Help with unschooling application
jendakini@...
We are so new to unschooling we are not even "officially" doing it. We have an application into the Ministry of Ed in New Zealand but are supposedly "enrolled and attending school" while they take their 6 weeks to process it. We are enrolled in Correspondence School (which is government run home schooling) but like my middle child succinctly stated "This is the same stupid stuff we have to do at school but at home I don't even have my mates around. If I have to do this work at home I'd rather be in school" and fair enough. So we have made the Correspondence curriculum optional and it pretty much just sits in its boxes.
I have spoken with 2 other unschooling families on the West Coast where we live and they said they didn't have any issues with their applications but unfortunately we weren't so lucky. This is what the Ministry has asked us for:
I have spoken with 2 other unschooling families on the West Coast where we live and they said they didn't have any issues with their applications but unfortunately we weren't so lucky. This is what the Ministry has asked us for:
- A detailed project/topic plan which includes aims, objectives, strategies, activities, assessment components (Rufus and Arlo should each have an individualised plan)
- How literacy and numeracy components will be included in the learning cycle
- More detailed information about the different curriculum strands (English, Maths, Learning Languages, Health and PE, Social Sciences, The Arts, Technology and Science)in terms of what strategies and content will be offered
- Assessment components and learning goals
The "edubabble" makes my head swim. I have sorted the "curriculum" question, point 3. But how do I make the other points (especially the FIRST one) fit into our goal of unschooling. Do I just go fictional?
I'd appreciate some Always Learning wisdom. Cheers, Aroha
Sandra Dodd
-=-We are enrolled in Correspondence School-=-
See whether you need to un-enroll from that, so that there’s not “failure” looming (if there are reports or tests or whatnot).
The best thing to do is get hooked up with Australian resources and people. Find a discussion. (I hope someone will come through and send you a link on the side or something.)
BE SURE to find unschoolers.
Then, lift some educational jargon from some of this:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html
There are several examples.
You might also find examples on one of the Australian websites that’s more particular to the local terminology.
“Authentic assessment” should be in there a couple of times to say how you will know if they can read or do math.
“Integrated curriculum” needs to be there, too. :-)
This discussion isn’t set up to discuss this further, but the resources are there the examples.
There might be an Australian link or two here:
http://sandradodd.com/world
Sandra
See whether you need to un-enroll from that, so that there’s not “failure” looming (if there are reports or tests or whatnot).
The best thing to do is get hooked up with Australian resources and people. Find a discussion. (I hope someone will come through and send you a link on the side or something.)
BE SURE to find unschoolers.
Then, lift some educational jargon from some of this:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum.html
There are several examples.
You might also find examples on one of the Australian websites that’s more particular to the local terminology.
“Authentic assessment” should be in there a couple of times to say how you will know if they can read or do math.
“Integrated curriculum” needs to be there, too. :-)
This discussion isn’t set up to discuss this further, but the resources are there the examples.
There might be an Australian link or two here:
http://sandradodd.com/world
Sandra
settledwater@...
There is a Facebook group called Unschool Australia. It is a closed group so you need to apply for membership but it is worth it just for their files section. Various people have posted their successful Board of Studies (BoS) applications.
Your other option is the Homeschool Education Association. (www.hea.edu.au).
I would recommend getting in contact with both groups.
As for my personal experience (NSW), I felt like I needed to play the BoS game when they came audit my home.
Keep in mind that somewhere it is stated in BoS documents that no one can make a child learn, all you can do is provide the opportunities eg. resources in your home and outings/experiences and ideas/plans. This applies to school teachers and to home educators.
I hope this helps.
Katie
Your other option is the Homeschool Education Association. (www.hea.edu.au).
I would recommend getting in contact with both groups.
As for my personal experience (NSW), I felt like I needed to play the BoS game when they came audit my home.
