadrilaterals. For, after all, every triangle is a cyclic quadrilateral with two coalesced vertices. I find the proof presented below rather amusing because it exploits the dissection of a triangle induced by the presence of the incircle.

Self-reflecting is a tool to deepen your learning, thank you for engaging in this. You can use it anytime as you learn and evaluate new infomation: 

You are an inspiration Ethan and your passion for learning is infectious. I wonder what new innovations and ideas are going to spark and ignite as a result of your passions.

This was your submission for the Fall Connection: 

Now for the Spring Connection: 

Please complete the following questions –  you can use photos, videos, audio, drawings, stories, artifacts, or anything you want to answer the questions.  

To edit and type right in this content block, double click on the title of this block. Make sure to press “Save” when you have completed it.

To print these questions, click here and choose print.  Once complete, you can upload as a part of your Observing for Learning.

My I Can… statement

I can get better at making new equations, and figuring out new equations. 

My photo

My strengths

Complete these statements related to your I Can … statement

• I feel I was really good at:

Figuring out those formulas was hard, and so was figuring out how to prove Heron’s formula, which said that if you have a triangle and you know it’s side lengths, you can figure out the area. (a, b, and c are the side lengths.)in fact, if s = (a+b+c) / 2, area  = sqrt(s * (s-a)*(s-b)*(s-c)). 

• I want you to notice:

 That the above photo does not at all look like area  = sqrt(s * (s-a)*(s-b)*(s-c)). so, I proved that they are in fact, the same! here is khan academy explaining it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZu7IZLhJRI

My stretches

Complete these statements related to your I Can … statement

• If I could change one thing, it would be:

 I would want to make a formula that solved both even and odd numbers.

• because:
• It can be a hassle to remember if it’s even or odd, and remember 2 formulas.

Hello Natasha!

how are you?

I’m fine, just learning some new stuff.

here are the answers to your questions!

How has the week been progressing for you, Ethan? 

My week has been great, I’m just learning math at home, doing science problems at home, hanging out with my friends online… that sorta stuff.

I make sure to get outside and exercise every day. What have you been doing outside most these days? 

Well, I jog almost every day (my mom made me), but that’s pretty much it! On Sunday, I did a 10-minute workout at home on youtube.

Does it feel like homeschool as usual or have some things shifted?

Well, I still feel normal, just that I can’t go out and play and hang out with my friends. That’s it. COVID-19 hasn’t affected my life much at all!

I am sorry that this class was probably canceled due to covid-19? It was an in-person class, wasn’t it?

Actually, The class finished before the COVID-19 things. So I got to finish my city. and yes, it was an in-person class.

Are you able to work on some more of the designs at home? Do you some inspiration or new ideas?

Yes, I am able to work on my ideas and designs at home.  And yes, I do, from the class. I’m thinking about adding more parts to the city, like an apartment building.

Do you draw your designs first before you build them in 3D?

No, I don’t draw my designs first. Actually, I just start building and see how it goes.

Thanks,

Ethan

ps. I really liked the videos. the one with the fog was really cool, but you had a typo with the URL. it should have been https://vimeo.com/69445362, not https://https://vimeo.com/69445362. 😉 Also, you said that the oceans came from comets, that’s wrong. the oceans actually came from asteroids! 😉

The post Unschooling Journal March 22-28, 2020 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

Ethan maintained his regular pace of activities and learning. Here’s what happened…

Ethan made quite a few videos this past week. He learned about several new topics related to space from the CSA activities. He had to research and wrote about what he learned as part of the activities. He has really been enjoying the activities from the CSA.

He made several videos about space because he learned many new things about space this week. I asked him to remember to give credit to wherever he learned things from so he added short messages to some of his videos.

He did quite a lot of coding on Scratch and Python, as well. For example, he made his own version of Flappy Bird.

We also played around with shooting time-lapse videos of the full moon and other things, too.

March 8

March 9

March 10

March 11

From Mink, Ethan’s teacher at Soaring Eagle Nature School…

The Ravens took off early again, and headed toward the lake. Stopping at Toadstool Ridge for a warm-up game of “Shrew Ball”, they eventually settled on the sunny dock on the east side of the lake. Here, Mink introduced a new project: Knot Boards! These are beautiful display boards depicting many different kinds of useful knots–a great opportunity to make knot-tying fun, and a reference tool in case the useful knots are eventually forgotten! Kids took turns with the saw cutting rectangular pieces out of the plywood provided, and then sanded them to perfection. Next, they applied a primitive stain made from black walnuts, to get a nice dark colour. It was fun to experiment with the stain and make the boards into little pieces of art! Even after a break for a few more games, which allowed the boards to dry, there was still enough time to start learning and tying new knots! Can’t wait to get back to this project after our break. Stay healthy everyone!

March 12

March 13

March 14

Writing from this past week

We weren’t sure which days Ethan wrote these, so we thought it might be easier to show them in their entirety.

And that was Ethan’s week! Let us know if you have any questions about how to homeschool your child during the school closures that might be affecting you.

