the nature of unschooling, & "HEM without Sandra?"
[email protected]
jjessen1@... wrote:
<< I've met some wonderful parents that have married lifestyle and
unschooling, and now can tell the differences between which
unschooling families "do" and "don't". I hope I'm making sense!>>
It makes sense to me. Unschooling works best when the children's learning
isn't limited (in the parents' mind) to school subjects. That's a big given,
most of us would probably say, but there are lots of people who want to say
unschooling is nothing more than not using a curriculum. And I think they're
right, at a basic definition level.
If someone takes that definition home and says "Now I am an unschooler," and
simply lives in the absence of a curriculum, without changing any behaviors or
philosophies or expectations, I dont think it will be long before he's trying
unit studies, or looking for a curriculum, or putting the kids back in school.
Unschooling isn't as easy as it sounds.
It's simple, but not easy.
Still, there are people who don't want to be disturbed by too much detailed
recommendation on life changes. And that's fine. I don't make a commission
when someone decides to unschool or anything. My own kids are very happy and
whole. I didn't need others to give me permission to do what I did, past the
legal options which were pretty wonderful to have!
In May there were problems on a list Home Education Magazine sponsored, and
three or four of the main writers there went off to form their own list for
beginners. I wasn't on either list (Unschooling101 or UnschoolingBasics), but in
the discussions of the weekend, I predicted that either unschooling.com was
going to be shut down or that I would lose my column.
A week later I received a short note from Helen Hegener saying she was
dropping my column.
I didn't know until the July issue arrived whether I would be in that one. I
was, so Stephanie, if you didn't get the July issue you missed the last
column of mine in there. Sorry. But now that September's out, I'll put it online.
It's called "Playing." I'll try to do that today and put the URL here.
I'll also announce it on the announcement list I keep which anyone can subscribe
to. That's linked two places:
http://sandradodd.com/unschooling
http://sandradodd.com/articles
-=-I hope that Sandra continues to write, it needs an unschooling
perspective.-=-
It seems the magazine would like to move toward there not having a
specifically-separate unschooling perspective (I haven't seen the new issue), but
unschooling being presented as just another point on the how-much-structure
continuum. And in a way that's all it is. In a legal way that's all it is. And
that's important at that level.
And it's not as though I've ever stopped writing. <g>
There is a new magazine that just started up called Live Free / Learn Free.
I have an artile in their first issue, which is out. You can get info on that
by writing here: folkypoet@...
I wrote about Kirby not going to college yet, and how his dad and I felt
about that.
Thursday morning Holly and I will be going to Massachusetts for a week to
confer, converse, and otherwise hobnob with my fellow unschoolers, and to spend a
few days with Joyce Fetteroll and her family. She and Kathryn visited us a
couple of years ago, and I'm anxious to see her house and her neighborhood.
Most of the moderators of this list will be in Massachusetts, so don't get too
wild while we're gone, please. <g>
Sandra
<< I've met some wonderful parents that have married lifestyle and
unschooling, and now can tell the differences between which
unschooling families "do" and "don't". I hope I'm making sense!>>
It makes sense to me. Unschooling works best when the children's learning
isn't limited (in the parents' mind) to school subjects. That's a big given,
most of us would probably say, but there are lots of people who want to say
unschooling is nothing more than not using a curriculum. And I think they're
right, at a basic definition level.
If someone takes that definition home and says "Now I am an unschooler," and
simply lives in the absence of a curriculum, without changing any behaviors or
philosophies or expectations, I dont think it will be long before he's trying
unit studies, or looking for a curriculum, or putting the kids back in school.
Unschooling isn't as easy as it sounds.
It's simple, but not easy.
Still, there are people who don't want to be disturbed by too much detailed
recommendation on life changes. And that's fine. I don't make a commission
when someone decides to unschool or anything. My own kids are very happy and
whole. I didn't need others to give me permission to do what I did, past the
legal options which were pretty wonderful to have!
In May there were problems on a list Home Education Magazine sponsored, and
three or four of the main writers there went off to form their own list for
beginners. I wasn't on either list (Unschooling101 or UnschoolingBasics), but in
the discussions of the weekend, I predicted that either unschooling.com was
going to be shut down or that I would lose my column.
