Home Schooling, WOW, criminals, teenage escapades..

[Lyion]

I hope for 50 pages from the thread on this whacked out homeschooled kid...

Homeschooling.. Just don't do it. Especially if you are a gamer!

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx ... und+in+S.C.

Missing teenager found in S.C.

By JIM DEVINE

Friday, Mar. 30, 2007

WINDHAM – Authorities are warning parents that online games are no different from chat rooms a day after the recovery of a 15-year-old girl who ran away to meet an online gaming partner.

The teenager, who was headed to Florida to see a convicted felon she met while playing the online game "World of Warcraft," was found in South Carolina, police said.

"There isn't anybody that can't fall victim to this," Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis said describing the need for parents to monitor children's activity online.

To Lewis, online games where participants communicate via chat links are no different than the chat rooms parents are often warned about.

"My definition would include these online games because the players do have an opportunity to communicate with others online," Lewis said. "It's just like any Internet connection ... as parents we have to be extra vigilant with what our children are doing online."

Police arrested Daniel Lenz, 27, of Jacksonville, Fla., after investigators traced communication between him and the runaway teenager with the help of Internet and telephone service providers.

Lenz, who police say has an extensive criminal record in Florida, allegedly arranged to have Jason Dowling, 23, also of Florida, bring the Windham teenager to him. The girl left behind a note saying she was moving to the Boston area.

Within a few hours of Lenz's arrest at his Jacksonville home Tuesday, authorities located and took the girl and Dowling into custody in Manning, S.C.

David Grant, a founder of a local Internet safety group called Salem Safekids, said the event highlights the risks inherent in Internet gaming.

"Unfortunately these venues have become prime stomping grounds for predators looking to talk to kids," Grant said. "Young kids are hanging out there. The same rules that would apply for Internet chatting should be in place."

Grant said police believe Dowling took the girl's computer with him to limit authorities' ability to trace communication between the girl and Lenz, and her cellphone was left behind to prevent police from tracking her.

"The way he was looking to cover his tracks, it has the appearance that we may have never found this kid," Grant said.

Parents of the missing teen told police that their daughter, who is home-schooled, had cut off interaction with local friends and her only contacts outside the home were online.

Grant said options for monitoring computer use are available from parents.

He suggested using available software, keeping copies of children's online passwords and placing the computer in open spaces of the home to monitor their use.

Lewis said the Windham Police Department has planned to ramp up training, pointing out that an officer just returned from a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children training conference this week.

Lewis said Lenz could face a number of charges between Florida, New Hampshire and federal offenses. Whether Lenz will face specific charges in New Hampshire at this time is unknown.

Grant said additional Internet safety tips can be found on his group's Web site, http://www.SalemSafeKids.com, which also provides access to the state's sex offender registry.

[Martrae]

Funny

[Lionking]

IP Cop on a server. Flow all home internet traffic through said server. Problem solved. You now have access to every single website accessed and IM conversation had. Discipline accordingly.

[araby]

thank you for reminding me why I won't watch the news. I hate the media.

[Evermore]

IP Cop on a server. Flow all home internet traffic through said server. Problem solved. You now have access to every single website accessed and IM conversation had. Discipline accordingly.

I save all chat logs and only allow access to AIM etc at certain times of the day. My kids do not play MMO's. They have more important things to do, like getting good grades.

[Lyion]

More importantly, do you homeschool your kids?

[Martrae]

[Eziekial]

Lyion is just fishing for a rise out of you Mart.

I was tempted to counter but it's just not worth the trouble.

[Martrae]

I know...that's why I haven't really responded.

[Lyion]

She knows I'm right and homeschooling is the devil. She can't respond because she fears the total pwnage that would occur, because the arguments are all stacked against her.

[Evermore]

More importantly, do you homeschool your kids?

I do not. I dont have the time or I would consider it. I gotta say our local public school system isnt bad, i hate the fucking teachers thou

[Martrae]

She knows I'm right and homeschooling is the devil. She can't respond because she fears the total pwnage that would occur, because the arguments are all stacked against her.

[Lyion]

See, in addition to being social outcasts, homeschooling even encourages homosexuality!

[Martrae]

I know, right?

[Lyion]

Obviously not. You fly in the face of reason worse than Nancy Pelosi's travel agent.

[Martrae]

That was good.

[Yamori]

WINDHAM – Authorities are warning parents that online games are no different from chat rooms a day after the recovery of a 15-year-old girl who ran away to meet an online gaming partner.

[kaharthemad]

lets see. how many people trust the government? Can I see a show of hands? <crickets>

Yeah and you hand you kids off to be educated by them?

lets looks at testing Lyion. We will take the slowest learner of my brood, my daughter. She is basically in 2nd grade, however, she is reading books meant for 6 and 7th graders, she is about a semester ahead in math and science is holding steady. She interacts with children in the neighborhood and she also goes with her aunt once a week to assist her at her job.

I pulled her out of public school because some dumbass government teacher thought the way to cure her 'active imagination and her fidgeting in class was with ritalin. Turns out she was finishing up her work about 25 minutes ahead of the other kids. If your kid excels...dope him on Meth.

I got no beef with standardize schooling, hell when my daughter hits 7th or 8th grade she will be given the choice to go back to school I will most likely place her in the school I work at since because I work here she gets to bypass the lottery for placement.

I do find it odd though that every teacher here homeschools or homeschooled up to a 6thgrade or 7th grade level. I know every one of these kids and all of them are good kids.

[Darcler]

And this ^^, folks, was what the thread was made for.

[kaharthemad]

nahh just one subject me and lyion dont agree on. I dont believe in sending my kids to government funded abuse centers, he does.

[Harrison]

Anyone of above-average intelligence or higher should home-school their children. (time permitting of course...)Public schools are nothing more than daycare and provide little in terms of actual education.

[Tossica]

Anyone of above-average intelligence or higher should home-school their children. (time permitting of course...)Public schools are nothing more than daycare and provide little in terms of actual education.

Wrong. If your kids aren't morons there are plenty of programs available to keep them interested in school.

[Lyion]

How many people in this thread were homeschooled?

How many people on this board were homeschooled?

If one is inherently wealthy and can provide the best educators, than homeschooling is a boon. For the average person not making 7 figures, homeschooling usually detracts from a persons growth and impedes their social development during a kids most formative years.

In suburbia, public schools are fine. Private schools are better. Homeschooling generally hurts children in the long run and prevents the type of growth needed, in my opinion.

[Yamori]

We need lots of competent private schools. Right now the only choices for education seem to be shitty public schools, time-consuming home schooling, or religious schools. Not really good choices there.

[Lyion]

We need lots of competent private schools. Right now the only choices for education seem to be shitty public schools, time-consuming home schooling, or religious schools. Not really good choices there.

It'd sure be nice to have competitive schools not socially managed competing to attract students and allowing for real choice. It'd even save tons of money over our current public joke of a school system.

Charter schools are the answer.