How has the week been progressing for you Ethan? 

Thank you for taking a holiday week so I can catch up and adjust to these very quickly changing times. 

I make sure to get outside and exercise everyday. What have you bee doing outside most these days? 

Does it feel like homeschool as usual or have some things shifted? 

I imagine you are missing your Nautre school, the community centre and violin with your peers. 

Your work for the CSA is impressive. You are really putting your creativity, hardwork and heart into these projects. 

Once again I have to note how much you are writing! 

I really like the time lapse videos you have been making. 

I posted one of my favorites filmed here in Nelson where I live. 

I know you are practicing with night shots and day time time laspes. I wonder how you are thinking of incorporating these films into the videos you are making. Any ideas percolating, themes, topics?  I see you do a lot timelapsing in space as well as you show how objects move and change over long periodes of time. 

Here is where I got the Information, from the Discovery Channel.

I appreciate how you are siting your sources more these days. It helps your viewers know where they can look to find more information too and I might be able to suggest some other sites as well. Well done! You are becoming more professional all the time! 

It’s important to cite sources you used in your research for several reasons: To show your reader you’ve done proper research by listing sources you used to get your information. To be a responsible scholar by giving credit to other researchers and acknowledging their ideas.

Project from the 3D architecture class.Shack, tree house, airport runway

I am sorry that this class was probably cancelled due to covid19? It was an in person class wasn’t it?

Are you able to work on some more of the designs at home? Do you some inspriration or new ideas?

We have some great resources in the LE Library in case you want to keep pursuing an interest in Architecture and Design: 

https://selfdesign.learning.powerschool.com/selfdesignlearning/library/cms_page/view/35499719

There are also a lot of free digital architecture programs available. Most of the people I know like SketchUp.

Do you draw your designs first before you build them in 3D?

https://library.sdlc.selfdesign.org/content-collection/design-apps-programs/

Doing some Duolingo and Spanish practice.

Good for you! I am happy to hear you are enjoying Spanish in Duolingo. 

This was writing about the Ozone layer. So much writing!! 

Thanks for posting all of your films this week. 

I still am amazed by the idea that the oceans came from comets, I have heard this a few years ago, but it is still so difficult for me to imagine. Thank you for taking the time to add more to my understanding and share all you know!! 

Looking forward to reading your self reflection for week 30. If you have any comments or questions feel free to email me or share directly into the week 30 text box. This process is an invitation to have a conversation and reflection on the I Can Statement and anything else you want to reflect on this spring. 

Take care, 

Natasha

This time lapse takes me back to growing in the fog belt in San Francisco. 

Maybe there are some time lapses you can find of Vancouver? 

The post Unschooling Journal March 8-14, 2020 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

It must be incredibly challenging and stressful for the millions of families who need to find alternative arrangements for their children. Hopefully, some of the families find what Ethan is doing as a source of inspiration and hope that their children can learn while at home and not miss much, if anything.

March 1

March 2

March 3

March 4

Ethan usually has nature school on Wednesday, but was home sick. He kept himself pretty busy.

March 5

Ethan wrote and published something about beans, too: https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/beans/

March 6

March 7

As part of the CSA’s Junior Astronaut Camp competition, students have to work on activities from the CSA. One of these was to have a debate with classmates, but since it’s just Ethan, we decided that he could prepare for a debate and present both sides of the argument to us. He also wrote the following blog post about the debate topic…

Good luck to all the families out there who have to keep their children home. Hope you can see that there are many resources and activities to complement your child’s learning if they have to stay home.

I had a Zoom call with Ethan and his family this week. I wanted to discuss our thoughts and vision moving forward into the 2020/2021 school year. 

Ethan is planning on re-enrolling in Self Design. He is thriving in home learning and I could not be more excited for him. 

The purpose of the conversation was for us to discuss our thoughts of me continuing as his LC next year. I expressed that I felt that I had reached my edge in terms of my knowledge of some of the subjects he is most passionate about: math, physics, space and coding. 

The family appreciated my honesty and my intention to do what is best for Ethan. They understand how I am feeling as Ethan often is interested in things that they themselves know very little about. 

However, the family expressed that they very much want to continue with me as an LC. They are very happy with the effort I put into my responses. I do have to work a bit harder to keep up with Ethan and all he posts. They also can feel how much I care. We have developed a wonderful relationship over the last few years and they want to continue with that and not start over. 

As for now Ethan is doing very well as finding resources and teaching himself. He is happy and that is what matters most to them. 

His family also finds that I might have skills and expertise which Ethan could benefit from such as in areas of the arts, social sciences and language arts. They feel like I am a great resource to help round out his learning. 

I know I am inspired weekly by Ethan’s passions and activities. I also do not want to loose him as a learner, but I wanted to express my thoughts and feelings. 

We had a great conversation overall in which we all felt heard and better understood as to how to work together moving forward. I feel very relieved and am not looking forward to our year ahead together. 

In an effort to be supportive and transparent,  I offered them some names of other LC’s they could look up to see if there was a better match. It does not seem like they will choose this route. 