A week later I received a short note from Helen Hegener saying she was
dropping my column.
I didn't know until the July issue arrived whether I would be in that one. I
was, so Stephanie, if you didn't get the July issue you missed the last
column of mine in there. Sorry. But now that September's out, I'll put it online.
It's called "Playing." I'll try to do that today and put the URL here.
I'll also announce it on the announcement list I keep which anyone can subscribe
to. That's linked two places:
http://sandradodd.com/unschooling
http://sandradodd.com/articles
-=-I hope that Sandra continues to write, it needs an unschooling
perspective.-=-
It seems the magazine would like to move toward there not having a
specifically-separate unschooling perspective (I haven't seen the new issue), but
unschooling being presented as just another point on the how-much-structure
continuum. And in a way that's all it is. In a legal way that's all it is. And
that's important at that level.
And it's not as though I've ever stopped writing. <g>
There is a new magazine that just started up called Live Free / Learn Free.
I have an artile in their first issue, which is out. You can get info on that
by writing here: folkypoet@...
I wrote about Kirby not going to college yet, and how his dad and I felt
about that.
Thursday morning Holly and I will be going to Massachusetts for a week to
confer, converse, and otherwise hobnob with my fellow unschoolers, and to spend a
few days with Joyce Fetteroll and her family. She and Kathryn visited us a
couple of years ago, and I'm anxious to see her house and her neighborhood.
Most of the moderators of this list will be in Massachusetts, so don't get too
wild while we're gone, please. <g>
Sandra
Kelli Traaseth
**A week later I received a short note from Helen Hegener saying she was
dropping my column.**
Sandra, this really bums me out. :( Yours was the first column I would turn to when I got the mag.
It does seem like it (HEM) is trying to separate itself from unschooling. Or I guess maybe from those of us who live our lives as unschooling.
I've been wondering if that's why the message boards have been down. Is it going to come back all revamped and we won't recognize it and it won't be as unschooly? But how can that be? It's unschooling.com? hmmmmmmm.... Maybe I'm getting paranoid. <g>
**And it's not as though I've ever stopped writing. <g>**
I know, but I liked it there too, you would reach that many more people. If Helen and others could see how much our lives have benefited in pushing unschooling to the limits. Pushing it into our lives. Living an unschooling life, not just 'not using a curriculum'.
I'll stop now and save the rest of my rant for a letter to HEM.
To those of you who are going to the conference, see you there! I'm so glad that the Live and Learn Conference will be true Unschooling! :))
Kelli~
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
dropping my column.**
Sandra, this really bums me out. :( Yours was the first column I would turn to when I got the mag.
It does seem like it (HEM) is trying to separate itself from unschooling. Or I guess maybe from those of us who live our lives as unschooling.
I've been wondering if that's why the message boards have been down. Is it going to come back all revamped and we won't recognize it and it won't be as unschooly? But how can that be? It's unschooling.com? hmmmmmmm.... Maybe I'm getting paranoid. <g>
**And it's not as though I've ever stopped writing. <g>**
I know, but I liked it there too, you would reach that many more people. If Helen and others could see how much our lives have benefited in pushing unschooling to the limits. Pushing it into our lives. Living an unschooling life, not just 'not using a curriculum'.
I'll stop now and save the rest of my rant for a letter to HEM.
To those of you who are going to the conference, see you there! I'm so glad that the Live and Learn Conference will be true Unschooling! :))
Kelli~
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
nellebelle
>>>It does seem like it (HEM) is trying to separate itself from unschooling.>>>>>It seems to me they are trying to say that anything that is NOT attending public school IS unschooling. And that all types of homeschooling are equally good, as long as they aren't connected to public schools.
>>>>Or I guess maybe from those of us who live our lives as unschooling.>>>Maybe that's it.
Mary Ellen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/24/04 1:20:43 PM, nellebelle@... writes:
<< It seems to me they are trying to say that anything that is NOT attending
public school IS unschooling. >>
It's not attending to sign up with a program that does your reporting and
gives you $1500 or something. It is being registered. But LOTS of states make
homeschoolers register.
It's not attending public school to go to a parochial schoo, either, but it's
not homeschooling.
It's not attending public school OR being registered with a school district
to sign up with Clonlara, but instead of them giving you money, you give them
money. Yet that's considered to be homeschooling.
