Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#171

Post by bargl » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 2:36 AM UTC

actfrench wrote: post #141

bargl wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just wanted to say, I had a hard time googling your product. It was easier with DDG. The name made me have to dig deeper with keyword searches. This looks like a cool service though and I'll be taking a deeper look TY.

Thanks so much for the feedback. We just launched our website and definitely need to work on our SEO. Any feedback/advice would be really appreciated! Here's the website if it helps. https://www.modulo.app/

Sometimes the name can be really hard to find because it's just so common in other places. You can get around that the way Google did with go. They called it golang. So any search has to search golang not go.

It's really hard to find, how to write a loop in go. But how to write a loop in golang is easier. Maybe you can be modulo learning or something. But make sure you have a catch phrase people use to discuss your app that makes it easier to find in Google. Exposure and time might fix that but you want the way people think of your tool to be the way they search it.

I'm no expert on this stuff, this advice might suck, that's my I am not a lawyer disclaimer. Good luck!!!

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#172

Post by burfog » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:12 AM UTC

mcv wrote: post #164

burfog wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Focusing on race is what keeps people focusing on race. It's fundamentally divisive. Teaching children to think of everything in terms of race is the biggest factor in perpetuating racism. I suppose there is a market for that, and you're serving it, making money as you divide society.

That is exactly why it's important for kids to learn about that divide, and to break through it. To understand the experience of other people, to recognise the injustice of it, and to do something to change that. The division is caused by treating with different skin colour or ethnic background as lesser, or as criminals. Pretending it doesn't exist doesn't make it go away. It's real, and it needs to be addressed. Ma…

Human minds don't work that way. They learn, but not always what you intend for them to learn.

If the kid is white, possible learning outcomes include:

a. self-hate, leading to depression and self-harm

b. reading between the lines, learning that to be normal he must be racist against black people, because that is just how white people are

c. rage at being disfavored by every diversity initiative, leading to a desire for revenge

If the kid is black, possible learning outcomes include:

a. hatred toward white people due to being told that white people are to blame for all the bad in life

b. giving up on life because the world seems so racist that life is hopeless

c. deciding that if most people believe he is prone to crime, it is probably true or he might as well make it true

Most of the above will be recognized by both sides as "othering" that is enough to prevent friendship. That's what is being taught, even if not intended.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#173

Post by mcv » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 8:55 AM UTC

burfog wrote: post #172

mcv wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is exactly why it's important for kids to learn about that divide, and to break through it. To understand the experience of other people, to recognise the injustice of it, and to do something to change that. The division is caused by treating with different skin colour or ethnic background as lesser, or as criminals. Pretending it doesn't exist doesn't make it go away. It's real, and it needs to be addressed. Ma…

Human minds don't work that way. They learn, but not always what you intend for them to learn. If the kid is white, possible learning outcomes include: a. self-hate, leading to depression and self-harm b. reading between the lines, learning that to be normal he must be racist against black people, because that is just how white people are c. rage at being disfavored by every diversity initiative, leading to a desire…

I think you've got this exactly backwards. We have already seen what not teaching people about this leads to: a continuation of the racism. Kids get taught racism, consciously and unconsciously, intentionally and unintentionally. By default, we tend to reinforce the patterns we see. We need more awareness of the old patterns in order to change them.

Of course you shouldn't teach them self-hate, depression and that sort of thing, but you can teach black and white kids to unite against those old patterns that have kept them separate, to have them work together, to teach them they are equals.

I keep seeing too many excuses not to tackle racism, but that means it will continue to exist and hold new generations back.

You don't solve problems by ignoring them. Of course you should also not solve them by making them worse. So you should absolutely look critically at the way in which kids are taught about this, but it's important to make kids aware that this is something that has held previous generations back, and they shouldn't be held back the same way. Sheltering kids from history is not going to make them learn from it, and as we know, people who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#174

Post by burfog » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 10:07 AM UTC

mcv wrote: post #173

burfog wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Human minds don't work that way. They learn, but not always what you intend for them to learn. If the kid is white, possible learning outcomes include: a. self-hate, leading to depression and self-harm b. reading between the lines, learning that to be normal he must be racist against black people, because that is just how white people are c. rage at being disfavored by every diversity initiative, leading to a desire…

I think you've got this exactly backwards. We have already seen what not teaching people about this leads to: a continuation of the racism. Kids get taught racism, consciously and unconsciously, intentionally and unintentionally. By default, we tend to reinforce the patterns we see. We need more awareness of the old patterns in order to change them. Of course you shouldn't teach them self-hate, depression and that so…

That just isn't how humans learn. You think you are teaching to not hate, but they learn that hate is normal. They want to be normal. You teach that diversity is important, but they learn that they are the undesirables or that they don't have to try in life. Just focusing on the differences puts them on different teams, and thus in opposition. It won't be otherwise.

