Shuttle Launch (updated with pics)

 

And just like you, I know children who were homeschooled who are barely literate today.  I think you have to homeschool for the right reasons -- meaning you still want your children to be educated, but you choose to educate them in a non-traditional way.   Sounds like you did a great job to me.

Some teachers are hostile to homeschooling, but I think it can be done well, and for the most part I commend parents who take that responsibility.  I have a very good friend who homeschooled her 2 daughters and made sure they took the yearly state achievement tests so they would have those records when the girls went to college.  In public school classroom management takes up a lot of time in the day.  Homeschooled students can get the same amount of work done in 2-4 hours that takes a public school student all day long.  But I also know some people who have done a very poor job of homeschooling because they homeschooled only to keep their children out of public school.  (I'm sure you're NOT one of those!)  But for parents who are truly taking responsibility for their children's education, homeschooling can be very successful and enriching.  Sounds like you had as much fun learning as your kids did.  And October Sky is truly one of the most inspirational movies I've ever seen.

 

P.S.  I loved your science experiments!

Amen!  I face this problem with my staff at a university where they are afraid to let students have any control about what is being taught in the classroom.  I, with a committee, revamped a curriculum for the required gen ed class that I supervise.  I wanted to incorporate some student driven assessment tools and when one of the committee members discovered that a group of students would "grade" another student's presentation, he thew a fit.  Some people are truly afraid to relinquish control of their classroom in fear that the teacher may come across as weak or incompetent.

I, on the other hand, have more fun when students keep me on my toes, and it's really neat when a student takes you on a path that you didn't expect just to see where it takes you.  It saddens me when teachers feel that they are the masters of their domain and that the students are treated like subjects.  Students will never learn in that environment as some of you indicated.