Unschooling In Tulsa Oklahoma
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
October 12th, 2007 at 11:14 am
What an un-attractive name though. I understand the concept, but it really has a negative sound.
Thanks for the links.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
[...] is it possible? Advisable? by Michael Davidsen Like many parents, I’ve been skeptical of unschooling. Belief in unschooling often seem to accompany disbelief in other limitations, instead of teaching [...]
October 14th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
It is funny but I was talking to a neighbor who is a very right-wing, conservative person about unschooling, and explained it the ‘right way’ (not the way the media tries to portray it as being about letting your kids watch TV 24/7). He thought it sounded like the perfect way for kids to learn. If only people could get beyond the fear that unschooling means ‘unlearning’, they’d probably be converts too!
October 14th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
You’re so right. I think a lot of people get caught up in what they think unschooling means and don’t see what it really is.
October 15th, 2007 at 11:18 am
what is unschooling?
October 16th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Unschooling is also known as child-led learning. It is basically letting your children guide their own way. It was really explored and brought out by a school teacher named John Holt, though some parents say it is the most organic and original way of learning.
I wrote an article that really disusses unschooling in more detail. Unschooling: What is it and is it Right for You?