In a parting conversation, I suggested an idea, with Ethan’s language skills in Korean and Chinese and as such a successful and happy homeschooler he could begin to produce content for the now hundreds of millions of students who are coping with school closures as a result of  COVID-19. 

 I am curious to see if and how Ethan might approach this in the weeks to come. 

Some resources for kids I have been sharing: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus

Thank you so much for the incredible connection and the honor of working with your family! 

Ethan had another incredible week as noted in his Observation for Learning below. I made note of some of the highlights of learning and will be offering the direct contact write up as my response this week.

Natasha Cucek

Hi, 

I can type up notes from our Zoom conversation this week. 

You are welcome to post additional material if you like, but I will offer a shorter response. 

Natasha

The post Unschooling Journal – March 1-7, 2020 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

Ethan started working on solving math problems this week to test his knowledge. Although he often learns about Grade 11 or 12 level math and algebra, he found from solving problems that he needed some practice solving systems of equations. He used a combination of IXL and Khan Academy to practice solving systems of equations.

February 23

February 24

Ethan had violin and skating in the evening. In the morning, Ethan had a trip to the dentist where he had four cavities filled. He rested for most of the afternoon after he got home.

February 25

February 26

After nature school, Ethan went to his 3D architecture art class.

Here’s Ethan’s teacher’s report on the day at nature school:

Mink’s Group headed for one of their favourite peninsulas, where they let out some energy, played a round of “Icky Stick”, and finally found out why Mink was carrying giant Vine Maple sticks along for the trip. Everyone had an opportunity to select a portion of the Vine Maple to use for a throwing stick. These were some of the first weapons people ever used to take small game, presumably before the invention of atl-atls and bows and arrows. A throwing stick needs to be just the right length to fit the individual, and heavy and hard enough to do a good job. The Vine Maple made the perfect hardwood for the project, as it was also green and therefore easier to carve. Everyone whittled down their handles and added artistic flair, while Mink set up a throwing range with hanging targets of varying difficulties. They were then joined by Sally’s group to learn the rules of the range! It was a blast trying to hit the targets, and successful throws were rewarded by making coloured marks on the throwing sticks like badges of honour. By the end, everyone was cheering for each other, and it was nice to see that kind of camaraderie rather than competition.

February 27

February 28

Ethan made this video about pulsars using Universe Sandbox 2: https://youtu.be/KWrJH08Gdn4

February 29

LC Response

Mars Panorama

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has provided us its sharpest-ever sight of the Red Planet.The car-sized robot Curiosity’s team just released a 1.8-billion-pixel panorama that shows Glen Torridon, a region on the flanks of Mars’ 3.4-mile-high (5.5 km) Mount Sharp that the

 

rover has been exploring lately. http://www.physics-astronomy.com/2020/03/nasa-releases-curiosity-rovers-18.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+physics-astronomy%2FwNJb+%28Physics-Astronomy%29&m=1&fbclid=IwAR2YW0LYuAbe5Sp0UMSLtZxOvCtwb5O6KJkwAPIqJQkuUxc5TUGZBSX9O8A

UBC student discovers 17 new planets, including potentially habitable, Earth-sized world

UBC student discovers 17 new planets, including potentially habitable, Earth-sized world

SCIENCE, HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY

Feb 28, 2020    | For more information, contact Sachi Wickramasinghe

University of British Columbia astronomy student Michelle Kunimoto has discovered 17 new planets, including a potentially habitable, Earth-sized world, by combing through data gathered by NASA’s Kepler mission.

Over its original four-year mission, the Kepler satellite looked for planets, especially those that lie in the “Habitable Zones” of their stars, where liquid water could exist on a rocky planet’s surface.

The new findings, published in The Astronomical Journal, include one such particularly rare planet. Officially named KIC-7340288 b, the planet discovered by Kunimoto is just 1 ½ times the size of Earth – small enough to be considered rocky, instead of gaseous like the giant planets of the Solar System – and in the habitable zone of its star.

“This planet is about a thousand light years away, so we’re not getting there anytime soon!” said Kunimoto, a PhD candidate in the department of physics and astronomy. “But this is a really exciting find, since there have only been 15 small, confirmed planets in the Habitable Zone found in Kepler data so far.”

You might have seen this explosive news this week: 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51669384

Scientists detect biggest explosion since Big Bang

Now I know you have been learning more about fractals. Here are some more resources to check out.

“Fractals are some of the most beautiful and most bizarre geometric shapes. They look the same at various different scales – you can take a small extract of the shape and it looks the same as the entire shape. This curious property is called self-similarity. To create a fractal, you can start with a simple pattern and repeat it at smaller scales, again and again, forever. In real life, of course, it is impossible to draw fractals with “infinitely small” patterns. However, we can draw shapes which look just like fractals. Using mathematics, we can think about the properties a real fractal would have – and these are very surprising.” You can learn more about fractals and dimensions at Mathigon. 

You might also be interested in exploring Alice in Fractal Land for some serious fractal fun! 

