If SCHOOL didn't exist. . .
Jennifer and Scott Lynch
I don't know who first used the phrase, this list has been a flurry of
activity the last few days, but someone described "unschooling" as "living
as if school didn't exist. That was a light bulb moment for me. I am
hoping to enlist all of you to help me with a list of all the things that
would be true in our lives if school did not exist.
If SCHOOL did not exist:
-children would not be judged as succeeding (or not) against an arbitrary
scale of academic milestones
-family attractions would be open year-round
-the minimum work age would be lower
-we would interact with people of all ages all the time
These are just a few to get us started, please add to the list, rephrase,
brainstorm.
I am having a hard time accepting my "Certificate of Empowerment" from
Sandra, especially paragraph one. I want to hear everyone's ideas about
what the world really would be like if school did not exist.
Go crazy!
Jen
activity the last few days, but someone described "unschooling" as "living
as if school didn't exist. That was a light bulb moment for me. I am
hoping to enlist all of you to help me with a list of all the things that
would be true in our lives if school did not exist.
If SCHOOL did not exist:
-children would not be judged as succeeding (or not) against an arbitrary
scale of academic milestones
-family attractions would be open year-round
-the minimum work age would be lower
-we would interact with people of all ages all the time
These are just a few to get us started, please add to the list, rephrase,
brainstorm.
I am having a hard time accepting my "Certificate of Empowerment" from
Sandra, especially paragraph one. I want to hear everyone's ideas about
what the world really would be like if school did not exist.
Go crazy!
Jen
Kerrin or Ralph
there would be more family businesses and they would be more successful.
there would be more educated people,astute,objective and critical to counter
the sheep mentality that seems to hover around anyway.
more coming>
there would be more educated people,astute,objective and critical to counter
the sheep mentality that seems to hover around anyway.
more coming>
>
>
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/24/04 5:31:07 PM, j.slynch@... writes:
<< I am having a hard time accepting my "Certificate of Empowerment" from
Sandra, especially paragraph one. >>
Does it seem schooly or what?
<< I am having a hard time accepting my "Certificate of Empowerment" from
Sandra, especially paragraph one. >>
Does it seem schooly or what?
Jennifer and Scott Lynch
on 8/24/04 8:21 PM, SandraDodd@... at SandraDodd@... wrote:
In a message dated 8/24/04 5:31:07 PM, j.slynch@... writes:
<< I am having a hard time accepting my "Certificate of Empowerment" from
Sandra, especially paragraph one. >>
Does it seem schooly or what?
No I didn't mean it in that way, I meant I am having a hard time accepting
my empowerment! In other words I do still care what other people think, I
occasionally fall into the trap of "experts" and I am just having a hard
time removing my brain from the status quo.
Jen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
In a message dated 8/24/04 5:31:07 PM, j.slynch@... writes:
<< I am having a hard time accepting my "Certificate of Empowerment" from
Sandra, especially paragraph one. >>
Does it seem schooly or what?
No I didn't mean it in that way, I meant I am having a hard time accepting
my empowerment! In other words I do still care what other people think, I
occasionally fall into the trap of "experts" and I am just having a hard
time removing my brain from the status quo.
Jen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/24/04 7:27:57 PM, j.slynch@... writes:
<< No I didn't mean it in that way, I meant I am having a hard time accepting
my empowerment! In other words I do still care what other people think, I
occasionally fall into the trap of "experts" and I am just having a hard
time removing my brain from the status quo. >>
Oh that. I think everybody does. Don't feel bad. <g>
Sandra
<< No I didn't mean it in that way, I meant I am having a hard time accepting
my empowerment! In other words I do still care what other people think, I
occasionally fall into the trap of "experts" and I am just having a hard
time removing my brain from the status quo. >>
Oh that. I think everybody does. Don't feel bad. <g>
Sandra
Sylvia Toyama
If SCHOOL did not exist:
-children would not be judged as succeeding (or not) against an arbitrary
scale of academic milestones
-family attractions would be open year-round
-the minimum work age would be lower
-we would interact with people of all ages all the time
would it be too much to hope there would be less political rhetoric about who really cared about children's issues?
