Nothing Obvious

I am supposed to be updating my journal (where I transcribe daily/weekly scratching to a Word file which will become a transcript -- and also serves as a nice diary) but I ran across and entry I wanted to include here.

It was January 23rd. I wrote:

"Boys played Myst. Showed me the game and walk through they found on line.
Logic skills, puzzle-solving.
Research to find clues when they are stuck.
S likes b/c it is not 'obvious'. They make you look for clues and you have to make inferences and try everything."

I remember that day. It was a day when I dropped all my other busyness and they showed me the game. I remember thinking how deep these games can get. How many skills can be developed.

S's comment really was a defining one, not only for the value of some of the games but for him. It was not 'obvious'.

He is not 'obvious'. He does not like things contrived or in a box. He has done a lot to force me out of my box(es) over the years. To be authentic and not try to pass stuff off on my kids that I do not feel is really good to my own senses.

I think that is also a description of how I want our homeschooling to be. Not obvious. But looking for clues and trying everything. Making inferences. Discussing. Not settling on a given answer in the back of the book as being right. Discussing.

It also is fun to re-read those bits I put in my spiral journal. With just a few words I can remember the past moments so clearly. The transcript won't show that. My hand notes do. We were all in our cozy office, 2 chairs, three of us, them explaning, dogs on the floor nearby and me learning about Myst. Nice day.

It also reminds me of the article I read way back when that said for many kids in a not-so-hot public school, they get more decision making practice at home on video games after school than during their school day. Not that video games are the sole curriculum, but they can help kids to think. Right kids with the right games.

Nothing obvious.

Ok, back to what I am supposed to be doing...