There's not an easy place to draw a line.
Sandra
<< It seems to me they are trying to say that anything that is NOT attending
public school IS unschooling. >>
It's not attending to sign up with a program that does your reporting and
gives you $1500 or something. It is being registered. But LOTS of states make
homeschoolers register.
It's not attending public school to go to a parochial schoo, either, but it's
not homeschooling.
It's not attending public school OR being registered with a school district
to sign up with Clonlara, but instead of them giving you money, you give them
money. Yet that's considered to be homeschooling.
There's not an easy place to draw a line.
Sandra
Fetteroll
on 8/24/04 11:11 AM, Kelli Traaseth at kellitraas@... wrote:
are. People have told her it's life changing for them. (And others have said
how mean everyone is too.)
The problem is that in order to get that life, people need to let go of
certain conventions and thoughts. But not everyone is willing to let go of
so much to get that.
Helping people let go involves defining what is and isn't unschooling. But
Helen doesn't want to define unschooling.
I think what Helen wants is to define (without actually spelling it out)
unschooling as learning by living and to create a place where anyone who is
drawn to the idea can get together and share their journeys. She doesn't
want to impose her definition on people. She wants them to come to their own
definition.
I agree with the idea -- but with a lot of caveats. ;-) I think lots of
families could benefit from understanding and seeing in action that kids
learn by living, even if the parents couldn't fully let go. Best is everyone
radically unschooling :-) But that's not going to happen! Better could be
more people letting go of as many schoolish concepts of learning as they're
comfortable with -- as Pat Farenga defines unschooling -- because they can
see people who are letting go of all of that and kids still learn.
I do think UnschoolingDiscussion, AlwaysLearning and unschoolingbasics (and
perhaps others I don't know about) offer that information. *But*, as a side
effect, the comraderie on the lists tends to be limited to radical
unschoolers which means others who like some of the ideas can feel excluded.
(Not intentionally. It's just a natural side effect of any group that's
drawn together around an idea. If someone is drawn to the comraderie of the
group but not to the idea, they're going to feel excluded when it's pointed
out that they haven't embraced the idea that's drawn the group together.)
So I agree with the concept of creating a place for people to hang out who
are drawn to some of the ideas of unschooling. The flaw, though, is that
without a group that's actively at the radical end, showing people how far
it's possible to go, the group will tend towards choices based on comforting
fears.
I thought the set up at AOL was great. There were folders for all styles. It
felt like one big community without having to interact with everyone in the
community. People could "go elsewhere" (a different place under the same
roof) when advice didn't suit them without having to "go elsewhere" (out
into the big world of 10,000 unfamiliar doors to choose from) :-)
(I wonder if I were starting out today if I'd find unschooling. I started
out so far away and there's so much information available now that I would
think it's hard to sample a bit of everything. Investigating just one aspect
of homeschooling could feel like a full time committment!)
Ideally there could be something similar for "unschooling" (defining it
broader than here). There could be a Radical Unschooling folder and then
other folders for other definitions of unschooling. That way people could
choose without feeling it's radical or nothing.
*I* have zero interest in creating a place like that. ;-) But I would like
to see radical unschooling ideas out there for people to sample easily to
give another avenue for the idea that there's something other than
control/neglect to trickle out along into mainstream society.
Joyce
> If Helen and others could see how much our lives have benefited in pushingHelen is aware but not in the immersive, living it way radical unschoolers
> unschooling to the limits. Pushing it into our lives. Living an unschooling
> life, not just 'not using a curriculum'.
are. People have told her it's life changing for them. (And others have said
how mean everyone is too.)
The problem is that in order to get that life, people need to let go of
certain conventions and thoughts. But not everyone is willing to let go of
so much to get that.
Helping people let go involves defining what is and isn't unschooling. But
Helen doesn't want to define unschooling.
I think what Helen wants is to define (without actually spelling it out)
unschooling as learning by living and to create a place where anyone who is
drawn to the idea can get together and share their journeys. She doesn't
want to impose her definition on people. She wants them to come to their own
definition.
