I am new to these forums and someone suggested that I introduce myself here.
I work as a Director of Information Technology with a Masters in Information Systems and an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering (lots of physics classes), working mostly in Education, both Higher Ed and K-12. In college I took as many logic classes as electives as I could (three or four), later realizing that was a missing core subject that I believe should be added to all K-12 education.[url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/lowellballard][/url]
My wife and I have home educated our eight kids (two have graduated college and have careers, two currently in college and four are actively being home educated). My personal interest is in figuring out how to train our kids well, finding and helping them avoid issues in how our society thinks and operates. I am working on a new (informal) curriculum for our kids based on a systematic categorization of each of the areas of knowledge, focusing on the useful skills/careers first and then working backward to the supporting liberal arts skills. When I am past the initial 30 day limit I will post the link to what I am working on.
I am a libertarian, supporting both full personal freedom and planning for a good society. I think there are significant reforms needed in most all of our social institutions.
As part of our home education, we have visited many differing belief systems so that the kids would understand and not be afraid of people with different beliefs (a mosque, hindu temple, Mormon sites/church, Wicca, Scientology, etc..). The outcome was an understanding that most of what is done in christian churches is the same methods/marketing used by other religions as well (because the methods work and fill a psychological need).
I joined this forum because I suspect the reasoning I use that rejects Christian rituals and mysticism may be similar to the reasoning many intellectual atheists use as well. I know that in early Rome Christians were mistaken to be atheists, I think indicating a lack of ritual, etc... In any case, I always seem to learn more from people with different beliefs.
I work as a Director of Information Technology with a Masters in Information Systems and an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering (lots of physics classes), working mostly in Education, both Higher Ed and K-12. In college I took as many logic classes as electives as I could (three or four), later realizing that was a missing core subject that I believe should be added to all K-12 education.[url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/lowellballard][/url]
My wife and I have home educated our eight kids (two have graduated college and have careers, two currently in college and four are actively being home educated). My personal interest is in figuring out how to train our kids well, finding and helping them avoid issues in how our society thinks and operates. I am working on a new (informal) curriculum for our kids based on a systematic categorization of each of the areas of knowledge, focusing on the useful skills/careers first and then working backward to the supporting liberal arts skills. When I am past the initial 30 day limit I will post the link to what I am working on.
I am a libertarian, supporting both full personal freedom and planning for a good society. I think there are significant reforms needed in most all of our social institutions.
As part of our home education, we have visited many differing belief systems so that the kids would understand and not be afraid of people with different beliefs (a mosque, hindu temple, Mormon sites/church, Wicca, Scientology, etc..). The outcome was an understanding that most of what is done in christian churches is the same methods/marketing used by other religions as well (because the methods work and fill a psychological need).
I joined this forum because I suspect the reasoning I use that rejects Christian rituals and mysticism may be similar to the reasoning many intellectual atheists use as well. I know that in early Rome Christians were mistaken to be atheists, I think indicating a lack of ritual, etc... In any case, I always seem to learn more from people with different beliefs.
