kgharriman1@...

So we just moved 1300 km across state.. and this year my daughter who is 10 and has never been to school wants to do school at home homeschool using a distance education curriculum (her cousins do this as they live in remote property in Australia this School of the Air (distance education) is seen as a necessity and it's not a freely made choice - almost if not all mothers doing this on their sheep or cattle stations would choose a physical school is they could).

Now I understand that unschooling is about following your child's desires and interests and this is a strong desire. I think it's to fit in or to make sure she's covered in case she's tested and she is also aware that if she wants to be a vet (if she's not a professional ballerina) she needs to cover maths etc. at university. I asked her if she would like to go to school but she definitely does not.

I know I am going to have to push her everyday to complete the book work in this program which his against all the unschooling principles I have been working on these last two years (prior to that we did a smattering or curriculum, a bit if which - a handwriting book - which she dragged out of one of the many cardboard boxes lying about last night and got to work).

I have suggested we just do mathusee or some other type of schooly thing by ourselves if she wants to experience what school is. But she wants to enroll in this school of distance education. I think it's so she can get best of both worlds.

Do you think I should flow with this? I just want to unschool! Maybe I am just really failing at this gig and so she reckons school work would be more fun than hanging out on her ipad or watching movies or ding video games. I don't quite get it!

Sylvia Woodman

==-==I know I am going to have to push her everyday to complete the book work in this program==-==  You really don't.  http://sandradodd.com/haveto

==-==Maybe I am just really failing at this gig and so she reckons school work would be more fun than hanging out on her ipad or watching movies or ding video games.==-==

Unschooling needs to be more, much more than just "having out on her iPad"  It needs to be better, a whole lot better than school.  Your worst most boring day at home should be better, happier, more cozy than the best day of school.  Now that your move is behind you, can you get out and explore your new town?  Can you connect with other unschoolers?  Find a homeschool group that does lots of fun things?  Can you make arrangements for your daughter to stay connected with her friends via Skype or Snapchat?

Unschooling isn't abandoning your child to figure it out on her own.  You need to be there, showing her cool things, seeking out fun activities, noticing what she is interested in and help her to expand on those interests.

--Sylvia Woodman

On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 3:52 AM, kgharriman1@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 

So we just moved 1300 km across state.. and this year my daughter who is 10 and has never been to school wants to do school at home homeschool using a distance education curriculum (her cousins do this as they live in remote property in Australia this School of the Air (distance education) is seen as a necessity and it's not a freely made choice - almost if not all mothers doing this on their sheep or cattle stations would choose a physical school is they could).

Now I understand that unschooling is about following your child's desires and interests and this is a strong desire. I think it's to fit in or to make sure she's covered in case she's tested and she is also aware that if she wants to be a vet (if she's not a professional ballerina) she needs to cover maths etc. at university. I asked her if she would like to go to school but she definitely does not.

I know I am going to have to push her everyday to complete the book work in this program which his against all the unschooling principles I have been working on these last two years (prior to that we did a smattering or curriculum, a bit if which - a handwriting book - which she dragged out of one of the many cardboard boxes lying about last night and got to work).

I have suggested we just do mathusee or some other type of schooly thing by ourselves if she wants to experience what school is. But she wants to enroll in this school of distance education. I think it's so she can get best of both worlds.

Do you think I should flow with this? I just want to unschool! Maybe I am just really failing at this gig and so she reckons school work would be more fun than hanging out on her ipad or watching movies or ding video games. I don't quite get it!


Kirsty Harriman

She learns alot and is thoroughly engaged on her ipad! Maybe that's a better description than just hanging out on it. She's missing her friends so yes she's been face timing them and today messaging her new home school friends we met at dancing on her ipad. We have been exploring and choosing new dance school, gymnastics and guides - all the familiar activities in a newer bigger version (we have moved from outback remote smallish town to the sunshine coast in queensland where we have massive plethora of choice of anything we could want to participate in, see or do all of a sudden, relative to where we have been). I am doing alot to find fun things in amongst the unpacking and settling into our new home. It's a big upheaval after 10 years in same house - their home.we've only been here 2 weeks and about to another 17 hour drive back to get rest of gear! It's a BIG state!

