Mom Is Teaching

Did anyone else read this interesting article about unschoolers? It is a great article that touches on what unschooling is and what their day really is like. For anyone not certain about unschooling it is going on my list of suggestions to look at. There is a quote from a Dr. Ron Glass, an associate professor in UCSC’s education department, on education in general that I loved:

“The notion that learning should somehow follow human nature has been around since the time of Rousseau,” Glass said. But the schooling we’re all now familiar with, he explained, is relatively new.

“The school system that we have now was invented in the late 19th century and had very explicit models: factories, railroads and the army,” Glass said. “So they took features from each of those areas and created a school system. The school was designed to basically rank and sort people into the economic, social, ideological order.”

But the 21st century is a very different time than the Industrial Revolution, with few remaining factories.

The whole article is a good read, even for those who do not follow unschooling with their children. As unschooling becomes more and more popular it is also being seen as less “weird” and unusual. Many homeschooling families are even embracing it along with their planned curriculum, creating a loose blend of structured and unstructed learning.

(more…)

A friend of mine has made the choice to homeschool her sons and plans on pulling them out over winter break. I wonder how many other families decide this is the time to take action and homeschool? We often focus on the families preparing over the summer months, but there are many who sit through that first semester of school and say “no more”. It must be a mixture of fear and relief that first day back, when the neighborhood kids are packing on the bus outside and you are staring out the window hoping no one notices that your kids aren’t in line.

April of Lunablog must have been thinking the same thing when she decided to open up her free homeschool curriculum. The first year of lesson plans will become available on New Year’s day.

Some families probably think it is illegal. I know my friend feared that she had to complete the year before she could pull her sons out. Luckily here in Oklahoma the laws are very relaxed and it’s not a problem at all. Legally at least. It’s probably best to check the state laws first though, as some states may require you to jump through hoops before pulling your children out of school.

I also can’t stress enough that when pulling kids from the tightly structured school day to a looser homeschool day to give your kids time to unwind. Deschooling is letting them get it out of their system, to unlearn that learning is a chore to be avoided but instead a treat to be enjoyed. Don’t worry that they’re not doing much during that time, there is more than enough real world education they can get as they unwind. If that seems too unnerving for you maybe you need some Deschooling For Parents too.

And just a short note: unschooling does not mean unparenting. I know that most people can tell the difference, but there are always a few who don’t get it. If you read the comments there you’ll see a great discussion on how the two differ.

New year, homeschooling, unschooling, deschooling, free curriculum

I was reading over at Liberated Learning and found a great article on unschooling in the Tulsa Kids Magazine. unschooling is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented forms of homeschooling. At least in my experience. Few people understand the theories behind it, and even fewer ar willing to look at it with an open mind. So being a native Okie myself I was pretty proud that an Oklahoma magazine would publish this great article. The first paragraph makes it clear what unschooling can achieve.

For a kid who never went to school, Matt Moyer is doing pretty well. Matt is currently a junior at the University of Tulsa on a full academic scholarship (a result of earning a 33 on the ACT) and has already received an offer from TU for a scholarship to complete his master’s degree. His future plans include moving to Washington D.C. so he can pursue a career in computer security with an intelligence agency. “I’ll also finish a Ph.D. in computer science somewhere down the line,” says Matt.

You may think that this is a fluke, the rare child that does well with unschooling. However, as more and more parents try it they are seeing that their kids are succeeding. It isn’t about letting your kids run free without direction as many assume, it is about letting their passions guide the way and helping them to learn to listen to themselves. I would really recommend reading the article Un-School Days in the Tulsa Kids Magazine for anyone interested in learning more. You can really get a view of how it works in some families.

And I passed the article along to Candy Hollowell who writes the Tulsa OK blog. She’s got a post up about it and about her own desires to homeschool. I hope everyone heads over there and gives her some encouragement.

unschooling, homeschooling, Oklahoma, Tulsa Kids

Tammy from Just Enough, Nothing More recently posted asking about a film that she had not yet previewd. That film is SCHOOLED.

I have to tell you, after watching the trailor for it myself I’m very excited to watch the film. The basic plot is a high school teacher who is burnt out. He goes to visit an old friend to try and get his groove back, but in a twist this old friend is teaching at an alternative school where the kids are in charge of their own education. A place compeltely opposite from what he is used to.

“Whats the school like?”
“You’d hate it.”
“Why?”
“‘Cause the kids have fun all day.”
“It’s not a school.”

The alternative school in the movie is based on the very real and vry successful Sudbury Vally School in Framingham, Massachusetts. A school where the students all mingle together, there are no classes, no curriculum, no seperating the students by age. (more…)

An article i wrote on unschooling, Unschooling: What is it and is it Right for You?, has suddenly picked back up. I’m not sure what the sudden boost in popularity is from, but it has been interesting nonetheless. With popularity, of course, comes the comments. For the most part the commenters have been very polite, even the ones who disagree with unschooling as a practise or who feel it will not work for them. However, I did have to delete one particular comment. His hateful speech declaring unschooling as child abuse and his veiled threats of contacting child protective services was too much for me to grin and bear. As someone who have known families affected by CPS, even a false claim must be investigated with a fine tooth comb leaving loving parents without access to their scared and confused children for days/weeks/months. It is not a claim I take lightly.