I agree with the idea -- but with a lot of caveats. ;-) I think lots of
families could benefit from understanding and seeing in action that kids
learn by living, even if the parents couldn't fully let go. Best is everyone
radically unschooling :-) But that's not going to happen! Better could be
more people letting go of as many schoolish concepts of learning as they're
comfortable with -- as Pat Farenga defines unschooling -- because they can
see people who are letting go of all of that and kids still learn.
I do think UnschoolingDiscussion, AlwaysLearning and unschoolingbasics (and
perhaps others I don't know about) offer that information. *But*, as a side
effect, the comraderie on the lists tends to be limited to radical
unschoolers which means others who like some of the ideas can feel excluded.
(Not intentionally. It's just a natural side effect of any group that's
drawn together around an idea. If someone is drawn to the comraderie of the
group but not to the idea, they're going to feel excluded when it's pointed
out that they haven't embraced the idea that's drawn the group together.)
So I agree with the concept of creating a place for people to hang out who
are drawn to some of the ideas of unschooling. The flaw, though, is that
without a group that's actively at the radical end, showing people how far
it's possible to go, the group will tend towards choices based on comforting
fears.
I thought the set up at AOL was great. There were folders for all styles. It
felt like one big community without having to interact with everyone in the
community. People could "go elsewhere" (a different place under the same
roof) when advice didn't suit them without having to "go elsewhere" (out
into the big world of 10,000 unfamiliar doors to choose from) :-)
(I wonder if I were starting out today if I'd find unschooling. I started
out so far away and there's so much information available now that I would
think it's hard to sample a bit of everything. Investigating just one aspect
of homeschooling could feel like a full time committment!)
Ideally there could be something similar for "unschooling" (defining it
broader than here). There could be a Radical Unschooling folder and then
other folders for other definitions of unschooling. That way people could
choose without feeling it's radical or nothing.
*I* have zero interest in creating a place like that. ;-) But I would like
to see radical unschooling ideas out there for people to sample easily to
give another avenue for the idea that there's something other than
control/neglect to trickle out along into mainstream society.
Joyce
Game-Enthusiast
>*I* have zero interest in creating a place like that. ;-) But I would like-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>to see radical unschooling ideas out there for people to sample easily to
>give another avenue for the idea that there's something other than
>control/neglect to trickle out along into mainstream society.
There are a lot of unschooling lists out there. Some are more radical than
others. I think there is a place for all of them. I liken it to
Christianity. All the different churches believe in the same general
philosophy, but what it means to them differs from church to church. Some
unschooling lists have a broader view of what unschooling is and lots of
people feel comfortable in that setting. Not often is someone told they
aren't unschooling, although they might offer alternatives to what is not
working or ways to lighten up and follow their children's lead. Other lists
are more radical and included in the discussion are the more radical
parenting ideas.
I have been on different unschooling lists for almost 4 years, I think.
(feels longer) At different times I've gotten more benefit out of different
lists. I've joined this list off and on over the last couple years and each
time that I left I left with an issue to work through. (TV, setting own
bedtimes, other parenting issues) Things I've read here have made me
uncomfortable at times precisely because they challenged my thinking. I
have grown more from the more radical lists than from any other lists. That
doesn't lessen the value of the other lists. They served their purpose.
Two different lists particularly helped me through those times when I
started to panic and lose my confidence in the process of learning. I needed
their gentleness at that time, I think. But now, I need the directness of
this list. I am confident in the unschooling part but I could still learn
more about the parenting end of things. I've relaxed dramatically over the
years on that end, but I am sure I still have more to learn. This list
challenges me to think about everything and to live life in this moment. At
this time in my life, I need a list like this one.
Angela
<mailto:game-enthusiast@...> game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Fetteroll
on 8/25/04 7:32 AM, Game-Enthusiast at game-enthusiast@... wrote:
lists. I'm talking about a website and message boards.
If Helen creates a place where unschooling becomes "whatever parents want to
do" I have no interest in that.
If Helen creates a place where radical unschooling is at the core and
"whatever parents want to do" branches out from there, I wouldn't mind being
part of the radical core so that more hesitant others could be constantly
reminded how far it's possible to let go.
Joyce
> There are a lot of unschooling lists out there. Some are more radical thanI agree, there are plenty of list. But I'm not talking about choices of
> others. I think there is a place for all of them.
lists. I'm talking about a website and message boards.
