Friday, April 8, 2016

Helping With Homework From Far Away

We often bemoan the fact that we live so far away from our children and grandchildren who live on the Midwest and East Coast. Luckily technology can bridge the distance as it couldn't when our children were little. Phone calls back then were very expensive and it was often hard to sit down and write a letter when I had two children to chase after.

Times have sure changed.

A few weeks ago, I was able to test my 3rd grade granddaughter on her spelling test using Skype.

She found the words easy and got only one wrong though she corrected it as soon as she realized from my facial expression that she'd goofed.

It boggled my mind to think that we were able to help my granddaughter with her spelling words from over 4,000 miles away!

It reminded me of how I used to tape our kids talking and mailing them to both sets of grandparents.




Some things haven't changed.

I saw a couple of things on Facebook that I thought I'd share with you.

Here are some spelling words I still see grown ups goofing up.


And here's something else I found that might be close to the truth.

Oh yes. Times have definitely changed.

36 comments:

  1. A reminder of the "good old school days." I love the cursive writing as code because I can see that happening already.

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  2. I saw that cursive code graphic on FB recently. Fun stuff.

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  3. I so wish Skype was around when my two were young. So easy then to share homework with the grandparents. Great idea. Sad I lost out.

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  4. How sweet of you to help your granddaughter with her homework from so far away!

    I believe that some of the common spelling mistakes in the list happen because people type too fast and did not proof read what they have typed before posting the words on facebook and not due to the fact that they did not know the meaning or the spelling of the correct words.

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  5. I saw that quote on Facebook about cursive, and it is kind of true. No cursive in schools around here. Great post, and love the technology that makes us so close.

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  6. My grandchildren are so busy that they I am rarely able to talk to them via phone, just started Skype, but it is hard and I miss being apart of their lives.

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  7. My mother's boyfriend didn't know the difference between to, two, and too. South Carolina has obviously never been well known for its education system.

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  8. I think its amazing hat we can do now,, it truly does broaden our world for sure,, well done for your grand daughter!!

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  9. As a child I remember teachers being so insistent on proper grammar. I wonder when that was discarded, in favor of "Jim and me."

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  10. Great way you've adapted technology to create a useful exchange with youngsters. Your example shows what super progress lies ahead for education in general once all are aboard with the systems available now and those being developed for the future.

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  11. What a lovely entry. You bring a smile to my face this morning.

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  12. You are so right about cursive. And I will have to remember that about helping with homework from a distance. We use FaceTime several times a week just to see granddaughter's lovely 2 year old face.

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  13. so lovely you were able to help remotely! Yes, technology is a good thing mostly.

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  14. interesting, I see so many texter use your instead or u r would work better. I hate to call them on their spelling, cause then I shound like a know it all...

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  15. Guess I need to recheck my spelling before posting...lol! texters...and would instead of shound. Also I can blame my computer that misspells for me. Whenever I write Redrock Seminarit says Redneck Seminar...not good...lol!

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  16. That note about cursive writing? Too funny! And sadly, I think, prophetic.

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    1. They even took handwriting out of the curriculum in our Illinois school district which absolutely shocked me. My granddaughter learned handwriting with her first grade homework, but not in school itself.

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  17. It's hard for me to look at cursive writing and imagine that there will be people who cannot read it! That's a great story about helping with a spelling test over a 4,000-mile gap! :-)

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  18. So funny about cursive writing! Mine is already pretty indecipherable, even when I print.
    When I was a young kid, my school friend Dorothy Chun and I used to collect homonyms such as to, too, two, and whole, hole, etc. Nowadays, the kids don't even write out words and use symbols and shortcuts for words. The times, they are a-changing.

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  19. I like the spelling rules at the top of the page. Yes, things have changed. I could never have imagined the things we have now.

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  20. now technology is fantastic to be in touch

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  21. Technology is the grandparents friend.
    Laughed out loud at cursive writing being our secret code though thanks to the computer, mine has really deteriorated.

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  22. I think it's wonderful that you can share in KC's daily life like that. Next best thing to being there.
    I saw that cursive writing thing - I laughed.

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  23. My cursive writing has always been so bad it already qualified as secret code. Wish I could Skype or have Facetime out here in the country but nothing works. Bad connections or I would talk to my godson in Germany every day. How wonderful you can spend that time with your grandchildren.

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  24. Thinking of how much has changed since we entered the digital world and continues to do so rapidly, don't you wonder what life will be in another twenty or thirty years, much less longer? As I've observed TV news stories featuring children writing I've been astounded at how they hold a writing device -- pencil or pen -- seem to grasp it fist-like -- looks so awkward and uncomfortable. Cursive will, indeed, become a secret code.

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  25. Oh yes communication has progressed so fast in the last 20 years that what is happening now was unimaginable two decades ago.

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    1. Hello Haddock! Nice to meet you. I love how your blog introduces us to life in your beautiful country.

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  26. Old folks will be the only ones who can do research. Learning cursive will be a requirement for the younger people. My granddaughters tell me they have friends who can't sign their own names.

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  27. Hey, I taped my son talking too!!

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    1. Pretty soon they won't be making tape recorders. We also have 8mm film that we can no longer see. Sigh...

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  28. Blessings....
    Where their is a will, there is a way.

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  29. Mentioned this to book lover/writer/teacher who responded cursive is becoming like hieroglyphics.

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  30. The technology has really been great for us! We just did facetime with our son and granddaughter in Vancouver! He was at a park, our DIL was working. Don't you love it?!

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  31. Technology is great! I'm so amazed that I can send/receive kind words to you from B.C. to Hawaii to you an internet "friend"!
    By the way, don't mind my "Canadian" spelling sometimes!

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    1. Hi Julie! Ahhh... You're from Canada! Yay! I love Canadians. You guys are really the nicest people around. We always love traveling to Canada because of the people. I won't mind your spelling if you don't mind mine.

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