Month: September 2007

  • State Fair – Free stuff

     animalsduck

    State Fair Free Anti Smoking Picture:  “It looks just as stupid when you do it.”

    I had plenty of time to cruise the Education Building for FREE STUFF
    (my State Fair addiction.)  I am a champion free stuff getter.

    1. Purple St. Thomas bag – Since I got there when the Education Building
      opened, I didn’t have to wait in line. Otherwise people start lining
      up a 1/2 hour before they start handing the bags out.
    2. Enough pens and pencils to last 3 kids an entire school year
    3. Rulers
    4. Luggage tags
    5. An anti-smoking poster that shows all kinds of animals (cows, pigs,
      cats, dogs, horses, monkeys…) smoking cigarettes.  It says “It looks
      just as stupid when you do it.”
    6. A hat shaped like the Minnesota State Capitol, and an educational
      coloring book from the Minnesota House of Representatives  You can check out this year’s State Fair poll results (http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/Fair/pollmain.asp)
    7. A bookmark with the sign language alphabet.
    8. “Art on a stick” – paper fans with works of art from the Minneapolis
      Institute of Arts.
    9. An Anti-Discrimination pin
    10. My name written in Hebrew
    11. A map of Canada.

    You’re probably thinking “Wow, I can’t believe you got that free stuff,”
    either in the sense that “Wow, that’s really cool!,” or “Wow, what a
    bunch of crap!”  I kind of have mixed feelings myself, but mostly, it
    is “Wow, free stuff.”

    Free stuff I didn’t get:  John Deere tractor hat, pig ear hat, yard stick, U of M backpack…, UCare bag, bike helmet

     

  • State Fair 2007

     I did get to go to the State Fair twice this year.  The first time was sans kids.  I volunteered at the MHA Homeschool booth.  We had our fair share of the usual visitors:  grandparents/aunts/uncles whose grandchildren/nieces/nephews are homeschooled, homeschool families looking for resources, and people wanting to debate the legitimacy of children learning at home. 

    Best comments: 

    • A woman who worked in a local community college who said that they had a lot of homeschooled students participating in the PSEO program (Post-secondary education,) and that they did very well.
    • A woman who taught classes at the Science Museum of Minnesota said the homeschool groups were always engaged and knowlegeable.

    Worst comments:

    • “So what credentials do parents have to teach their children?  I have a graduate degree in education, and I don’t think that people without credentials should be allowed to teach.”
    • “Homeschooling…does that mean teachers come into your home to teach?  Oh, you teach your children at home?  What a shame!”