I had made up my mind to contribute just the one post to the never-ending discussion about this trilogy and the movie based on its first book (other than perhaps a report of what the kids get out of it, once we’ve read the book with our book club & then seen the movie together….) But as I was surfing I happened upon two sites that were offering up the content of the Catholic League’s booklet, and I couldn’t resist the read - which turns out to be 31 pages. You can view the PDF version of Golden Compass: Agenda Unmasked here and here (I am assuming these folks have permission to post it, since the folks at the Catholic League & their allied organizations have a vested interest in educating people, and since their hard copies are all sold out….)

Here are some thoughts on the continuing debate, having read the booklet:

1) Exact structure/content of the pamphlet: titles & front matter (5 pages,) note to readers (2 paragraphs on a single page,) about the film (3 pages,) Pullman’s agenda (3 pages,) synopsis & excerpts from the books (8 pages,) book reviews (3 pages,) a section labelled “Pullman bares his soul” (a collection of brief quotes from Pullman, 2 pages.) This is followed by the conclusion (4 paragraphs on a single page) and the back matter, including end notes & blank pages for note-taking (5 pages.) [N.B. I am rounding up here, as long as the section contains a minimum of one full page of text.]

2) Is the representation of the film/books/author in this publication a balanced one? Not really. While one reviewer quoted is said to be a fan of Pullman’s, the writers of the pamphlet seem to have gone out of their way to quote only his negative comments about the books. Here’s more:

• While the remarks from the Australian reviewers quoted in the pamphlet are in no way flattering, if one searches out the original interview the impression gained is that the comments were made in the context of literary critique. They were not intended as a commentary on the morality of the author, the fitness of the work from a spirituo-religious point of view or, certainly, the hidden agenda of which the author is accused.
  • Sophie Masson is quoted in the pamphlet, in reference to the anti-Catholic sentiment of the books. But in the original interview she also had this to say:
    

    “I am still in awe of the magnificent achievement that the series represents. I do not agree with some of the underlying ideas and themes in His Dark Materials, but I think it is truly a work of stunning originality, extraordinary and courageous ambition, gloriously written, passionate and beautiful.”

    She later continues:

    I reckon that in a way in Milton was of the Devil’s party without knowing it, Pullman could be said to be of God’s party without knowing it! – He’s succeeded in putting an interest in God, whether hostile or not, back on the agenda as far as fantasy is concerned, anyway. And in such a stimulating way.

  • Richard Harland is quoted as saying “I think the anti-Catholicism is only half of what Pullman detests — he’s equally opposed to authoritarian churches on the Protestant side.” But he also lauds what Pullman is doing in revisiting the themes of Paradise Lost, saying:
    

    I guess I don’t see Pullman as standing magnificently alone, but as being one of the key movers in a trend that’s gathering pace worldwide. I think fantasy writers are looking to move beyond the Tolkien paradigm – and the Arthurian paradigm – and discover new “countries of the imagination”. I think that’s what Pullman has done, and I think he’s also created a narrative to fit this particular country – a dark story with Miltonic echoes.

  • Sean Williams is the fourth reviewer interviewed in the original article. He is not quoted in the pamphlet, but I found it significant that he said of The Golden Compass that “I remember thinking at the time that this could be one of the greatest YA fantasy novels ever written, tapping cleverly as it did into numerous traditions and creating something wonderfully unique”. He expresses disappointment in the second and third novels, which I felt myself on my first read-through. However he raises an interesting point:
    

    One very persuasive piece published in the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) handbook took the line that His Dark Materials was a powerful and successful work in the sense that it looked at theology from the point of view of the Scientific Method.

  • Ian Irvine’s words quoted in the pamphlet are perhaps taken in context, but it is worthy to note that there is a sentence that the Catholic League chose to leave out, and which would significantly alter the way in which his words are understood. Here is the full quote (the omitted sentence is highlighted):
    

    I felt that his attack on the Catholic Church went way beyond what was necessary for the story, and in fact damaged the story. By the end of the book I felt as though I’d endured a lecture about his beliefs, and that marred the story for me. I had a similar reaction to the Narnia books in early adulthood.

