Blog Posts

The Hive: Democracy in action

4/22/2015

On Friday afternoons at 1:00, you will find the students at the Inside Outside School gathering in the library for the Hive. Over the course of the week, students add things to the agenda that they wish to introduce to the community.

Looking over the Hive notes for this semester I made a list of things that have been discussed, debated, and/or decided:
How did the survival skill class's shelter get destroyed?
Where do we put boots and shoes?
People are walking into the kitchen after the inside spaces clan just mopped.
Can we have a pet day? Can we have book character day? Can we have opposite day/pj day/Pokémon card day?
Talking vs. Gossip
The trials and tribulations of Capture the Flag: people use decoy flags, people pretend they don't know where the jail is and wander around really looking for the flag. People give away the hiding spot by looking where it was hidden.
Which side of the compost is the active side and which is not?
Do we have a disaster plan?
Bragging
People don't flush/clean off the seat if you sprinkle.
Sharing lipstick
"Stop" means "Stop"
Lola (the parakeet) got popcorn.
Trash is being left on the porch after snack and lunch.
Is it ok to catch lizards, frogs and dragonflies?
throwing sticky weed
bringing stuff from home that gets broken
If you share your food who throws away the trash?
Here is what is on the board so far for this week...

I hope you enjoyed your glimpse into our Hive. You may have noticed that our Dimension of Human Greatness is posted on the Hive agenda each week. I will end with a quote I wrote down in our Hive notes recently from Molly. The dimension that week was "Identity." "You always have identity even if you are not talking about it."

5 Comments

After the Equinox

3/24/2015

7 Comments

Once we go into Spring Break, things begin to change so rapidly that the afternoon woods are not the same woods we visited in the morning. When we returned to school yesterday we were greeted by a blast of new spring greens.

Our gardens and grasses are thriving after the rains we've had, and in some sections of the campus, we have deep, deep mud. That makes working on the "Buggy Pond," a real treat. Every day it changes and evolves.

With the birth of baby goats, we now have goat milk. Rachel, our farm manager, faithfully trudges through the mud each morning to milk Pumpkin. It turns out that Miz Mocha isn't going to be a milk goat, although her little billy baby, Latte, gets plenty. Rachel's class is experimenting with goat milk yogurt. They are making their own yogurt culture.

We have plenty of spring projects going, erosion control being one of the top priorities. Through a generous donation of materials from Whittlesey, we will be able to tackle the task. Erosion is one of the things that most schools cannot teach through hands on methodology. Not so at IOS! No text book teaching for us! We have erosion in the creek, uphill, downhill and all around the campus.

Our gardens continue to grow and new things are planted almost daily. The students are learning how to rotate crops from season to season, how to manage pests, and when to harvest the perfect produce. Our yearlong theme, "What's For Dinner," has proven to be very rich ground for growing knowledge.

Rachel Carson said, "If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years." The good fairies that nurture wonder have sent us a gift basket to open after the Equinox.

7 Comments

Raising The King of Questions

3/4/2015

1 Comment

In a group of very curious children at the Inside Outside School, I've been told mine has won the award for asking the most questions. I am proud of him for that achievement. I have been asked for my comments pertaining to raising a curious child. I am humbled by my King of Questions, but here is some insight into things that might have fanned his flame of curiosity a bit. Down a rabbit hole of what my husband would lovingly call “very derivative” researching, I became curious about curiosity. A very basic tenet in that area of research is that curiosity follows an upside-down U-shaped curve along the axes of knowledge and intensity of curiosity. When examined, that tenet fits very well with what we know intuitively. If you know nothing or very little about something, you are not that curious about it. It is simply unknown or very, very foreign to you. There seems to be no reason why you should pursue more knowledge about it. However, if you know a little bit more, it becomes a bit more familiar, and you start to think, “This is something that I need to know about,” (your curiosity intensity increases). It follows along in this way until you start to think of yourself as a complete expert and then, things get boring. There’s just nothing left to learn about that subject (your curiosity intensity starts along the down-slope, decreasing).