After nature school, Ethan had his 3D architecture and sculpture class. He seems to be really enjoying the class because he likes the teacher and the other kids. He said they’re fun to be around.

Great to hear you are enjoying this new 3D sculpture class. New teacher and friends!

I found these engineering challenges. I wonder if you will be doing some of these in the class or you can try some at home: 

https://pbskids.org/designsquad/pdf/parentseducators/DS_Act_Guide_complete.pdf

So many very cool math-design-art related resources to check out. Who knows you might even get inspired to learn how to crochet. Click here to find out why: https://library.sdlc.selfdesign.org/content-collection/math-art-3d/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/86016/6-math-concepts-explained-knitting-and-crochet

Or look at the Shape and Space LE: I think there is a lot there you will find interesting. I posted a few videos below too. 

https://selfdesign.learning.powerschool.com/selfdesignlearning/library/cms_page/view/36931639

Nicely done on your wormhole and Railgun blogs! They are engaging to read and I am wondering what the catch is for the railgun….

Do you think wormholes are possible? 

Do you think there may be parallel universes? 

I want to know.

One of the challenges again this week was computer time. Specifically, Ethan is given a set amount of time for computer usage that’s not related to research, writing, math or anything related to academics. However, he has often ignored the timer or will continue until we say something to him. This has resulted in lost computer privileges for those activities, which include playing games and coding. We’d like him to spend more time reading, as opposed to screen time because he has plenty of screen time already, in our opinion. Managing time on the computer is something we’ll continue to work on together.

Ethan what strategies do you think work best to support you in managing your screentime? 

Ethan also tried some math quizzes this week to test his knowledge. It’s been good for us to gauge how well he understands what he’s been learning. He also seems to be enjoying the quizzes and seems motivated to improve his scores because they demonstrate his knowledge of the topic.

I am glad to see he is using quizzes as a way to test and assess his knowledge and fluency with math concepts. 

Another way is for him to design his own quizzes on topics….

Trees are not the only fractals in nature, show your dad these: 

Euclid

https://youtube.com/watch?v=LPET_HhN0VM%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26rel%3D0%26wmode%3Dtransparent

View in popup 

Shape of space

https://youtube.com/watch?v=oCK5oGmRtxQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26rel%3D0%26wmode%3Dtransparent

View in popup 

wormholes explained (pt 1)

for most of human history, we thought space was a stage, and the planets and stars were just actors. then Einstien came walking along and said “WRONG!” and he made space more like a water bed. the old stage would be hardwood. this space can:

A.bend

B.torn

C.patched together

we don’t know if C is actually true, but we know a and be are true. if C is true, that could make WORMHOLES possible. a wormhole is a portal/mode of travel/a way to travel the universe faster than the speed of light.http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/bmendez/html/time.html

the first wormholes that were theorized were…

Einstein Rosen Bridges

they basically say that every black hole in the universe is a wormhole. there may be no singularity (a singularity is an infinitely dense point in space where all the mass of a black hole is concentrated.)! the other side could look like our universe, but with reversed time! cool! in our universe, the black hole might be sucking things in. in the parallel universe, the “white hole” might be spitting things out!

the end(for now)

how to build a dyson sphere, part 3

okay, so if you’re like most of my readers, you are wondering how we are going to get those mirrors into orbit around the sun. well, we will use…

a Railgun!

to launch stuff into space. it will be an electromagnetic track that launches our satellites at high speeds. our satellites will be packed tight for launch, unfurling like a big origami once in orbit.https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/23/watch-crowdfunded-spacecraft-lightsail-2-unfurl-its-solar-sail-live/

from this point, we can take advantage of exponential growth. each panel works together to build another. those two work together to build the next two, 4 become 8, 8 become 16, and so on. within just 60 doubling times, we will have enough mirrors surrounding the sun!if each panel took a month to build, we could be done in a decade! even collecting 1% of the suns energy will exceed the earth’s energy budget many times over! this could be vety good. the catch? (there is always a catch.) well, that’s for pt 4…

The post Unschooling Journal February 16-22, 2020 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

]]> https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-february-16-22-2020/feed/ 0 34083 https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-february-9-15-2020/ https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-february-9-15-2020/#respond Tue, 18 Feb 2020 09:15:43 +0000 http://www.howtodostuffwithethan.com/?p=34012 Here’s a summary of Ethan’s week of unschooling. We struggled a little bit this week with computer time. Ethan loves coding and using the computer but we would like him to balance out using the computer with reading and other non-screen based activities. He is supposed to set a timer for 30 minutes if he […]

The post Unschooling Journal February 9-15, 2020 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

]]> Here’s a summary of Ethan’s week of unschooling. We struggled a little bit this week with computer time. Ethan loves coding and using the computer but we would like him to balance out using the computer with reading and other non-screen based activities.

He is supposed to set a timer for 30 minutes if he is playing a game, but he’s “forgotten” or gone over his time limit on several occasions. This has resulted in no games allowed. Coding and research are ok but just like with coding, we don’t think that spending hours in front of the computer is a good idea.

