The community centre had a special pass for the winter holidays where you could do unlimited skating, swimming or gymnastics drop-in. We got Ethan one of these passes and he spent almost every day doing at least one of those activities. He would go with one of his friends but was equally happy playing with new kids.

It was a great way to stay active over the holiday period when he didn’t have any of his regular activities.

As mentioned, Ethan was banned from using his computer. He was writing a message to post online and switched to full-screen with a different window when Dong Eun walked in.

He wasn’t doing anything wrong but was trying to hide what he was doing. We decided it would be best to take away his computer privileges to help him realize that he should be honest about what he’s doing and not sneak around.

He finally got the computer privileges back on January 1.

Ethan prepared a new schedule for the New Year. He’ll have more physical activities because we can see how much it benefits him to be more active. He’ll be in swimming three days a week, taekwondo twice a week, skating lessons once a week and one full day of nature school per week. We’ll try to fit in some skiing when possible.

December 29

December 31

Ethan stayed up until midnight to ring in 2020. Fun night!

January 1

January 2

January 3

The shots below are of Ethan’s coding in Python. He’s making a game called Snake. It’s a classic game where you move a “snake” around the screen trying to eat an apple. With each apple eaten, the snake grows longer and moves faster. The object of the game is to continue eating apples and not touching the sides of the screen. If the snake touches one of the sides, the game is over.

January 4

And that was the end of 2019 and the start of 2020 for Ethan. He continues to do a lot and loves unschooling. Let’s see how the rest of 2020 plays out.

hello Natasha!

how are you?

I’m fine, just doing fun stuff. 😉

here are the answers to week 18:

What surprised you the most [in the mars video]?

well, the most surprising thing wasn’t mentioned, and the surprising part is surprising because they didn’t mention it! you need some kind of magnetic field, to block any solar winds, to do that, you got to a) make the core of the planet molten again, or b) get a magnet about 1-2 tesla or a magnet 1000-2000 times stronger than a refrigerator magnet.

Having such a strong foundation in math will only support your science studies. Do you have any new areas of interest or topics you will explore? 

Do you think you will get interested in biology again? Or focus on chemistry and physics? Maybe you want to check out the microscopic world? 

hmm… maybe… I might try the microscopic world first… I don’t really have any new areas of study though… I am focusing on chemistry and that’s fun too!

What are some of the new skills of things you can do in swimming and skating?

well, I can do a side stroke & dolphin kick in swimming! I learned those! 🙂 and skating, I can stop on my right foot now!

Do you use calendars? 

hmm, sometimes… not always though, like for maybe seeing a “map” fo the dates? it also helps me to see how many days until something.

My question for you is: If you could code for anything, what would it be? 

well, I would code maybe like something that will help the world, like maybe a robot that flies and if it detects too much co2 in the atmosphere it will suck it in & convert into 2 oxygen & 1 carbon atom and release the oxygen but keep the carbon to make graphite and stuff.

Are you familiar with Carl Sagan at all?

umm, yes! I know him because of his work as a physicist! also, we watched a documentary called Cosmos and Carl Sagan was the writer.

also, the star wars web site was really fun! because it showed the inside parts to all these spaceships in star wars, so that was cool!

Hi Ethan I am really doing well. I have been skiing a lot which I absolutely love. I enjoy being outside in the quiet snow filled forest and sliding down the hills in powder with my friends. It feels like being  weightless, plus I get to see some pretty beautiful views. 

I really liked the mars video because it tells in detail what we need to do to colonize mars! I know, I was amazed how detailed he was he made it seem not only possible, but almost probable that we will be there someday. What surprised you the most? 

also, the speed of light video was fun, because it shows how fast light is, but also, how slow it is! My roommate recommended it to me, he thought you would like it. I show him some of your videos.  

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have any bad habits to break even?

Or do you have any goals for the year ahead?

hmm, well, I did make a new year’s resolution, that I won’t use the computer as much and use books more, exercise more, focus on science than math because I focused too much on math last year. 

Well those sound like really good ones. I need to remind myself to read books too. There are so many out there to explore. What were your favorites that you checked out? You sound like my nephew checking out the maximum of 50! 

Having such a strong foundation in math will only support your science studies. Do you have any new areas of interest or topics you will explore? 

Do you think you will get interested in biology again? Or focus on chemistry and physics? Maybe you want to check out the microscopic world? 

https://selfdesign.learning.powerschool.com/selfdesignlearning/library/cms_page/view/30186996

Perhaps you’re a budding scientist interested in the microscopic world? Maybe you’re a blossoming chef, aiming to master the perfect sourdough loaf or ginger beer? Possibly you’re just seeking a way to avoid getting the flu this winter! Regardless of your motivation, Microbe Mania can help you learn more about the local microbiomes that matter most.

I encourage you to take some time to explore the Learning Experience Library. (when you have some computer time) 

There are some really interesting new content pages with articles and videos on more specific topics.

For example in the Experiments and Processes page: https://selfdesign.learning.powerschool.com/selfdesignlearning/library/cms_page/view/29180489

There are a whole bunch of further topics to click on on the right hand side. 

So many resources and possible inspiration there so have fun and let your interests and curiosity guide you down new paths you may not have thought of yet. 

How did you like Star Wars? Have you seen the other films? 

 I really liked the star wars movie. in fact, I went again to the movie theatre, and watched it again in 3D! and yes, I have watched the other star wars movies.

Wow lucky you, 3D. I am tempted to see it it again myself, it is the last one and such a special theatre experience. 

Have you asked your parents about their early memories of Star Wars?

well, no, but maybe I should! 🙂 UPDATE: yes I have. my dad remembers the toys from star wars, like the landspeeders.

All of the spaceships are incredible! 

Here is a neat article with pictures: https://vocal.media/futurism/coolest-star-wars-spaceships

The community centre had a special pass for the winter holidays where you could do unlimited skating, swimming or gymnastics drop-in. We got Ethan one of these passes and he spent almost every day doing at least one of those activities. He would go with one of his friends but was equally happy playing with new kids.

What are some of the new skills of things you can do in swimming and skating? 

When we got home, Ethan worked on his winter schedule.

I really enjoy seeing your process of planning your schedule from brainstorming to a color coded more organized version. I agree that a paper and pen version of this is really helpful. People seem surprised that I still use a paper calendar as a planner and not my phone, but I enjoy being able to see the bigger picture. 

Do you use calendars? 

 I would like to hear about some of your future plans and directions. I would like to include them in the Winter Connection I will be writing up this month. 

Violin classes start up again but Ethan has been continuously practicing over the winter break.

Your passion and dedication to playing violin is infectious! I look forward to hearing a piece sometime this year. 

