Margaret

I was wondering if you or Sandra (or anyone else) had any other advice
for running a list.

I just started a regional list for radical unschoolers a couple of
weeks ago and it seems to be going well, but I don't really know what
I am doing. I started the list because I wanted to be a part of a
list like this and it seems that others felt the same way - we have
just over 50 members and everyone who has posted so far seems friendly
and positive about the list. Traffic has been fairly light, but the
tone of the list seems nice so far. I've been trying to come up with
good topics to begin conversations. I think we have the beginnings of
a good list, but I know that good moderator/hostess skills could help
a lot and I want to do what I can to make things go well.

This is the list, in case you want to take a look:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonRadicalUnschoolers/

Margaret

On Sun, Aug 31, 2008 at 5:02 AM, Joyce Fetteroll <jfetteroll@...> wrote:
>
> On Aug 30, 2008, at 2:26 PM, Karen wrote:
>
>> I am
>> too busy to be tackling this, but I wanted to get it started,
>> because my
>> heart goes out to families with special needs.
>
> This suggests that all a good list needs is an address at Yahoo.
>
> A good list needs focus or members' boxes fill up with stuff few want
> to read. A good list needs members who are:
>
> 1) willing to make time to answer posts
> 2) have the experience and understanding to see how and why someone's
> thinking is turned away from unschooling
> 3) the ability to put clear thoughts into clear writing
>
> Unschooling could spread a lot faster if all it took were unschoolers
> willing to gather in a location. But unfortunately it needs more. It
> takes a willingness and ability to help people get past conventional
> thinking. It's disrespectful of the time and energy owners and
> moderators and frequent posters put in to make a list work to suggest
> all it needs is someone to make an address for them.
>
> If someone builds it, they may come, but it doesn't mean those who
> show up have the talent or knowledge to play or help anyone else play
> ball.
>
> Joyce

k

Thanks for asking this question. This is one of those things I've been
meaning to ask but never think of when I'm sitting here going through
posts. I want to increase our social outlets and attract a strong local
support for our lifestyle choices, and I know there are better and worse
ways to go about that.

~Katherine




On 9/1/08, Margaret <margaretz@...> wrote:
>
> I was wondering if you or Sandra (or anyone else) had any other advice
> for running a list.
>
> I just started a regional list for radical unschoolers a couple of
> weeks ago and it seems to be going well, but I don't really know what
> I am doing. I started the list because I wanted to be a part of a
> list like this and it seems that others felt the same way - we have
> just over 50 members and everyone who has posted so far seems friendly
> and positive about the list. Traffic has been fairly light, but the
> tone of the list seems nice so far. I've been trying to come up with
> good topics to begin conversations. I think we have the beginnings of
> a good list, but I know that good moderator/hostess skills could help
> a lot and I want to do what I can to make things go well.
>
> This is the list, in case you want to take a look:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonRadicalUnschoolers/
>
> Margaret
>
> On Sun, Aug 31, 2008 at 5:02 AM, Joyce Fetteroll <jfetteroll@...<jfetteroll%40verizon.net>>
> wrote:
> >
> > On Aug 30, 2008, at 2:26 PM, Karen wrote:
> >
> >> I am
> >> too busy to be tackling this, but I wanted to get it started,
> >> because my
> >> heart goes out to families with special needs.
> >
> > This suggests that all a good list needs is an address at Yahoo.
> >
> > A good list needs focus or members' boxes fill up with stuff few want
> > to read. A good list needs members who are:
> >
> > 1) willing to make time to answer posts
> > 2) have the experience and understanding to see how and why someone's
> > thinking is turned away from unschooling
> > 3) the ability to put clear thoughts into clear writing
> >
> > Unschooling could spread a lot faster if all it took were unschoolers
> > willing to gather in a location. But unfortunately it needs more. It
> > takes a willingness and ability to help people get past conventional
> > thinking. It's disrespectful of the time and energy owners and
> > moderators and frequent posters put in to make a list work to suggest
> > all it needs is someone to make an address for them.
> >
> > If someone builds it, they may come, but it doesn't mean those who
> > show up have the talent or knowledge to play or help anyone else play
> > ball.
> >
> > Joyce
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Sandra Dodd

-=-Traffic has been fairly light, but the
tone of the list seems nice so far. I've been trying to come up with
good topics to begin conversations. I think we have the beginnings of
a good list, but I know that good moderator/hostess skills could help
a lot and I want to do what I can to make things go well.-=-



Since it's a regional list, it might be good to talk about possible
get-togethers or let others know when the museum will be free or what
the nearby conferences are. Let that be for regional topics, and
maybe recommend other unschooling lists to them for discussing the
depths of unschooling.

I've had a regional list die, and I was running the state inclusive
list for years but I got tired of providing for a curriculum
discussion while being told to shush it whenever I (rarely) brought
up unschooling, so I passed it on and I don't even know if it lived
or died. If a list is based on plans and get-togethers it seems to
help. So at least occasionally post reminders about local happenings
or SOMEthing so it has a purpose even when it's quiet sometimes.
Summers are often quiet for such lists. Also holidays.



Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Margaret

Thank you for the ideas!

It is a regional radical unschooling list, not a local homechooling
list so people bashing unschooling are the ones who will get shushed,
not the radical unschoolers. I would like there to be some
discussion, but I would expect most people to read lists like this as
well. It is kind of an odd setup since it covers such a large
geographic area. There may be some get togethers, but it's a big
state so we can't plan much of anything that everyone can make it to.
Some events are definitely in order, though. I should start thinking
of some good things to do.

Margaret

On Mon, Sep 1, 2008 at 1:20 PM, Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...> wrote:
> -=-Traffic has been fairly light, but the
>
> tone of the list seems nice so far. I've been trying to come up with
> good topics to begin conversations. I think we have the beginnings of
> a good list, but I know that good moderator/hostess skills could help
> a lot and I want to do what I can to make things go well.-=-
>
> Since it's a regional list, it might be good to talk about possible
> get-togethers or let others know when the museum will be free or what
> the nearby conferences are. Let that be for regional topics, and
> maybe recommend other unschooling lists to them for discussing the
> depths of unschooling.
>
> I've had a regional list die, and I was running the state inclusive
> list for years but I got tired of providing for a curriculum
> discussion while being told to shush it whenever I (rarely) brought
> up unschooling, so I passed it on and I don't even know if it lived
> or died. If a list is based on plans and get-togethers it seems to
> help. So at least occasionally post reminders about local happenings
> or SOMEthing so it has a purpose even when it's quiet sometimes.
> Summers are often quiet for such lists. Also holidays.
>
> Sandra