• Rachael Ebbs is similarly quoted in reference to the anti-church sentiment of the books. However the pamphlet never explains that her review was written for a His Dark Materials fansite, and that her view of the trilogy is a positive one. Indeed, she defends Pullman’s choices:
  

  Many people look to God for love, trust, friendship, happiness and all the qualities that humans should possess to have the greatest human worth. Yet, Phillip Pullman causes God to be killed. This is not an attack on Christianity but a confirmation of human worth…

• Laura Miller’s description of the Magisterium is quoted in the pamphlet as well, and if that was all you bothered to read of her article you might believe she agreed with the folks at the Catholic League. But it is from Laura Miller herself that we hear how preposterous is the idea of a hidden agenda behind Pullman’s books. Her opinion of the email alerts telling parents to beware of the movie is:
  

  The messages had the breathless, marginally literate quality of rumors about spider eggs in bubble gum. Perhaps that’s why the controversy promptly earned itself a page at www.snopes.com, that venerable Internet clearing house for urban legends. Snopes lists this particular rumor as “true,” presumably because the e-mails use a few genuine, if cherry-picked, quotations from Pullman’s writings and press interviews. But that doesn’t keep the whole thing from being fundamentally ridiculous.

I’ll leave you to do the rest of the legwork yourselves. If you manage to ferret out any juicy bits, please let me know! Similarly, I’m sure you can find ample sources of Christians who are in no way threatened by either books or film. Again, Archbishop Rowan Williams believes the books should be taught in religious education courses. One of the lead roles in the movie is played by Catholic actress Nicole Kidman, who states that she couldn’t have made the movie if she felt it was anti-Catholic. We also discover that the Church of Scotland “believes that the film provides a golden opportunity to stimulate discussion on a wide range of moral and spiritual issues” and “looks forward to its release and the opportunities that it presents.” (church press release) They will be producing their own leaflet about the movie - but theirs will be distributed through churches, presumably free of charge. Update: If you would like a copy of the leaflet, says the press release, you can email gmclennan@cofscotland.org.uk

3) Does the pamphlet show convincing evidence of an actual hidden agenda in the books and the film? I’ll leave it to the reader to make that decision independently. It is interesting to note, though, that the accusation about Pullman being involved in an atheist DVD intended for use in religious education classes is true. You can get a copy of the PR material for the film here. Not having seen the DVD myself I won’t comment on it. Again, if anyone has seen it or has any reflections on whether this realistically connects to a hidden agenda in the books & film, they are quite welcome to post comments.

4) Perhaps the most important question about the pamphlet is not whether it achieves its purpose (for obviously those who are skeptics will be difficult to convince and the so-called choir never required any preaching to.) The question that seems most relevant is this: was the pamphlet necessary? If you were able to receive the email alerts, use the internet to order the hard copy of the pamphlet or download the PDF then my answer has to be an emphatic, “No!” Why not do the work for yourself? There are plenty of places online where you can read interviews with Pullman or find quotes in which he discusses his religion & his writings. There are numerous places to read both summaries and critical reviews of the books and movie. Do you need someone else to pre-digest your reading for you?

It is truly frightening that certain religious organizations spend much of their time telling their members what to think and how to act on it. This is exactly what Pullman objects to, and those who follow the commandments blindly prove that we have a need today for more writers like Pullman - not fewer. St Bede’s Traditionalist Community tells its members:

The Catholic League in America has written a booklet, “The Golden Compass: Agenda Unmasked”. …. It is important that all Christians, especially those with children or grandchildren, read this booklet. Anyone who does will be armed with all the ammo they need to convince friends and family members that there is nothing innocent about Pullman’s agenda.