Looks like you worked on a lot of coding over break too, even when you can’t do it on the computer. 

Coding: He went straight into using the code he wrote for calculating the chances of getting an exploding kitten for the Exploding Kitten game.

Coding:

The shots below are of Ethan’s coding in Python. He’s making a game called Snake. It’s a classic game where you move a “snake” around the screen trying to eat an apple. With each apple eaten, the snake grows longer and moves faster. The object of the game is to continue eating apples and not touching the sides of the screen. If the snake touches one of the sides, the game is over.

My question for you is: If you could code for anything, what would it be? 

Ethan thank you for all you shared this week and answering my questions in an email. 

Are you familiar with Carl Sagan at all? I like this quote a lot and it reminds me of your constant quest for now knowledge. 

Making science interesting

Although Sagan was most widely known for his scientific communication with the general public, he made many significant scientific contributions as well.

When Sagan was in graduate school, many scientists thought the planet Venus was similar to Earth. As part of his doctorate research, Sagan computed the first greenhouse model for Venus’ atmosphere, which revealed a higher temperature than previously suspected. Later, he suggested that dust storms on Mars caused the seasonal changes observed on that planet, and he also wrote a series of papers on the organic chemistry of Jupiter’s atmosphere.

As an advisor to NASA, Sagan helped design and manage the Mariner 2 mission to Venus, the Mariner 9 and Viking trips to Mars, the Voyager system to the outer solar system, and the Galileo mission to Jupiter. He also helped brief astronauts prior to their trips to the moon.

Sagan helped lay the groundwork for two new scientific disciplines: planetary science and exobiology, or the study of potential life on other planets. He co-founded and served as the first president of The Planetary Society, an organization dedicated to inspiring and involving the public in space exploration. And he promoted the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, where he served as a trustee.

But Sagan was far more visible as a scientific educator than as a researcher. He was gifted at breaking down scientific concepts into explanations that the public could readily understand, while avoiding talking down to them. He authored hundreds of popular articles and more than two dozen books, and he frequently appeared in Time magazine — landing the cover on Oct. 20, 1980.

hello Natasha! 

how are you doing?

here are the answers to week 17:

I really liked the mars video because it tells in detail what we need to do to colonize mars!

also, the speed of light video was fun, because it shows how fast light is, but also, how slow it is!

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have any bad habits to break even?

Or do you have any goals for the year ahead?

hmm, well, I did make a new year’s resolution, that I won’t use the computer as much and use books more, exercise more, focus on science than math because I focused too much on math last year.

How did you like Star Wars? Have you seen the other films? 

 I really liked the star wars movie. in fact, I went again to the movie theatre, and watched it again in 3D! and yes, I have watched the other star wars movies.

Have you asked your parents about their early memories of Star Wars?

well, no, but maybe I should! 🙂 UPDATE: yes I have. my dad remembers the toys from star wars, like the landspeeders.

The post Unschooling Journal December 29, 2019 – January 4, 2020 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

We have been asking Ethan to spend more time answering the questions and reviewing the information and websites sent by Natasha, Ethan’s SelfDesign Learning Consultant.

We greatly appreciate the material she sends us because it helps expand Ethan’s exposure to different learning resources. Everything she sent was related to things that Ethan enjoys learning about, which has helped him become even more engaged in his learning.

Ethan has also taken a strong interest in Diep.io, the online game with the tanks. He made a flowchart about each of the tanks in the game to visualize how to get specific tanks that he likes.

We also attended a physics event introduced to us by Natasha and he really enjoyed it. He mentioned that he wished it was hands-on and that he was already familiar with what they taught. However, he still had a great time, especially since he was there with friends. We’ll likely go every year from now on.

Ethan is very much into physics these days. He has been learning about oscillations and mechanical waves from Khan Academy. He found the lessons about sound waves particularly fascinating because of how they interact with each other.

For example, he learned a formula to calculate beat frequency and was able to input different numbers to demonstrate how the formula works.

He was inspired to write his own code in Python to calculate wavelengths.

In math, he’s been learning about polynomials and likes it because he can graph the results. He really enjoys creating a visual representation of things that he has learned.

He has been reading articles from the NASA website and writing about the topics he most enjoys. He has also made videos that he published today on his YouTube channel and we’ll include them in next week’s blog post.

When he had his symphony concert on the weekend, he really enjoyed it. The group only had three practices but were able to play fourteen of the Christmas classics. He enjoys practicing the violin at home, as well.

We have also started borrowing more books from the library. The topics span coding, science, fiction, math or just anything that he likes. He even got a drawing book. The reason for borrowing more books is because Ethan has been spending a lot of time on his laptop. We want him to have a better balance with offline learning activities, such as reading.

He’s not so much into the classic books we purchased for him. He doesn’t voluntarily read the classics, as he would rather read what interests him that he finds at the library.

He likes stories set in space, no surprise there, but he also likes Tom Gates and the Humphrey series of books. He is still into Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Waste of Space is another favourite that he not only reads, but he also listens to the audiobook. Audiobooks are available from the library as a digital download.

He enjoyed reading Holes by Louis Sachar and borrowed another one of Sachar’s books to read.

What he’s not so into is learning Spanish and learning about history. Although he works on the history timeline, he does it quickly to get it done. This is similar to learning Spanish with Duolingo.

We all went to Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia to finish the week. It was Ethan’s second time seeing it and he enjoyed it just as much this time, too. He didn’t catch any of the Spanish being spoken, though 🙂

December 8

December 9

December 10

December 11

From Mink, Ethan’s nature school teacher:

The day started with a fun round of Titanoboa, a collaborative tag game involving slaying of a giant prehistoric snake using only a few pine cones (poison dart frogs). Afterwards, we all sang a gratitude song together for circle, and Mink finished off the Badora story.

Mink’s group started out by playing a game of scout sword with Mikaela’s group. The object of the game is to pin clothes pins onto a blindfolded ninja, without getting hit by the pool noodle the ninja is swinging at anything hey can here. Afterwards, the ravens headed to a familiar spot where they had stashed some hemlock twigs in hopes that they would be dry for this weeks return to the fire challenge. The fire challenge proves to be just as difficult this week as last week, partially because the stashed hemlock twigs did not stay dry at all! Fortunately the Ravens had enough time to come through in the end, although they did end up having to use a lighter. The Pitch of a nearby Douglas Fir proved indispensable in lighting the fire. The teamwork exemplified by the group in this challenge was very impressive, and everyone got to celebrate by enjoying a hot beverage together at the end!