We have seen what teaching people about this leads to, because we've been doing it for decades, and the result is not a lack of racism. You don't solve racial division with racial division.

Most of these efforts do shelter kids from history. Kids learn a false narrative that slavery was just evil white southerners enslaving black people. Nothing is said of the fact that the first slaveowner in the pre-USA colonies was a black person named Anthony Johnson, or that free blacks in the USA often owned slaves, or that black slaves were purchased from black people in Africa, or that the very term "slave" comes from the white Slavic people, or that black Africans are still being sold today, or that enslavement (generally, and particularly of black people) is endorsed by a major world religion.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#175

Post by actfrench » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 3:24 PM UTC

mcv wrote: post #162

actfrench wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really admire you for doing this on your own with kids in a small apartment. Does your teacher use zoom? One thing that's helped me a lot with my digital pod so the parents don't have to be interrupted is installing software where I can access the child's computer. I also enable screen share for everyone. If your child's teacher is open to getting support to making this more easy for families, I'd be happy to talk…

Zoom did not work at all for my 5-year old. He just can't focus on people on a screen. Every day at 10, his class would have a zoom meeting, but we quickly gave up on those. It just doesn't work for him.

The zoom medium is amazing, but I've found that many teachers are trying to replicate a classroom environment on zoom and that doesn't generally work, since it's an entirely different environment. What kind of activities did your child's class do on zoom? We've found that it's essential to keep kids moving on zoom and make the projects highly interactive. I ask all my parents to set up the children's learning device so it's easy for them to move about the room. In my class, we start with meditation, then yoga - usually with Cosmic Kids Yoga, then kids share their feelings through speaking, art or writing. Then we see how many jumping jacks we can do. Then we do a drawing activity together - usually with Art Hub for Kids. I then spend an hour reading to them while sharing the screen and pausing frequently to ask questions so they can improve critical reading skills and expand vocabulary. We then do more cartwheels, jumping jacks or some other physical movement. Then we spend 30 minutes to an hour working independently on learning apps. If kids get stuck, generally another child helps them or I help them (though the kids are better at apps then me!) Finally, I leave the group and let the kids stay on for playdates. Kids can leave or come back at anytime. If they want to take a nap, they take a nap. If they want to draw while we're doing something else, they draw. If only one child is there and just wants to chat with me about their life, then that's what we do. I have found in this way, kids are able to stay engaged for up to 3 hours at a time and beg me to stay when I have to go take a lunch break.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#176

Post by actfrench » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 3:28 PM UTC

was_boring wrote: post #135

snowwrestler wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We took our kid to a county park where they keep some animals that were too injured to return to the wild, and give talks about them, etc. My kid was answering a lot of the questions and the presenter said "wow, you know a lot of about animals!" "That's because I watch so much TV!!" my kid said proudly. Bit of a cringe moment in front of the other parents, but then again, my kid did know all the answers... (The relev…

Don’t worry about that. One of the reasons I got really into STEM at a young age was because of educational programs. Started with Magic Schoolbus, graduated to Bill Nye and copious amounts of Discovery (90s when it tried to stay about science)

We live in a digital age. It's better to help kids learn to navigate technology effectively then pretend that it doesn't exist. And one of the huge advantages is they have access to the best educational programming available at the tap of a finger. Rather than wait for a teacher to teach them, they can follow their own natural curiosity to learn whatever interests them in a given moment. A challenge with technology is that it can become more of entertainment and stop kids from thinking for themselves (same for adults)! I find it helpful to sometimes engage with my child when they're watching TV to nurture our own connection and also encourage him to think critically. Sometimes he yells at me and then I go away;) But hey, I do the same when someone interrupts me when I'm trying to work! It's also often a nice bonding experience. Generally after an hour or so my child asks to play at the park. When I don't tell him he can't watch TV, TV loses it's charge, so his natural desire to get a break from digital media is able to rise up in him without me forcing me to go away from it.

