Wish you were here…
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
May 1st, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Nice reflections. International travel is so expensive though and not so good for the environment. We’re compensating by getting to know our community beyond the paths we generally travel. We’re forcing ourselves to experience life from a different perspective. It’s fun and amazing learning for my Aspergers son.
Here via Carnival of Home Schooling.