Syl
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
-children would not be judged as succeeding (or not) against an arbitrary
scale of academic milestones
-family attractions would be open year-round
-the minimum work age would be lower
-we would interact with people of all ages all the time
would it be too much to hope there would be less political rhetoric about who really cared about children's issues?
Syl
---------------------------------
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New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Robyn Coburn
<<<<I don't know who first used the phrase, this list has been a flurry of
activity the last few days, but someone described "unschooling" as "living
as if school didn't exist. That was a light bulb moment for me. I am
hoping to enlist all of you to help me with a list of all the things that
would be true in our lives if school did not exist.>>>>
So what you are actually asking for is a description of our daily lives? ;)
Maybe it is more like "living as though school did not exist *for us*".
I try not to do school conversations myself. Talking about the negatives of
school keeps it coming back to the forefront of my mind, where I don't want
it. It slows my journey towards removing schoolthink from my internal
dialogue. That's just me.
Anything I wrote about school not existing would be talking about how it
affects other people who are still involved in it. Not every result would be
positive - children at home with parents who didn't necessarily want them
around, my neighbors kids over here a lot more often.
Robyn L. Coburn
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activity the last few days, but someone described "unschooling" as "living
as if school didn't exist. That was a light bulb moment for me. I am
hoping to enlist all of you to help me with a list of all the things that
would be true in our lives if school did not exist.>>>>
So what you are actually asking for is a description of our daily lives? ;)
Maybe it is more like "living as though school did not exist *for us*".
I try not to do school conversations myself. Talking about the negatives of
school keeps it coming back to the forefront of my mind, where I don't want
it. It slows my journey towards removing schoolthink from my internal
dialogue. That's just me.
Anything I wrote about school not existing would be talking about how it
affects other people who are still involved in it. Not every result would be
positive - children at home with parents who didn't necessarily want them
around, my neighbors kids over here a lot more often.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.740 / Virus Database: 494 - Release Date: 8/16/2004
Fetteroll
on 8/24/04 7:28 PM, Jennifer and Scott Lynch at j.slynch@... wrote:
pursue interests, it seems ideal for kids.
But from a poverty class position where kids could be seen as another source
of income, it's not ideal for the kids.
I agree with Robyn. There's a difference between living as though school
didn't exist and living in a world where school doesn't exist. When I think
of a world without school, visions of Dickensian London come to mind.
Joyce
> -the minimum work age would be lowerFrom a middle class position, where work could be another choice in ways to
pursue interests, it seems ideal for kids.
But from a poverty class position where kids could be seen as another source
of income, it's not ideal for the kids.
I agree with Robyn. There's a difference between living as though school
didn't exist and living in a world where school doesn't exist. When I think
of a world without school, visions of Dickensian London come to mind.
Joyce
Sarah
Sometimes, when I'm considering a parenting or
education situation, I imagine I am on a desert island
and there are no people to judge me. How do I live
when no one is watching? Of course, in my
imagination, I am living totally in the moment.
On a morbid note (that's a little hard to admit),
sometimes I think, "How would I respond if I knew one
of us was going to die tomorrow?" The amount of
donuts or the rules of bedtime or doing math or
whatever are put into their proper perspective. What
emerges is a profound love for those around me and an
immersion in every moment.
Other times I like to pretend it is everybody's
birthday. Think how wonderful things could be if we
treated everyone like it was their birthday everyday.
(Of course, this would mean we were being treated
likewise...so there wouldn't be too much exhaustion.)
So....if I lived in the moment everyday (as if school
didn't exist), I would concentrate on loving those
around me deeply all the time, particularly in
stressful situations.
Sarah Anderson-Thimmes
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education situation, I imagine I am on a desert island
and there are no people to judge me. How do I live
when no one is watching? Of course, in my
imagination, I am living totally in the moment.