So not only do good members of the community have to go buy a book to think for them, but then they must tell their friends and family to think as they do! Another Christian newsletter tells the faithful what they are permitted to view and read, instead of The Golden Compass:

Please do not go to the movie and do not buy the books. Return the books if you have already bought them. Spread the message to family and friends. Embrace the positive movies that have come from Hollywood like the Chronicles of Narnia or read the Lord of the Rings, and refuse to give your money or your approval to “Dark Materials” that try to snuff out the Light.

I think I agree with Pullman himself on this one:

Well, you know, I always mistrust people who tell us how we should understand something. They know better than we do what the book means or what this means and how we should read it and whether we should read it or not.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!

I just had to post a link to this recipe! Apple crisp is one of those comfort foods for me. It combines the flavours of my Mom’s Sunday night apple pies with the crunch of a Dad’s oatmeal cookie (which my own Dad taught me to love.) This particular recipe adds vanilla & lemon juice to a Betty Crocker recipe, and adds way more apples than called for - as I do. Mmmmm! Mom’s sugar cookies and the crust for the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted! These are the same ingredients that are so good in many of my favourite recipes……

Here’s the link - I think I’ll add some wheat germ when I make it, too

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!

Those of us whose teaching methods lean even slightly towards unschooling have probably experienced two things in common. 1) We are self-directed learners, for whom informal or spontaneous exploration has frequently yielded far better results (for us or our kids) than following a structured curriculum. 2) As parents we are faced with the challenge of reconciling our deeply personal experience of education with a world in which benchmarking, standardized tests and age-graded classes are presumed to be not only superior, but the only way to educate a young person.

This week I learned that there are schools which follow the unschooling model. Private schools, but schools all the same. If this interests you even in an academic sense, I suggest you take a peek at the web site of the Sudbury Valley School. Other schools using their model are listed on the site, for those interested.

Today I came upon an entry written by a blogger who is interested in restructuring colleges. In part of his post he writes:

Thirdly, and again in accordance to the unConference rules, I’d want to introduce the “law of the 2 feet” in my college. Students would be allowed to leave classes (quietly, of course) if they feel they aren’t learning anything from that session. They wouldn’t be forced to stay in any place or follow a fixed schedule. It would be in their hands. If they aren’t learning in one class, let them go to another class and explore. Students wouldn’t be required to have registered in that class or anything. I would go so far as to say students won’t be required to register for class. Attendance wouldn’t be compulsory. Students would be required to be on campus during specific hours, and during those hours, they can attend whatever classes seem interesting. If nothing appeals to them, they would be free to just hang out in the corridors and talk. It would encourage discussion and conversation, and help build community.

While some people might fear that no learning would happen in a college unless students were bound by external forces (registration, residency & course load requirements, grades, attendance taking) Derrick Kwa feels it would only improve college performance overall if each individual was responsible for his or her own learning experience. The Sudbury Valley School stands behind this belief as well:

The students at Sudbury Valley are doing what they want, but they are not necessarily choosing what comes easily. A closer look reveals that they are always challenging themselves; that they are acutely aware of their own weaknesses and strengths, and likely to be working hardest on their weaknesses. Along with their ebullient good spirits, there is an underlying seriousness — even the six-year-olds know that they, and only they, are responsible for their education. They have been given the gift of tremendous trust, and they understand that this gift is as big a responsibility as it is a delight. They are acutely aware that it is very unusual for young people to be given this much freedom or this much responsibility.

If even six-year-olds can thrive under such conditions, than surely it must be possible at the university level too?

Lately in the Quebec home-schooling community there has been a certain amount of discussion about what options will be open to our children when they are ready for college (CEGEP here) and university. While previously mature student admissions policies made it possible for students without the usual transcripts and diplomas to enter these institutions as long as they met certain age requirements the government is changing this, and many home-schoolers worry that they will run into red tape. It can be very frustrating some days to consider that, as so many provinces and states are opening up to all the myriad possibilities for education in this age of the internet, Quebec is in many ways limiting our options instead of expanding them. Reading about other places in the world where minds tend to be more open, can be quite a breath of fresh air!