December 12

December 13

December 14

Thank you so much for writing up this summary for the week. It helps to have your ideas and reflections all in one place as opposed to me inferring from a caption on a photo. The photos are great, don’t get me wrong it’s just nice to have the week summarized like this once in a while, it helps me see the larger picture and make some connections as well. 

I am so glad Ethan enjoys the links and resources I offer. It is challenging to source them because I have to stretch into areas such as higher level math, physics and space which are all not my immediate my areas of interest and very far from areas of expertise. Thank you for the challenge, I am learning a lot from Ethan. 

I am happy to hear he went to the physics event with his friends. I am not surprised that he was familiar with the content. He is way above grade level after all. I guess this is an example of what might happen at NASA space camp and something to consider. 

I appreciate that he was hoping for more hands-on experience, but I guess you can explain that this was a lecture and presentation type event for a large group of people. 

It would be interesting to hear what Ideas Ethan has for making the event or topic shared more hands on, maybe he has some worthwhile input and feedback for the event. 

Perhaps he would like to get involved with it somehow in the years to come. It could be an opportunity for him to start making connections and building relationships with university students or professors of physics at UBC. He also might develop some new organization, event planning and leadership abilities.

Writing his own code to calculate wavelengths is such an advanced synthesis of his recent learning about waves and frequencies. He is really applying his new knowledge in creative and innovative ways. 

Wow 14 Christmas classics performed after only 3 practices, way to go Ethan! I don’t doubt that he practices at home. 

One of my favorites is Silent Night, so calming and peaceful. 

I think it is fine for him to pass on the classics for a bit and read what interests him at the library. Perhaps he could pick one or two classics every few months which he reads. Or listen to a classic on an audiobook. 

If Ethan is not as inspired by Spanish or Duolingo, switch it up. Have him do a country study on a country of his choosing where they speak Spanish, or go out to a Mexican meal and look at the menu for Spanish words he could learn. 

Or make a Mexican or South American meal at home. 

He could learn about the Las Posadas holiday which is celebrated at Christmas time in Mexico. 

https://library.sdlc.selfdesign.org/content-collection/las-posadas/

If this is of interest to Ethan check out winter holidays around the world: 

December is a month full of holidays that celebrate light in the darkness, family, togetherness, unity, and peace. Here are a few winter holidays that are celebrated throughout the world:

• Saint Nicholas Day (Christian)
• Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican)
• St. Lucia Day (Swedish)
• Hanukkah (Jewish)
• Yule (Pagan)
• Winter Solstice (secular)
• Christmas Day (Christian)
• Three Kings Day/Epiphany (Christian)
• Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish)
• Kwanzaa (African American)
• Omisoka (Japanese)

It is totally acceptable for the second language learning to be more of a cultural experience. 

I have some thoughts about his reluctance to do history. He might be bored of the timeline project and seeing history as a series of events in linear time sequence. 

I am going to direct you to the BC Ministry grade 6 social studies curriculum. 

It is actually not focused on a series of events at all but how complex social interact and influence each other. I suggest you click on the link below and explore the content with Ethan. See what he thinks, what he wonders about and how you could begin to explore the big ideas….I am curious to see what this ignites in him. I am actually surprised how advanced the subject matter is and the critical thinking skills involved. 

Social studies Grade 6: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/social-studies/6

Big Ideas:

-Economic self-interest can be a significant cause of conflict among peoples and governments.

-Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future.

-Systems of government vary in their respect for human rights and freedoms.

-Media sources can both positively and negatively affect our understanding of important events and issues.

Lastly I hope you have a fantastic holiday season together. 

Happy Holidays, 

Natasha in Nelson BC

https://www.youtube.com/embed/79ArflFunZk?feature=oembed&rel=0&wmode=transparent

hey Natasha!

how are you?

I’m fine, thank you.

here are the answers to week 15:

Are you using the [probability of getting exploded by an exploding kittnen] wheel as you play?

well, not really, but I did play with the wheel once, by myself. not with anybody else though ;).

Are there other games you would use this strategy for? 

hmm, I haven’t thought about that. maybe for scrabble, with the chance of getting a certain letter, or monopoly, the chance of landing on a property that somebody else owns…

I am curious to hear about what you learned in this process [of making this computer for hexapawn]?

erm… well, I learned a lot about how machines learn with trial and error! like deep blue, the computer that won against Lee Sedal! not sure if that’s how to spell the name though. Lee is the board game Go champion.

[making and listing every kind of thing in spaceeee] seems like quite a daunting task. 

How are you approaching it?

well, I am starting to try by naming the stars and planets. and those stars break up into main sequence stars and giant stars. which break up even further into brown dwarves, red dwarves, orange dwarves, and yellow dwarves.

 and those are just about 83% of all the stars. then there are supernovae, black holes, pulsars, galaxies, spiral, irregular, dwarf, nebulae, the list goes on and on. so, I am just putting all these categories into a group, and then, there are about 100 things to sort. what a long answer! 🙂

Have you ever been on a seesaw? 

yes, and I loved it! normally there aren’t any seesaws at the school but on the road trip across Canada, there were some!

PS, I really liked the artificial intelligence website you sent me! that’s because the machines you can make with AI are really interesting and they can be used everywhere, like vacuums(Roombas), cars(self-driving), and even chalkboard erasers! (okay, I made that last one up.)

PPS, can you tell me your home address please, because we want to send you something 😉

The post Unschooling Journal December 8-14, 2019 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

November 17

November 18

I also went to violin and taekwondo today.

November 19

I also went to the last class of mindfulness, with a 20-minute meditation today. we also ate oranges mindfully.

November 20

I also went to taekwondo today.

Report from Soaring Eagle Nature School:

Wanting to soak up as much precious sun as possible, the North Van Weekly program kicked off the day by making the trek down to the big field downhill of the gazebo. Here, we played a team-building exercise (disguised as a game) called “Dragon Battles”. In this game, there were three teams of kids who linked up by holding onto each other’s shoulders to form a dragon. The goal was for the head of each dragon to steal the tail of another dragon. Many rounds later, we had learned a thing or two about communication. Some groups experienced success while other dragons were repeatedly severed when kids in the front moved too fast for the rear to keep up with! It was a good learning experience, with lessons that if integrated can relate well to real-life teamwork situations! Afterward, everyone shared gratitude in our opening circle, along with educated guesses (some more serious than others!) about our track-cast mystery! A few kids, in particular, spent most of the morning doing research in the tracking guide to try to solve the mystery. At this point, we’ve narrowed it down between a bobcat and a mountain lion (cougar), and it remains to be proved out by the first student to measure the size of the tracks and make a good case for either species! We followed this with Mikaela’s unbelievable Wolverine story, which was rich with animal communication and behavior.

