clara_bellar

We just finished this film. It's with Joyce Reed, John Taylor Gatto, Naomi Aldort, Alan Thomas and Leslie Safran Barson - and many fabulous families in the UK, France, Germany and US.

You can watch the trailer on the website, and there's an opt in form for those who'd like to be informed on the release. There are also FB & Twitter links, thanks for helping spread the work about unschooling by liking it & sharing if you feel so inclined.

www.beingandbecomingfilm.com

Best,
Clara

Lesa Owens

Will you be putting trailers on Youtube as well?

------------------------------
On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 1:54 PM PDT clara_bellar wrote:

>We just finished this film. It's with Joyce Reed, John Taylor Gatto, Naomi Aldort, Alan Thomas and Leslie Safran Barson - and many fabulous families in the UK, France, Germany and US.
>
>You can watch the trailer on the website, and there's an opt in form for those who'd like to be informed on the release. There are also FB & Twitter links, thanks for helping spread the work about unschooling by liking it & sharing if you feel so inclined.
>
>www.beingandbecomingfilm.com
>
>Best,
>Clara
>

clara_bellar

We should, thanks for the reminder!

--- In [email protected], Lesa Owens <urcakedreams@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Will you be putting trailers on Youtube as well?
>
> ------------------------------
> On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 1:54 PM PDT clara_bellar wrote:
>
> >We just finished this film. It's with Joyce Reed, John Taylor Gatto, Naomi Aldort, Alan Thomas and Leslie Safran Barson - and many fabulous families in the UK, France, Germany and US.
> >
> >You can watch the trailer on the website, and there's an opt in form for those who'd like to be informed on the release. There are also FB & Twitter links, thanks for helping spread the work about unschooling by liking it & sharing if you feel so inclined.
> >
> >www.beingandbecomingfilm.com
> >
> >Best,
> >Clara
> >
>

[email protected]

Clara, I've been an unschooling parent for 11 years now in two countries and the only names familiar to me in the film itself are John Taylor Gatto and Naomi Aldort, neither of whom I think of as radical unschoolers (or even unschoolers, in the case of Gatto).


Did you consider talking to the regular contributors on this list for your film? The Americans, French, Indian, Dutch, UK parents on this list? There's an idea for a sequel!


I'm happy to see Rue Kream's book listed in "Resources" and, of course, John Holt's works. But what about the full expression of Holt's ideas in real life? Those are presented and discussed in Sandra Dodd's books, on Joyce Fetterol's website, and in Pam Sorooshian's writings to name only three. Why weren't they included?


What do you think I might get from this film, or what might someone new to unschooling enjoy about it? I'd like to know that before I see it or recommend it. I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide.


"Spreading the work of unschooling" is done on this list and on similar Facebook pages and groups all the time (although I dislike the proselytizing that that phrase conveys). I'd like to know more about what type of "work" you are speaking of in this film.


I'm curious and nosey and discerning about what information I give to people about unschooling. Not everything is brilliant or helpful or even correct. I'm hoping I can recommend your film. Thanks for humoring me :-).


Robin B.



----- Original Message -----
From: "clara_bellar" <claramont@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 1:54:46 PM
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Being and Becoming, a film about unschooling

We just finished this film. It's with Joyce Reed, John Taylor Gatto, Naomi Aldort, Alan Thomas and Leslie Safran Barson - and many fabulous families in the UK, France, Germany and US.

You can watch the trailer on the website, and there's an opt in form for those who'd like to be informed on the release. There are also FB & Twitter links, thanks for helping spread the work about unschooling by liking it & sharing if you feel so inclined.

www.beingandbecomingfilm.com

Best,
Clara



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links





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

Sandra Dodd

-=-Clara, I've been an unschooling parent for 11 years now in two countries and the only names familiar to me in the film itself are John Taylor Gatto and Naomi Aldort, neither of whom I think of as radical unschoolers (or even unschoolers, in the case of Gatto).

-=-Did you consider talking to the regular contributors on this list for your film? The Americans, French, Indian, Dutch, UK parents on this list? There's an idea for a sequel! -=-

A sequel maybe, but the film looks like it will be good for Europeans, especially.