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!

The Quebec Education Program ( primary | secondary ) lists use of ICT (information & communications technologies) activities as one of the cross-curricular competences upon which all school children (primary & secondary) should be evaluated. Many home educators also feel it is important for our children to be exposed to technology - be it computers and internet, digital cameras and recording equipment, educational programming offered on TV, etc.

On the other hand, we don’t want to choose just anything. We aren’t interested in our kids becoming totally dependent on calculators and spell checkers. We don’t want the TV to be our babysitter. And with the current concerns over childhood obesity, we don’t want to sacrifice active time so our kids can sit passively in front of a screen. The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends parents limit their children’s screen time (TV, platform games, computers) to 1-2 hours a day, so we’ve got to find the best resources for ICT, and use them wisely.

I discovered Dance Mat Typing when a fellow home-schooler posted about it. She said her kids basically didn’t touch the computer except to practice their typing skills at this site. We loosely follow the Ambleside Online curriculum, which includes keyboarding/typing instruction, and since I never learned to touch type I didn’t feel prepared to teach this without assistance of some kind. So I followed the link posted, thinking it would be a useful resource but not expecting it to be terribly engaging.

Boy, was I surprised! This site is colourful & fun, and it uses tricks of all sorts to make those typing lessons far from boring. There is music and animation, lots of diagrams to show kids where to place their fingers and what to type, and plenty of feedback so they know that they’re getting somewhere. Both Dojogirl (10) and the Banana (almost 7) love the site, and our baby girl (3) is thrilled just to watch the screen while they practice their typing.

Kid Appeal

This free site is part of the larger BBC Schools web site, and is recommended by them for primary ages 7-11. The lessons run in Adobe Flash, and are simple enough that emergent readers (and probably even non-readers with some computer familiarity) can easily “play the game” independently. (If you don’t have it installed, it’s a free download.)

A whole cast of cartoon animals accompany kids through their practice of “a as is it” and “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Each has a different personality and accent, and these colourful characters just have to be seen to be appreciated! Although Apollo the Greek cat was cute, I still think my favourite is the goat with the brogue. To allow kids a break between practice exercises the characters sometimes teach, but they also burst into songs accompanied by a full band.

Each scenario is slightly different visually, and in terms of the way the main character speaks. There is bound to be at least one character who appeals to your kids, and perhaps some will remind them of people they know - only these guys are likely more outrageous than most folks in your entourage! Because the background of each scenario is different, the progress bar at the bottom of the display changes too. So kids break records with the rocking goat, smash dishes with Apollo, and squash cans with a back alley turtle. This helps keep them interested, whereas poor hubby was bored senseless when he took his typing class in high school
Scope and Sequence

The course is self-paced, and kids can repeat or skip over lessons if they wish. It is divided into 4 levels, each of which is further divided into 3 stages. The first lesson begins with the goat demonstrating proper typing posture, and teaching the children to locate “the bumps” on letters f & j in order to position their fingers correctly over the keys. This first level teaches the “home row” - the middle row of keys on the keyboard, where the fingers naturally rest during touch typing. Once the home row is mastered, each new stage adds two extra keys at a time.

There is plenty of practice after each lesson is taught. This is usually divided into a group of exercises for the left hand, one for the right, and one in which both hands type together. Lessons are cumulative, and every new stage begins with a warm-up. The final lesson culminates in a typing test. The student’s speed & accuracy are measured, and there is an option to add one’s score to the scoreboard or to print out a certificate.

On the display there is an image of the keyboard, so kids who are tempted to “peek” can look at the keys on-screen instead of looking at their hands. If they type the wrong letter, the display signals them with a sound and highlights the correct key. In later lessons the keyboard on the screen is hidden, but it can be toggled on if needed.