On a morbid note (that's a little hard to admit),
sometimes I think, "How would I respond if I knew one
of us was going to die tomorrow?" The amount of
donuts or the rules of bedtime or doing math or
whatever are put into their proper perspective. What
emerges is a profound love for those around me and an
immersion in every moment.
Other times I like to pretend it is everybody's
birthday. Think how wonderful things could be if we
treated everyone like it was their birthday everyday.
(Of course, this would mean we were being treated
likewise...so there wouldn't be too much exhaustion.)
So....if I lived in the moment everyday (as if school
didn't exist), I would concentrate on loving those
around me deeply all the time, particularly in
stressful situations.
Sarah Anderson-Thimmes
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We finish.
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
Game-Enthusiast
You wrote:
On a morbid note (that's a little hard to admit),
sometimes I think, "How would I respond if I knew one
of us was going to die tomorrow?"
---------------
I don't think it's morbid. It keeps things in perspective. I do that too.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
On a morbid note (that's a little hard to admit),
sometimes I think, "How would I respond if I knew one
of us was going to die tomorrow?"
---------------
I don't think it's morbid. It keeps things in perspective. I do that too.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
<< That was a light bulb moment for me. I am
hoping to enlist all of you to help me with a list of all the things that
would be true in our lives if school did not exist.>>>>
<<Maybe it is more like "living as though school did not exist *for us*". >>
Right. Don't live in the shadow of school. Don't live with school in your
peripheral vision.
It takes a while, but the best tool I know of is to begin to eliminate
school-terms from your own vocabulary, and after that eliminate them from your
regular thoughts. Things that are school-specific, like grades, semesters,
midterms, recess, demerits, credits, schoolday/schoolnight... you don't need the
shadowy framework of those things on your life.
Sandra
hoping to enlist all of you to help me with a list of all the things that
would be true in our lives if school did not exist.>>>>
<<Maybe it is more like "living as though school did not exist *for us*". >>
Right. Don't live in the shadow of school. Don't live with school in your
peripheral vision.
It takes a while, but the best tool I know of is to begin to eliminate
school-terms from your own vocabulary, and after that eliminate them from your
regular thoughts. Things that are school-specific, like grades, semesters,
midterms, recess, demerits, credits, schoolday/schoolnight... you don't need the
shadowy framework of those things on your life.
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/25/04 7:59:16 AM, sarahanne1@... writes:
<< if I lived in the moment everyday (as if school
didn't exist), I would concentrate on loving those
around me deeply all the time, particularly in
stressful situations. >>
That is beautiful.
It helps even if you're considering that you'll see them again tomorrow. <bwg>
Holly told me the other day that I had to be extra nice to her this week,
because then she would go to the conference and talk to people. (Or some other
eye-batting, cute little blackmail attempt, which I must say is fine with me in
such cases. <g>)
But really, the nicer I am to my kids the nicer they are to me, and then it's
easy to be nice to them... Works with husbands too. <g>
Sandra
<< if I lived in the moment everyday (as if school
didn't exist), I would concentrate on loving those
around me deeply all the time, particularly in
stressful situations. >>
That is beautiful.
It helps even if you're considering that you'll see them again tomorrow. <bwg>
Holly told me the other day that I had to be extra nice to her this week,
because then she would go to the conference and talk to people. (Or some other
eye-batting, cute little blackmail attempt, which I must say is fine with me in
such cases. <g>)
But really, the nicer I am to my kids the nicer they are to me, and then it's
easy to be nice to them... Works with husbands too. <g>
Sandra
Elizabeth Hill
**
I agree with Robyn. There's a difference between living as though school
didn't exist and living in a world where school doesn't exist. When I think
of a world without school, visions of Dickensian London come to mind.**
I think what we have, that was undreamed of in Victorian London, is the internet, computers, distance-learning, and educational software. If people wanted to learn things that they couldn't learn my trial and error or from friends and mentors, we have computer-tutoring or self-paced computer learning stuff as an alternative. (If it can be made available cheaply.)
