Unschooling

[silverhawks]

Hi all,

Looking for some input on people who are unschooling their kids, rather than regular homeschooling. I've read through a few sites, but would appreciate people describing how this works by people who are actually using it.

Thanks in advance!

[asimplegirl]

Hmm.. I am pretty interested in this...I know of some blogs from people that are in unschooling if you would like them?

[asimplegirl]

http://www.ringsurf.com/ring_browser.php?id=1639612

http://www.ringsurf.com/ring_browser.php?id=1642104

http://www.ringsurf.com/ring_browser.php?id=1642115

http://www.ringsurf.com/ring_browser.php?id=1642116

http://www.ringsurf.com/ring_browser.php?id=1642193

http://www.ringsurf.com/ring_browser.php?id=1642808

http://www.ringsurf.com/ring_browser.php?id=1642824

http://jo11931.xanga.com/

http://journeyof7.xanga.com/

[silverhawks]

Hmm.. I am pretty interested in this...I know of some blogs from people that are in unschooling if you would like them?

Thanks :)

[pinkmandy]

We're an odd mix. Reading, writing and math are required. The kids have Saxon math texts and assignments. Reading and writing can be mixed in w/other subjects in a child led way. I'm not pushy about anything other than the math- the rest we work in depending on their current interests. My oldest just finished his third science text this year so much of his reading and writing has been around the science- that's his passion at the moment so we're moving him into beginning chemistry this summer. He's 12. History in our house is already a given as dh is a history buff and somewhat of an expert on many, many topics. He also takes the kids hiking (while explaining what everything is, how to use it, etc.), metal detecting (they research all they find) and arrowhead hunting. Plus we have a greenhouse now so they're learning all of that good stuff. We do keep A LOT of books around for them, including texts for english, grammar, etc. that they incorporate and use also for reference. We have quite a library and I think that's most important.

Outside of the math, we're just flexible. We're learning all the time so the kids can't help but learn. If the tv is on, it's on a learning show most of the time. With all my hubby's hobbies, jeez, they're well versed already on so many subjects. The rest falls into place w/their own interests. I expect them to read and write, but they can choose what they want to read and write about.

That's our method and it's a lot of fun. :D

[DamianTV]

The hardest thing about schooling your children, homeschool or public education, is that the jobs we try to prepare our children for do not exist yet. The solution to this incredibly intimidating problem is actually rather simple, and what we should have been doing all along. We worry about the material that we present our kids with, but we do not teach them how to learn.

If we teach them how to learn, they will be able to tackle any problem they are faced with by knowing how to educate themselves.

----

Ok, that having been said, I'll try to focus on the topic of this thread. Unlearning what has been learned. To Unlearn, one must know what has been learned already. That means knowing what scools really teach. They dont teach Math, or Science, or History, or English. They teach submission, confusion, and disconnection. I'll give a link to a better read that I've seen on what is taught in schools. I hope everyone has seen this already. Its kind of long, but anyone that reads it will most likely appreciate it...

http://www.newciv.org/whole/schoolteacher.txt

[revolutionman]

Parents have a tendency to not want their children to make the same "stupid" mistakes they did, and that others have made. Many parents feel their children are above it and should act accordingly.

Its bullshit, and it reinforces in the child that his/her natural curiosity is bad.

Allowing your child to get a minor burn by touching the radiator might be the best thing you could ever do for him/her in terms of education. By all means, give the child fair warning, and try to impart the concept of heat and burn injuries before hand, but ultimately the child needs to decide whether he/she will listen to your warning, or if he/she NEEDS to confirm the information you've provided by experiencing the sensation for his/her self.

[Merk]

Perhaps, from some of the comments it is not generally understood what unschooling is. Basically it allows the child to pursue their own interests at their own pace, with parental assistance, thereby never stunting the humans' natural desire to learn by having information forced on them, tests etc. and removes the child from social conditioning endemic to public school.

Unschooling creates kids that can think for themselves and have the skills to aquire and process any new information they need/desire throughout life.

I enjoy unschooling our kids as I get to learn about new stuff all the time too as their interests shift and I assimilate new info as they do.

Here is the wiki reference on the subject. While I rarely trust wiki for info I think the Unschooling entry is safe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unschooling

The term "unschooling" refers to a range of educational philosophies and practices that differ markedly from conventional schooling; while often considered to be a subset of homeschooling, unschoolers may be philosophically as estranged from most homeschoolers as they are from the advocates of conventional schooling. The term unschooling was almost certainly coined by John Holt in the 1970s,[1] who is also widely regarded as the "father" of unschooling.[1] While there is significant variation in what is meant by "unschooling", generally speaking, unschoolers believe that the use of standard curricula and conventional grading methods, as well as other features of traditional schooling, are counterproductive to the goal of maximizing the education of each child. Instead, unschoolers typically allow children to learn through their natural life experiences, including game play, household responsibilities, and social interaction. Exploring activities is often led by the children themselves, facilitated by the adults. Child directed play is a key tenet of the unschooling philosophy.