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April 2, 2007
Why We Homeschool - Lego Freedom!
As if we needed another reason to be glad we homeschool. Check out this piece entitled Why We Banned Legos.
A group of teachers of children ages 5-9 fostered unstructured play with Legos, resulting in a structure they called "Legotown." Children built, traded Legos, and created a large, creative town. But then, you see:
Occasionally, Legotown leaders explicitly rebuffed children, telling them that they couldn't play. Typically the exclusion was more subtle, growing from a climate in which Legotown was seen as the turf of particular kids. The other children didn't complain much about this; when asked about Legos, they'd often comment vaguely that they just weren't interested in playing with Legos anymore. As they closed doors to other children, the Legotown builders turned their attention to complex negotiations among themselves about what sorts of structures to build, whether these ought to be primarily privately owned or collectively used, and how "cool pieces" would be distributed and protected. These negotiations gave rise to heated conflict and to insightful conversation. Into their coffee shops and houses, the children were building their assumptions about ownership and the social power it conveys — assumptions that mirrored those of a class-based, capitalist society — a society that we teachers believe to be unjust and oppressive. As we watched the children build, we became increasingly concerned.
Which is sad, because that's how life works.
I wonder what the rebuffed children did with the time they were not spending on Legos. Did they find other activities? Did they get involved in an interesting project that meant more to them? Did they sit on the sidelines, watching and moping? I'm guessing they left the Lego barons to themselves, and found something else to do. Which, again, is how life works. Not everyone is good at everything, or suited for everything. And golly, that's okay.
But no, the children must be stopped before they realize that capitalism works. The teachers banned the Legos and embarked on a re-education program. In the end:
From this framework, the children made a number of specific proposals for rules about Legos, engaged in some collegial debate about those proposals, and worked through their differing suggestions until they reached consensus about three core agreements:All structures are public structures. Everyone can use all the Lego structures. But only the builder or people who have her or his permission are allowed to change a structure.
Lego people can be saved only by a "team" of kids, not by individuals.
All structures will be standard sizes.
With these three agreements — which distilled months of social justice exploration into a few simple tenets of community use of resources — we returned the Legos to their place of honor in the classroom.
Oh, you poor kids. You thought you were having fun and being creative with toys. Now you know just how wrong you were. But through a careful examination of how bad power is, what a bad person you are if you have any power (even if you have the power/wealth by pure chance) and how creativity might hurt someone's feelings, you can be cured. Now that you're free from the ideas of competition, ownership and creativity, and full of guilt for your previous successes, now you can play correctly. Go on, kids. Have fun!
I'll make you a deal, folks. You teach the kids socialism and guilt. I'll teach mine to be creative, resourceful and successful. I have a feeling I know how both groups will end up.
Posted by lynx at April 2, 2007 7:43 AM
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Comments
OMG that is the stupidest thing I ever heard. I'm guessing most board games would be out too in this school? Scary stuff.
Posted by: thefoilhat at April 2, 2007 12:07 PM
What next? Visits from the Lego code enforcement, zoning, and building inspectors? Where was OSHA when all of this was going on?
Posted by: L at April 2, 2007 4:31 PM
Wow, that hit a lot of different buttons for me. On one hand, I was upset that the kids were excluding each other, but then when I saw how the whole thing was handled and sterilized, that was worse. Ugh. Yes, I am so glad we homeschool.
Posted by: RegularMom at April 4, 2007 8:34 AM
This would be funny if it weren't so demented. My two boys (ages 6.5 and 8) spend most of their time playing with Lego. I can't imagine what they'd think about being "directed" in their play, especially because I'm nowhere near creative as they are.
I keep hoping that all of this self-esteem garbage will wither up and die, but it doesn't look likely any time soon :(
A friend, who is a ps teacher in the next town over, is tearing his hair out trying to figure out marks for spring exams. It seems that marks for advancement to the next grade aren't based only on ability and how well the student did; that's way down at the bottom of the list, behind -- get this -- the child's physical appearance and size.
And, in some other school districts, how well they play with Lego.
Posted by: Becky at April 4, 2007 9:50 AM