Mink’s group (the Ravens) stayed in the meadow and worked on learning about animal “gaits”–or movement patterns. They did this by learning to mimic animal movement styles in their own bodies, and some of them even competed in a very close Animal Forms Relay Race! A good rest was in order, so the Ravens found solitary sit spots while Mink set up the next exercise–and one kid had a very close encounter with a Dark-Eyed Junco while out on their sitspot! Afterward, Mink explained the basics of deadfall traps, what types of situations might call for their use, and how to go about it as ethically as possible. The ravens split into groups and started working on their own Figure-4 traps to dive into this new skillset! After all of their focus was expended, they finished the day off with a very fun and giggly game of Scout Sword, which felt like it could have gone on for a few more hours! Don’t forget to bring your traps back next week, and do some research on bobcat vs. cougar tracks!

November 21

I also went to the swimming class today.

November 22

November 23

I also went to symphony and swimming class today.

Hello Ethan, 

Thank you so much for emailing me some resources, I forgot about Prodigy and how much fun it is for some learners. 

Also thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and emailing them to me. 

I find it interesting that you are not interested in trying practice problems after you learn a new concept. I suppose you are able to progress more quickly if you skip all the practice. 

Once you learn a new equation and reteach it, do you try different variables or values in order to check your understanding? 

For example in the elastic and inelastic equations do you ever change the weight of the objects? The distances?

I am quite impressed with your timeline project. I think the shear length of it is giving you a better perspective on time, history and events.

I appreciate how this timeline was your idea and like many of your ideas you really stretch yourself and your learning.

I also went to the last class of mindfulness, with a 20-minute meditation today. we also ate oranges mindfully.

Do you feel like mindfulness practice informs your learning? 

Are there ways for you to learn more mindfully?

I am curious to hear your thoughts on Soaring Eagle Nature school. I hear a lot about your learning at home, on the computer, and making movies, but very little from you about your reflections and interests in your outdoor experiences. 

Maybe you can share a bit more in the coming weeks. 

I found these this week and thought of you Ethan. I am so excited to have some new things to share with you. I think you will really enjoy. 

I am curious to hear your thoughts and what sorts of connections and questions come up for you as you look at these infographics and videos about biology, mathematics, physics and chemistry. Any new ideas? New inspiration? 

I posted a few images and videos, but the rest is in the link I posted below. This is the website where I found them and maybe there is more for you to explore there as you are such a visual learner. 

Whether you are a scientist who feels like people never quite get what you do or a student who can’t put their finger on how they might use their math or science degree, Walliman’s infographics will come in handy. Consider them roadmaps to possible careers or cheat sheets to figuring out how quantum physics is related to the theory of relativity. Best of all, by studying the visual maps, it becomes easy to see how all these scientific fields overlap and fit together like a puzzle.

Dominic Walliman has created science infographics and animated videos that explore how the fields of biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, and mathematics relate.

I linked to another infographic and this one is to debunk 100 common myths: https://mymodernmet.com/free-infographic-design-100-common-myths/

Have you heard any of these? Did you learn anything new? 

It’s no secret that some of the things we learn in school, as well as common conventional wisdom, are actually fabrications. Still, these myths are hard to dispel because they’re so ingrained in our society and general understanding of the world at large. How many times, for instance, have you been told not to eat before you go swimming? That’s a total lie—eating prior to the pool doesn’t increase the risk of muscle cramps, so enjoy that cheeseburger before taking a dip. This misconception, along with 99 other common myths, is featured in one fascinating free infographic from GeekWrapped.

Now I know you would like to get into university and possibly pursue a PhD someday. This is an informative infographic of this process. I suggest you read the article here:

https://mymodernmet.com/phd-infographic-matt-might/

I think it is limited albeit often true. I wonder if there are ways to pursue a PhD yet have an interconnected perspective which takes the bigger picture into account more often. I think with your background in Self Design, you may be better poised to do this Ethan.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZihywtixUYo?feature=oembed&rel=0&wmode=transparent

View in popup 

View in popup 

ok, here are my answers to your questions. 

Did he make this[bar graph] for a Self Design workshop? His idea? Or suggested by someone? 

okay, so this was for the self-design workshop. 😉

Why do you think Ethan does not do more practice questions? 

 okay, so I think that, if you learn something, and do practice questions, it’s kinda like learning it again. that’s why I don’t like practice problems. also, if I forget, I can just re-learn it.

BIG STEPS! How is this new role [in the concert strings group] feeling? 

I think it feels really interesting and fun! it makes me “sight read”, which means I can’t write any notes down!

Are you challenged? More inspired? How is this Concert Strings group different from the last one you were in?

I am definitely challenged. the concert strings group does way more complex things than the Debut strings group.

Maybe you can help me understand [the game of life’s] relevance and why you were so drawn to it? 

because the game of life is always changing every time! it’s really cool, and I think it is really fun! so, these are the rules:

1. Any live cell with two or three neighbors survives.
2. Any dead cell with three live neighbors becomes a live cell.
3. All other live cells die in the next generation. Similarly, all other dead cells stay dead.

-What did you learn? 

well, I learned that there are a lot of stable formations, and if you disturb it, the stable group just collapses. it represents how humanity survives and grows.

-How does the Game of Life relate to other areas or topics you are learning about? 

hmm… well, it sorta relates to math I guess… umm…I’m not sure! I found this game of life in the book “Math: with bad drawings”.

N – What ‘n’-ature adventure(s) have you been on this week? Or did you have any experiences this week where you felt like you yourself or somebody else or something had to be perfect and if so how did you deal with the fact that ‘n’-obody’s/’n’-othing’s perfect?

O – What did you ‘o’-bserve closely this week? Or did you do any ‘o’-rigami this week? Or did you learn about any ‘o’-ral traditions this week? Or did you learn or use any math ’o’-perations this week and if so which operation did you learn and how did you use it? Or were you ‘o’-pen to any new experiences this week and if so what? 

V –  Have you watched any YouTube ‘v’-ideo tutorials and if so what did you learn about this week? Or have you ‘v’-iewed any documentaries or films and if so what did you learn about this week? Or have you done any ‘v’-olunteering this week? Or would you like to do any ‘v’-olunteering and if so where? 

E – How did you feel a connection to the ‘e’-arth this week? Or how have you ‘e’-xpressed your learning this week? Or did you ‘e’-xperiment with anything this week and if so how and what did you learn? Or what educational ‘e’-xperience(s) were you open to this week? 