-=-I'm happy to see Rue Kream's book listed in "Resources" and, of course, John Holt's works. But what about the full expression of Holt's ideas in real life? Those are presented and discussed in Sandra Dodd's books, on Joyce Fetterol's website, and in Pam Sorooshian's writings to name only three. Why weren't they included? -=-

There are lots of books and nobody ever has included all of them. I don't think the filmmaker should be grilled about what she might have done differently. There is not a better film out there. Artists can do what they want to do!!

-=-"Spreading the work of unschooling" is done on this list and on similar Facebook pages and groups all the time (although I dislike the proselytizing that that phrase conveys). I'd like to know more about what type of "work" you are speaking of in this film. -=-

This isn't the only place. It might be the best. :-) But it's also more serious than most people new to unschooling want or need. I don't think inttroducing curious folks to this list or to The Big Book of Unschooling is a good move. There are other, more beginner-friendly things. Pam Laricchia's new book is great for that. This film might be, too.

-=-I'm curious and nosey and discerning about what information I give to people about unschooling. Not everything is brilliant or helpful or even correct. I'm hoping I can recommend your film. Thanks for humoring me :-). -=-

People who want information about unschooling will find it.

I hope people who have never heard of it, or who have heard harsh and harmful things about it might see a film like this, in Germany, perhaps, and change their minds about home education.

There are a lot of families in Europe who don't have the option to take their children out of school just because they want to. Germany, the Netherlands (where they need almost a religious exemption, and kids who have never been to school), Sweden...

Sandra




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

clara_bellar

Hi Robin,

The authors you aren't familiar with have been very influential to me, and that's why I chose to interview them. Joyce Reed, who was the associate dean at Brown University and the mother of 5 unschoolers (not in their 30ies & 40ies), wrote a book with David Albert about their unschooling experience. It's called What Really Matters.

Alan Thomas works at London University, Institute of Education and started with a dissatisfaction with the system, as a person who went through it and later as the parent of two children who also did (and didn't even say hello to each other in the school hallway b/c it wasn't done to talk to someone from another age group, so he thought, that's not very good socialization, which makes it think that it's quite ironic that socialization is often one of the first "con" people bring up.) He started with researching and writing books about general homeschooling and later met and fell in love with unschooling (which they call autonomous learning and which he sometimes calls informal learning), interviewing an spending time with hundreds of families in the UK & Australia. His work goes against everything he was taught about education, and his colleagues aren't always too happy about it!

Leslie Barson is the publisher of a very helpful trilingual little book (English, German & French) called "Learner-managed learning and home education: a European perspective".

I'm sure many of the families in the film are members of this group! I know for a fact that the friend who was the very first to plant the seed about unschooling for me, and appears as such in the film, is a member and a reader of this list, though not a poster. She's in Los Angeles.

I didn't have a budget to shoot this so I ended filming wherever life took me. If my husband had a job in England, we would spend an extra 3 weeks there to meet people.

In the resources, I have included books that are mentioned by the people in the film; books written by the people who are in the film; and books that I have personally read. I'm sure I've missed tons of precious info. I'll be happy to keep reading (whenever my son is busy or asleep!) and adding to the resources.

It sounds from your last three paragraphs ("I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide") like you haven't watched the trailer yet?

Please LMK if you have other questions after you do.

What will people get from the movie? I hope it'll be helpful and reassuring to "meet" grown unschoolers and see how they "turned out", which seems to be a concern for many people. To realize that there isn't a profile for unschooling families (hippies, or teachers, or crazy people!) I got some feedback from people who aren't ready to take their children out of school yet because of their circumstances but will now trust their children and their own guts more, esp. when they're pressured by the system. The people in the film have given so much and it is so dense that it seems that the audience members get what they need at the moment they're watching, which will be different from the person next to them, and are touched by different families and stories. There was a private screening in LA for friends and people who are in it. Maybe members of this group who were there can answer your question with more objectivity.

I meant spreading the "word" of course, and that's mostly meant for places like my country, France, where homeschooling is legal but most people don't even know it is (so never mind unschooling!), my husband's country, Brazil, & my mother's country, two countries where homeschooling is still illegal. André Stern, a grown unschooler featured in the film, is a stringed instrument maker and also the writer of a bestseller in Germany called "And I never went to school" (it's available both in German & French but not yet in English.) He's hoping that his book and this film can help make things easier for families in those countries.