If Helen creates a place where unschooling becomes "whatever parents want to
do" I have no interest in that.
If Helen creates a place where radical unschooling is at the core and
"whatever parents want to do" branches out from there, I wouldn't mind being
part of the radical core so that more hesitant others could be constantly
reminded how far it's possible to let go.
Joyce
Game-Enthusiast
You wrote:
If Helen creates a place where radical unschooling is at the core and
"whatever parents want to do" branches out from there, I wouldn't mind being
part of the radical core so that more hesitant others could be constantly
reminded how far it's possible to let go.
---------------------------
Oh, I see what you are talking about. It would be cool to have a place like
that.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
If Helen creates a place where radical unschooling is at the core and
"whatever parents want to do" branches out from there, I wouldn't mind being
part of the radical core so that more hesitant others could be constantly
reminded how far it's possible to let go.
---------------------------
Oh, I see what you are talking about. It would be cool to have a place like
that.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/25/04 4:44:48 AM, fetteroll@... writes:
<< Better could be
more people letting go of as many schoolish concepts of learning as they're
comfortable with -- as Pat Farenga defines unschooling -- because they can
see people who are letting go of all of that and kids still learn. >>
Where will they see that though?
Pat Farenga's kids have gone to school (not all at once, but variously), but
not successfully unschooling in such a way that the parents trust it and the
kids thrive on it.
-=-Ideally there could be something similar for "unschooling" (defining it
broader than here). There could be a Radical Unschooling folder and then
other folders for other definitions of unschooling. That way people could
choose without feeling it's radical or nothing.-=-
That's the way unschooling.com was set up to be. I think the SandraDodd
folder was intended for the radical dumpground, where others could send people who
really thought unschooling was different.
Over a year or so, those who only kind of unschooled wandered off, though,
because you can't get much fire up over "I don't use a curriculum."
"I do, but I wrote my own."
"Oh. Cool!"
"So how do you teach reading?"
"We make him sound out words, but if he's not reading by summer, we're
putting him in school."
"Well that makes sense."
I made those quotes up, but I have read similar things since I joined the
homeschool BB at *Prodigy. Just lame, half-hearted, unexamined half-baked ideas
without solid basis, without commitment, without principle, philosophy or
fervor. It doesn't lead to unschooling. It leads back to the belief that some
curriculum somewhere is the right way, or that at least you tried and now your
kids can go back to school.
Sandra
<< Better could be
more people letting go of as many schoolish concepts of learning as they're
comfortable with -- as Pat Farenga defines unschooling -- because they can
see people who are letting go of all of that and kids still learn. >>
Where will they see that though?
Pat Farenga's kids have gone to school (not all at once, but variously), but
not successfully unschooling in such a way that the parents trust it and the
kids thrive on it.
-=-Ideally there could be something similar for "unschooling" (defining it
broader than here). There could be a Radical Unschooling folder and then
other folders for other definitions of unschooling. That way people could
choose without feeling it's radical or nothing.-=-
That's the way unschooling.com was set up to be. I think the SandraDodd
folder was intended for the radical dumpground, where others could send people who
really thought unschooling was different.
Over a year or so, those who only kind of unschooled wandered off, though,
because you can't get much fire up over "I don't use a curriculum."
"I do, but I wrote my own."
"Oh. Cool!"
"So how do you teach reading?"
"We make him sound out words, but if he's not reading by summer, we're
putting him in school."
"Well that makes sense."
I made those quotes up, but I have read similar things since I joined the
homeschool BB at *Prodigy. Just lame, half-hearted, unexamined half-baked ideas
without solid basis, without commitment, without principle, philosophy or
fervor. It doesn't lead to unschooling. It leads back to the belief that some
curriculum somewhere is the right way, or that at least you tried and now your
kids can go back to school.
Sandra
Julia Berkley
Does anyone know of a less "radical" unschooling list? I have a feeling
that might be a better fit for me...
Thanks for any suggestions...
Julia
that might be a better fit for me...
Thanks for any suggestions...
Julia
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/20/2005 2:12:32 PM Mountain Standard Time,
juliaberkley@... writes:
Does anyone know of a less "radical" unschooling list? I have a feeling
that might be a better fit for me...
