Comments on: Thirteen Lessons In A Year http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/ Part of the problem since 1976 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:05:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jon http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-1017 Jon Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:26:11 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-1017 Exactly, 'well-rounded' is precisely the goal - but all of our definitions of it differ, I suppose. I think we can all agree that experience is the best (only?) way to being well-rounded, but then again, that all depends on what we consider 'experience', doesn't it? All I was saying before is that reading is not an end in itself, it is a means to an end. What we read should impact us in some way, make us think about things related (or not) to what we are reading. Of course, almost any experience can trigger this if we are attuned to making those types of leaps already. The question is what is it that makes us attuned to that type of thinking? Bloom's Taxonomy of learning behaviours is one attempt at investigating that question, but the answer is complex, far more complex than just giving kids books. Books without the ability to integrate the thoughts within are not any different than video games - mere entertainment is not the goal, is it? I have no idea what the answer is, but I know that it isn't simple. You have a great day too Maureen, and please do come back. I enjoy the comments and discussion more than the article writing, you know! Exactly, ‘well-rounded’ is precisely the goal – but all of our definitions of it differ, I suppose. I think we can all agree that experience is the best (only?) way to being well-rounded, but then again, that all depends on what we consider ‘experience’, doesn’t it?

All I was saying before is that reading is not an end in itself, it is a means to an end. What we read should impact us in some way, make us think about things related (or not) to what we are reading. Of course, almost any experience can trigger this if we are attuned to making those types of leaps already. The question is what is it that makes us attuned to that type of thinking? Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning behaviours is one attempt at investigating that question, but the answer is complex, far more complex than just giving kids books. Books without the ability to integrate the thoughts within are not any different than video games – mere entertainment is not the goal, is it?

I have no idea what the answer is, but I know that it isn’t simple.

You have a great day too Maureen, and please do come back. I enjoy the comments and discussion more than the article writing, you know!

]]> By: mom23guys1girl http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-1016 mom23guys1girl Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:10:27 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-1016 Of course reading is not a panacea for all our ills, that is a silly notion that places a greater demand on reading than is necessary or even wanted. As you said, a child, like a student starting out in college, needs a "well rounded" life. My kids read, they play video games, they play outside and create worlds and wars and demons to slay, they play basketball and water polo, they are cheerleaders and swimmers. They all have bikes, skateboards and scooters and have a small swingset in the back yard to swing on and just be by themselves (when the other three let them). Experience is a far better teacher. As a shy kid in high school, the experience of college and "making it on my own" out in the real world in the big city of Philadelphia (for a shore girl, Philly was the big city), those experiences have made me who I am much more than what I have read and what statistics I can spout off because I have read this or that article, blog, book, etc. However, having read the article, blog or book gives me the leg up on others who may not have the knowledge that I do and, thereby, making new experiences. I suppose it is all tied in together. Reading may not be the cure-all for the worlds' ills, but put a book in a child's hands instead of a video game and that child will transport himself someplace instead of letting the game do the transporting for him. I will get off my blog-box. I sound like I am writing a not-well-thought-out term paper. I do like your thinking and your list of that every child in the US should have. I do not know if you are a parent, but one thing you failed to mention is that every child should have an adult they can trust and who sets limits and gives them guidance. Have a great Tuesday Jon. Maureen Of course reading is not a panacea for all our ills, that is a silly notion that places a greater demand on reading than is necessary or even wanted. As you said, a child, like a student starting out in college, needs a “well rounded” life. My kids read, they play video games, they play outside and create worlds and wars and demons to slay, they play basketball and water polo, they are cheerleaders and swimmers. They all have bikes, skateboards and scooters and have a small swingset in the back yard to swing on and just be by themselves (when the other three let them).

Experience is a far better teacher. As a shy kid in high school, the experience of college and “making it on my own” out in the real world in the big city of Philadelphia (for a shore girl, Philly was the big city), those experiences have made me who I am much more than what I have read and what statistics I can spout off because I have read this or that article, blog, book, etc. However, having read the article, blog or book gives me the leg up on others who may not have the knowledge that I do and, thereby, making new experiences.

I suppose it is all tied in together. Reading may not be the cure-all for the worlds’ ills, but put a book in a child’s hands instead of a video game and that child will transport himself someplace instead of letting the game do the transporting for him.

I will get off my blog-box. I sound like I am writing a not-well-thought-out term paper. I do like your thinking and your list of that every child in the US should have. I do not know if you are a parent, but one thing you failed to mention is that every child should have an adult they can trust and who sets limits and gives them guidance.

Have a great Tuesday Jon.

