. 

It was an easy fix. Just had to unscrew the top, lift it off, and remove the CD's that were stuck... It took me about a year, to work up the courage and motivation to do it, however!

My son used to be real good at taking things apart. He once took apart a heavy duty pair of pliers, when he was like 3 years old. Never did figure out how he did that...

Another time, while I was away at an appointment, (and his big sister was supposed to be watching him...) he took the screws out of every doorknob in the house. (he had just learned how to use the screwdriver, and was pretty excited about it, I guess).

When I came home, I went to open the front door, and the doorknob fell off! Once I finally got in the door, (kind of hard to do, when there's no doorknob) I decided my kids were up to some kind of no good, so I went through the house, hollering for the kids, (who were nowhere in sight, at the time, probably hiding, cause they were scared of the potential consequences!), opening every door, only to find that every time I opened a door, the doorknob fell off!

I guess after about 3 doorknobs, I started to realize what had probably happened...

My son's explanation - while he found it very easy to get the screws out of the doorknobs, he was having some difficulty figuring out how to put them back in...(and in the excitement, lost quite a few of the screws, and then didn't know what to do, so just replaced the knobs, without screws, to make it look like everything was 'normal', and hoped no one would notice!)

I was steaming at first, till I realized how ridiculous and funny it really was... Could have won a prize from 'America's Funniest Home Videos', for that one! (if anyone had thought to film me, opening all those doors, only to find each and every knob was falling off! The look on my face must have been priceless, but they probably would have had to 'bleep out' quite a few segments!)

Maybe I'll play a trick on my son, when he gets his new house, and go unscrew all his doorknobs. (then secretly film his reaction, when he gets home! Hehe!)

Message was edited by:
sahara2

Is all knowledge based on our own observations?

I think there are many things that we can learn from books or other peoples observations. We often build what we know on the observations of those who have gone before us.

In fact I think that if we had to observe every thing we learn it would be like starting over every time.  

My career is being a nurse. That is how I make my living. But at one time when I was young I was one of the first woman hired by the state of California to be a freeway landscape maintance worker.

When I was very young my Dad encouraged me to never be in fear of learning new things and to never see any thing as being below my need of knowing how to do it because I could never know were the situations of my life would lead me.

I know how to do cement work like putting in a side walk for my house.

I know how to sew and often make my own dresses or uniforms for work.

I know how to grow a garden and look forward each spring to start my seedlings and caring for them while they grow me good food. I love the smell of fresh worked soil.

I know how to make beaded jewlery and how to do bead work on clothing. My Mom is also great at this kind of craft work, even though her career was being a draftsman.

I once rewired the electeric in my rent house.

Some time I would like to go to school and learn more about how to do electeric work. But, this fall I'm going to take a class to learn how to do the bodywork on my Jeep and custom paint it.

So many things I know, maybe even everything, is on the foundation of the people who have gone before me.

until another time Ussarn

PS I'm sure Sahara2 is shaking her head and wondering why I haven't learned to spell the English language yet. :-)

What you're saying is another clue Ussarn. It is a great way to learn using our hands, by actually doing like putting cement as u said.

Maybe it is just a matter of learning in the context of life, even if from books. But the trouble is when books seem like a whole separate universe and we're trapped in it. And sure by observation, i don't mean we should be reinventing the wheel. Just meant that we shouldn't stop observing.

Oh, I think I see your point Chicamuslima.

This is sometimes the problem with education. When we don't see how what we learn from books applies to our day to day life.

Do you think that the problem is always with the education system? or Do you think that the problem might be more with the way we view our position is the society we live in? You know, just wishing from time to time, that we could live a little "outside the box".

Some of the things we learn from books and in school are often more for teaching us how to think through a problem then that that exact problem will some day confornt us in the future.

until another time Ussarn 

Assalamu Alaikum Muslim brothers and sisters

I think that it's very important for parents to impress upon their children the importance of practical learning. Also, I think that it is the responsibility of the teachers to tell their students what significance of the knowledge they teach is. I know that, Insha Allah, when I become a teacher, I would want my students to understand that what they are learning isn't just to pass the test, but to help in life. Maybe we could even have some simple manual skills taught, that would be so cool. I'd better stop now. Sometimes when I get into my idea mode, I keep going for hours, and by then my time on the forum would be over and all of it would be lost.

Something interesting about this discussion is that it is so obvious, that I never thought to discuss it. Isn't that strange? Ha.

Salaam

Assalamualaikum

Knowledge-based economy is the current hype nowadays, so much so, vocational trainings have lagged behind.

We've incidents where a car designer (with automative engineering degree) designs a superb car, but still scratch his head when his car broke down & had to be towed & repaired by a humble mechanic whose qualification may only be a certificate level or high school diploma.

Whether we like it or not, knowledge-based education & skill-based education comes hand in hand. While our kids may not be bright academically, he/she might be good in repairing things up, or skilled in other expertise such as cooking (which is a good pathway to become a cehef or open one's restaurant), sewing (designing Muslimah apparel, anyone?) etc.

As such, gauge our kids potential as early as possible. Do not forced them to our needs. Its their future, not ours. We can only guide them, in the end, they'll decide which profession they should take (provided the profession is halal, of course),

Wassalam