FYI, I send Sandra and Joyce the website and asked them for permission before posting, because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to share it on the list.

I hope this is helpful!

Best,
Clara

--- In [email protected], robin.bentley@... wrote:
>
> Clara, I've been an unschooling parent for 11 years now in two countries and the only names familiar to me in the film itself are John Taylor Gatto and Naomi Aldort, neither of whom I think of as radical unschoolers (or even unschoolers, in the case of Gatto).
>
>
> Did you consider talking to the regular contributors on this list for your film? The Americans, French, Indian, Dutch, UK parents on this list? There's an idea for a sequel!
>
>
> I'm happy to see Rue Kream's book listed in "Resources" and, of course, John Holt's works. But what about the full expression of Holt's ideas in real life? Those are presented and discussed in Sandra Dodd's books, on Joyce Fetterol's website, and in Pam Sorooshian's writings to name only three. Why weren't they included?
>
>
> What do you think I might get from this film, or what might someone new to unschooling enjoy about it? I'd like to know that before I see it or recommend it. I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide.
>
>
> "Spreading the work of unschooling" is done on this list and on similar Facebook pages and groups all the time (although I dislike the proselytizing that that phrase conveys). I'd like to know more about what type of "work" you are speaking of in this film.
>
>
> I'm curious and nosey and discerning about what information I give to people about unschooling. Not everything is brilliant or helpful or even correct. I'm hoping I can recommend your film. Thanks for humoring me :-).
>
>
> Robin B.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "clara_bellar" <claramont@...>
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 1:54:46 PM
> Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Being and Becoming, a film about unschooling
>
> We just finished this film. It's with Joyce Reed, John Taylor Gatto, Naomi Aldort, Alan Thomas and Leslie Safran Barson - and many fabulous families in the UK, France, Germany and US.
>
> You can watch the trailer on the website, and there's an opt in form for those who'd like to be informed on the release. There are also FB & Twitter links, thanks for helping spread the work about unschooling by liking it & sharing if you feel so inclined.
>
> www.beingandbecomingfilm.com
>
> Best,
> Clara
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[email protected]

Clara, I've mistaken you for someone else. My apologies!

I didn't realize (perhaps because I didn't take more time to find out) that the film will be especially helpful in Europe. And maybe it's because I've been around a lot of great writers on the subject, I tend to think of them before anyone else.

Many people, including Wendy Priesnitz (fellow Canadian and thoughtful writer, herself), are great spokespeople for unschooling. I'm glad you've included them.

I will look forward to seeing the film. I have a nephew moving back to the UK soon with his wife two young girls. The film could be a great resource for them.

Robin B.


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

[email protected]

Thanks, Clara. I really appreciate your reply!

I actually do know of Joyce Reed. She was interviewed in TIME magazine about homeschooling when I first started. I've met David Albert in person and bought at least 2 of his books!

You're right, I did not watch the trailer as my computer was acting up and wouldn't play anything. I've rebooted it, so will go watch it now.

Good luck with the venture. I'll look forward to seeing it.

Robin B.

----- Original Message -----
From: "clara_bellar" <claramont@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 5:27:24 PM
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Being and Becoming, a film about unschooling

Hi Robin,

The authors you aren't familiar with have been very influential to me, and that's why I chose to interview them. Joyce Reed, who was the associate dean at Brown University and the mother of 5 unschoolers (not in their 30ies & 40ies), wrote a book with David Albert about their unschooling experience. It's called What Really Matters.

Alan Thomas works at London University, Institute of Education and started with a dissatisfaction with the system, as a person who went through it and later as the parent of two children who also did (and didn't even say hello to each other in the school hallway b/c it wasn't done to talk to someone from another age group, so he thought, that's not very good socialization, which makes it think that it's quite ironic that socialization is often one of the first "con" people bring up.) He started with researching and writing books about general homeschooling and later met and fell in love with unschooling (which they call autonomous learning and which he sometimes calls informal learning), interviewing an spending time with hundreds of families in the UK & Australia. His work goes against everything he was taught about education, and his colleagues aren't always too happy about it!

Leslie Barson is the publisher of a very helpful trilingual little book (English, German & French) called "Learner-managed learning and home education: a European perspective".

I'm sure many of the families in the film are members of this group! I know for a fact that the friend who was the very first to plant the seed about unschooling for me, and appears as such in the film, is a member and a reader of this list, though not a poster. She's in Los Angeles.

