Posted on 07/25/2007 7:37:07 PM PDT by Lorianne
Exploring power, ownership, and equity in an early childhood classroom ___
Carl and Oliver,* both 8-year-olds in our after-school program, huddled over piles of Legos. They carefully assembled them to add to a sprawling collection of Lego houses, grocery stores, fish-and-chips stands, fire stations, and coffee shops. They were particularly keen to find and use "cool pieces," the translucent bricks and specialty pieces that complement the standard-issue red, yellow, blue, and green Lego bricks.
"I'm making an airport and landing strip for my guy's house. He has his own airplane," said Oliver.
"That's not fair!" said Carl. "That takes too many cool pieces and leaves not enough for me."
"Well, I can let other people use the landing strip, if they have airplanes," said Oliver. "Then it's fair for me to use more cool pieces, because it's for public use."
Discussions like the one above led to children collaborating on a massive series of Lego structures we named Legotown. Children dug through hefty-sized bins of Legos, sought "cool pieces," and bartered and exchanged until they established a collection of homes, shops, public facilities, and community meeting places. We carefully protected Legotown from errant balls and jump ropes, and watched it grow day by day.
After nearly two months of observing the children's Legotown construction, we decided to ban the Legos.
(Excerpt) Read more at rethinkingschools.org ...
I have to admit I read this story this morning and it left me shaking my head in disbelief!
As I drove off to work this story hung with me. I got to thinking about of all things...a Commandment. You know, one of the big 10.
And wondered if it ever occurred to these teachers that what they failed to teach the other children was just as important as their warped sense of “sharing.” Although it is indeed a lesson they themselves never seemed to have learned.
Thou shalt not covet...
to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another
Maybe Pelo should go teach her thoughts in countries like Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, so we can have world peace.
Mark
My wife is TheMom here at FR so it just came naturally to call our children TheBoy and TheGirl.
She is 17 and he is 20.
This reminds me of when several school districts decided to even the playing field between the “rich” and “poor” kids.
On the first day (or so) of school all the children put their school supplies into collective boxes so that the “rich” and “poor” could share the bounty. What really happened as the children’s parent all made similar yearly incomes the parents who tightened their belts in other areas so that they could purchase the 64 count box of crayons for their kids were cheated out of their fine efforts as junior may have had to settle on the 10 count box.
Also there were all of the left handed kids trying to use right handed scissors and vice versa.
Glad I wasn’t in one of those districts as I learned that to have the money for something that I want I have to forgo something else that I want.
Yes indeed.
The cold war was a waste of money.
Welcome to the American communist party
public school system.
bttt
Why does Oprah have more than one house?
Why are all of Oprah’s houses bigger than mine?
Is it fair that Oprah has several beach homes and I have none?
Why does Oprah have more cars than me?
I think Oprah should share with all of us.
ponging me
Why are they teaching our children? Parents are letting their children being abused by the schools.
Just curious, do you realize that thread and my reply to it is from 2007? 8 years ago?
Adding to my listen of reasons to homeschool.
Maybe this thread and the article in the discussion is far more meaningful now. All these children have become adults.
In light of everything that’s happening, re-reading this article should be far, far more constructive to today’s events and the loss of our nation.
How much of this sounds like the Representatives of today.
ELCA is the organization that made Minnesota what it is today.
They are idiot adults
They let this get way out of hand
And then think they are being brilliant for banning the Lego
But didn’t they shoehorn in Ruth Bader Ginsburg into the second Lego Movie?
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