Today I made contact with an unschooling group around here so I am hoping to hear back. Would be just as happy to connect with schooled or home schooled folk.

She's done a drawing of her Dream Desk! She's excited to do school work. Her big passion in life is dancing and of course we do all we can to facilitate this. 






Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Note3 on the Telstra Mobile network


-------- Original message --------
From: "Sylvia Woodman sylvia057@... [AlwaysLearning]" <[email protected]>
Date:05/02/2016 7:30 PM (GMT+10:00)
Cc:
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Daughter wants to try curriculum

 

==-==I know I am going to have to push her everyday to complete the book work in this program==-==  You really don't.  http://sandradodd.com/haveto

==-==Maybe I am just really failing at this gig and so she reckons school work would be more fun than hanging out on her ipad or watching movies or ding video games.==-==

Unschooling needs to be more, much more than just "having out on her iPad"  It needs to be better, a whole lot better than school.  Your worst most boring day at home should be better, happier, more cozy than the best day of school.  Now that your move is behind you, can you get out and explore your new town?  Can you connect with other unschoolers?  Find a homeschool group that does lots of fun things?  Can you make arrangements for your daughter to stay connected with her friends via Skype or Snapchat?

Unschooling isn't abandoning your child to figure it out on her own.  You need to be there, showing her cool things, seeking out fun activities, noticing what she is interested in and help her to expand on those interests.

--Sylvia Woodman

On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 3:52 AM, kgharriman1@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 

So we just moved 1300 km across state.. and this year my daughter who is 10 and has never been to school wants to do school at home homeschool using a distance education curriculum (her cousins do this as they live in remote property in Australia this School of the Air (distance education) is seen as a necessity and it's not a freely made choice - almost if not all mothers doing this on their sheep or cattle stations would choose a physical school is they could).

Now I understand that unschooling is about following your child's desires and interests and this is a strong desire. I think it's to fit in or to make sure she's covered in case she's tested and she is also aware that if she wants to be a vet (if she's not a professional ballerina) she needs to cover maths etc. at university. I asked her if she would like to go to school but she definitely does not.

I know I am going to have to push her everyday to complete the book work in this program which his against all the unschooling principles I have been working on these last two years (prior to that we did a smattering or curriculum, a bit if which - a handwriting book - which she dragged out of one of the many cardboard boxes lying about last night and got to work).

I have suggested we just do mathusee or some other type of schooly thing by ourselves if she wants to experience what school is. But she wants to enroll in this school of distance education. I think it's so she can get best of both worlds.

Do you think I should flow with this? I just want to unschool! Maybe I am just really failing at this gig and so she reckons school work would be more fun than hanging out on her ipad or watching movies or ding video games. I don't quite get it!


Sandra Dodd

-=-I know I am going to have to …-=-

http://sandradodd.com/haveto

-=-I know I am going to have to push her everyday to complete the book work in this program which his against all the unschooling principles I have been working on these last two years -=-

http://sandradodd.com/schoolchoice


-=-Do you think I should flow with this?-=-

How can you? Your flow is all stuck. :-)

-=-Do you think I should flow with this? I just want to unschool! Maybe I am just really failing at this gig and so she reckons school work would be more fun than hanging out on her ipad or watching movies or ding video games. I don't quite get it!-=-

-=-she reckons school work would be more fun than hanging out on her ipad or watching movies or doing video games.-=-

Is ALL she does at home is play by herself and watch movies? If so, you should be doing more.
But if she does have lots of options and school looks good, and she doesn’t need to physically go to school, and you don’t care if she gets good grades or not, and it’s not expensive, what are you worried that it will hurt?

Not letting her do it could hurt much more. One of the worst things about school is the lack of choice. Don’t bring that home and give them no choice but to be homeschooled.

