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Why We Banned Legos
Rethinking Schools ^ | Winter 2006 | Ann Pelo and Kendra Pelojoaquin

Posted on 07/25/2007 7:37:07 PM PDT by Lorianne

Exploring power, ownership, and equity in an early childhood classroom ___

Carl and Oliver,* both 8-year-olds in our after-school program, huddled over piles of Legos. They carefully assembled them to add to a sprawling collection of Lego houses, grocery stores, fish-and-chips stands, fire stations, and coffee shops. They were particularly keen to find and use "cool pieces," the translucent bricks and specialty pieces that complement the standard-issue red, yellow, blue, and green Lego bricks.

"I'm making an airport and landing strip for my guy's house. He has his own airplane," said Oliver.

"That's not fair!" said Carl. "That takes too many cool pieces and leaves not enough for me."

"Well, I can let other people use the landing strip, if they have airplanes," said Oliver. "Then it's fair for me to use more cool pieces, because it's for public use."

Discussions like the one above led to children collaborating on a massive series of Lego structures we named Legotown. Children dug through hefty-sized bins of Legos, sought "cool pieces," and bartered and exchanged until they established a collection of homes, shops, public facilities, and community meeting places. We carefully protected Legotown from errant balls and jump ropes, and watched it grow day by day.

After nearly two months of observing the children's Legotown construction, we decided to ban the Legos.

(Excerpt) Read more at rethinkingschools.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: latteliberal; legos; marxist; socialist; wartoys
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To: Lorianne

I have to admit I read this story this morning and it left me shaking my head in disbelief!

As I drove off to work this story hung with me. I got to thinking about of all things...a Commandment. You know, one of the big 10.

And wondered if it ever occurred to these teachers that what they failed to teach the other children was just as important as their warped sense of “sharing.” Although it is indeed a lesson they themselves never seemed to have learned.

Thou shalt not covet...

to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another


141 posted on 07/26/2007 5:23:38 PM PDT by EBH
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To: B-Chan
Heck, I'd be happy if she read Starship Troopers by Heinlein. I can't believe he wrote it in 1959. Eerily predictive of this exact situation.
142 posted on 07/26/2007 5:33:28 PM PDT by Spyder
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To: SoftballMominVA
Sure. The kids can pick new parents if they put up with it. And the teachers can be run out of town on a rail. But that's small potatoes; the thing is to smash the entire beast.
143 posted on 07/26/2007 9:30:00 PM PDT by JasonC
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To: keepitreal

Maybe Pelo should go teach her thoughts in countries like Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, so we can have world peace.

Mark


144 posted on 07/29/2007 10:45:28 AM PDT by MarkL (Listen, Strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government)
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To: Grunthor; Old Sarge

My wife is TheMom here at FR so it just came naturally to call our children TheBoy and TheGirl.

She is 17 and he is 20.


145 posted on 07/29/2007 11:14:17 AM PDT by Eaker (If illegal immigrants were so great for an economy; Mexico would be building a wall to keep them in)
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To: Lorianne

This reminds me of when several school districts decided to even the playing field between the “rich” and “poor” kids.

On the first day (or so) of school all the children put their school supplies into collective boxes so that the “rich” and “poor” could share the bounty. What really happened as the children’s parent all made similar yearly incomes the parents who tightened their belts in other areas so that they could purchase the 64 count box of crayons for their kids were cheated out of their fine efforts as junior may have had to settle on the 10 count box.

Also there were all of the left handed kids trying to use right handed scissors and vice versa.

Glad I wasn’t in one of those districts as I learned that to have the money for something that I want I have to forgo something else that I want.


146 posted on 07/29/2007 11:31:18 AM PDT by Eaker (If illegal immigrants were so great for an economy; Mexico would be building a wall to keep them in)
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To: CarryaBigStick



147 posted on 07/29/2007 11:43:55 AM PDT by Eaker (If illegal immigrants were so great for an economy; Mexico would be building a wall to keep them in)
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To: irishtenor
I do believe the story of the children is fictitious.

Yes indeed.

148 posted on 07/29/2007 11:49:16 AM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: ken21
“...a critical evaluation of Legotown and the inequities of private ownership and hierarchical authority on which it was founded.

The cold war was a waste of money.

Welcome to the American communist party
public school system.

149 posted on 07/29/2007 1:34:59 PM PDT by Major_Risktaker (Global Warming is a cover story for Peak Oil.)
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To: Lorianne

bttt


150 posted on 03/08/2009 4:11:59 AM PDT by dennisw (Archimedes--- Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum to place it, and I shall move the Earth)
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To: Lorianne

Why does Oprah have more than one house?
Why are all of Oprah’s houses bigger than mine?
Is it fair that Oprah has several beach homes and I have none?
Why does Oprah have more cars than me?
I think Oprah should share with all of us.


151 posted on 03/08/2009 4:24:29 AM PDT by carmody
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To: Lorianne

ponging me


152 posted on 03/08/2009 4:24:44 AM PDT by razorback-bert (Will trade sex for ammo)
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To: Bullish
Where do these morons come from? Unfortunately they came from college with a certificate in education.

Why are they teaching our children? Parents are letting their children being abused by the schools.

153 posted on 11/24/2015 8:29:26 PM PST by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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To: ExCTCitizen

Just curious, do you realize that thread and my reply to it is from 2007? 8 years ago?


154 posted on 11/24/2015 8:42:14 PM PST by Bullish (Face it, insanity is just not presidential.)
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To: Lorianne

Adding to my listen of reasons to homeschool.


155 posted on 11/24/2015 9:04:40 PM PST by kalee
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To: Bullish; Mercat; Old Sarge; Lorianne; Ken522; LibFreeOrDie; aruanan; PetroniusMaximus; ...

Maybe this thread and the article in the discussion is far more meaningful now. All these children have become adults.

In light of everything that’s happening, re-reading this article should be far, far more constructive to today’s events and the loss of our nation.

How much of this sounds like the Representatives of today.


156 posted on 01/08/2021 11:27:41 AM PST by EBH (Repent, Accept, Proclaim )
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To: PAR35

ELCA is the organization that made Minnesota what it is today.


157 posted on 07/10/2021 1:16:29 PM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
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To: Lorianne

They are idiot adults

They let this get way out of hand

And then think they are being brilliant for banning the Lego


158 posted on 07/10/2021 1:16:36 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Leftism is Mentally Deranged
Their favorite concept is “ban”. Except for the deodorant.
159 posted on 07/10/2021 1:24:01 PM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
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To: Lorianne

But didn’t they shoehorn in Ruth Bader Ginsburg into the second Lego Movie?


160 posted on 07/10/2021 1:26:09 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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