The work to pass the stimulus bill reminded me of this ABC Saturday morning cartoon. I can remember watching Schoolhouse Rock and seriously trying to understand. Geekdom came early for me.
I love Schoolhouse Rock. I have the set of DVDs for my kids as well. I think learning concepts set to music is just a great way to teach kids. When Sam is having difficulty with one of his spelling words, I make up a song to help him remember it. It hasn't failed yet - in fact he usually teaches it to a few kids and it helps them too!
When I was in 8th grade, we had to pass a constitution test and one of the very first questions was that we had to write out the entire preamble. There were MANY people humming while writing (myself included)!
There is nothing geeky about Schoolhouse Rock. I remember watching it with my kids and thinking it was a fantastic teaching tool. I never understood why it was taken off the air.
You can tell Robby is of a different generation. I'd bet everyone from ours remembers watching Conjunction-junction, what's your function? You gotta love youtube. I've watched half of them today.
That was my immediate thought - that Robbie can NOT be of our generation. The one where we had access to a maximum of 12 channels (TV dials used to have only channels 2-13 on them and YES, TVs used to have dials on them - remotes weren't available). So everyone watched the same shows - because there were really only 3 main networks. We got both Chicago and Peoria channels so we were lucky to be able to get 2 ABCs and 2 CBSs - only one NBC though. So, if one satellite went out, we could turn and watch our show on the other channel.
You will find that everyone remembers the same shows from that time because there was so little to choose from. Almost EVERYONE watched Love Boat and Fantasy Island on Saturday nights - because that was pretty much the only thing on! And you could only watch kids' holiday specials once a year - that was all they were on and we didn't have VCRs/DVD players yet to record them!
Okay, now that I feel like checking myself into a nursing home I think I'll sign off now!
And we had to walk 6 miles to school... uphill both ways!
Actually, I agree it is amazing how much has changed since our childhood. And it is very interesting to live in a country where even more dramatic change than that has occurred in the last 30 years.
Smburke - You got 2 ABCs and 2 CBSs?? Wow. That was big time.
Before cable showed up in 1980-something, we got 2 (CBS), 7 (NBC), 9 (KCRG) and a fuzzy version of 12 (PBS). Saturday's were all about TV, from cartoons (once a week, mind you) in the morning, to American Bandstand around noon to Fantasy Island at night. Fridays were actually pretty big too. Remember Wonder Woman? The Donnie & Marie Show? Oh yeah, those were the days.
And who could forget Battle of the Network Stars???
Can I have a room in the nursing home next to you?
To this day, I cannot recite the preamble without a bit of a song to it.
ReplyDeleteBTW Theater Cedar Rapids is putting on "Schoolhouse Rock Live" in July. You should catch it when you get back.
I love Schoolhouse Rock. I have the set of DVDs for my kids as well. I think learning concepts set to music is just a great way to teach kids. When Sam is having difficulty with one of his spelling words, I make up a song to help him remember it. It hasn't failed yet - in fact he usually teaches it to a few kids and it helps them too!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in 8th grade, we had to pass a constitution test and one of the very first questions was that we had to write out the entire preamble. There were MANY people humming while writing (myself included)!
OMG - this is quite possibly the Geekiest thing I've seen in a while. lol - You actually remember watching this buddy?!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing geeky about Schoolhouse Rock. I remember watching it with my kids and thinking it was a fantastic teaching tool. I never understood why it was taken off the air.
ReplyDeleteYou can tell Robby is of a different generation. I'd bet everyone from ours remembers watching Conjunction-junction, what's your function? You gotta love youtube. I've watched half of them today.
ReplyDeleteThat was my immediate thought - that Robbie can NOT be of our generation. The one where we had access to a maximum of 12 channels (TV dials used to have only channels 2-13 on them and YES, TVs used to have dials on them - remotes weren't available). So everyone watched the same shows - because there were really only 3 main networks. We got both Chicago and Peoria channels so we were lucky to be able to get 2 ABCs and 2 CBSs - only one NBC though. So, if one satellite went out, we could turn and watch our show on the other channel.
ReplyDeleteYou will find that everyone remembers the same shows from that time because there was so little to choose from. Almost EVERYONE watched Love Boat and Fantasy Island on Saturday nights - because that was pretty much the only thing on! And you could only watch kids' holiday specials once a year - that was all they were on and we didn't have VCRs/DVD players yet to record them!
Okay, now that I feel like checking myself into a nursing home I think I'll sign off now!
And we had to walk 6 miles to school... uphill both ways!
ReplyDeleteActually, I agree it is amazing how much has changed since our childhood. And it is very interesting to live in a country where even more dramatic change than that has occurred in the last 30 years.
Smburke - You got 2 ABCs and 2 CBSs?? Wow. That was big time.
ReplyDeleteBefore cable showed up in 1980-something, we got 2 (CBS), 7 (NBC), 9 (KCRG) and a fuzzy version of 12 (PBS). Saturday's were all about TV, from cartoons (once a week, mind you) in the morning, to American Bandstand around noon to Fantasy Island at night. Fridays were actually pretty big too. Remember Wonder Woman? The Donnie & Marie Show? Oh yeah, those were the days.
And who could forget Battle of the Network Stars???
Can I have a room in the nursing home next to you?
Sure Denise - maybe we can find some old reruns of The Six Million Dollar Man, Fantasy Island and Dance Fever to watch also? LOL
ReplyDelete'Da plane! 'Da plane! I can still hear Herve Villechaize saying that...