I didn't have a budget to shoot this so I ended filming wherever life took me. If my husband had a job in England, we would spend an extra 3 weeks there to meet people.

In the resources, I have included books that are mentioned by the people in the film; books written by the people who are in the film; and books that I have personally read. I'm sure I've missed tons of precious info. I'll be happy to keep reading (whenever my son is busy or asleep!) and adding to the resources.

It sounds from your last three paragraphs ("I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide") like you haven't watched the trailer yet?

Please LMK if you have other questions after you do.

What will people get from the movie? I hope it'll be helpful and reassuring to "meet" grown unschoolers and see how they "turned out", which seems to be a concern for many people. To realize that there isn't a profile for unschooling families (hippies, or teachers, or crazy people!) I got some feedback from people who aren't ready to take their children out of school yet because of their circumstances but will now trust their children and their own guts more, esp. when they're pressured by the system. The people in the film have given so much and it is so dense that it seems that the audience members get what they need at the moment they're watching, which will be different from the person next to them, and are touched by different families and stories. There was a private screening in LA for friends and people who are in it. Maybe members of this group who were there can answer your question with more objectivity.

I meant spreading the "word" of course, and that's mostly meant for places like my country, France, where homeschooling is legal but most people don't even know it is (so never mind unschooling!), my husband's country, Brazil, & my mother's country, two countries where homeschooling is still illegal. André Stern, a grown unschooler featured in the film, is a stringed instrument maker and also the writer of a bestseller in Germany called "And I never went to school" (it's available both in German & French but not yet in English.) He's hoping that his book and this film can help make things easier for families in those countries.

FYI, I send Sandra and Joyce the website and asked them for permission before posting, because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to share it on the list.

I hope this is helpful!

Best,
Clara

--- In [email protected], robin.bentley@... wrote:
>
> Clara, I've been an unschooling parent for 11 years now in two countries and the only names familiar to me in the film itself are John Taylor Gatto and Naomi Aldort, neither of whom I think of as radical unschoolers (or even unschoolers, in the case of Gatto).
>
>
> Did you consider talking to the regular contributors on this list for your film? The Americans, French, Indian, Dutch, UK parents on this list? There's an idea for a sequel!
>
>
> I'm happy to see Rue Kream's book listed in "Resources" and, of course, John Holt's works. But what about the full expression of Holt's ideas in real life? Those are presented and discussed in Sandra Dodd's books, on Joyce Fetterol's website, and in Pam Sorooshian's writings to name only three. Why weren't they included?
>
>
> What do you think I might get from this film, or what might someone new to unschooling enjoy about it? I'd like to know that before I see it or recommend it. I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide.
>
>
> "Spreading the work of unschooling" is done on this list and on similar Facebook pages and groups all the time (although I dislike the proselytizing that that phrase conveys). I'd like to know more about what type of "work" you are speaking of in this film.
>
>
> I'm curious and nosey and discerning about what information I give to people about unschooling. Not everything is brilliant or helpful or even correct. I'm hoping I can recommend your film. Thanks for humoring me :-).
>
>
> Robin B.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "clara_bellar" <claramont@...>
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 1:54:46 PM
> Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Being and Becoming, a film about unschooling
>
> We just finished this film. It's with Joyce Reed, John Taylor Gatto, Naomi Aldort, Alan Thomas and Leslie Safran Barson - and many fabulous families in the UK, France, Germany and US.
>
> You can watch the trailer on the website, and there's an opt in form for those who'd like to be informed on the release. There are also FB & Twitter links, thanks for helping spread the work about unschooling by liking it & sharing if you feel so inclined.
>
> www.beingandbecomingfilm.com
>
> Best,
> Clara
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links





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

clara_bellar

Thank you. I meant "my husband's country, Brazil, & my mother's country, *Germany*.

