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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
We saw the decimation of Lego-town as an opportunity to launch a critical evaluation of Legotown and the inequities of private ownership and hierarchical authority on which it was founded.

The teachers use their hierarchical authority to impose their rules on the kids. Some animals are more equal than others.

61 posted on 07/25/2007 8:34:01 PM PDT by 6SJ7
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To: PetroniusMaximus
Scout’s Honor! True story. Legos helped build our long range fire control systems on Apache attack helicopters!
62 posted on 07/25/2007 8:34:27 PM PDT by DocRock (All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Matthew 26:52 ... Go ahead, look it up!)
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To: PAR35

I wonder if the church decided to kick them out before or after the Lego incident.

Who knows? Maybe it was all those “Worship Gaia” bumper stickers on the faculty cars!


63 posted on 07/25/2007 8:36:59 PM PDT by keepitreal
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To: Mercat
These people are just like Delores Umbrage.

More like the demon spawn of Dolores Umbridge and a Dementor.

Can you imagine being six or eight years old and having to go to a class taught by these soul-sucking killjoys?

I don't recall how old I was when I decided that anyone who used the word "collective" was my mortal enemy, but it's going to happen a lot sooner to these poor little tykes.

-ccm

64 posted on 07/25/2007 8:37:57 PM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: DocRock
“Scout’s Honor! True story.”

Dude, I believe you!!!

You should contact Lego!

Well, on second thought...

:)

65 posted on 07/25/2007 8:38:47 PM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
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To: Lorianne
Ann Pelo (annpelo@msn.com) and Kendra Pelojoaquin teach at Hilltop Children' Center, a child care program in Seattle. Kendra coordinates the before- and after-school program at Hilltop, and, with two co-teachers, teaches a group of 30 children. Ann is the mentor teacher at Hilltop, working alongside teachers to support their learning abut the pedagogy inspired by the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. This article is part of an ongoing series on early childhood education funded through a special grant of the Peppercorn Foundation.
66 posted on 07/25/2007 8:39:23 PM PDT by muleskinner
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To: Lorianne
If these bozos had their dreams realized, they wouldn’t be working in hoity toity schools available only to the rich white kids. I’m sure the majority of the children’s fathers work in the evil businesses that make up corporate America. Schools like this are dangerous.
67 posted on 07/25/2007 8:39:47 PM PDT by peggybac (Tolerance is the virtue of believing in nothing)
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To: 6SJ7

Yeah, and they’re my #1 suspect for destroying Legotown in the first place.


68 posted on 07/25/2007 8:42:03 PM PDT by scrabblehack
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To: Blind Eye Jones
That is F**KING HILARIOUS. Mockery and ridicule is a powerful weapon against these lobotomized lotus-eaters.

-ccm

69 posted on 07/25/2007 8:42:03 PM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: Lorianne
So, keep the Legos and ban the public schools.
70 posted on 07/25/2007 8:43:24 PM PDT by JasonC
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To: exit82
The kids with the vision to build Legotown became the bad guys of course because they assumed that that they, the builders, would reap a reward for their vision, hard work and industriousness.

Let's give those kids some Legos made out of Rearden Metal.

-ccm

71 posted on 07/25/2007 8:44:27 PM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: DocRock

That’s a great story! Thanks.


72 posted on 07/25/2007 8:45:21 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Guns themselves are fairly robust; their chief enemies are rust and politicians) (NRA)
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To: keepitreal
Who knows? Maybe it was all those “Worship Gaia” bumper stickers on the faculty cars!

I don't know. It's ELCA. How would they be able to tell the faculty cars from those of the congregants? They don't have anything overtly liberal on their web site, however.

73 posted on 07/25/2007 8:46:55 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: PetroniusMaximus
As a teacher of many years (1968-2001) I strongly suspect that she greatly embellished the Lego story for the sake of her deeply felt socialist cause. I've read through a number of these self-indulgent papers through the years as an educator.

Also consider that these "Big Kids" were probably tired and cranky after six hours in the regular school day. Is it believable for these children to sit through daily class meetings for five long, dreary months discussing such topics as collectivism and group dynamics?

74 posted on 07/25/2007 8:47:15 PM PDT by Irish Queen (Nevada Gal)
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To: PetroniusMaximus
That's a man, baby.

I mean, er, that's NOT a woman, baby.

Um, I mean, that's a well meaning in-between that would be executed immediately after the bad guys take over.

75 posted on 07/25/2007 8:47:41 PM PDT by Defend the Second (Let Me Get This Straight: Illegal Invasion is OK, but Legal Expulsion is Not?)
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To: ccmay

Bingo!! Ayn Rand would be proud of you.

Your prize: your own railroad—and you what the tracks are made from!


76 posted on 07/25/2007 8:51:18 PM PDT by exit82 (I have a gut feeling: Michael Chertoff is a jerk.)
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To: Lorianne

Lesbianese Marxist anti-Legites.


77 posted on 07/25/2007 8:54:14 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~~~Jihad Fever -- Catch It !~~~ (Backup tag: "Live Fred or Die"))
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To: Lorianne

Just make the pie bigger — BUY SOME MORE LEGGOS!


78 posted on 07/25/2007 8:55:39 PM PDT by Col Freeper
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To: peggybac
If these bozos had their dreams realized, they wouldn’t be working in hoity toity schools available only to the rich white kids.

They're not all white. I bet they have a few mascots of color too. But undoubtedly those who pay the bills are going to be as WASPy as the members of the Boston Yacht Club.

I’m sure the majority of the children’s fathers work in the evil businesses that make up corporate America.

Did you see their fund raising page? They're comfortable enough with corporate capitalism to offer to take any unwanted shares of stock off your hands.

Schools like this are dangerous.

Agreed. These people are among the most dangerous and evil in our society.

-ccm

79 posted on 07/25/2007 8:56:23 PM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: keepitreal

Thanks for that companion piece.


80 posted on 07/25/2007 8:59:58 PM PDT by Lorianne
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