-=-I don't quite get it!-=-

Because you started before Pam Laricchia created her intro, and because you’re not quite getting it, it might be worth reading that. It’s on the sidebar here, and there are a couple of things I said in that interview that could apply to what you’ve asked above, too.
http://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2016/02/eu005-ten-questions-with-sandra-dodd/

Lots of unschooled kids have tried school a while, learned a lot (about school and themselves and the advantages of being home, maybe) and most come back home. I think it’s most. Maybe we just don’t hear about the ones who stay there.

There’s another thing you could do, about school. She could share her lessons with the whole family (any who are interested) and you could discuss the lessons just as you might a youtube video. It would help her understand them, and the knowledge of the lesson, and of school’s current methods (it might be more progressive than you’re imagining)—your whole family would learn more, and it would be a social thing. Your description above sounds like there’s insufficient interplay among family members, and it would be cool if this interest of hers could hep.

Sandra

Sandra Dodd

-=-She's done a drawing of her Dream Desk! She's excited to do school work.-=-

I hope you don’t try to talk her out of something she’s so excited about.
If it’s like oldtime “school of the air,” it would need to be at the same time for everyone, but I’m guessing it’s modern internet school of the air and not radio, right? So can’t she work her lessons around activities with dance or unschooling friends?

-=-we've only been here 2 weeks and about to another 17 hour drive back to get rest of gear! It's a BIG state!-=-

Moving is one of the biggest stress factors for anyone, child OR adult. If she’s found something that will help her make the adjustment, that’s wonderful. And if it can be of interest or a distraction to anyone else in the family, too, that would probably serve to help cushion the change as well.

Sandra

Sandra Dodd

I like Sylvia’s response—partly because it’s kinda like mine! ;-)
I responded before seeing there was another response. I think it’s good when the same idea comes up twice.

And it can help for the person with the question to look at how what she wrote was seen. If the iPad and movies isn’t all the child is doing, why did the mom describe it that way? Those are deeper questions for individuals to deal with at home. :-) Each person is different in what she fears or prizes or is surprised by.

Sandra

Kirsty Harriman

Yes. Thankyou Sandra. I feel better now.

I haven't and won't try to talk her out of it as she's made up her mind and I can tell it's very firm. I am grateful I have read enough on here and elsewhere over the last 2 years to at least get the bigger picture of how this choice fits in with unschooling. I  just wanted confirmation I suppose.

 I have explained to her how much work it will mean, that we will be required to send in samples every 3 weeks and she will have a teacher. I think she is possibly excited by the accountability part in fact. She likes to sleep in so she's already decided that she will do her school work in the afternoon before dance/guides which this year fall quite late in the day. It will be an interesting experience. She will need help because we obviously have not been ticking curriculum standard boxes the last few years and no I am not in the least concerned about grades nor will it be an issue to stop when she's had enough as I can pay term by term. It is a different empowered approach compared with how I used to try and do homeschool before we began unschooling when I felt compelled to tick the boxes. I think it could be frustrating when we come across the plethora of schooly work that seems uninteresting or a waste of time. Maybe I need to open my mind up more amd let her decide those things.

I did get pams intro when I first joined here in late 2013 but I really should read it again. 


Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Note3 on the Telstra Mobile network


-------- Original message --------
From: "Sandra Dodd Sandra@... [AlwaysLearning]" <[email protected]>
Date:05/02/2016 11:45 PM (GMT+10:00)
Cc:
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Daughter wants to try curriculum

 

-=-She's done a drawing of her Dream Desk! She's excited to do school work.-=-

I hope you don’t try to talk her out of something she’s so excited about.
If it’s like oldtime “school of the air,” it would need to be at the same time for everyone, but I’m guessing it’s modern internet school of the air and not radio, right? So can’t she work her lessons around activities with dance or unschooling friends?

-=-we've only been here 2 weeks and about to another 17 hour drive back to get rest of gear! It's a BIG state!-=-

Moving is one of the biggest stress factors for anyone, child OR adult. If she’s found something that will help her make the adjustment, that’s wonderful. And if it can be of interest or a distraction to anyone else in the family, too, that would probably serve to help cushion the change as well.