===========
There are some others listed here:
http://sandradodd.com/lists/other
(Don't go to UnschoolingDiscussion; it's same radical-level.)
And you could go to yahoogroups, search for unschooling, and read
descriptions and see which have recent postings and a good number of people.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
juliaberkley@... writes:
Does anyone know of a less "radical" unschooling list? I have a feeling
that might be a better fit for me...
===========
There are some others listed here:
http://sandradodd.com/lists/other
(Don't go to UnschoolingDiscussion; it's same radical-level.)
And you could go to yahoogroups, search for unschooling, and read
descriptions and see which have recent postings and a good number of people.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Angela S
There is also one that is not on yahoo called The Unschooling List. It's
been around for many years. http://user.mc.net/~kwentz/ULfaq.shtml
Here is the FAQ page.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
been around for many years. http://user.mc.net/~kwentz/ULfaq.shtml
Here is the FAQ page.
Angela
game-enthusiast@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Robyn Coburn
<<<<There are some others listed here:
http://sandradodd.com/lists/other
(Don't go to UnschoolingDiscussion; it's same radical-level.) >>>
Always Unschooled might seem gentler at times, but probably is also too
radical. After all the phrase "Radical Unschooling" is in the list
description twice.
What about the boards instead of the lists?
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.830 / Virus Database: 565 - Release Date: 1/6/2005
http://sandradodd.com/lists/other
(Don't go to UnschoolingDiscussion; it's same radical-level.) >>>
Always Unschooled might seem gentler at times, but probably is also too
radical. After all the phrase "Radical Unschooling" is in the list
description twice.
What about the boards instead of the lists?
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.830 / Virus Database: 565 - Release Date: 1/6/2005
[email protected]
unschoolingbasics@yahoogroups is full of us radicals, but we try really hard to be gentle! <g>
The AlwaysLearning list is really for those who already "get it" and who don't need convincing or hand-holding.
[email protected] is good for folks with young children---younger than school-age.
~Kelly
The AlwaysLearning list is really for those who already "get it" and who don't need convincing or hand-holding.
[email protected] is good for folks with young children---younger than school-age.
~Kelly
[email protected]
Cleaning off my computer desktop, I found an unfinished post from last fall,
I'm guessing:
jjessen1@... wrote:
<< I've met some wonderful parents that have married lifestyle and
unschooling, and now can tell the differences between which
unschooling families "do" and "don't". I hope I'm making sense!>>
It makes sense to me. Unschooling works best when the children's learning
isn't limited (in the parents' mind) to school subjects. That's a big given,
most of us would probably say, but there are lots of people who want to say
unschooling is nothing more than not using a curriculum. And I think they're
right, at a basic definition level.
If someone takes that definition home and says "Now I am an unschooler," and
simply lives in the absence of a curriculum, without changing any behaviors or
philosophies or expectations, I dont think it will be long before he's trying
unit studies, or looking for a curriculum, or putting the kids back in school.
Unschooling isn't as easy as it sounds.
It's simple, but not easy.
Still, there are people who don't want to be disturbed by too much detailed
recommendation on life changes. And that's fine. I don't make a commission
when someone decides to unschool or anything. My own kids are very happy and
whole. I didn't need others to give me permission to do what I did, past the
legal options which were pretty wonderful to have!
In May there were problems on a list Home Education Magazine sponsored, and
three or four of the main writers there went off to form their own list for
beginners. I wasn't on either list (Unschooling101 or UnschoolingBasics), but in
the discussions of the weekend, I predicted that either unschooling.com was
going to be shut down or that I would lose my column.
A week later I received a short note from Helen Hegener saying she was
dropping my column.
I didn't know until the July issue arrived whether I would be in that one. I
was, so Stephanie, if you didn't get the July issue you missed the last
column of mine in there. Sorry. But now that September's out, I'll put it online.
It's called "Playing." I'll try to do that today and put the URL here.
I'll also announce it on the announcement list I keep which anyone can subscribe
to. That's linked two places:
http://sandradodd.com/unschooling
http://sandradodd.com/articles
-=-I hope that Sandra continues to write, it needs an unschooling
perspective.-=-
It seems the magazine would like to move toward there not having a
specifically-separate unschooling perspective (I haven't seen the new issue), but
unschooling being presented as just another point on the how-much-structure
continuum. And in a way that's all it is. In a legal way that's all it is. And
that's important at that level.