M – Did you ‘m’-ake any music this week, like what? Or did you ‘m’-ake any art this week, like what? Or did you ‘m’-ake anything this week where you were creative with designing or building or innovating or inventing? Or did you ‘m’-ake anyone laugh this week and if so how? Or how did you use ‘m’ath this week? Or did you do anything to ‘m’-ake a difference this week to your community, your planet, your family, yourself, and if so what and how? Or did you develop any more ‘m’-indfulness or discover any more personal growth this week? Or did you study anything about ‘m’-arine life or ‘m’-atter and energy or ‘m’-icrobes or ‘m’-ythology or ‘m’-usic this week?

B – Did you ask any ‘b’-ig questions this week and if so is there an answer and if so are you satisfied (or not) with the answer? Or did you ‘b’-ake or cook anything this week and if so what and how did it turn out and taste? Did you do any ‘b’-irdwatching this week and if so what did you see and what do you love about birds? Or are you interested to learn more about ‘b’-lack history in Canada or other countries? Or did you do any ‘b’-iking or ‘b’-oarding this week and if so what and where and how did it go?

E – Did you engage in any ‘e’-ntrepreneurial ventures this week and if so which and how? Or did you use your sense of ‘e’-conomics this week in any way and if so how? 

Or did you use or learn anything about ‘e’-ngines (big or small) this week? 

R – Did you find any ways to ‘r’-educe or ‘r’-euse or ‘r’-ecycle or upcycle this week? Or have you learned anything new or different or deeper about ‘r’-elationships this week and with who and how have you put it into practice?

The post Unschooling Journal November 17-23, 2019 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

October 27

In the afternoon, Ethan had his creative writing class.

October 28

Monday, which means violin class and taekwondo in the evening.

October 29

In the evening, Ethan had his mindfulness class.

October 30

From Ethan’s nature school teacher, Mink:

It was another beautiful day in North Van and everyone was thankful for the continued sunny weather. The crew started off their day by ferrying kids to a less-used location in order to reduce their impact on the usual opening game spot above the meadow. After some good old fashioned “Plant Ball” and the next installment of the “Iron John” story by Scott, everyone went their separate ways for the day.

Mink’s group (the Ravens) took the less-travelled path to a new place most of them had never been before, where they established a super-secret base of operations for their day. From there, some of the group worked on harvesting and grinding up charcoal for face paint, while others finished their elderberry containers (which could be used to carry extra charcoal with them). The face paint was used for camo, and everyone dove fully into the exercise! Once everyone’s face had a healthy amount of charcoal, Mink introduced a few extra colours of face paint which she brought from home to add the final touches. The camo worked wonders for breaking up the lines of the face which make it easily recognizable. The Ravens established a symbol for their group which was drawn/painted onto everyone, along with some secret bird calls and hand signals to assist with stealthy travel. After a few rounds of a sneaking game to warm up their bodies, everyone embarked on what turned out to be a wildly successful scouting mission!

Ethan also had taekwondo class in the evening.

October 31

Ethan had swimming lessons this morning.

November 1

November 2

Ethan had a symphony class and swimming lessons today in the morning.

And that was Ethan’s week as an unschooler. Let us know if you have questions or comments about unschooling.

Another incredible week, complete with pacman game coding, lots of research, a ton of teaching what you learn, math, space, costume creation and trick or treating! 

I have noted many of the highlights of learning and I will not be responding in full to this observation as I am going to be working on the Fall Connection and will be having a Zoom call with you tomorrow. Please remember to complete your goal setting activity I posted in Week 11.

I find it interesting that Ethan does not play video games and yet it really interested in the math and sequencing behind the game. 

Are there other games which the coding interest him? What’s next?

I have to say I love the anchor painting he did in mindfulness. 

Anchor: breath, nature, math

So wonderful to have such a clear image of what makes him feel anchored. I felt inspired to think of my own three words. 

It is so difficult to pick three but I will try: nature, connection and movement

The Pumpkin pi costume is clever and fits his interests so well, much like the black hole did last year. 

I did the SelfDesign workshop, where I meet up with people/kids/students/happy faces/teacher. 

Can you tell me more about this when we talk tomorrow? 

teach, teach, teach.(today, I learned about loop de loop bowling!)

Ethan does so much teaching. 

Who is the audience?

Who else could he teach? 

Is he interested in doing any peer tutoring? Maybe in math? At the library?

It is so striking to witness how much Ethan is writing compared to this time last year. Huge progress! Thank oyu for sharing his process from researhc to notetaking to publication of content for his blog. 

You read “Old Man and the Sea” fantastic

What did you like best about this book? 

Did it remind you of any other books you have read? 

It’s on my list to read since it is a Classic and I still have not, do you recommend it? 

Why do you think Hemmingway is considered to be such a great author? 

Wrap it in bacon recipes

The bacon wrapped shrimp sounded delicious. Here are 17 other snacks to try wrapped in bacon..

https://tasty.co/article/melissaharrison/mouthwatering-bacon-wrapped-snacks-that-you-need-to-try

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The post Unschooling Journal October 27-November 2, 2019 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

Ethan did a lot of graphing in his math studies this past week. He mentioned that he really enjoys this part of math because he finds it fun to draw the graphs.

October 20

Ethan had his creative writing class today. They worked on creating ads for products but they had to think of new uses for the products.

October 21

In addition to what he did at home, Ethan had taekwondo class and violin class.

October 22

Ethan had mindfulness class today.

October 23

Ethan spent the day at Soaring Eagle Nature School. They went to Maplewood Flats to hear stories from some members of a local indigenous tribe and explore the flats. In the evening, Ethan had taekwondo class.

What happened at Soaring Eagle Nature School today from Mink, Ethan’s teacher:

It was a refreshing change this week to explore the new landscape of Maplewood Flats. The day started with some very enthusiastic games of “Beat MasteR”, (which involved ridiculous dance moves) followed by the even more dramatic “Handshake Murder”. Kids were dropping dead left and right as the mystery murderer moved from subject to subject, giving the dreaded double-squeeze handshake, and the detective stood by trying to figure out who was at fault. Meanwhile, lots of folks got their hands in on making some thoughtful thank-you cards for the presenters.

Ocean and Sinaqwila of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation were our presenters for the morning, sharing many beautiful words and traditions from their culture. After some brief introductions and a story translated from their native language, we split into two groups for a foray into the landscape. Both groups had a chance to spend time with Ocean and Sinaqwila, learning about some of the local medicinal plants and customs of the Tsleil-Waututh. After the guided walks were through, everyone joined back together for lunch and the thankyou cards were delivered.

Ocean and Sinaqwila said their goodbyes and folks returned to their usual groups for the afternoon. Everyone missed Craig, who was too sick to come to program, but it was fun to mix it up by having members of his group join other groups for the day!