Keeping this model in our head of how curiosity waxes and wanes, here are things that I think are useful for increasing your child’s natural curiosity.

Expose children to big subjects and skills without watering them down

Our son has very rarely played with toys. I feel that most toys water down the true skills we are trying to get him to build. It is important to give a child something easy to do so they can feel some mastery. This builds confidence. However, it is equally important to let them know there is a world of mastery beyond what they are currently achieving. This builds curiosity. Curiosity is fueled by the desire to achieve greater heights in their knowledge and their skills. Give them an avenue for that increase.

Suggestions for big subjects and skills: cooking, building with wood or electronics, fixing, foraging, creative writing

Don't be afraid to say “I don’t know,” and then, research the answer together.

Never make up answers. Never leave the impression that your answer is complete or certain if it is just a guess. These things will give your child a sense of false mastery.

In fact, you might want to take this a step further by pointing them to other avenues to continue their investigation. In the end, showing your child that you don’t know the answer will give them the confidence to keep looking.

Occasionally, you get tired of the questions. That is ok and natural. Do not let this tempt you into telling your child false answers or non-answers (like “because I said so” or “just because”). Instead, the truth is best. Children understand a need to relax and rest. Give them tools to research on their own as early as you can in their life so that they can continue down their road of learning even when you need a rest.

Do not be afraid to let children research independently at a very early age. Show them Google, YouTube, Wikipedia, etc. These websites even have voice search for children who are too young to read. Do keep an eye on what they are being exposed to, and set filters accordingly. But also do give them boundless fuel for their burning curiosity. Go to the library regularly and explore it all. Let them pull down stacks of cookbooks or computer books from the adult section if they wish.

Form your own opinions about what they are old enough to do

We see appropriate ages plastered to all sorts of things. Instead of letting someone who does not know your child dictate what they are old enough to experience, decide for yourself. Eight year-olds on MasterChef Junior demonstrate knife skills that culinary college students would admire. I am not encouraging recklessness, but do not falsely limit your child. If they are responsible enough to respect the danger and skill level inherent in doing something, then recognize that. Also, your assistance goes a long way in mitigating the danger posed by an activity.

Experiment…Experiment constantly

Don’t be afraid to get it wrong. Don’t be afraid to get messy. If your child sees something and would like to try it, let them if they are able. Prepare together, fail together, and try again together. We’ve eaten many not so great dishes at our house, participated in programs that have floundered, and things have even caught on fire! It’s ok. It’s a learning experience, and sometimes it’s even hilarious!

To the extent that it is possible, let them decide what they would like to learn. Also, allow them to quit.

A child’s interest cannot be forced, just like our own cannot. There are probably a few subjects that even though you know enough to whet your appetite, you just cannot motivate yourself to feel further interest in. This is natural. Your child is the same way. Do not force them to pursue those things anyway.

Don’t be bound by recipes and instruction books

Allow your child to make activities more interesting for himself. Allow endless questions while reading a book. Realize the questions are at least as important as the story. If you wonder how a recipe would taste with a certain spice, tweak it. If a game is frustrating using the rules, make up house rules. When you take a walk, disregard your planned destination at will. Wandering is more interesting.

Worthwhile waiting

Times that from all outward appearances could be boring are some of the most golden times for curiosity and learning. Remember that even the smallest of things around you can be of great interest if you look at it from a new perspective (under a microscope for example).

Here are some examples of filling up these times with creativity and learning.

In a car ride, read to children or play open ended games. One game we love to play is “What am I thinking about?” We tried 20 questions, but that was one game we ended up changing! Instead, we are allowed to ask as many yes/no questions of the thinker as we want.

On a long walk, take a bag or two with you to pick up all sorts of things. Take lots of pictures to identify plants or structures later. Use a data connection if you have it to research on the spot. Learn some foraging skills to add an extra dimension to nature lore.

When waiting at a doctor’s office or in a line, every magazine rack can become a game similar to “Where’s Waldo?” A notebook in your purse can be a canvas for your child. If they are too young to draw much on their own, let them dictate what you draw (it turns silly quick!), or give them a background to turn their scribbles into embellishment (my favorite was a cupcake sketch, then it gets decorated).