And it's not as though I've ever stopped writing. <g>
There is a new magazine that just started up called Live Free / Learn Free.
I have an artile in their first issue, which is out. You can get info on that
by writing here: folkypoet@...
I wrote about Kirby not going to college yet, and how his dad and I felt
about that.
Thursday morning Holly and I will be going to Massachusetts for a week
conference. . .
[And the saved post ended right there, so I'm guessing I never mailed it.]
========
Live Free/Learn Free has had three issues and seems to be doing well!
Since the shakeup of six or eight months ago, I've seen other situations in
which a choice is made between politics and philosophy. It's can be rough for
all involved. But it comes back to principles and priorities. For me, a
learning environment is primary. Government funding doesn't enter into my
thinking. For people who are and wish to be political activists, my attitude might
seem irresponsible. But I've seen political activists whose children's needs
come second to political action. It's just a different set of priorities.
I'm interested in discussing the nature of unschooling further, if this isn't
WAY, way too old a post. <g>
Sandra
I'm guessing:
jjessen1@... wrote:
<< I've met some wonderful parents that have married lifestyle and
unschooling, and now can tell the differences between which
unschooling families "do" and "don't". I hope I'm making sense!>>
It makes sense to me. Unschooling works best when the children's learning
isn't limited (in the parents' mind) to school subjects. That's a big given,
most of us would probably say, but there are lots of people who want to say
unschooling is nothing more than not using a curriculum. And I think they're
right, at a basic definition level.
If someone takes that definition home and says "Now I am an unschooler," and
simply lives in the absence of a curriculum, without changing any behaviors or
philosophies or expectations, I dont think it will be long before he's trying
unit studies, or looking for a curriculum, or putting the kids back in school.
Unschooling isn't as easy as it sounds.
It's simple, but not easy.
Still, there are people who don't want to be disturbed by too much detailed
recommendation on life changes. And that's fine. I don't make a commission
when someone decides to unschool or anything. My own kids are very happy and
whole. I didn't need others to give me permission to do what I did, past the
legal options which were pretty wonderful to have!
In May there were problems on a list Home Education Magazine sponsored, and
three or four of the main writers there went off to form their own list for
beginners. I wasn't on either list (Unschooling101 or UnschoolingBasics), but in
the discussions of the weekend, I predicted that either unschooling.com was
going to be shut down or that I would lose my column.
A week later I received a short note from Helen Hegener saying she was
dropping my column.
I didn't know until the July issue arrived whether I would be in that one. I
was, so Stephanie, if you didn't get the July issue you missed the last
column of mine in there. Sorry. But now that September's out, I'll put it online.
It's called "Playing." I'll try to do that today and put the URL here.
I'll also announce it on the announcement list I keep which anyone can subscribe
to. That's linked two places:
http://sandradodd.com/unschooling
http://sandradodd.com/articles
-=-I hope that Sandra continues to write, it needs an unschooling
perspective.-=-
It seems the magazine would like to move toward there not having a
specifically-separate unschooling perspective (I haven't seen the new issue), but
unschooling being presented as just another point on the how-much-structure
continuum. And in a way that's all it is. In a legal way that's all it is. And
that's important at that level.
And it's not as though I've ever stopped writing. <g>
There is a new magazine that just started up called Live Free / Learn Free.
I have an artile in their first issue, which is out. You can get info on that
by writing here: folkypoet@...
I wrote about Kirby not going to college yet, and how his dad and I felt
about that.
Thursday morning Holly and I will be going to Massachusetts for a week
conference. . .
[And the saved post ended right there, so I'm guessing I never mailed it.]
========
Live Free/Learn Free has had three issues and seems to be doing well!
Since the shakeup of six or eight months ago, I've seen other situations in
which a choice is made between politics and philosophy. It's can be rough for
all involved. But it comes back to principles and priorities. For me, a
learning environment is primary. Government funding doesn't enter into my
thinking. For people who are and wish to be political activists, my attitude might
seem irresponsible. But I've seen political activists whose children's needs
come second to political action. It's just a different set of priorities.
I'm interested in discussing the nature of unschooling further, if this isn't
WAY, way too old a post. <g>
Sandra