A better moment

"What I know for sure is that a sad or angry moment turned into a happy and playful one will always be better."

—Jenny Cyphers

SandraDodd.com/bonding
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Think in different ways

"Words can shape our thoughts. It's helpful to think in different ways to be different."

—Joyce Fetteroll

Self-regulation
photo by Sandra Dodd

The parts that fascinate you

Joyce Fetteroll wrote:

Real learning looks like doing a billion piece jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes you'll work on a dragon down in the corner. Sometimes you'll work on a cat in the center. Sometimes you'll work on the bits that are red. Sometimes you'll work on the frame. Eventually you'll discover what connects the dragon and the cat. You'll work on whatever interests you. And eventually there will be a rich collection of individual bits that form a bigger picture. But since it's a billion pieces you'll never do the whole thing. You'll just do the parts that fascinate you.

—Joyce Fetteroll

SandraDodd.com/reallearning
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Good reason

Every choice you make should be made consciously, thoughtfully, for real and good reasons.

SandraDodd.com/decisions
photo by Sandra Dodd

"Scatter it out and rearrange it!"

"Just Add Light and Stir" is my favorite blog. My "Thinking Sticks" blog is my second favorite. It has examples of the kinds of connections and trails and explorations that I hope unschoolers will come to find in their own lives.

ThinkingSticks.blogspot.com
I took the photo of a deer carcass owned by Bloxie (MD Polikowsky's dog), who arranged it artfully, with a wild turkey wing. Then after I took the photo, she rearranged it less attractively. When it snowed nearly two feet a couple of days later, she went and dug it out of the snow and arranged it on top. I did not wade out and photograph that. Sorry.

Click the photo to see more detail. I hope you can see why I photographed it.

The top of the Thinking Sticks blog says "Scatter it out and rearrange it!"
It was more about divergent thinking than a carcass, but still...

If/then and other happy logic

Joyce Fetteroll wrote:

Some people, such as those who are naturally drawn to rules, who live under limitations accept the rules and stick to them. They live in fear and the rules are like talismans that will keep the boogeyman away. What happens when they are faced with new situations that they don't have rules in place for? People often extrapolate from the nonsense and extend the rules. But rational thought would reveal shoddy foundations for decision making.

If the reasons behind rules make sense, then there isn't a reason to make a rule. But people who follow rules aren't learning how to make decisions. They are only learning to follow someone else's rules.

If the reasons behind rules are nonsense, then people memorize nonsense and use that as a foundation for decision making.

—Joyce Fetteroll

SandraDodd.com/joyce/logic
photo by Sandra Dodd
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