My Garden of Literature

From Science Fiction, to Classics, to Fantasy to Non Fiction, I love to read. I'm learning so much about myself and my opinion through it all, but more importantly, I'm learning all the questions I have that I never knew I had before. Questions like, what author is NOT influenced by religion? I mean really, there are so many books out there with moral and ethical guidelines, Christlike figures, etc. And, how does what I read change my opinions? Do I want to have those opinions, or am I just simply a product of my environment, spouting the opinions of those put into a position of authority over me, either by force or by my personal choice? Then come my questions about reading itself. Should reading be so influential, rather than personal experiences? Do I allow characters in books to live experiences so that I can enjoy the feelings and emotions without actually ever having to be in danger or leave my living room? How do I want reading to effect my young children? Should I concentrate on teaching them to read, or should I just continue to read aloud to them making reading a bonding time, making reading a symbol of safety and nurture? That brings me into the question, what is my philosophy on reading? And learning altogether? I'm part of starting a charter school in our town and the curriculum was already chosen when I joined. Since I have a decent amount of educational background, I have done a lot of the representing of the philosophy of education we have chosen and it makes sense to me, but I never really questioned it. I just said, "I can see how you could come to that conclusion." While I'm not saying its wrong, I'm slapping my own hand for not at least hearing the other side of the argument.

So, from my opinions on what I read to how to learn to read, I will be documenting my personal discoveries on what might end up being a fairly disjointed blog. Feel free to come with me on this journey and question my ideas until I can defend my ideas because they are truly what I believe, not just what I heard someone I respect say.