Sandra

Sandra Dodd

-=- I have explained to her how much work it will mean, that we will be required to send in samples every 3 weeks and she will have a teacher.-=-

Couldn’t you back down on that?
What “required” is there?
What would it hurt if she “failed” or did just some of the assignments and didn’t “work”?
And why is it a “we”? Do the parents sign a form agreeing to be the enforcers?

I want to ask this gently…
If you didn’t read the links I sent (it didn’t seem there was time, between that post and the response), could you please do that? You don’t need to report back, but your response above doesn’t seem to be informed by or affected by the “Public School on your own terms” page, which is very short.

I didn’t know it was going to cost money to sign up with that school. I hope it’s not very much money.

-=-I did get pams intro when I first joined here in late 2013 but I really should read it again. -=-

I don’t think it had been created in 2013 yet. You might be thinking about something else. It’s not an intro to this discussion, but to unschooling itself. It’s soothing and happy.

Please, right-hand, here, and maybe listen to the interview.
http://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2016/02/eu005-ten-questions-with-sandra-dodd/

Sandra

Sylvia Woodman

==-==She will need help because we obviously have not been ticking curriculum standard boxes the last few years ==-==  You might be pleasantly surprised by how much "academic" stuff your daughter has picked up naturally just by living her life.  If you don't care about grades, then why not treat this as just another activity in her schedule, no different than dance class or guides?  Let this be her experience.  Support her, but don't nag her.  My only caveat to this would be -- if she doesn't perform at a certain level, will that affect your ability to continue homeschooling?  That might be worth finding out before you begin.

--Sylvia Woodman

On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 9:51 AM, Sandra Dodd Sandra@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 

-=- I have explained to her how much work it will mean, that we will be required to send in samples every 3 weeks and she will have a teacher.-=-

Couldn’t you back down on that?
What “required” is there?
What would it hurt if she “failed” or did just some of the assignments and didn’t “work”?
And why is it a “we”? Do the parents sign a form agreeing to be the enforcers?

I want to ask this gently…
If you didn’t read the links I sent (it didn’t seem there was time, between that post and the response), could you please do that? You don’t need to report back, but your response above doesn’t seem to be informed by or affected by the “Public School on your own terms” page, which is very short.

I didn’t know it was going to cost money to sign up with that school. I hope it’s not very much money.

-=-I did get pams intro when I first joined here in late 2013 but I really should read it again. -=-

I don’t think it had been created in 2013 yet. You might be thinking about something else. It’s not an intro to this discussion, but to unschooling itself. It’s soothing and happy.

Please, right-hand, here, and maybe listen to the interview.
http://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2016/02/eu005-ten-questions-with-sandra-dodd/

Sandra


Kirsty Harriman

What do you mean by the idea that if she doesn't perform at a certain level that it might affect my ability to home school?


Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Note3 on the Telstra Mobile network


-------- Original message --------
From: "Sylvia Woodman sylvia057@... [AlwaysLearning]" <[email protected]>
Date:07/02/2016 4:56 PM (GMT+10:00)
Cc:
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Daughter wants to try curriculum

 

==-==She will need help because we obviously have not been ticking curriculum standard boxes the last few years ==-==  You might be pleasantly surprised by how much "academic" stuff your daughter has picked up naturally just by living her life.  If you don't care about grades, then why not treat this as just another activity in her schedule, no different than dance class or guides?  Let this be her experience.  Support her, but don't nag her.  My only caveat to this would be -- if she doesn't perform at a certain level, will that affect your ability to continue homeschooling?  That might be worth finding out before you begin.

--Sylvia Woodman

On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 9:51 AM, Sandra Dodd Sandra@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 

-=- I have explained to her how much work it will mean, that we will be required to send in samples every 3 weeks and she will have a teacher.-=-

Couldn’t you back down on that?
What “required” is there?
What would it hurt if she “failed” or did just some of the assignments and didn’t “work”?
And why is it a “we”? Do the parents sign a form agreeing to be the enforcers?

I want to ask this gently…
If you didn’t read the links I sent (it didn’t seem there was time, between that post and the response), could you please do that? You don’t need to report back, but your response above doesn’t seem to be informed by or affected by the “Public School on your own terms” page, which is very short.