I have to wonder what could possibly make a person fear an educational choice to such an extent that they would prefer ripping a family apart? While some opposed to homeschooling claim that is can be used as a cover for abuse, the fact is that even children in the public school system can be abused at home and still overlooked. Clearly being under the watchful eye of the public schools does not prevent child abuse. But homeschooling is not abuse. And unschooling, no matter how you feel about it, is far from abuse. It isn’t a new attack for unschoolers. Dana from Principled Discovery beautifully took apart a letter that made a similar claim.

Outraged? About what? Who has greater cause to be outraged? The person who notices that someone has a different philosophy of education than they? Or the parents who are being accused of child abuse for having a six and seven year old who cannot read? This is not about denying a child an education. It is about differing views on what it means to be educated and how to best become educated.

I thought I would share a video from the unschooling YouTube guru.

unschooling, child abuse

I’m pretty excited to see that the Unschooling Unmanual will be out soon. I’m a huge fan of Jan Hunt so I am thrilled to read this book that she was a part of. This book, part story of an unschooling family and part explination of what unschooling is, already looks to be a promising read even for those not interested in unschooling. You can check out chapter one online here and see for yourself.

Unschooling is more than an education - it’s life.

They are estimating being able to ship the books out on September 30th. Until then preorders are not only available, they are at a reduced price. You can get a 20% pre-order discount right now. My heart is litterally aflutter.

homeschooling, unschooling, The Unschooling Unmanual, Jan Hunt

I’ve seen some people, homeschoolers included, who make the mistake of thinking the summer months mean freedom from everything. Including education. Comments like “We’re not learning anything new right now, we’re on vacation.” and “We’ve stopped teaching for a while to let the kids take a break” seem to assume that learning only happens during scheduled times.

The fact is though that humans are constant learners, and children are the experts of this. Every day they are actively learning something new without curriculum, books, or lesson plans. They learn at what angle to hold the garden hose to make a rainbow appear in the water, how many lawns they need to mow to get that new bike, and how to finally dive into the city pool head first. They will even learn things we don’t want them to learn, which can then give us a lesson as we try to explain why they shouldn’t repeat what Eddie down the street said.

While many kids are taking a break from the formal lessons over the summer months that does not mean that their learning has taken a break too. Kids are not passive creatures by nature. They are born scientists and are constantly seeking out how and why. It might not always be something we deem important, or even something we approve of, but they are always learning something new. So don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that because the books and lesson plans are put away for a while that their education is on vacation as well. Take some time to watch your children as they play and you might be suprised at what they are learning.

“I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma.”
~Eartha Kitt

homeschooling, unschooling, education, learning, children, fun, play, summer vacation

OK folks, help me out here. I’m sure that I’ missing something, but what could it be?

Enki Education
Waldorf (And a part 2 here)
Unschooling
Montessori
Classical
Charlotte Mason
Unit Studies
Eclectic
Literature Based
Principled Approach
Homeschooling Online

So what do you think? What special method am I missing? Once I’ve covered all the specific methods I’ll go over the various curriculums out there.

homeschool, homeschooling, curriculum, Method Madness Monday

The Rethinking Education Conference is coming up soon!

Labor Day Weekend, Thursday, August 30 - Monday, September 3, 2007 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Irving, Texas. Just 7 minutes from the DFW airport! Register now for special prices. The cost will go up April 28th, and go up again July 15th. Act now to get great prices.

The conference will include: John Taylor Gatto, Ren Allen, Michael Mendizza, Cindy Gaddis, Peter Kowalke, Tracy Liebman, Eli Gerzon, Sheila Murphy, Erin Whitworth, Quinn Eaker, Lisette Blanco Cerda de Abbott, David Niecikowski, and many many more.

At the heart of Rethinking Education is the awareness that children are supremely capable of absorbing and using knowledge from our complex world. There is no need for arbitrary structure in education; the use of coercion, rewards or other behavior modification techniques as motivation are counterproductive. With freedom, respect and nurturing support, children have a powerful drive to self-direct their own learning; the result being children who direct their own education… indeed, their own futures.

homeschool, homeschooling, unschool, unschooling, Rethinking Education, Rethinking Education conference, Texas, Irving

I was doing some blog surfing and found myself at The Lost Girls. Three 20-something women who saved up and decided to take a year off to travel the world. Needless to say I’m very envious. It is certainly something I would love to do, travel the world and see the sites. There are so many places I would love to visit, some that I would love to live in for a few months or more. Of course a world trip like this is easier for three single women that for a mom of two young children, but maybe when they’re older we could plan a great escape. Or maybe when they’re grown and having adventures of their own. Then, as I was reading through their fabulous blog I stumbled upon this gem:

How the trip has changed our lives:
HOLLY: It’s made me realize that the world is both a classroom and a playground. I can learn more about the political landscape of a foreign country by traveling through it rather than by reading about it in the Economist.