Listen. Then, when you think you’ve got it – ask “What else?”

We were lucky with our son. Because he had a severe speech impairment, we learned to listen more closely. We had to. We learned to question because we had to. He learned to express himself in all kinds of ways because he had to in order to be understood.

We were lucky because we were forced to give him what every child needs.
If you want your child to keep asking questions, make sure you listen to those questions. Make sure you understand. Make sure you explore every facet of what they really mean.

Never forget, they are people first and children second.

When you look at your child as only a child, you limit her. Remember every child has a limitless potential to grow and very often reach above your expectations. You can help.

Thank you, Susannah Martin for writing this beautiful recipe for a curious child!

1 Comment

Semester Harvest

12/20/2014

0 Comments

This semester we initiated a CSA. Eight families subscribed to receive a basket every other Friday. Our last baskets delivered on our final Friday of the semester were the best so far.

We had turnips and radishes from "below"...

and rosemary, mint, mung bean sprouts, peas, pea greens and pea flowers, mixed greens, chard, and nopales as well as items from cooking, craft and apothecary classes... pumpkin blondies, whole wheat bread rolls, peppermint patties, peppermint play-doh, Christmas tree ornaments and goldenrod tincture.

We also finished up semester electives like survival skills,

and theater (with mystery dinner theater.)

This has been an amazing semester for our joy-filled community. We had our first Woodland Faire in November and our second school campout in December. At the end of each day, we "harvest" our favorite moments of the day. My favorite thing to harvest this semester was introducing nature journaling to the kindergarten. Our favorite spot has been the farmyard. Happy Holidays!

0 Comments

What's happening today at Inside Outside School?

10/24/2014

1 Comment

Today is Friday. We have electives most of the day. The video above is our folk dance class. While they were dancing, the survival class students were making cordage out of ragweed. They learned a couple weeks ago that century plants are not good plants to work with when making cord.

Count Chickula hatched here almost 2 weeks ago. Today we brought home 3 little lady hen chicks to keep him company. Sadly our duck Cheetah, the duckling that hatched here on October 1st, is still an only child, but she moved outside to the barnyard this morning.

Our big hens have a new coop. They have just moved in this week and are very happy about the larger accommodations. Maybelline and the goats feel right at home going in to borrow a mouthful of hay throughout the day.

Students in the photography class chose to focus their lenses on the barnyard this morning. These are the two goats that have been hanging out with our visiting billy goat, Little Dude, who goes home tomorrow. We hope to have kids in March.

Our apothecary class just finished harvesting goldenrod on campus and making tincture. It is good for canker sores, allergies, eczema, arthritis, colds and flatulence.

Sewing class is finishing up ghost puppets today.

This is just about Friday. Soon I will report on our CSA. We have sent home CSA buckets 2 times so far this season. All this and reading, writing, arithmetic. What could be finer?

1 Comment

Place Based Learning's New Launch

8/15/2014

0 Comments

CSA and Farmer's Market Stand at IOS this year!
A CSA is a community supported agricultural endeavor. This year we are stepping into new territory as we introduce two new projects to our school family as part of our yearlong theme, "What's For Dinner." We plan to start small with weekly produce baskets for perhaps 5 to 7 subscribing families. The students will be integrating the development and application of math, reading, writing, observation and exploration tools as we take this new step together. Students will work at the school's farmer's market a few times this school year and volunteer at the Pflugerville farmer's market and community gardens. Our students will learn a variety of skills through these projects, including marketing strategies, customer service, budgeting, finance, recipe development, and self-confidence, but best of all, they will be having fun outside in the magic world of nature. You will be hearing more about this as we take our next steps.