On another note, Ethan passed swimming level 9 and will be enrolled in the final level for the spring season. After that, he can take specialty programs, such as being a lifeguard. Taking 3 swimming lesson per week has helped Ethn improve quickly, as well as giving him an additional physical activity.

Here’s how the week went…

February 9

February 10

February 11

February 12

February 13

February 14

We registered Ethan for a one day program called Urban Explorers where he learned to use a Compass card to take the bus. Ethan and the other kids, along with two teachers, travelled from the West Vancouver Community Centre to Granville Island, Canada Place and back to the community centre.

They did a scavenger hunt and also practiced bartering. For the bartering, Ethan received a plastic fork and had to ask someone at Starbucks if they would like to trade something for the fork. He received a keychain with dice on it. He then took the keychain and went to the toy store in the Granville Island Kids Only Market. There, he was able to barter and receive a 1000 piece puzzle.

Ethan loved the program and wants to do it again the next time it is offered.

February 15

LC Response

Here’s a summary of Ethan’s week of unschooling. We struggled a little bit this week with computer time. Ethan loves coding and using the computer but we would like him to balance out using the computer with reading and other non-screen based activities.He is supposed to set a timer for 30 minutes if he is playing a game, but he’s “forgotten” or gone over his time limit on several occasions. This has resulted in no games allowed. Coding and research are ok but just like with coding, we don’t think that spending hours in front of the computer is a good idea. Screentime is such a tricky issue especially in terms of setting limits for kids and even ourselves. I think the timer is a very fair and helpful tool for Ethan. I guess he needs some way to remind him to set it, perhaps the consequences of no screen time will help him get in the habit. It could also be beneficial to have some way to remind him to refocus his eyes every ten minutes or so, by looking up from the computer regularly and out the window or to different distances. I also get up and move, stretch every 30 minutes of computer work I do. Sitting for long periods of time is also harmful for the body and can create a lot of tightness and even long term negative health effects. Going over some of the reasons you are limiting and monitoring his screen time, might help Ethan understand that you are looking out for his health and he can begin to take a larger responsibility in his own self-care.  Eventually it will become a habit to take these eye and body breaks.  

How Screen Time Parches Your Peepers

Eyes need to stay moist to stay healthy. Normally, people blink every 10 seconds or so. When you blink, your eyes release a “tear film” that soothes and coats your eyes. But you don’t blink as often when you’re on a tablet, computer, or watching TV. Less blinking means drier eyes.There’s more to your tears than just water. Oil and mucus are in them, too. You need all three substances to keep your eyes moist and comfortable.Working on computers for a long time may even change the balance of your tears. A 2014 study in Japan found that people who spent hours on their computers had a lower amount of mucus in their tears. Nearly 1 in 10 workers in the study definitely had dry eye, and more than half had probable cases.While the chances of getting dry eye go up with age, a 2016 study found that children who spent more time on their smartphones — and less time outside — had more symptoms of dry eye.

What You Can Do

If you need to keep looking at a screen, you should:Follow the 20/20/20 rule. Take a 20-second break from your digital device every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away. Set an alarm on your smartphone as a reminder.Use a humidifier. It adds moisture to dry indoor air so your eyes won’t dry out as quickly.Don’t stare. Make an effort to blink frequently, especially when you’re using a screen for a long stretch.Keep screens at arm’s length. Most people hold their smartphones and small devices 8 to 12 inches from their face. That close distance slows down blink rates. It’s better to hold your device at least 20 inches from your eyes.Gretchen Reynolds, a reporter on exercise research for The New York Times, wrote a book condensing health studies down to their most essential parts. One of the key takeaways from her research was this emphasis on standing up and the golden 20-minute mark.New science shows very persuasively that standing up about every 20 minutes, even for only a minute or two, reduces your risks of developing diabetes and heart disease.By standing up, you cause the big muscles in your legs and back to contract, which leads to an increase in certain enzymes that break up fat in the blood stream. You don’t have to jog in place or do jumping jacks. Just stand. A very pleasant additional benefit is that standing up every 20 to 30 minutes also seems to prompt the body to burn calories, so you don’t gain as much weight from sitting at the office most of the day.  On another note, Ethan passed swimming level 9 and will be enrolled in the final level for the spring season. After that, he can take specialty programs, such as being a lifeguard. Taking 3 swimming lesson per week has helped Ethn improve quickly, as well as giving him an additional physical activity.yayyyy I got to level 10 in swimming!!!!!!! Way to go Ethan!! You must be a super swimmer now. Do you have any interest in taking lifeguarding someday? It is a great youth job.  We registered Ethan for a one day program called Urban Explorers where he learned to use a Compass card to take the bus. Ethan and the other kids, along with two teachers, travelled from the West Vancouver Community Centre to Granville Island, Canada Place and back to the community centre.Riding the bus is a huge independence and self-esteem builder. So glad he enjoyed this. They did a scavenger hunt and also practiced bartering. For the bartering, Ethan received a plastic fork and had to ask someone at Starbucks if they would like to trade something for the fork. He received a keychain with dice on it. He then took the keychain and went to the toy store in the Granville Island Kids Only Market. There, he was able to barter and receive a 1000 piece puzzle.I think the bartering aspect to this scavenger hunt and challenge is very interesting. We don’t often encourage bartering in this culture, but I use it regularly. I often trade giving massages for haircuts or clothing etc. Ethan will have some computer skills to trade for sure if he chooses to. Ethan loved the program and wants to do it again the next time it is offered.what to bring for this program called urban explorers. urban explorers is where you go out into the world and learn how to ride the bus, the skytrain, and most importantly, how to cross the street! also, you’re supposed to trade a plastic fork up for something. there were two groupes- first group traded the fork for a broken hair clip, then: hair clip-gift bag-lego figure-yummy candy!second group: fork-keychain die-1000 piece puzzle! I like that the two groups competed in bartering, very fun and creative challenge.  learning about tension. learning about treating systems. writing about the black hole bomb!You wrote a lot about this black hole bomb. I am curious and wonder if you will be making a film or letting me know more about this. I am going to hold off on doing my own research and wait for this week, maybe I will find out more from you Ethan.  foregin language: spanish! How is the Spanish coming along? Have you had any chances to practice it outside of Duolingo?    This drawing is gorgeous! I really appreciate all the detail on the planets.  going to artmania, a new program where you make stuff out of popsicle sticks!This is going to be fantastic! Can’t wait to see some of your clever creations.  The possibilities are endless. What sort of design are you thinking of? You may want to search popsicle stick creations for some ideas….or maybe the class has some sort of parameters to follow.   OK this one is pretty advanced, but I thought it was so well done.  things to do when talking to be respectful.I love your list Ethan. It is very clear and has a lot of great points covered. What prompted making this?  Its really neat to see you working in Universe Sandbox 2!! What an incredible program. Thanks for posting. Natasha