Scott’s group invited Musa and Ryland to join their group for the afternoon, and everyone was excited to continue playing “Handshake Murder”. Scott is curious about who can come up with a nature themed version of this game! After this, everyone crowded around a map of the park and Scott gave everyone a challenge to use the map to find the way to a particular spot that he pointed to on it. This brought on a lot of excitment and had everyone working together and moving quickly into the park. The group explored the whole outside of the bird sanctuary and ended up seeing a great blue heron and a bushtit nest! After this everyone found their way back to the parking lot in time for a final game of “Butterfly Catch”.

Mikaela’s group started their afternoon adventure with a map of Maplewood Flats in hand and the goal of reaching an observation platform over West Pond. During their walk, challenges were in place to spot a Bushtit nest (looks like a grey sock), a Pacific Tree Frog (looks like tiny jewels on Blackberry leafs), and as many wooden bird houses as they could! The journey also had them recognizing landmarks and using them to find their location on the map; many shared that, after the day, they now know how to use a map! The group should anticipate some compass and map challenges in the future! On the platform, Mikaela’s group played Icky Stick, which had them jumping over, crouching under and using ninja-like moves to avoid getting touched by the stick held by Mikaela. They were also up for the biggest challenge of Where’s My Pumpkin, which required working together as a team to retrieve a ”pumpkin”. The group was successful at the last minute before needing to return to the big group at the end of the day!

Mink’s group made their way to a nearby clearing to play one of Mink’s all-time favourite games: “Scout Sword”. The game involves a blindfolded ninja bearing a pool noodle, who is surrounded by sneaky scouts, attempting to attach clothespins to their body. The game was played with gusto and tact for many rounds! Afterwards, the Raven’s volunteered to guide Beatrix’s grandmother and little brother to Mikaela’s group, who were located way on the other side of the forest loop! It turned out to be quite a trek, with some cool nature sightings along the way including a great blue heron. Once the delivery was complete, another final round of Scout Sword was played (as promised!). Auden (from Craig’s group) made an excellent and challenging ninja opponent. On the way back, there was a competition to see who could find the BIGGEST big leaf maple leaf, and the smallest cottonwood leaf. It took the group much longer than anticipated to get back, with some complaints of very tired legs which refused to move! The Ravens arrived back late after all, (sorry!) having had a very full and eventful day.

Thanks for another sweet day yall, see you next week!

–Wed North Van Crew

October 24

Today, Ethan had his swimming lesson today. This is the home learners class so there are only 2-3 students. He said he prefers the larger group swimming lesson on Saturday because he feels more motivated with other kids around.

October 25

October 26

Saturday. Ethan had his symphony class in the morning, then his group swimming lesson. In between those classes, we went to the library.

Hello Ethan and Carl, 

I had a conversation with Catherine Dinim about options and resources for Ethan this week. 

I will be sharing the content more at length when we have our Zoom meeting 10am Friday Nov 8th. 

She had a lot of great ideas, resources and insights for Ethan since he is working way beyond his grade level in math and science. 

She also explained more to me about how the grade 10-12 works in Self Design and other options for highschool online and applying to university as a homeschooler etc. 

If Ethan is interested in taking a university level course online at all this year, just to try it out she recommended Coursera, maybe a course in physics, chemistry, astronomy, calculus….

https://www.coursera.org/

Some reflections on week 9:

New chalk markers are super nice. I think it will only help his chalk board teaching/explanations! I think it would be neat to compile all the photos you have of his chalk board work into one photo montage. It would show the progress and progression of his work….just an idea. 

Carl: Ethan learned about a math-based problem from a YouTube channel called Numberphile. The mouse is in a pond, while the cat is outside the pond. The object is to calculate where and when the mouse can swim out then run away from the cat.

here is the simulation.

Carl: The challenge is that the cat is four times faster than the mouse when the mouse is in the pond. But once the mouse reaches land, it is faster than the cat. The simulation shows the scenarios

Carl: Ethan really enjoyed this type of problem. He found this problem and discovered ways to learn it on his own. He likes to challenge himself and enjoys finding new things to learn. We were worried about not providing challenging materials for him but he’s been able to find them himself.

I am so glad you found Numberphile. He is challenged and is asked to apply the mathematical theory he is learning in an applied way! I hope there are many more scenarios for him to consider and try to solve. 

I suppose he can see if there are any links or suggested Youtubes from Numberphile. He is very good at finding more material to explore. 

I found this site this week, it is part of NASA so he might already be familiar but I thought these are other hands on ways to explore. I think he may have done some of these before:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/stem-activities-for-families/

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/

then, he made a program that simulated a coin. he made it all by himself! it will take your number, and take 2^(your number). it will basically calculate, if you have that many coins, how many sequences there are. for example, for 3, there is: HHH,THH,HTH,TTH,HHT,THT,HTT,TTT. there are 8 possibilities, and that is 2 cubed, or 2 to the 3rd power. so, that is why if you take 2 and raise it tio the nth power, n will be the number of coins if flips.

The program writing he is doing is impressive here! So cool that he did it all on his own. Which program is he using. Would this be considered coding as well? Please excuse my rudimentary knowledge of program writing here…

I can’t wait to see what next week brings. 

Thank you for responding to my questions, such thoughtful and reflective writing Ethan. I included it here in your reflection for week 9. 

My next question for you is

What are some areas of challenge for you these days? 

Do you want to pick one to focus on developing? 

I look forward to our fall reflection conversation and your work on the SD competencies. 

In case you are interested this is how the BC Ministry is incorporating Core Competencies into the new BC Curriculum:

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Hello Natasha! 

how are you doing?

I’m fine, just learning new things.

here are the answers to your questions.

Ethan, can you imagine a life with no computers, apps, digital computers, videogames, online research, and programs? 

yes, because you can always learn about things with books, and I don’t play video games. I think homeschooling would be hard, and if I wanted to know something, I would ask others.

What is Ethan using this periodic table for? 

I’m using the periodic table as a giant reference of the elements, and I use it when solving chemistry problems.

Seems like it has been a while since he played[four player chess].Any new insights or is he just keeping up with his skills?

well, I saw a link to four-player chess. then I clicked on it, and it was fun again!

Tell me more….does the pumpkin explode.

no, it just kinda pops open and shows a creature with bat ears. here is the link that I used.

Halloween this week, making your costume, plans? 

yes! I just started on Oct 27! this year, I’m making a pumpkin pi! so, it is a pumpkin with the digits of pi around it!

Ethan are you interested in doing more photography or were you learning this to make your 3D pictures pop more? 

I’m not interested in photography, I was just learning this just to make my 3d pictures pop more.

How have you recent studies of force and acceleration influenced the ways you see objects, vehicles, etc. in motion around you?

