Re: [Slightly OT] Philosophy (was Re: Replacement for Abiword: LyX? Openoffice?)

On Tue, 2003-10-21 at 19:51, Ben Armstrong wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 21, 2003 at 06:26:20PM -0500, Ron Johnson wrote:
> > When one is sitting in front of the computer, one is not running,
> > jumping, reading books, etc.
> 
> Why must they be mutually exclusive?  Why can't they all reinforce each
> other?  OK, let's say you're interested in playing badminton (as I am) and
> you want to find out how to fix your stance and getting yourself back in
> position after a shot so that you don't always find yourself wrecking your
> knees to bound back and forth chasing the shuttle.  Now, you could use the
> computer to look up articles on it.  Or you could look up books on badminton
> in general, go to the library (walking), get a book, and read about it.

Since they can't read yet (well, he's learning), computer-as-tool
is not feasible, yet.

When it is, I still hope that books are used as the primary 
tool.  Call me weird, but I found it so interesting reading
sections of the encyclopedia and dictionary, while looking for
the articles that were my real target.

And it's just not practical to "curl up with a good computer".

[big snippage]
> > When they turn 6-7, it will be interesting to teach them Python
> > if they are interested.
> 
> I found it very hard to keep the attention of my boy at around that age long
> enough for him to benefit.  He is nine now, and I'm about ready to try 
> again.

Thanks for the pointer.

> > But, as I said before, when they're in front of the computer, they
> > aren't doing "the other things".
> 
> Are there so few hours in the day that they can't enjoy 30-60 minutes with
> the computer?  In our homeschooling household, that is the typical computer
> turn length.  While we don't set specific agendas for their turns, we do

Boy, I wish we home schooled.

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Johnson, Jr. [email protected]
Jefferson, LA USA

"As I like to joke, I may have invented it, but Microsoft made it
popular"
David Bradley, regarding Ctrl-Alt-Del