Wow! Happy New Year! It’s been a relatively slow week for Ethan because of the holiday season. Plus, Ethan was banned from using the computer for almost 2 weeks so there was that, as well.

The community centre had a special pass for the winter holidays where you could do unlimited skating, swimming or gymnastics drop-in. We got Ethan one of these passes and he spent almost every day doing at least one of those activities. He would go with one of his friends but was equally happy playing with new kids.

It was a great way to stay active over the holiday period when he didn’t have any of his regular activities.

As mentioned, Ethan was banned from using his computer. He was writing a message to post online and switched to full-screen with a different window when Dong Eun walked in.

He wasn’t doing anything wrong but was trying to hide what he was doing. We decided it would be best to take away his computer privileges to help him realize that he should be honest about what he’s doing and not sneak around.

He finally got the computer privileges back on January 1.

Ethan prepared a new schedule for the New Year. He’ll have more physical activities because we can see how much it benefits him to be more active. He’ll be in swimming three days a week, taekwondo twice a week, skating lessons once a week and one full day of nature school per week. We’ll try to fit in some skiing when possible.

December 29

December 31

Ethan stayed up until midnight to ring in 2020. Fun night!

January 1

January 2

January 3

The shots below are of Ethan’s coding in Python. He’s making a game called Snake. It’s a classic game where you move a “snake” around the screen trying to eat an apple. With each apple eaten, the snake grows longer and moves faster. The object of the game is to continue eating apples and not touching the sides of the screen. If the snake touches one of the sides, the game is over.

January 4

And that was the end of 2019 and the start of 2020 for Ethan. He continues to do a lot and loves unschooling. Let’s see how the rest of 2020 plays out.

answers to week 18

hello Natasha!

how are you?

I’m fine, just doing fun stuff. 😉

here are the answers to week 18:

What surprised you the most [in the mars video]?

well, the most surprising thing wasn’t mentioned, and the surprising part is surprising because they didn’t mention it! you need some kind of magnetic field, to block any solar winds, to do that, you got to a) make the core of the planet molten again, or b) get a magnet about 1-2 tesla or a magnet 1000-2000 times stronger than a refrigerator magnet.

Having such a strong foundation in math will only support your science studies. Do you have any new areas of interest or topics you will explore? 

Do you think you will get interested in biology again? Or focus on chemistry and physics? Maybe you want to check out the microscopic world? 

hmm… maybe… I might try the microscopic world first… I don’t really have any new areas of study though… I am focusing on chemistry and that’s fun too!

What are some of the new skills of things you can do in swimming and skating?

well, I can do a side stroke & dolphin kick in swimming! I learned those! 🙂 and skating, I can stop on my right foot now!

Do you use calendars? 

hmm, sometimes… not always though, like for maybe seeing a “map” fo the dates? it also helps me to see how many days until something.

My question for you is: If you could code for anything, what would it be? 

well, I would code maybe like something that will help the world, like maybe a robot that flies and if it detects too much co2 in the atmosphere it will suck it in & convert into 2 oxygen & 1 carbon atom and release the oxygen but keep the carbon to make graphite and stuff.

Are you familiar with Carl Sagan at all?

umm, yes! I know him because of his work as a physicist! also, we watched a documentary called Cosmos and Carl Sagan was the writer.

also, the star wars web site was really fun! because it showed the inside parts to all these spaceships in star wars, so that was cool!

LC Response

Hi Ethan I am really doing well. I have been skiing a lot which I absolutely love. I enjoy being outside in the quiet snow filled forest and sliding down the hills in powder with my friends. It feels like being  weightless, plus I get to see some pretty beautiful views. 

I really liked the mars video because it tells in detail what we need to do to colonize mars! I know, I was amazed how detailed he was he made it seem not only possible, but almost probable that we will be there someday. What surprised you the most? 

also, the speed of light video was fun, because it shows how fast light is, but also, how slow it is! My roommate recommended it to me, he thought you would like it. I show him some of your videos.  

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have any bad habits to break even?

Or do you have any goals for the year ahead?

hmm, well, I did make a new year’s resolution, that I won’t use the computer as much and use books more, exercise more, focus on science than math because I focused too much on math last year. 

Well those sound like really good ones. I need to remind myself to read books too. There are so many out there to explore. What were your favorites that you checked out? You sound like my nephew checking out the maximum of 50! 

Having such a strong foundation in math will only support your science studies. Do you have any new areas of interest or topics you will explore? 

Do you think you will get interested in biology again? Or focus on chemistry and physics? Maybe you want to check out the microscopic world? 

https://selfdesign.learning.powerschool.com/selfdesignlearning/library/cms_page/view/30186996

Perhaps you’re a budding scientist interested in the microscopic world? Maybe you’re a blossoming chef, aiming to master the perfect sourdough loaf or ginger beer? Possibly you’re just seeking a way to avoid getting the flu this winter! Regardless of your motivation, Microbe Mania can help you learn more about the local microbiomes that matter most.