 

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]]> https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-february-9-15-2020/feed/ 0 34012 https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-february-2-8-2020/ https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-february-2-8-2020/#respond Wed, 12 Feb 2020 01:02:34 +0000 http://www.howtodostuffwithethan.com/?p=33960 Here’s what Ethan did this past week… February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 From Mink, Ethan’s Soaring Eagle Nature School teacher: Last Wednesday turned out to be one of the coldest days yet at Soaring Eagle! Many groups faced significant challenges staying warm in the sloppy snow and cold rain. It was a […]

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]]> Here’s what Ethan did this past week…

February 2

February 3

February 4

February 5

From Mink, Ethan’s Soaring Eagle Nature School teacher:

Last Wednesday turned out to be one of the coldest days yet at Soaring Eagle! Many groups faced significant challenges staying warm in the sloppy snow and cold rain. It was a true test of everyone’s resilience. The good news is, your kids are very resilient! Some lessons learned the hard way included increased awareness around the water content in snow, and how that affects our gloves and clothing. Some kids who only brought one pair of gloves had completely soaked through them within 10 minutes of starting. It was a continual battle to stay warm throughout the day after that. That said, we had a fantastic time playing an organized snowball fight game called orcs versus elves in the forest as a big group in the morning. Afterwards, Scott shared the third part of his mythic story with us.

Mink took the ravens to the North end of the lake where she hoped they would be able to reach a very cool spot she discovered outside of program. They weren’t quite able to reach the intended destination, but found a nice clearing with lots of freshly fallen snow, where they set up a tarp and enjoyed lots of snowball fighting. Another game that was revisited from last week with just as much enthusiasm was Big Booty! After the ravens had warmed up to this rhythm game, Mink offered a fire challenge which ended with everyone warming up with some hot chocolate and marshmallows. Such treats don’t make it into the backpack most mornings, but last Wednesday felt like just the kind of day for it! Everyone ended in good spirits.

February 7

February 8

We spent part of today setting up a new desk for Ethan’s room. We like to buy used when we can and found a wall-mounted IKEA desk that we had our eyes on. We spent the afternoon putting the desk on the wall and helping Ethan to organize his “new” room.

LC Response

Hello Ethan, 

I made a few notes of highlights on which to comment on from your week. Thanks for once again responding to my questions in the last reflection and taking the time to answer them thoughtfully by email. I hope you know I ask a lot of questions because you asked me to, in order to deepen your learning. I hope you know I do not expect you to answer them all or answer in writing. You are free to consider them, ponder them or if you feel inspired to take the time to write to me. All options are welcome. 

Went to a birthday party

The birthday looked like a lot of fun. How great that you just played Skee ball. Did it inspire your game you made at home? 

• learning more about normal force.

writing about how to build a dyson sphere.

I once again had to look this up and this is what I found. I also attached some videos below:

First proposed by theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960, a Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that completely encompasses a star and captures a large percentage of its power output.

I am curious to hear more about your thoughts and findings on Dyson spheres. I imagine I will in the next few weeks. 

• learning about how to prove heron’s formula.