I uploaded on youtube, thank you Lesa.
English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1RM9Wk1Mxg
French:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQlxLq2YboI

Best,
Clara

--- In [email protected], robin.bentley@... wrote:
>
> Thanks, Clara. I really appreciate your reply!
>
> I actually do know of Joyce Reed. She was interviewed in TIME magazine about homeschooling when I first started. I've met David Albert in person and bought at least 2 of his books!
>
> You're right, I did not watch the trailer as my computer was acting up and wouldn't play anything. I've rebooted it, so will go watch it now.
>
> Good luck with the venture. I'll look forward to seeing it.
>
> Robin B.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "clara_bellar" <claramont@...>
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 5:27:24 PM
> Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Being and Becoming, a film about unschooling
>
> Hi Robin,
>
> The authors you aren't familiar with have been very influential to me, and that's why I chose to interview them. Joyce Reed, who was the associate dean at Brown University and the mother of 5 unschoolers (not in their 30ies & 40ies), wrote a book with David Albert about their unschooling experience. It's called What Really Matters.
>
> Alan Thomas works at London University, Institute of Education and started with a dissatisfaction with the system, as a person who went through it and later as the parent of two children who also did (and didn't even say hello to each other in the school hallway b/c it wasn't done to talk to someone from another age group, so he thought, that's not very good socialization, which makes it think that it's quite ironic that socialization is often one of the first "con" people bring up.) He started with researching and writing books about general homeschooling and later met and fell in love with unschooling (which they call autonomous learning and which he sometimes calls informal learning), interviewing an spending time with hundreds of families in the UK & Australia. His work goes against everything he was taught about education, and his colleagues aren't always too happy about it!
>
> Leslie Barson is the publisher of a very helpful trilingual little book (English, German & French) called "Learner-managed learning and home education: a European perspective".
>
> I'm sure many of the families in the film are members of this group! I know for a fact that the friend who was the very first to plant the seed about unschooling for me, and appears as such in the film, is a member and a reader of this list, though not a poster. She's in Los Angeles.
>
> I didn't have a budget to shoot this so I ended filming wherever life took me. If my husband had a job in England, we would spend an extra 3 weeks there to meet people.
>
> In the resources, I have included books that are mentioned by the people in the film; books written by the people who are in the film; and books that I have personally read. I'm sure I've missed tons of precious info. I'll be happy to keep reading (whenever my son is busy or asleep!) and adding to the resources.
>
> It sounds from your last three paragraphs ("I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide") like you haven't watched the trailer yet?
>
> Please LMK if you have other questions after you do.
>
> What will people get from the movie? I hope it'll be helpful and reassuring to "meet" grown unschoolers and see how they "turned out", which seems to be a concern for many people. To realize that there isn't a profile for unschooling families (hippies, or teachers, or crazy people!) I got some feedback from people who aren't ready to take their children out of school yet because of their circumstances but will now trust their children and their own guts more, esp. when they're pressured by the system. The people in the film have given so much and it is so dense that it seems that the audience members get what they need at the moment they're watching, which will be different from the person next to them, and are touched by different families and stories. There was a private screening in LA for friends and people who are in it. Maybe members of this group who were there can answer your question with more objectivity.
>
> I meant spreading the "word" of course, and that's mostly meant for places like my country, France, where homeschooling is legal but most people don't even know it is (so never mind unschooling!), my husband's country, Brazil, & my mother's country, two countries where homeschooling is still illegal. André Stern, a grown unschooler featured in the film, is a stringed instrument maker and also the writer of a bestseller in Germany called "And I never went to school" (it's available both in German & French but not yet in English.) He's hoping that his book and this film can help make things easier for families in those countries.
>
> FYI, I send Sandra and Joyce the website and asked them for permission before posting, because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to share it on the list.
>
> I hope this is helpful!
>
> Best,
> Clara
>
> --- In [email protected], robin.bentley@ wrote:
> >
> > Clara, I've been an unschooling parent for 11 years now in two countries and the only names familiar to me in the film itself are John Taylor Gatto and Naomi Aldort, neither of whom I think of as radical unschoolers (or even unschoolers, in the case of Gatto).
> >
> >
> > Did you consider talking to the regular contributors on this list for your film? The Americans, French, Indian, Dutch, UK parents on this list? There's an idea for a sequel!
> >
> >
> > I'm happy to see Rue Kream's book listed in "Resources" and, of course, John Holt's works. But what about the full expression of Holt's ideas in real life? Those are presented and discussed in Sandra Dodd's books, on Joyce Fetterol's website, and in Pam Sorooshian's writings to name only three. Why weren't they included?
> >
> >
> > What do you think I might get from this film, or what might someone new to unschooling enjoy about it? I'd like to know that before I see it or recommend it. I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide.
> >
> >
> > "Spreading the work of unschooling" is done on this list and on similar Facebook pages and groups all the time (although I dislike the proselytizing that that phrase conveys). I'd like to know more about what type of "work" you are speaking of in this film.
> >
> >
> > I'm curious and nosey and discerning about what information I give to people about unschooling. Not everything is brilliant or helpful or even correct. I'm hoping I can recommend your film. Thanks for humoring me :-).
> >
> >
> > Robin B.
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "clara_bellar" <claramont@>
> > To: [email protected]
> > Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 1:54:46 PM
> > Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Being and Becoming, a film about unschooling
> >
> > We just finished this film. It's with Joyce Reed, John Taylor Gatto, Naomi Aldort, Alan Thomas and Leslie Safran Barson - and many fabulous families in the UK, France, Germany and US.
> >
> > You can watch the trailer on the website, and there's an opt in form for those who'd like to be informed on the release. There are also FB & Twitter links, thanks for helping spread the work about unschooling by liking it & sharing if you feel so inclined.
> >
> > www.beingandbecomingfilm.com
> >
> > Best,
> > Clara
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Juliet Kemp