Maureen

]]> By: Jon http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-1013 Jon Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:04:48 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-1013 On the one hand, I agree that there is a shockingly low instance of reading amongst Americans, but on the other hand, I do not want to fall prey to the 'idolatry of the book' to coin a phrase. Reading is all well and good, but to say that it is a panacea for all of our ills or that all reading, as long as it is happening, is good, is also very silly. Experience is a far better teacher than reading. Perhaps we should encourage our children to have experiences, reading being just one type of those experiences. Of course, that would require that we stop trying to protect them from everything that could possibly go wrong in the world... I believe that every child in the US needs several things: a bicycle, a library card, some pocket money, and a prohibition against being inside all day. Some slightly daredevil friends wouldn't hurt either... On the one hand, I agree that there is a shockingly low instance of reading amongst Americans, but on the other hand, I do not want to fall prey to the ‘idolatry of the book’ to coin a phrase.
Reading is all well and good, but to say that it is a panacea for all of our ills or that all reading, as long as it is happening, is good, is also very silly.
Experience is a far better teacher than reading. Perhaps we should encourage our children to have experiences, reading being just one type of those experiences. Of course, that would require that we stop trying to protect them from everything that could possibly go wrong in the world…
I believe that every child in the US needs several things: a bicycle, a library card, some pocket money, and a prohibition against being inside all day. Some slightly daredevil friends wouldn’t hurt either…

]]> By: mom23guys1girl http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-985 mom23guys1girl Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:29:34 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-985 I clicked on your link to the JonTillman expose on book reading in America. Then I tried to find the statistics. As one of your comments say reading has transformed my life. I am never without a book and it has been that way since I was a geeky pre-teen reading Nancy Drew and Judy Blume. Then we moved onto World Literature in High School and read books that I remember to this day. If the statistics you quote are true, it is really sad. Every child deserves to have a library in their school where they can take out books and read them or have their parents read to them. Every parent should encourage their children to read and develop a love for reading. My kids' teachers try to get them to read what might interest them. They try to match the book to the kid if they see an interest. Our school also has the DEAR program...Drop Everything And Read. I hope this and my reading to my kids encourages them to read. Thanks for the stats, but I pray they are wrong. I clicked on your link to the JonTillman expose on book reading in America. Then I tried to find the statistics. As one of your comments say reading has transformed my life. I am never without a book and it has been that way since I was a geeky pre-teen reading Nancy Drew and Judy Blume. Then we moved onto World Literature in High School and read books that I remember to this day. If the statistics you quote are true, it is really sad. Every child deserves to have a library in their school where they can take out books and read them or have their parents read to them. Every parent should encourage their children to read and develop a love for reading.

My kids’ teachers try to get them to read what might interest them. They try to match the book to the kid if they see an interest. Our school also has the DEAR program…Drop Everything And Read. I hope this and my reading to my kids encourages them to read.

Thanks for the stats, but I pray they are wrong.

]]> By: Jon http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-484 Jon Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:34:57 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-484 Did you even bother to read the linked article? 80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year, and 70% of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years. Of the 120,000 books published in the US last year, 70% did not earn back their advance nor turn a profit. If only 3600 books made a profit last year in a country of 300,000,000 people, I am pretty damned certain that counts as not reading much. 53% of all books sold are fiction, making fiction the majority of what Americans do read. I personally have the following criteria for whether or not a book is worth keeping; if it is trash or worthwhile. If I (or you, if we are talking about you) have actually read the book more than once, then it isn't trash. If you can't be bothered to reread it, it is of no more interest than a fast-food meal; trash pure and simple. Did you even bother to read the linked article? 80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year, and 70% of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years. Of the 120,000 books published in the US last year, 70% did not earn back their advance nor turn a profit.

If only 3600 books made a profit last year in a country of 300,000,000 people, I am pretty damned certain that counts as not reading much.

53% of all books sold are fiction, making fiction the majority of what Americans do read. I personally have the following criteria for whether or not a book is worth keeping; if it is trash or worthwhile. If I (or you, if we are talking about you) have actually read the book more than once, then it isn’t trash. If you can’t be bothered to reread it, it is of no more interest than a fast-food meal; trash pure and simple.

]]> By: Barb http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-483 Barb Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:20:22 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-483 I like #'s 11 and 12.But, as for #12, I do read more than the paperback 'trash' you talk about. In fact, I am a reviewer for Active Christian Media. All the books are great books from good authors. Check out my <a> Thursday Thirteen</a> I like #’s 11 and 12.But, as for #12, I do read more than the paperback ‘trash’ you talk about. In fact, I am a reviewer for Active Christian Media. All the books are great books from good authors.

Check out my Thursday Thirteen

]]> By: Jon http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-481 Jon Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:28:30 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-481 Well, now you have met one. I am a proud SAHH Well, now you have met one. I am a proud SAHH

]]> By: Jon http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-480 Jon Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:27:01 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-480 Of course that is what we are raising - what do you expect to raise when all you ever tell them is that they can be/do/have whatever they want? Thanks for the compliment on the site layout. It is a work in progress, constantly evolving to be closer to what I actually see in my head :) Of course that is what we are raising – what do you expect to raise when all you ever tell them is that they can be/do/have whatever they want?

Thanks for the compliment on the site layout. It is a work in progress, constantly evolving to be closer to what I actually see in my head :)

]]> By: Jon http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-479 Jon Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:24:22 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-479 Thanks! Thanks!

]]> By: Jen http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/comment-page-1/#comment-478 Jen Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:01:06 +0000 http://jontillman.com/2007/02/15/thirteen-lessons-in-a-year/#comment-478 Guilty of reading trashy novels, I admit it. But for me, it is a way to escape and enjoy stories. What I fear is that we are raising a generation of want it nows who won't read. You really do have a nice, clean looking web site, someday I will learn how to do more with my blog. Guilty of reading trashy novels, I admit it. But for me, it is a way to escape and enjoy stories. What I fear is that we are raising a generation of want it nows who won’t read.
You really do have a nice, clean looking web site, someday I will learn how to do more with my blog.

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