I did not know the name of this formula, but I remember proving it too when I was in middle school. I went to a bilingual french/english school and the French math program was very big on doing proofs. I feel like it gave me a very solid understanding of geometry. Did you know this tidbit of history?:

In geometry, Heron’s formula, named after Hero of Alexandria, gives the area of a triangle when the length of all three sides are known.

Also here is a nice proof/explanation of the formula. Have you ever seen this website, it seems right up your alley so to speak. Maybe there are many more areas of math to explore on Wolfram’s math world: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/HeronsFormula.html

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/
history about galeleo’s experiments.

Nova has an interactive website based on Galileo’s experiements. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/galileo-experiments.html

In case you wanted to follow up with a few Galileo inspired experiments of your own: 

https://www.science-sparks.com/gravity-experiments-for-kids-galileo/

Some great quotes by Galileo. I see them as related to Self Design homeschooling. Do you see connections? 

doing some questions about coffee & tea of classroom ready science news.

What did you learn about coffee and tea? History, cultural significance? How they are grown and harvested and turned into drinks we consume?

What do you think of this?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=GrM3f7Bil5A%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26rel%3D0%26wmode%3Dtransparent

View in popup 

another way to show dyson spheres

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9s-zw3xiiRE%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26rel%3D0%26wmode%3Dtransparent

View in popup 

Ethan’s responses to week 22 questions

o you know about skee ball? 

 Yes, I do know about skee ball. I actually played skee ball at the bowling alley/food place/arcade for the birthday party!

Have you ever had the flu? 

I don’t think so. My dad says no. 😉

Do you like having your notes to refer to? 

Yes, it’s very helpful when making a video. It’s nice to know what the point of the video is when I’m making a video.

Do you find that taking notes helps you learn and retain more?

Yes, I think it does. It also helps me remember what the point of the video is and so I don’t go “umm” ing all the time. it helps me organize my thoughts more.

What were your findings or takeaways from this study [of fractals]? 

Hmm, well, I learned that some things that have an infinite perimeter have a finite area! 

Did you make any connections to fractals or snowflakes?

 I learned about the coastline of Hawaii is very large! Because if you measure with 100 m yardsticks, you will get… let’s say 4000. But, if you use 10 m yardsticks, you will get… let’s say 4160. And if you use a ruler you will get an even bigger amount, and so on!

Also, I liked the note-taking strategy that you gave me. I might use those techniques in the future!

 I also liked the skee ball demo and the sound wave video that you sent me! there were a few things I didn’t know like there is an equation for a sound wave!

😉

Thanks!

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]]> https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-february-2-8-2020/feed/ 0 33960 https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-january-26-february-1-2020/ https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-january-26-february-1-2020/#respond Tue, 04 Feb 2020 20:54:04 +0000 http://www.howtodostuffwithethan.com/?p=33919 January has come and gone and this past week was filled with new learning experiences for Ethan. January 26 January 27 January 28 January 29 Summary from Soaring Eagle Nature School, written by Ethan’s teacher, Mink: With a rainy start to the day, the group sought shelter under two magnificent tarps for the morning game. […]

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]]> January has come and gone and this past week was filled with new learning experiences for Ethan.

January 26

January 27

January 28

January 29

Summary from Soaring Eagle Nature School, written by Ethan’s teacher, Mink:

With a rainy start to the day, the group sought shelter under two magnificent tarps for the morning game. In a game of Head Honcho, a detective used their awareness to try and spot the secret dance master that is changing the groups moves every 15 seconds! It got everyone warmed up and they possibly could have played it all day due to how entertaining it was for everyone involved. Then, it was time for a circle to share some beats of gratitude and hear the next part to Scott’s mythical story!
The groups then went their separate ways for a period of time; Mikaela’s group foraged for tea ingredients, Mink’s group saw an opportunity to build rafts in the puddle turned pond, and Scott’s group tested out this ponds depths. But, these three group all soon ended up in the same place and interested in similar water-related activities.
Mink taught the group (and instructors) a new game after lunch to warm everyone up before the puddle madness began again. The game was called “BIG BOOTY!” You may have heard of this game. It’s a rhythm based game in which everyone has a number, and the rhythm is passed from person to person by calling their number. Everyone except Big Booty, that is. The goal is to keep the rhythm and throw other players off. The penalty for losing the rhythm is being sent back to number “0” (otherwise known as Little Booty). Perhaps it was because we were forced under the tarp by the torrential downpour, but even though it was very hard to master the game somehow we managed to get better and better at it and play for probably nearly an hour!

Another thing that happened was that a big part of the group worked on building a wooden bridge across an enormous puddle. It was exciting to see them gather the sticks and logs that were nearby to help in this process, but then run into an impasse when all the closest sticks were used up. Kids then had search further for more materials. Scott offered everyone the challenge to try to construct a bridge which someone wearing normal tennis shoes would be able to walk across without getting their feet wet at all. It was awesome to see when the group succeeded at this!