I've seen the library's computers get heavy usage from job-hunting results during the recession. If we assume that people, even those under 18 can also be this highly motivated, we can imagine a library with lots more terminals as part of our future school-less learning system.
So, I'm imagining that people won't have to be "ignorant" or choose "pickpocket" as a career path. But it's true that if children aren't warehoused, there will be more of them on the street or out and about in the community.
Betsy
I agree with Robyn. There's a difference between living as though school
didn't exist and living in a world where school doesn't exist. When I think
of a world without school, visions of Dickensian London come to mind.**
I think what we have, that was undreamed of in Victorian London, is the internet, computers, distance-learning, and educational software. If people wanted to learn things that they couldn't learn my trial and error or from friends and mentors, we have computer-tutoring or self-paced computer learning stuff as an alternative. (If it can be made available cheaply.)
I've seen the library's computers get heavy usage from job-hunting results during the recession. If we assume that people, even those under 18 can also be this highly motivated, we can imagine a library with lots more terminals as part of our future school-less learning system.
So, I'm imagining that people won't have to be "ignorant" or choose "pickpocket" as a career path. But it's true that if children aren't warehoused, there will be more of them on the street or out and about in the community.
Betsy
Elizabeth Hill
**
I've seen the library's computers get heavy usage from job-hunting results during the recession.**
I meant to type "heavy usage from job-hunting ADULTS...."
(hope that makes more sense)
Betsy
I've seen the library's computers get heavy usage from job-hunting results during the recession.**
I meant to type "heavy usage from job-hunting ADULTS...."
(hope that makes more sense)
Betsy
Robyn Coburn
<<<On a morbid note (that's a little hard to admit),
sometimes I think, "How would I respond if I knew one
of us was going to die tomorrow?" The amount of
donuts or the rules of bedtime or doing math or
whatever are put into their proper perspective. What
emerges is a profound love for those around me and an
immersion in every moment.>>>>
I don't think this is morbid at all. I do this also, especially if I am
having a grump day. It's a great technique for getting back perspective and
an infusion of gratitude. Along similar lines: "How important will this
issue be in 10 (or 1) years time?"
<<<<Other times I like to pretend it is everybody's
birthday. Think how wonderful things could be if we
treated everyone like it was their birthday everyday.
(Of course, this would mean we were being treated
likewise...so there wouldn't be too much exhaustion.)>>>
Sounds like fun. Jayn often pretends it is her imaginary friend, Googly's,
birthday over and over. I sometimes say, "Again? Wow she has lots of
birthdays". I'm told Googly is from another planet where they have lots of
birthdays and you can grow older or younger at will.
<<<So....if I lived in the moment everyday (as if school
didn't exist), I would concentrate on loving those
around me deeply all the time, particularly in
stressful situations>>>
Lovely! Let's none of us wait for school to disappear to do just that!
Robyn L. Coburn
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sometimes I think, "How would I respond if I knew one
of us was going to die tomorrow?" The amount of
donuts or the rules of bedtime or doing math or
whatever are put into their proper perspective. What
emerges is a profound love for those around me and an
immersion in every moment.>>>>
I don't think this is morbid at all. I do this also, especially if I am
having a grump day. It's a great technique for getting back perspective and
an infusion of gratitude. Along similar lines: "How important will this
issue be in 10 (or 1) years time?"
<<<<Other times I like to pretend it is everybody's
birthday. Think how wonderful things could be if we
treated everyone like it was their birthday everyday.
(Of course, this would mean we were being treated
likewise...so there wouldn't be too much exhaustion.)>>>
Sounds like fun. Jayn often pretends it is her imaginary friend, Googly's,
birthday over and over. I sometimes say, "Again? Wow she has lots of
birthdays". I'm told Googly is from another planet where they have lots of
birthdays and you can grow older or younger at will.
<<<So....if I lived in the moment everyday (as if school
didn't exist), I would concentrate on loving those
around me deeply all the time, particularly in
stressful situations>>>
Lovely! Let's none of us wait for school to disappear to do just that!
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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