I was so interested in other things(hypothetical things) that I kinda forgot about those things, but maybe I should pay more attention to that now!

What are you learning from the book? [things to make and do in the fourth dimention]

crafts to make for math! some creative things to do! if I’m bored, I will refer back to it to see if there is anything to do. for example, if you have a square 70×70, that will make a square 4 900 in area. now make each square into a sphere. then, stack them in a square pyramid 24 spheres tall.so, there are 4900 spheres. this is my favorite “cannonball” number, and I can guarantee it is your favorite as well…because 4900 is the only number that works! that is what I am learning about in the book. that is why I like it!

Have you tried any of the games and puzzles? 

yes! like, the trihexiflexagon. the trihexaflexagon is a lot like the hexaflexagon, but it is a square.

Will you be making any videos based on the book? 

Have you watched any of his video talks?

(a) I don’t think so, because I have so many videos to make, but maybe I might! and (b) yes, I watched the one you sent me. that was very exciting and funny!

Are these the proposed solutions to an asteroid heading toward the earth?

yes, and they have been scientifically proven! interestingly, spray painting an asteroid will work, but you have to spray paint it about 10 years before it hits.

Ethan, you are learning so much theory and equations any desire for hands-on?

not really, but if “hands-on” is fun, yes, sure!

How about some ideas for building new science and physics projects?

sure, if it is fun! it sounds fun… so… yeah, I guess! sounds fun! I don’t have any ideas right now, but I will think about it!

The post Unschooling Journal October 20-26, 2019 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

September 22

September 23

September 24

September 25

September 26

September 27

September 28

And that was Ethan’s week. I’m sure there were other things he did, like violin class, taekwondo and swimming lessons that I didn’t include. But overall, it was another busy week on unschooling and SelfDesign.

I really like the way you are learning about new topics and then doing your own original writing based on the subject, like you did for the binary star. 

The note taking you do complete with graphics is right up my alley. When I am learning something new, I like to summarize it in writing and use pictures which I can refer to later. 

Are you keeping all of these in one notebook? 

Do you refer to it before you make videos? 

Do you use this journal as a place to brainstorm and plan out your instructional videos as well? 

Origami Pac Man that he learned from his favourite origami YouTuber, Jeremy Schafer.

The origami rubik’s cube is stellar!!

What is it about Jeremy Schafer that you so enjoy, Ethan? 

Does he do things in his Youtubes that you would try to emulate? 

Here is a visual problem you might enjoy and video to follow. 

What are your Halloween plans? Costume this year. I loved the black hole last year. Check out the Library for more Halloween tips and ideas: 

All Hallow’s Eve…Boo

There are also content pages you can click on the right side for even more, by topic

Would you like to find out more? You may like to check out these Content Pages:

• Costumes – DIY
• Crafts and Decorations
• Death and Decomposition
• Food
• Games
• Ghost Stories
• Haunted Houses
• Halloween: Around the World
• History
• Jack ‘o’ Lanterns
• Scarecrows
• Vampires and Werewolves

I have some questions you may want to consider: 

Either for discussion, writing or even in response to me in an observing for learning: 

Where do your new ideas come from? 

 What are you curious about? 

How have you used questions to learn more about something?

How could you share your idea with others?

What are different ways you could share your ideas?

When did you try something new this week? How did that go?

When did you try something hard this week? How did that go?

Tell about a time you made a mistake …

When was a time when you learned from a mistake you made?

Another successful week. Here are some of my comments and questions. 

What are you using Arduino for? 

What is the number keypad for? 

Way to work through the challenges. 

Does Ethan get frustrated? How does he handle these more difficult emotions these days? 

Arduino micro-computers offer a more advanced way to build, program and control robots.

• Best Ideas for Cheap Arduino Uno Projects
• 19 Awesome Robots You Can Build With An Arduino

Learning about robotics with other kids is a fun way to problem solve and explore. Robotics camps and clubs are found across BC. Maybe there’s one near you! 

Robotics can be a solitary activity, but it can also be fun to do with a friend. What are the benefits of working alone or with others? 

If you don’t see something in your area on this list, check your local community centre program guide. Many are offering robotics and other engineering camps and courses. 

Vancouver/Lower Mainland:

• Geering Up
• Daedalos Academy
• Science World Robotics Club
• Robokids (multiple locations)
• Mad Science
• Digital Media Academy

I did the ladder illusion drawing with a class of 5th and 6th graders this week. Thanks again for the idea and inspiration. Ours did not quite come out as well as your did, but I think with more practice. I thought of you when I saw this artist who paints large illusion drawings on buildings. See article below

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September 15

September 16

September 17

September 18

Today was Soaring Eagle Nature School day.

Afterwards, Ethan had taekwondo class. Wednesday’s are very full days but he loves nature school.

September 19

September 20

September 21

With two swimming lessons a week, taekwondo and nature school, Ethan’s been more active so far than last year and it seems like he isn’t as tired. He’s also been ramping up his math and science studies. With the SelfDesign workshop, this has helped Ethan in terms of interacting with other home learners and we might try to find other classes where he can collaborate with other kids. Let’s see what next week brings on Ethan’s unschooling journey.

LC shorter response

This video is about what the eta carinae system is all about: so weird!

The post Unschooling Journal September 15-21, 2019 appeared first on How to Do Stuff With Ethan.

September 8

September 9

September 10

September 11

Report from Soaring Eagle Nature School about Ethan’s group:

Mink’s group busted out of basecamp like a pack of wolves and gathered atop a peak on the east side of the lake to practice some forest skills. The first challenge was to test their tracking skills through the “art of questioning”. A seemingly simple object was passed around many times, and the goal was to always ask new questions about it. Mink feels they could use some work in this area. That said, she was quickly impressed by their mastery of the “fox walk”. A good grasp of the foundational skill allowed the group to dive deeper into the skill through various exercises and sneaking games. If you want to see the types of games Mink’s group plays, you’ll have to sneak up on them! They talked about “baseline” and as they did so, watched the bird activity and animal life slowly return to the area. The return of forest baseline brought with it a mysterious woodpecker, and the group spotted a Stellar’s Jay making a strange alarm as a Douglas Squirrel approached. A the end of the day, the students had to earn their nature names through a group challenge which put their team-building skills to the test.

September 12 – Morning Jog

September 12 – At Home

He spent the evening listening to The Alchemist audiobook with Dong Eun before going to bed.

September 13

September 14

That was a very busy week of unschooling for Ethan but he seemed to really enjoy it. He ended most nights listening to The Alchemist with Dong Eun so he also quite enjoyed that. Although it can sometimes be challenging for Ethan to find his study materials, what he finds he enjoys for the most part.

So let’s see what he does next week.