Hi Clara -- I really enjoyed the trailer & am off to the website to sign
up! One quick thought -- have you considered putting the website link in
the YouTube description? I couldn't see anything on the YouTube page
where I could find out more about the film, and had to go back to search
through the post on AlwaysLearning to find the webpage.

Looking forward to seeing the film sometime!

Best wishes,
Juliet

On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 02:04:25AM -0000, clara_bellar wrote:
> Thank you. I meant "my husband's country, Brazil, & my mother's country, *Germany*.
>
> I uploaded on youtube, thank you Lesa.
> English:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1RM9Wk1Mxg
> French:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQlxLq2YboI
>
> Best,
> Clara
>
> --- In [email protected], robin.bentley@... wrote:
> >
> > Thanks, Clara. I really appreciate your reply!
> >
> > I actually do know of Joyce Reed. She was interviewed in TIME magazine about homeschooling when I first started. I've met David Albert in person and bought at least 2 of his books!
> >
> > You're right, I did not watch the trailer as my computer was acting up and wouldn't play anything. I've rebooted it, so will go watch it now.
> >
> > Good luck with the venture. I'll look forward to seeing it.
> >
> > Robin B.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "clara_bellar" <claramont@...>
> > To: [email protected]
> > Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 5:27:24 PM
> > Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Being and Becoming, a film about unschooling
> >
> > Hi Robin,
> >
> > The authors you aren't familiar with have been very influential to me, and that's why I chose to interview them. Joyce Reed, who was the associate dean at Brown University and the mother of 5 unschoolers (not in their 30ies & 40ies), wrote a book with David Albert about their unschooling experience. It's called What Really Matters.
> >
> > Alan Thomas works at London University, Institute of Education and started with a dissatisfaction with the system, as a person who went through it and later as the parent of two children who also did (and didn't even say hello to each other in the school hallway b/c it wasn't done to talk to someone from another age group, so he thought, that's not very good socialization, which makes it think that it's quite ironic that socialization is often one of the first "con" people bring up.) He started with researching and writing books about general homeschooling and later met and fell in love with unschooling (which they call autonomous learning and which he sometimes calls informal learning), interviewing an spending time with hundreds of families in the UK & Australia. His work goes against everything he was taught about education, and his colleagues aren't always too happy about it!
> >
> > Leslie Barson is the publisher of a very helpful trilingual little book (English, German & French) called "Learner-managed learning and home education: a European perspective".
> >
> > I'm sure many of the families in the film are members of this group! I know for a fact that the friend who was the very first to plant the seed about unschooling for me, and appears as such in the film, is a member and a reader of this list, though not a poster. She's in Los Angeles.
> >
> > I didn't have a budget to shoot this so I ended filming wherever life took me. If my husband had a job in England, we would spend an extra 3 weeks there to meet people.
> >
> > In the resources, I have included books that are mentioned by the people in the film; books written by the people who are in the film; and books that I have personally read. I'm sure I've missed tons of precious info. I'll be happy to keep reading (whenever my son is busy or asleep!) and adding to the resources.
> >
> > It sounds from your last three paragraphs ("I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide") like you haven't watched the trailer yet?
> >
> > Please LMK if you have other questions after you do.
> >
> > What will people get from the movie? I hope it'll be helpful and reassuring to "meet" grown unschoolers and see how they "turned out", which seems to be a concern for many people. To realize that there isn't a profile for unschooling families (hippies, or teachers, or crazy people!) I got some feedback from people who aren't ready to take their children out of school yet because of their circumstances but will now trust their children and their own guts more, esp. when they're pressured by the system. The people in the film have given so much and it is so dense that it seems that the audience members get what they need at the moment they're watching, which will be different from the person next to them, and are touched by different families and stories. There was a private screening in LA for friends and people who are in it. Maybe members of this group who were there can answer your question with more objectivity.