I encourage you to take some time to explore the Learning Experience Library. (when you have some computer time) 

There are some really interesting new content pages with articles and videos on more specific topics.

For example in the Experiments and Processes page: https://selfdesign.learning.powerschool.com/selfdesignlearning/library/cms_page/view/29180489

There are a whole bunch of further topics to click on on the right hand side. 

So many resources and possible inspiration there so have fun and let your interests and curiosity guide you down new paths you may not have thought of yet. 

How did you like Star Wars? Have you seen the other films? 

 I really liked the star wars movie. in fact, I went again to the movie theatre, and watched it again in 3D! and yes, I have watched the other star wars movies.

Wow lucky you, 3D. I am tempted to see it it again myself, it is the last one and such a special theatre experience. 

Have you asked your parents about their early memories of Star Wars?

well, no, but maybe I should! 🙂 UPDATE: yes I have. my dad remembers the toys from star wars, like the landspeeders.

All of the spaceships are incredible! 

Here is a neat article with pictures: https://vocal.media/futurism/coolest-star-wars-spaceships

The community centre had a special pass for the winter holidays where you could do unlimited skating, swimming or gymnastics drop-in. We got Ethan one of these passes and he spent almost every day doing at least one of those activities. He would go with one of his friends but was equally happy playing with new kids.

What are some of the new skills of things you can do in swimming and skating? 

When we got home, Ethan worked on his winter schedule.

I really enjoy seeing your process of planning your schedule from brainstorming to a color coded more organized version. I agree that a paper and pen version of this is really helpful. People seem surprised that I still use a paper calendar as a planner and not my phone, but I enjoy being able to see the bigger picture. 

Do you use calendars? 

 I would like to hear about some of your future plans and directions. I would like to include them in the Winter Connection I will be writing up this month. 

Violin classes start up again but Ethan has been continuously practicing over the winter break.

Your passion and dedication to playing violin is infectious! I look forward to hearing a piece sometime this year. 

Looks like you worked on a lot of coding over break too, even when you can’t do it on the computer. 

Coding: He went straight into using the code he wrote for calculating the chances of getting an exploding kitten for the Exploding Kitten game.

Coding:

The shots below are of Ethan’s coding in Python. He’s making a game called Snake. It’s a classic game where you move a “snake” around the screen trying to eat an apple. With each apple eaten, the snake grows longer and moves faster. The object of the game is to continue eating apples and not touching the sides of the screen. If the snake touches one of the sides, the game is over.

My question for you is: If you could code for anything, what would it be? 

Ethan thank you for all you shared this week and answering my questions in an email. 

Are you familiar with Carl Sagan at all? I like this quote a lot and it reminds me of your constant quest for now knowledge. 

Making science interesting

Although Sagan was most widely known for his scientific communication with the general public, he made many significant scientific contributions as well.

When Sagan was in graduate school, many scientists thought the planet Venus was similar to Earth. As part of his doctorate research, Sagan computed the first greenhouse model for Venus’ atmosphere, which revealed a higher temperature than previously suspected. Later, he suggested that dust storms on Mars caused the seasonal changes observed on that planet, and he also wrote a series of papers on the organic chemistry of Jupiter’s atmosphere.

As an advisor to NASA, Sagan helped design and manage the Mariner 2 mission to Venus, the Mariner 9 and Viking trips to Mars, the Voyager system to the outer solar system, and the Galileo mission to Jupiter. He also helped brief astronauts prior to their trips to the moon.

Sagan helped lay the groundwork for two new scientific disciplines: planetary science and exobiology, or the study of potential life on other planets. He co-founded and served as the first president of The Planetary Society, an organization dedicated to inspiring and involving the public in space exploration. And he promoted the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, where he served as a trustee.

But Sagan was far more visible as a scientific educator than as a researcher. He was gifted at breaking down scientific concepts into explanations that the public could readily understand, while avoiding talking down to them. He authored hundreds of popular articles and more than two dozen books, and he frequently appeared in Time magazine — landing the cover on Oct. 20, 1980.

Ethan answers to LC questions week 17

hello Natasha! 

how are you doing?

here are the answers to week 17:

I really liked the mars video because it tells in detail what we need to do to colonize mars!

also, the speed of light video was fun, because it shows how fast light is, but also, how slow it is!

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have any bad habits to break even?

Or do you have any goals for the year ahead?

hmm, well, I did make a new year’s resolution, that I won’t use the computer as much and use books more, exercise more, focus on science than math because I focused too much on math last year.

How did you like Star Wars? Have you seen the other films? 

 I really liked the star wars movie. in fact, I went again to the movie theatre, and watched it again in 3D! and yes, I have watched the other star wars movies.

Have you asked your parents about their early memories of Star Wars?

well, no, but maybe I should! 🙂 UPDATE: yes I have. my dad remembers the toys from star wars, like the landspeeders.