re: unschooling vs natural learning (was "unknown")
pam sorooshian
On Feb 29, 2004, at 12:43 PM, joylyn wrote:
trappings of school. Maybe some day (maybe sooner than we think <G>)
learning will no longer be equated with schooling and even schooling
will no longer mean what it does today - lecturing, testing, imposed
curriculum, grades, assignments, and learning during specific
hours/days. Until then, it makes sense to me that we are defined by the
fact that we do NOT do those things - we do not do school. It doesn't
talk about what we do instead - but that is not what distinguishes us
from how other people educate their children. My oldest daughter went
to school until 4th grade. When she was in school she was schooled, but
she also learned "naturally" - she learned through games and
conversation and real life, just like she continued to do, later, as an
unschooler. The ONLY difference was that when she was in school she was
also "schooled." We pulled her out and then she was no longer schooled
- hence, she "unschooled." The natural learning just kept right on
going, through it all. While it is true that unschooled kids don't have
the roadblocks in their natural learning pathways that school sets up,
to say we are "natural learners" as if kids in school don't also learn
"naturally," sets up a false dichotomy. Remember, much of what kids
learn in their lives is learned outside of school, naturally, even in
spite of lecturing, grading, homework, assignments, and
one-size-fits-all curriculum. Even though it takes up far more of their
lives than seems healthy to us, school isn't their ENTIRE life and
natural learning happens in schooled kids lives, too.
In response to the question, "Wouldn't the term 'natural learning' be
more affirming than the use of the negative in the term 'unschooling'?"
Suzanne Carter, a poet and homeschooling mom, wrote:
"Lots of people make this point, but I never see the negation as
negative in a value-judgment sense when I use the word--to me
unschooling is as positive as unchaining, unbinding, unleashing,
unfolding, unfurling, unlimiting...."
"All mean freedom and growth and vast possibilities to me."
This is posted on the unschooling.com website, along with a number of
other comments and definitions on unschooling, at:
<http://www.unschooling.com/library/faq/definitions.shtml>
-pam
National Home Education Network
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.
> I have really decided recently that I do not like the term unschooling,Unschooling means "not" schooling. It means living without the
> because un means no or not, and I don't like that connotation. We
> learn
> together as a family.
trappings of school. Maybe some day (maybe sooner than we think <G>)
learning will no longer be equated with schooling and even schooling
will no longer mean what it does today - lecturing, testing, imposed
curriculum, grades, assignments, and learning during specific
hours/days. Until then, it makes sense to me that we are defined by the
fact that we do NOT do those things - we do not do school. It doesn't
talk about what we do instead - but that is not what distinguishes us
from how other people educate their children. My oldest daughter went
to school until 4th grade. When she was in school she was schooled, but
she also learned "naturally" - she learned through games and
conversation and real life, just like she continued to do, later, as an
unschooler. The ONLY difference was that when she was in school she was
also "schooled." We pulled her out and then she was no longer schooled
- hence, she "unschooled." The natural learning just kept right on
going, through it all. While it is true that unschooled kids don't have
the roadblocks in their natural learning pathways that school sets up,
to say we are "natural learners" as if kids in school don't also learn
"naturally," sets up a false dichotomy. Remember, much of what kids
learn in their lives is learned outside of school, naturally, even in
spite of lecturing, grading, homework, assignments, and
one-size-fits-all curriculum. Even though it takes up far more of their
lives than seems healthy to us, school isn't their ENTIRE life and
natural learning happens in schooled kids lives, too.
In response to the question, "Wouldn't the term 'natural learning' be
more affirming than the use of the negative in the term 'unschooling'?"
Suzanne Carter, a poet and homeschooling mom, wrote:
"Lots of people make this point, but I never see the negation as
negative in a value-judgment sense when I use the word--to me
unschooling is as positive as unchaining, unbinding, unleashing,
unfolding, unfurling, unlimiting...."
"All mean freedom and growth and vast possibilities to me."
This is posted on the unschooling.com website, along with a number of
other comments and definitions on unschooling, at:
<http://www.unschooling.com/library/faq/definitions.shtml>
-pam
National Home Education Network
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.