I could not help but sit back and smile at this statement. Sure they could have learned about the world from books, but true education comes from going out and exploring it, from getting your hands dirty, from being there as it is happening. How many have tried to learn a foreign language in school only to walk away with at best a basic understanding? But if you were to travel to the country and immerse yourself in the language as it lives all around you you would be fluent in no time. The same applies to politics, customs, geography, history, and more. Sure you can get a feel for it spending your time reading aobut it, but to truely know it you have to be there. In the real world.

Imagine if more children were able to learn about the world by experiencing it all day every day. Instead of spending 8 hours a day stuck behind a desk reading about life outside the walls of the classroom, they could be outside exploring it. What would the world be like if more children were “socialized” by the people in their communities rather than by a group of their peers, peers who know no more about the world as they do? What would society look like tomorrow if we taught children how to be a part of it today?

homeschool, homeschooling, unschooling, The Lost Girls, society, socialization

I don’t know how it slipped right past me, but the 8th Edition of Unschooling Voices is up at A Day in Our Lives. This edition is all about word play, and there is a special treat from Dayna Martin who used the word UNSCHOOL as an acronym for her life. its definitely worth checking out!

homeschool, unschool, blogging, blog carnival, Dayna Martin, Unschooling Voices

LaToya Brown, the unschooling mom from Trading Spaces, is talking about being on Trading Spouses and on her homeschool/unschool life at the Natural Mom Talk Radio show. If you are interested in hearing what she has to say you can listen to it there. If you have a popup blocker you may need to shut it down to be able to run the program.

homeschooling, unschooling, Trading Spouses, TV, LaToya Brown

This week we’re delving into unschooling.

This method is a bit trickier to discribe, because it looks so differetn to everyone! Unschooling, or child-led learning, is style that really isn’t a style. Largely influenced by the writing of John Holt, unschooling is allowing the child the freedom to grow and explore at his or her own drive. There is almost no formal teaching done, no curriculum, lesson plans, work books, nothing. Unless, of course, the child asks for it. It takes a leap of faith. Faith that your children really do want to learn and grow, and that they will in their own time and with their own reasons. With unschooling the families just live their lives and let learning be a natural part of it.

Of course this style does not work for everyone. Some people prefer a structured and controled learning environment rather than the freedom allowed with unschooling. It can be a bit unsettling for those who are used to the planned education found in most public schooling. In fact a period of “de-schooling” is often required for parents and children to adjust.

From HoltGWS.com

This is also known as interest driven, child-led, natural, organic, eclectic, or self-directed learning. Lately, the term “unschooling” has come to be associated with the type of homeschooling that doesn’t use a fixed curriculum. When pressed, I define unschooling as allowing children as much freedom to learn in the world, as their parents can comfortably bear. The advantage of this method is that it doesn’t require you, the parent, to become someone else, i.e. a professional teacher pouring knowledge into child-vessels on a planned basis. Instead you live and learn together, pursuing questions and interests as they arise and using conventional schooling on an “on demand” basis, if at all. This is the way we learn before going to school and the way we learn when we leave school and enter the world of work. So, for instance, a young child’s interest in hot rods can lead him to a study of how the engine works (science), how and when the car was built (history and business), who built and designed the car (biography), etc. Certainly these interests can lead to reading texts, taking courses, or doing projects, but the important difference is that these activities were chosen and engaged in freely by the learner. They were not dictated to the learner through curricular mandate to be done at a specific time and place, though parents with a more hands-on approach to unschooling certainly can influence and guide their children’s choices.

Unschooling has become noticed rescently after radical unschooler Dayna Martin was seen on the Dr. Phil show as an example of homeschooling, though nearly all homeschoolers and unschoolers willtell you that radical unschooling is a rather extreme example of homeschooling. You can learn more about her and how her familiy works with unschooling at her site. http://www.unschoolingamerica.com/

Here are some sites dedicated to unschooling.

http://www.unschooling.com/
http://www.unschooling.org/
http://www.afamunschool.com/
http://www.livefreelearnfree.com/

Here are some great articles on unschooling.
What is Unschooling?
Radical Unschooling
The legacy of John Holt and the unschooling movement.
Unschooling: What it is and isn’t
Unschooling: What is it and is it right for you?

And here are some great groups online you can join to talk with other unschoolers.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlwaysUnschooled/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics/
http://groups.msn.com/unschooling
http://www.homeschoolzone.com/unschooling/

homeschooling, unschooling, radical unschooling, curriculum, no curriculum, John Holt, Method Madness Monday

If anyone missed the show and is interested Joanne at A Day in Our Lives has the episode on her blog, in 5 parts. And she has a post from Dayna Martin, the unschooling mom featured on the show.

homeschooling, unschooling, Dr. Phil

I was linked to a new homeschooling forum that has begun especially for unschoolers and anyone interseted in unschooling. http://forums.unschool.info/ They are hoping to become a great resource for unschoolers to talk freely on the web. And even better, there’s a contest.

Education Forums Post Contest - Win $100

The Education Forums just launched this week, and as a promotion we are having a post contest. Whoever posts the most times by May 1 wins $100.00.

On the forums we discuss education, homeschooling, and unschooling.

unschooling, homeschooling, forums