What Doug is Learning
Friday, February 27, 2004
Doug's Boy Scout Resume:
Attended Junior Leader Training - February 2003 - Patrol Leader, October 2003, Assistant Patrol Leader.
Leadership Duties:
Patrol Leader - February 2003-October, 2003
Planned and led patrol meetings and activities, including varnishing chuck box, creating patrol flag.
Updated patrol members on Troop news
Assigned patrol members specific duties on campouts, and followed up to make sure that they were done, or help the patrol member if there were problems in completing his task.
Represented the patrol at Patrol Leader Council meetings.
Doug finished his vocabulary and spelling sections early this week, so today is Movie day. He is watching the movie "Shackleton", which is about Ernest Shackleton's expedition across Antarctica. It's more about survival, than anything. There are three DVDs in the series, and he watched the first one today. He has to answer some questions on it, though, so that I know that he watched the whole thing. One of the things about him watching a movie and having to answer questions is that he is also learning how to take notes, which will help him in other situations later on when he goes to college.
We went and saw "The Passion of The Christ" and I gave him some World History credit for that. It inspired some questions not only about Christ and the Bible, but about history, too.
I need to start keeping track of some of the duties that he performs as part of Scouts, and start getting a resume going for him. I think it will be great if he can get some kind of a job that doesn't involve fast-food or retail.
Monday, February 23, 2004
Doug went camping this weekend at Inks Lake. He learned how to cast a fishing pole instead of tangling the line up like he did last time. For me, though, the thing that I liked about him going on this last campout was the caving that they did. He learned a lot about geology and cave formation, a little bit about the animals that would go down in there, and about water tables.
We have been working on a new spelling program in addition to a new vocabulary program. We're using Spectrum Spelling now, and he seems to tolerate it well, if not enjoy it. And he blew me away last night with how well he was able to pronounce his new vocabulary list (this, from a boy who was reading at a third grade level only a few months ago)! The vocabulary book we're using is supposed to be for 7th graders. He seems to enjoy that, too. We're about halfway through the "Elections" book. He has been working on that for a while, and what is cool is that he is involved in his troop elections tonight at his Boy Scout meeting. So he will probably spout off a little bit about what he has learned, and that's okay. We got the Handwriting without Tears books in the mail. I can't say that I'm totally impressed, but we're working on it, anyway. I am also starting to give him some crafts to do that will help him develop the strength in his index fingers so that he has better small muscle control, which will help when he is writing. Of course, he already has REALLY strong and coordinated thumbs thanks to all of the video games that he plays.
The other new thing that we are going to add is the first 24 lessons from the Rosetta Stone Latin program. If he enjoys that, I will buy the rest of the package. If not, then I am only out $10.00. I played with the program for a few minutes this evening, and it was amazing how easy it was, because I could think about some of the root words that I already know and recognize them in latin. Anyway, I think he will have a fun time. We may go ahead and do the one in Greek, too, so that he can be comfortable with some of the Greek words, which will in turn help his vocabulary. I'll post again soon!
Toni Dolls
Sunday, February 08, 2004
Still plugging away. I bought a program called "Handwriting Without Tears", although it still hasn't gotten here. His penmanship really needs to improve a lot, and I think his math will improve, too, because he will know what he wrote! Also ordered Wordly Wise as a vocabulary program. Oh, and a spelling program, too. I want to order Dr. Fry's Homonyms, too, but I haven't found it on e-bay yet. I know, I could pay full price, but I just don't like to. If I don't find it before Mar. 1, I will go ahead and purchase it new.
Anyway, Doug went to the Blue and Gold banquet yesterday. He worked as a ticket-taker and an usher, then helped do clean-up. Then Katie brought him home. All in all, I think that doing that kind of stuff was good for "life skills" - he had to do something for nothing.