> >
> > I meant spreading the "word" of course, and that's mostly meant for places like my country, France, where homeschooling is legal but most people don't even know it is (so never mind unschooling!), my husband's country, Brazil, & my mother's country, two countries where homeschooling is still illegal. André Stern, a grown unschooler featured in the film, is a stringed instrument maker and also the writer of a bestseller in Germany called "And I never went to school" (it's available both in German & French but not yet in English.) He's hoping that his book and this film can help make things easier for families in those countries.
> >
> > FYI, I send Sandra and Joyce the website and asked them for permission before posting, because I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to share it on the list.
> >
> > I hope this is helpful!
> >
> > Best,
> > Clara
> >
> > --- In [email protected], robin.bentley@ wrote:
> > >
> > > Clara, I've been an unschooling parent for 11 years now in two countries and the only names familiar to me in the film itself are John Taylor Gatto and Naomi Aldort, neither of whom I think of as radical unschoolers (or even unschoolers, in the case of Gatto).
> > >
> > >
> > > Did you consider talking to the regular contributors on this list for your film? The Americans, French, Indian, Dutch, UK parents on this list? There's an idea for a sequel!
> > >
> > >
> > > I'm happy to see Rue Kream's book listed in "Resources" and, of course, John Holt's works. But what about the full expression of Holt's ideas in real life? Those are presented and discussed in Sandra Dodd's books, on Joyce Fetterol's website, and in Pam Sorooshian's writings to name only three. Why weren't they included?
> > >
> > >
> > > What do you think I might get from this film, or what might someone new to unschooling enjoy about it? I'd like to know that before I see it or recommend it. I couldn't get enough information from the synopsis to decide.
> > >
> > >
> > > "Spreading the work of unschooling" is done on this list and on similar Facebook pages and groups all the time (although I dislike the proselytizing that that phrase conveys). I'd like to know more about what type of "work" you are speaking of in this film.
> > >
> > >
> > > I'm curious and nosey and discerning about what information I give to people about unschooling. Not everything is brilliant or helpful or even correct. I'm hoping I can recommend your film. Thanks for humoring me :-).
> > >
> > >
> > > Robin B.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "clara_bellar" <claramont@>
> > > To: [email protected]
> > > Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 1:54:46 PM
> > > Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Being and Becoming, a film about unschooling
> > >
> > > We just finished this film. It's with Joyce Reed, John Taylor Gatto, Naomi Aldort, Alan Thomas and Leslie Safran Barson - and many fabulous families in the UK, France, Germany and US.
> > >
> > > You can watch the trailer on the website, and there's an opt in form for those who'd like to be informed on the release. There are also FB & Twitter links, thanks for helping spread the work about unschooling by liking it & sharing if you feel so inclined.
> > >
> > > www.beingandbecomingfilm.com
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > Clara
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Sarah Shackleton

I was fortunate enough to be one of a small group who saw Clara's film "Being and Becoming" -- and I loved it!  It was beautifully done, such a lovely exploration of the many different ways of living this unschooling life we have chosen.  I loved the sections with Noami Aldort and her husband and children (I'm a big fan), and I loved seeing all the families, children and adult unschoolers talking about their way in the world.  It was great too, to see it all from such an international perspective.  I look forward to it's release and to being able to recommend it to my family and friends, so that they can understand what my husband and I have chosen and can see how beautiful this way of life can be for all concerned.  I think Clara and her team did an excellent job and I really hope the film does well.   Please check it out! 

www.beingandbecomingfilm.com

Best, Sarah 

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