January 30

February 1

More on physics and sounds

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qV4lR9EWGlY%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26rel%3D0%26wmode%3Dtransparent

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Homeschoolers make Skee ball

Your game you made this week, reminds me of a smaller version of this homemade skeeball game. Do you know about skee ball? 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=DwW9B049cpo%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26rel%3D0%26wmode%3Dtransparent

View in popup 

LC Response

Hello Ethan and Carl, 

Thank you for your patience in my response to week 23. I was very sick with the flu last week and am still going through waves of exhaustion. It has been over 20 years since I had the flu and it is a reminder of how sick one really can get from it. 

I did a bit of research into the difference between the common cold and the flu. 

Have you ever had the flu? 

So enough about me, let’s get back to you and your learning week.

This was the first week I got to see you working actively in Universe Sandbox, what an incredible program. You seem to know your way around the program quite well!  

I appreciate how you are now actively taking notes on new content, like the hottest planet and then making Youtube films. You are doing this more and more this year. 

Do you like having your notes to refer to? 

Do you find that taking notes helps you learn and retain more? I know it does for me. 

There are a few different ways to take notes. I notice that you tend to write in complete sentences, but there are other formats you could explore. 

I think you so most of these steps naturally, but jut as a reference;

You also love visuals and flow charts so maybe you would like this format: 

Your work on the chalkboard is really engaging as well. 

It would be fun to compile a photo history of all of your chalkboard teaching and post that to youtube someday. 

So you worked on the area of the Koch snowflake quite a bit. 

What were your findings or take aways from this study? 

I would like to hear from you a little bit about what you discovered or learned. 

Did you make any connections to fractals or snowflakes?

Some 3D Koch snowflakes:

Doppler effect- sound waves

https://youtube.com/watch?v=h4OnBYrbCjY%3Fstart%3D67%26feature%3Doembed%26rel%3D0%26wmode%3Dtransparent

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Doppler Effect video

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZPJyYaXhuv4%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26rel%3D0%26wmode%3Dtransparent

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]]> https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-january-26-february-1-2020/feed/ 0 33919 https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-january-19-25-2019/ https://howtodostuffwithethan.com/unschooling-journal-january-19-25-2019/#respond Wed, 29 Jan 2020 00:08:52 +0000 http://www.howtodostuffwithethan.com/?p=33895 Here’s what happened last week with Ethan and his unschooling journey. This past week, Ethan did his usual assortment of activities, such as skating, swimming, taekwondo, nature school and violin. It was also Chinese New Year, so we spent time with family. January 20 January 21 January 22 I just went to nature school today. […]

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]]> Here’s what happened last week with Ethan and his unschooling journey.

This past week, Ethan did his usual assortment of activities, such as skating, swimming, taekwondo, nature school and violin. It was also Chinese New Year, so we spent time with family.

January 20

January 21

January 22

I just went to nature school today.

Here’s the summary prepared by Mink, one of the teachers from Nature School:

The day started with a drizzly morning and we all made our way to a spot in the forest for our big group game. A treacherous round of Mr. Wolf got most of us running and warm. Afterwards, we all shared some gratitude and circle and heard the first part of what promises to be an awesome story from Scott. The story comes from Russia and we were left with a bit of a cliffhanger not knowing which path the hero of the story would choose.

Mink’s group me their way to the forest uphill of the meadow to do a team building exercise. On their way, the ravens had a circle to share would each of them was most inspired about learning in the winter season. A lot of folks expressed interest in carving, and there was also some interest in scouting. Mink attempted to tell the story that would kick off the groups team building exercise, but had a solid wall of interruptions. It became clear that the groups energy was elsewhere and everyone needed to run and move. Abandoning the story entirely, the group transitioned to a fast-paced running game and came back to the story afterwards. The team building exercise which had originally met a lot of resistance ended up being the highlight of most peoples days. The group was tasked with crossing an area of train using only a few suppliers as platforms to stand on, and had to rely on each other for support, especially when one member of the party lost their voice and another one lost their eyes! The group is excited for future challenges. Raven spent their afternoon starting new carving projects. Students are invited to bring any carving tools they might have including small saws, files, wraps, and various types of carving knives. The carving projects will be capped by Mink until they are completed, due to challenges with folks not bringing their ongoing projects back week after week.

January 23

January 24

today, I went to a birthday party with a bunch of games, and a magician even came! then, I went to my grandparent’s for lunar new year dinner!

January 25

We went to my Uncle Willy’s house for a Lunar New Year dinner. Ethan brought a magic kit he got from the birthday party. He played with some of his little cousins and had a good time.

And that was Ethan’s week!

LC Short Response

What a month of incredible snow. Here is a little bit of magic to share with you. 

Thank you for the wonderful reflections on the week. I took notes on the highlights of learning. I will be offering a shorter response to this week’s observing for learning as I was busy completing all of the midyear reporting tasks. You can now see the winter Reflections posted in the Seasonal Connections tab in the Learning Platform. 

Ethan I am impressed with your writing about how to colonize the moon. 

I loved the idea of making your own flashcards, that makes so much sense, but never seen anyone doing it for music theory. 

Now I am curious about the pattern you noticed too…

The koch triangles and snowflakes look gorgeous. I wonder how this growing understanding of them links into more complex fractals. 

Natasha

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