0 Comments

Kayla's Cooking Class

6/30/2014

0 Comments

Our gluten-free cooking class had a blast cooking and baking our way through the year! We practiced important kitchen skills such as washing our hands beforehand, measuring ingredients, careful stove and oven procedures, rolling dough, and trusting our instincts as well as our recipes. Our class made many delicious foods this year, including homemade pretzels, cheesy herb pasta, cinnamon rolls, flapjacks, Earth Day balls, cute grilled cheeses and fruit snacks, smoothies, ice cream-in-a-bag and much more! They especially loved doing some blind taste-testing of apple varieties and cheeses. (If your child has an inexplicable desire for gruyere or Gouda, this might be why!) I hope their enthusiasm for all things culinary continues to grow as they do!

0 Comments

Apothecary

6/23/2014

0 Comments

Our apothecary classes focused on how to use a variety of herbs for their healing properties. Students collected herbs from the apothecary gardens and the natural environment on campus. They used the botany book to identify herbs and discover their properties. The products students created this semester included: beeswax lip balm, cooling tea, lavender oil essences, beeswax candles, incense, sore throat pastilles and immune system-building oils. Students learned that different plants’ healing properties are harvested from different parts of the plants.

0 Comments

Nature Science Class

6/16/2014

1 Comment

We continued to work on gardening skills and awareness of plant life cycles with the planting of cool season crops, including French sorrel, lettuce, dill, kohlrabi, snow peas, potatoes, and carrots. We learned about the different parts of plants and their roles by examining our crops (carrots are roots, broccoli is flower buds) and playing “plant part bingo” as well as acting out the parts of a tree. When the weather warmed up, we planted tomatoes with funny names, as well as basil, cucumbers, and watermelon. A favorite part of the gardening was learning about the traditional American Three Sisters garden that mixes corn, beans and squash. Our Three Sisters garden is doing well with the beans climbing the corn stalks, squash leaves shading the ground, and buried dead fish acting as fertilizer for them all. Elsewhere we created an edible play area by erecting a tepee and planting sugar snap peas and later pole beans around it. We talked about our five senses while exploring our gardens using them all-- touching fuzzy leaves and square stems; smelling sweet chocolate daisies; tasting herbs; observing germination, growth and development of flowers and fruit; and listening for birds and bees. We had great time learning about Arbor Day while planting a native chinquapin oak seedling. We learned how animals look different and have different life strategies by observing Cabbage White butterfly caterpillars that metamorphosed on our mustard plant, a dead Barred Owl, a mouse, slugs and snails, and plenty of other insects and arachnids. We learned about spring time by going on scavenger hunts, finding and eating edible plants, reading about and observing birds, including our hatching chicks, and acting out spring time activities such as birds making nests and laying eggs. Semester report from Helen for the primary class

1 Comment

Survival Skills

6/5/2014

1 Comment

The class built this shelter

Our semester has ended with an amazing EXPO, and suddenly everything is very quiet around here. The teachers are busy finishing narrative reports and have been sending in their elective write ups. Since there won't be much to report until summer camp, I thought I would share the elective reports for the next few blogs. This is Rachel's write up about the two survival skills electives she offered this semester...

This semester in survival, students participated in a number of fun and engaging activities. They used their powers of creative thinking to decide how many different uses one object could provide. They learned about the seven basic needs of survival, identification of local venomous snakes and spiders (via pictures – although we did see a baby coral snake one day!), and basic wilderness first aid, as well as what to put in a basic survival kit. Students had hands-on experience in a variety of fire-building methods, and got to try out a fire drill. They learned knife safety, ways of making water safe to drink, and different types of shelter they could seek. Students participated in making cane poles, fishing in the creek, and building a wikiup. On the final Friday, both classes participated in a brainstorming activity to help envision how the survival class could continue to grow in interest, usefulness, and excitement for next year. I hope they will all continue to seek experiences that will foster a love of the outdoors, and will teach them how to be safe in the wilderness.

1 Comment

<<Previous

Forward>>

The Hive: Democracy in action

After the Equinox

Raising The King of Questions

Semester Harvest

What's happening today at Inside Outside School?

Place Based Learning's New Launch

Kayla's Cooking Class

Apothecary

Nature Science Class

Survival Skills

Authors

Archives

Categories