Weekly Update. Ish

[fuzzyred]

Let's see if I can make a coherent post. I am currently veryyyyy high on caffeine and have jittery/bouncy amounts of energy so my brain might be all over the place. If so, I apologize in advance.

This week has been a whole lot of non-productive. I had a great (very fun) weekend that helped reduce stress levels, but I have proceeded to stay up too late and sleep forever so I have gotten very little done this week other than work. Oh well, I shall attempt to reset over the weekend and try again next week. I do have a social engagement this Saturday, and a plan to avoid excess drinking, so it shouldn't kill my whole Sunday (unlike last time, where I over-indulged). Fingers crossed I get get my motivation and planning together and get some more stuff done before the end of March, but we'll see how everything goes.

There is something that's been on my mind for the last few days, because I'm reading a fanfic for the second time and it is very engaging and intriguing. It's set in the Harry Potter universe and involves time travel back to the Founding of Hogwarts. What caught my interest was how the author focused on the language issues someone from 1995 would have had in 990AD, and the perceived lack of details of education (magical and not) of the "modern day" Hogwarts. It makes me wish I didn't have to work 8 hours a day to pay bills and live, because there are so many things I would love to learn if I had the time, and this story is reminding me of that. Unfortunately, I have not yet won the lottery and thus do not have enough free time or spare brains for the kind of exploring/learning I'd like to do. Perhaps someday I will have the time, but for the moment, I shall steal what learning I can, where I can, and enjoy the fabulous stories that inspiring me to keep that yearning alive.

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>This week has been a whole lot of non-productive.<<

Week eaten by locusts?

>>It's set in the Harry Potter universe and involves time travel back to the Founding of Hogwarts. What caught my interest was how the author focused on the language issues someone from 1995 would have had in 990AD, and the perceived lack of details of education (magical and not) of the "modern day" Hogwarts. <<

"I loathe your education."

Re: Thoughts

[fuzzyred]

>>Week eaten by locusts?<<

LOL. This is a very apt description. I'm hoping next week is locust free.

>>"I loathe your education."<<

Yes! :D :D It's such an accurate statement, though not something my brain originally picked up in its own. I also far prefer the way the founders seem to let their students dictate the schedule instead of having set times and topics. My interests tend to wane and wax (periods of bingeing and then (sometimes long) periods of disinterest), so that seems like a better way to learn than standard education.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Historically, education was very important, so it was presented in ways that actually worked. That meant either individual lessons or small groups.

Now it's more about warehousing; they don't care if individual students actually learn anything. So public schools are designed for adult convenience, and then adults whine when children do poorly there. This includes colleges, which are now very badly designed to produce the kind of workers that businesses wish to hire.

Of course, there are schools that actually use science to teach the way people learn. Montessori is one good example. You will note it looks nothing like public school. It is too much work; most people don't want to teach that way. But it works marvelously, and turns out graduates who are kind as well as knowledgeable.

Re: Thoughts

[fuzzyred]

>>Historically, education was very important, so it was presented in ways that actually worked. That meant either individual lessons or small groups.<<

That makes sense.

>>Now it's more about warehousing; they don't care if individual students actually learn anything. So public schools are designed for adult convenience, and then adults whine when children do poorly there. This includes colleges, which are now very badly designed to produce the kind of workers that businesses wish to hire.<<

This sadly also makes sense in today's society, but it makes learning anything really freaking difficult, even if you're someone who *wants* to learn.

>>Of course, there are schools that actually use science to teach the way people learn. Montessori is one good example. You will note it looks nothing like public school. It is too much work; most people don't want to teach that way. But it works marvelously, and turns out graduates who are kind as well as knowledgeable.<<

From what I've read of your description of Montessori schools, it makes me wish I could have gone to one of those growing up. They're rare where I am though, and expensive if I recall correctly.

[warriorsavant]

Not sure if this is what you'd meant by lack of education, but when do Hogwarts students learn English and Math and History and other things that they do seem to know, but never had in school? Or do they figure they learned enough of that stuff in primary school before they got to Hogwarts... but except for Harry and other Muggle-raised, when/where do they go to primary school.

I admit I never thought about the language issue in time travel of even a few centuries. It is touched upon in Barbara Hambley's (sp?) "Those Who Hunt the Night" vampire novel.

[fuzzyred]

>>Not sure if this is what you'd meant by lack of education, but when do Hogwarts students learn English and Math and History and other things that they do seem to know, but never had in school?<<

That's part of it, but the author of the fanfic also pointed out how Hogwarts students don't learn Latin, even though that's what the spells are cast in (mostly), a lot of theory and science behind many subjects are left out, and many types of magic are very narrow in scope or left out all together (e.g. Defence against the dark arts and Animagi transformations).

>>Or do they figure they learned enough of that stuff in primary school before they got to Hogwarts... but except for Harry and other Muggle-raised, when/where do they go to primary school.<<

Yes, I believe primary school is the assumption for muggle-raised students, and I believe tutors are implied for the magical raised students.

[warriorsavant]

Don’t recall their mentioning that. At some point, Mr Wesley tells Harry that some students are educated by the parents at home, but that is instead of going to Hogwarts. I think at some point they say Hogwarts is the best school of magic in the UK, which implies there are others, but never so mentioned again.

[fuzzyred]

Huh. Maybe the private tutors was something I read in fanfic and not in cannon? And ya, I think I only recall three wizarding schools being mentioned in cannon, the ones that participated in the Triwizard Tournament.

[warriorsavant]

I saw somewhere a list of other schools on other continents, but I don’t any of them actually being mentioned in the books.

[fuzzyred]

Ahh. I feel like that would be an interesting list to see.

[warriorsavant]

FWIW https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/01/31/there-are-11-wizarding-schools-in-the-harry-potter-universe-jk-rowling-reveals

[fuzzyred]

Neat! Thanks for sharing the link :)