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#177

Post by actfrench » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 3:37 PM UTC

burfog wrote: post #133

actfrench wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We are very proud of introducing diversity and inclusion into our program. It's of critical importance that we learn to think deeply about the systemic racism in our society - as students and educators. A good education is well-rounded and helps children understand history and social systems in a broad way, not limited to a certain group or perspective. Race, racial tensions and inequity are some of the biggest issue…

Focusing on race is what keeps people focusing on race. It's fundamentally divisive. Teaching children to think of everything in terms of race is the biggest factor in perpetuating racism. I suppose there is a market for that, and you're serving it, making money as you divide society.

How did you jump from offering a workshop about race to "teaching children to think of everything in terms of race." ? Actually, race is not talked about in most classrooms at all. We're trying to create a more well-rounded curriculum that incorporates all points of view, not just one. Black history and women's history is absent from most of our school curriculum. The fact that you responded to this post shows that race and the way it's talked about it is on your mind too. If kids can learn about race, how it impacts our society and how to think and talk about it in a way that encourages connection, not division, that unites us, instead of separates us, that fuels healthy discussion and positive change, not arguments, I see that as a huge plus. As an example, we're all talking about it now and it encourages us all to think! I think education is about teaching people to think and that's a good thing!

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#178

Post by actfrench » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 3:38 PM UTC

mcv wrote: post #173

burfog wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Human minds don't work that way. They learn, but not always what you intend for them to learn. If the kid is white, possible learning outcomes include: a. self-hate, leading to depression and self-harm b. reading between the lines, learning that to be normal he must be racist against black people, because that is just how white people are c. rage at being disfavored by every diversity initiative, leading to a desire…

I think you've got this exactly backwards. We have already seen what not teaching people about this leads to: a continuation of the racism. Kids get taught racism, consciously and unconsciously, intentionally and unintentionally. By default, we tend to reinforce the patterns we see. We need more awareness of the old patterns in order to change them. Of course you shouldn't teach them self-hate, depression and that so…

Beautifully put!

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#179

Post by actfrench » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 3:48 PM UTC

mcv wrote: post #163

logicme wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a great idea. You probably would get more business if you didn't have workshops for 'undoing white supremacy' and 'racismo' Many of the ppl that will be homeschooling are doing so bc of the blm education being introduced in schools- it isn't just about covid. https://www.modulo.app/notmyidea

I don't think wanting to teach your kids to be racist, and keeping them away from ideas that might challenge that, is a very good reason to homeschool. It's important that kids grow up knowing that there are different people out there, with different backgrounds, different ideas, different skin colours, and indeed that some people have been treated differently in the past, and often still are. A too sheltered upbring…

I've seen that many people are concerned that homeschooling would be less diverse than a traditional school environment.

I've observed the opposite to be true, especially in secular homeschooling communities I've been a part of in NYC and San Francisco. Parents are homeschooling because they want to expose their child to a more diverse community - or they are joining a more inclusive community because they experienced discrimination in the school community they were a part of.

I think that many families feel that designing their child's learning has paved the way for them to meet families from more diverse perspectives and backgrounds than they would in their school, join a more inclusive community that has space to be more conscientious about how they relate to each other and paves the way for them to include historical viewpoints that are not incorporated in many traditional schools. Of course, the opposite can also be true. It mostly depends on the parent's intention I've found.

Some really great examples of diverse, inclusive homeschooling communities to give you a flavor for this are:

SEA homeschoolers https://www.facebook.com/groups/seahomeschoolers/

San Francisco Homeschooling and Unschooling Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/166286810672946/

HUGS SF https://www.facebook.com/groups/1931740383552142/

New York City Homeschool Support https://www.facebook.com/groups/262047073979701/

Wildschooling https://www.facebook.com/groups/wildschooling/

Bay Area Homeschool Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1537398423139116/

Re: Ask HN: Parents, what are you doing for school this fall?

#180

Post by p1esk » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 7:02 PM UTC

actfrench wrote: post #137

westondeboer wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is how I am working also. I have requested that all meetings in the future happen after 3, so the kids will be done with their schooling. Today was the first day of school and my kids are in 3rd grade. Just like you said, there was at least four times that I needed to come over and fix tech support issues. And help them figure out how to do something. I am trying to figure out which is better right now, with usi…

With regards to tech, I run a digital learning pod for kids ages 3-9 and we have a lot of families in product, hardware, software, machine learning and education in our group so we pooled together our knowledge and tried a bunch of different combinations to find what worked best for our group. My priorities as an educator were for the kids to be able to jump up, lay down and whisper across the room. I also wanted to…

Why do you need airpods?