I didn’t know it was going to cost money to sign up with that school. I hope it’s not very much money.

-=-I did get pams intro when I first joined here in late 2013 but I really should read it again. -=-

I don’t think it had been created in 2013 yet. You might be thinking about something else. It’s not an intro to this discussion, but to unschooling itself. It’s soothing and happy.

Please, right-hand, here, and maybe listen to the interview.
http://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2016/02/eu005-ten-questions-with-sandra-dodd/

Sandra


Sylvia Woodman

Can she move easily from school back to homeschooling if she doesn't like online school?  By enrolling her in a school will that make it illegal to homeschool later on?  Make sure you are knowledgeable about your local homeschool laws.

--Sylvia

On Sun, Feb 7, 2016 at 2:13 AM, Kirsty Harriman kgharriman1@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 

What do you mean by the idea that if she doesn't perform at a certain level that it might affect my ability to home school?


Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Note3 on the Telstra Mobile network


-------- Original message --------
From: "Sylvia Woodman sylvia057@... [AlwaysLearning]" <[email protected]>
Date:07/02/2016 4:56 PM (GMT+10:00)
Cc:
Subject: Re: [AlwaysLearning] Daughter wants to try curriculum

 

==-==She will need help because we obviously have not been ticking curriculum standard boxes the last few years ==-==  You might be pleasantly surprised by how much "academic" stuff your daughter has picked up naturally just by living her life.  If you don't care about grades, then why not treat this as just another activity in her schedule, no different than dance class or guides?  Let this be her experience.  Support her, but don't nag her.  My only caveat to this would be -- if she doesn't perform at a certain level, will that affect your ability to continue homeschooling?  That might be worth finding out before you begin.

--Sylvia Woodman

On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 9:51 AM, Sandra Dodd Sandra@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 

-=- I have explained to her how much work it will mean, that we will be required to send in samples every 3 weeks and she will have a teacher.-=-

Couldn’t you back down on that?
What “required” is there?
What would it hurt if she “failed” or did just some of the assignments and didn’t “work”?
And why is it a “we”? Do the parents sign a form agreeing to be the enforcers?

I want to ask this gently…
If you didn’t read the links I sent (it didn’t seem there was time, between that post and the response), could you please do that? You don’t need to report back, but your response above doesn’t seem to be informed by or affected by the “Public School on your own terms” page, which is very short.

I didn’t know it was going to cost money to sign up with that school. I hope it’s not very much money.

-=-I did get pams intro when I first joined here in late 2013 but I really should read it again. -=-

I don’t think it had been created in 2013 yet. You might be thinking about something else. It’s not an intro to this discussion, but to unschooling itself. It’s soothing and happy.

Please, right-hand, here, and maybe listen to the interview.
http://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2016/02/eu005-ten-questions-with-sandra-dodd/

Sandra



Sandra Dodd

-=-Can she move easily from school back to homeschooling if she doesn't like online school? By enrolling her in a school will that make it illegal to homeschool later on? Make sure you are knowledgeable about your local homeschool laws.-=-

I think The Netherlands is the only place with that scary little quirk in their laws.

KGHarriman is in Queensland, in Australia, and I’m pretty sure it’s not a problem there. But YES, everyone should know the laws and not try to learn them here! Things change (and they’re changing in The Netherlands, right this season, whether for better or worse isn’t yet known).

This discussion should be about how natural learning works, and so discussion how one kid using a curriculum while other kids are not can be legitimate, lightly, if the focus is on the effect on unschooling. :-)

Sandra

Sandra Dodd

-=-What do you mean by the idea that if she doesn't perform at a certain level that it might affect my ability to home school?-=-

In some jurisdictions, kids who are “too far behind” aren’t allowed to keep unschooling because the state figures they need special education, or that the parent isn’t doing a sufficieint job. If there’s no such law where you are, no problem. In a few places where tests are required, if the score is very low the parents might have a year to “catch up” or they might be supervised or something. Laws change, and I can’t say where that might be true now, but that (I think) was the intent of the question.

Know your local laws. If there are any legal risks to enrolling, that should be a factor. I think that’s probably what was meant.

Sandra