The entire layout of the QWERTY keyboard is taught, including punctuation marks and the use of the shift keys. The major exception is that the numbers are left out. For those who are learning languages that include special characters such as accented letters, these are not included. But by completing all four levels your child should be quite a capable English-language typist.

For a complete scope and sequence, as well as some safety pointers, you can read the “about” page on the site.

Benefits to Touch Typing

While penmanship is certainly a skill that kids need even in the so-called information age, touch typing is also a necessity in any academic or work milieu where computers are used. Touch typing gives your kids the advantage of being able to focus on the task at hand, rather than painfully searching the keyboard for each letter in turn. Knowing they have acquired some speed and accuracy in typing will give them the self-confidence to face greater challenges, whether it be creative writing or a new programming language.

Older kids who are experiencing difficulties with penmanship will find that typing can speed up the task of writing essays or reports. Kids who have been reluctant writers may come out of their shells once they discover the doors that written (or typed) communication can open for them.

In terms of general discipline and skills, typing lessons encourage good posture and becoming aware of the body’s need for breaks to stretch or change activities. Learning the layout of the keyboard can assist children who are having difficulty with memory work. The challenge of typing the correct keys with the correct fingers, in the correct sequence, should improve not only fine motor skills but hand-eye coordination as well. The attention to detail required to type accurately at a good pace may also help kids to focus and spell better.

Functionality & Extras

For those who are easily distracted, the full screen version simply cuts out the navigation menus and such that surround the display. Children who have difficulty to focus will appreciate this mode. There is also a non-flash version that, while lacking the lovely animation and sound, teaches the same skills in exactly the same order. Although Adobe Flash is a free program, some users may need or prefer this lower tech version.

Printable worksheets (really the course non-flash course in printer-friendly format) maintain the colour and visual appeal of the program. These can be used for offline practice, or even on a typewriter.

In keeping with the game-like presentation of the course, there is a scoreboard where high scores are displayed (at time of writing, the best score is 85 wpm.) This should encourage kids to keep going back to the course to perfect their typing skills - if not by repeating the lessons at least by re-taking the test.

Drawbacks

The only drawback to Dance Mat Typing is that the kids fight over it!

Otherwise, the folks at BBC Schools have thought of everything. There are adaptations for varying abilities and needs (i.e. full screen, non-Flash & printable versions) and the course should run well on any browser that can run Flash. You will need speakers and/or headphones if you intend to use the Flash version, but this shouldn’t be a problem on most computers.

At the beginning of each stage there is a screen with a small amount of printed text that is not read in the animation, but not understanding it will not handicap a student in any way. Other than that, the Flash version assumes no reading skills. The non-Flash & print versions would require some assistance from a person who reads, if used by an emergent reader.

Where To Go Next?

I would recommend that kids continue using the course and practicing typing in other situations, until they can accurately type a dictated paragraph - or comfortably carry on a conversation in a chat program! Even older kids can repeat the levels without losing interest. Try counting mistakes during the lessons, or using a stopwatch to time each stage, in order to add challenge for children need it. Keeping a record to show improvement is good incentive too, whether you use stickers or bar graphs, or use the data gathered to teach these kids to plot a curve. Get creative!

When you feel the need to move on, you can look for other sites that offer typing skills practice or testing. Just use your favourite search engine. Or, move onto teaching word processing. Your office suite may have tutorials available, or try the BBC Schools secondary web site. It offers a very basic word processing tutorial in its ICT section. Afterwards, exploration and experimentation should improve familiarity with the functions of whatever word processor you are using.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Today I would like to invite you to visit the blog of La Donna Mobile. She has some wonderful posts, and her pages dedicating the days of the week to specific virtues are truly worth not only reading but acting upon!

Here is an excerpt from La Donna Mobile’s post on silent children:

Her children knew that home was a special place, a sanctuary from the outside world, and they treated it as such. Once outdoors, however, they could cry out and thunder about all they wanted. I have been trying to train my children to have the same attitude.

Read the rest of La Donna’s advice on achieving a quiet home…..

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!