Week 3 Direct Contact

I had a long Zoom conversation with Ethan and his parents. I am going to share some of the highlights: 

Ethan completed his own slides and reported that LP Slides’ Format worked for him. 

We chatted a bit about his desire to study for the SAT.He explained that it is one of the requirements to get into NASA. He would like to get into MIT first, he know he needs a bachelors and then a Masters and PhD. 

I reminded him that the SAT is a Grade 11 test. So take your time. It is wonderful to look ahead and have goals and make a plan. 

He spoke about his week: This week I got slowly back into school: math, science, history, Language Arts.
When I asked Ethan about his plans for World History. He told me he is going for big picture, big timeline, 8000BC to present day, writing it all down. He is starting at the invention of agriculture, hard to get info on the very early areas. Now more and more things are happening. 700bc, 500 year jumps, 100 jumps, seeing that pattern of more and more information and events as you get closer to present day. 

I suggested doing a Timeline of your own life and also projecting into the future…

Or timelines of your parents…It could be a chance to begin to read biographies of people of interest to Ethan too. 

In Science: learning physics now, mostly using Khan Academy. It offers a well sequenced program. 

In chemistry he is learning how to balance chemical equations using moles. He said its fun! I can’t beleive this as I did this level of chemistry in grade 11 and 12, but he has the mathematical knowledge and such a firm understanding of the elements it is a natural progression. I am excited to see where this goes this year. Refer to electron configurations, need the table. I mentioned Advanced Placement exams as a possible way to gain college credits in High school. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/graduation/getting-credit-to-graduate/advanced-placement

Language Arts: I am using the Canadian Reader, printing out questions, reading the article writing the answers down. Pick a subject explore it from many angles. 

Violin is fun, just started classes by himself again. I like writing my own pieces, easier to use music that is already produced by someone. I like the sound of the piece I learn that one. 

I have my own kayak. It is out on the balcony. I kayak with friends. 

How is homeschooling life? 

Parents:  Introducing more and more books to him, available to him. Classic novels, seem interesting. Books at the library based on interests.  A little more directed now, have an objective for us as well. Helpful for us, critical reading and critical thinking, “The Reading Zone” created by a teacher. What they do get kids to read for enjoyment. Kids will read a book, elementary to high school loves to read. Through the reading, when they understood, intuitively understood, plots, themes, character development. Knows he already loves to read, rather than reading fiction that way, take away the engagement, just be immersed in the story. Let him enjoy, have it available. Come more naturally, letter essays, write a letter to a friend about this book. Has a few questions, openers. 

How does it feel to do your own reporting? I expect I will be seeing a lot more of it this year.

Ethan has been enjoying it. 

 Last week we had a talk about going back to brick and mortar school. Him not wanting to plan, having research into what he should learn. Has a plan. You can go to BC Ministry website for grade 6 curriculum and he can find at least an outline of topics and subjects. Feel free to explore higher grades in math and science, of course. 

The curriculum is laid out by subject and grade. Click on the one you want and scroll down to see the competencies as well as the con tent covered. This could be a very helpful resource for Ethan in his planning. :https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies

They also talk about the Core Competencies in the new BC Curriculum: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies

He was getting tired of finding the resources, what he wants to learn next. He takes time to find what’s to learn. He is having a hard time, part of the process. 

History and language arts does not want to find it. Challenge for us to work with. Ethan really wants to continue to lead his own learning. Yes, et me lead. 

So some of my suggestions: Have a schedule, maybe create an outline of where we are going, use the BC ministry curriculum as a guide. 

Maybe have an assignment or a project each week or month?

He does have a daily schedule, looking at the bigger picture, maybe bigger project. 

Ethan will be starting Nature school tomorrow, swimming lessons, taekwondo. Took sessions of swimming over the summer. Helped him progress and improve, level 9!  enjoying the swimming. 

Using the Elements of Mathematics Foundations. Really interesting, keep a log of conversations with tutors and teachers. Ethan will ask them questions, how well and clearly he explained mathematical equations. Knows how to write and ask the questions. Quite proud of him. Different way of looking at math. 

Check out Outschool courses maybe he could take some and let him have a break from planning. Looking at using math using logic to determine how to solve this. 

Check out Outschool, perhaps there are some courses he is interested in and can collaborate and discuss with other online learners.  https://outschool.com/#abk0elpic2

Don’t worry so much about content. There is endless information and material to explore, perhaps begin to consider the competencies which Ethan is developing. 

There is a whole section of information about the Self Design

 Competencies in the e-Portfolio. We will revisit all of this at the Fall Reflection time, but it might be helpful to explore, considering our recent conversation:

Ethan told me how he got all of his tasks done and he had the afternoon free. Once he had this space, he just kept creating! This is passion based learning at its finest. I encourage ethan to take these quiet times when he has time and space and just see what arises naturally. Follow those impulses.  

Here is a note that the family sent for week 2 which explains some of the challenges Ethan is having in terms of finding the content and doing his own lesson planning. We discussed these concerns at leangth and I think they left the conversation feeling relieved and more clear. 

Natasha, 

I know this is not necessary because we did the Learning Plan but I thought it’d be good to share with you anyway…

First week of September and we’re up and running with unschooling for Grade 6. This was an interesting week because there were murmurs of wanting to go back to brick and mortar school!

We’ve always said to Ethan that if he ever wanted to go back to regular school, he could. That was a topic of discussion this week while we were talking about behaviour and attitude.

Ethan has been working on using words to express himself when he doesn’t like or want to do something. He’s also working on explaining himself better to help others understand a situation more clearly.

For example, when I come home and ask him about something he did earlier, he’ll sometimes answer without providing much detail or context so I’m not really sure what he did.

During a talk this past week about his reaction to things, listening when someone is speaking to him and using his words to better express his feelings, he revealed that he wouldn’t mind going back to regular school.

When we asked him why, he said that he finds searching for material to learn from really hard to do. He said that in school, the teacher plans everything and that he would only need to do the work.

However, for this year Ethan is going to focus on SAT prep and using Khan Academy’s SAT prep materials. That means he has a “curriculum” laid out and he only needs to do the work. We’ll see how it goes but we’ll need to talk more about how he’s feeling.

One thing he mentioned was that if he went back to school and didn’t like it after a few months, he would want to switch back to unschooling. We said that he would have to commit to school and couldn’t just change whenever he felt like it. Of course, if he was absolutely miserable, we’d let him come back but we also feel that he’s only talking about school because he was worried about having to find his own learning materials each day.

Overall, he loves learning from home and being able to explore his interests so we’re curious to see if he would really want to go back to school. We’ll support him if that’s what he wants but we’ll see.

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