Keep in mind that somewhere it is stated in BoS documents that no one can make a child learn, all you can do is provide the opportunities eg. resources in your home and outings/experiences and ideas/plans. This applies to school teachers and to home educators.
I hope this helps.
Katie
Robyn Coburn
Make sure you use the phrase "heuristic confidence" as a goal.
It is eduspeak for "they are confidently able to see how to use new learning tools" like cuisinaire rods or other hands on tools.
Put in something about "suitable for different learning styles" and "vocational".
Robyn L Coburn
Http://WorkInProduction.com
Http://IggyJingles.com
It is eduspeak for "they are confidently able to see how to use new learning tools" like cuisinaire rods or other hands on tools.
Put in something about "suitable for different learning styles" and "vocational".
Robyn L Coburn
Http://WorkInProduction.com
Http://IggyJingles.com
Sandra Dodd
If ANYONE here is not already in contact with other unschoolers where you live, please do take care of that. This discussion isn’t intended to help anyone with local laws or requirements.
Also, I just saw the subject line clearly: "Re: Help with unschooling application”
Don’t apply to unschool. Don’t even mention the word.
Apply to homeschool (or to home educate, whatever the term is).
There are lots of ideas at the link given the other day (and in case anyone missed it, here:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurrriculum) for describing a less-structured learning plan.
Good luck but I hope you’re not applying to unschool. :-) The response will probably be no.
And check with the locals. If it’s not too risky to fail to apply, you might try forgetting it next year, or doing it late, and seeing how that goes. Holly was never registered to homeschool. I was going to register her as soon as someone contacted me and said “We can’t find your forms (about Kirby or Marty, who were registered four times and once, respectively). Nobody ever contacted me, and I was not hiding out—I was pretty blatantly out there.
One aspect of why a school district or a state might not track down every homeschooling family is that it will make them look worse, if it’s known how many they are. And they’re government workers. If they’re required to keep track of and file those applications, they get paid to do that. They won’t get paid extra to go to more work to double check whether there is MORE work they should be doing. If they file what comes in, they’ve done their job.
One thing some of us did in New Mexico, when forms needed to be notarized and mailed on paper (which is not the case anymore) was we filled out the forms, got them notarized, made photocopies for us (and enough to give anyone who asked) and the original was…. I sent mine to the government by putting it in the county landfill via the trash, but others did differently.
Then time passed, and the plan was that if someone said “We don’t have your papers,” we could say “Oh, Really? Do you want a copy?”
They would totally assume they had lost them, or the mail had, and we could send a photocopy of it, dated and notarized that it had been filled in before the deadline and all.
But never once did any of us ever get a request, and so my clever plan, as clever as it was, never played all the way out. You’re welcome to use it. :-)
Sandra
Also, I just saw the subject line clearly: "Re: Help with unschooling application”
Don’t apply to unschool. Don’t even mention the word.
Apply to homeschool (or to home educate, whatever the term is).
There are lots of ideas at the link given the other day (and in case anyone missed it, here:
http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurrriculum) for describing a less-structured learning plan.
Good luck but I hope you’re not applying to unschool. :-) The response will probably be no.
And check with the locals. If it’s not too risky to fail to apply, you might try forgetting it next year, or doing it late, and seeing how that goes. Holly was never registered to homeschool. I was going to register her as soon as someone contacted me and said “We can’t find your forms (about Kirby or Marty, who were registered four times and once, respectively). Nobody ever contacted me, and I was not hiding out—I was pretty blatantly out there.
One aspect of why a school district or a state might not track down every homeschooling family is that it will make them look worse, if it’s known how many they are. And they’re government workers. If they’re required to keep track of and file those applications, they get paid to do that. They won’t get paid extra to go to more work to double check whether there is MORE work they should be doing. If they file what comes in, they’ve done their job.
One thing some of us did in New Mexico, when forms needed to be notarized and mailed on paper (which is not the case anymore) was we filled out the forms, got them notarized, made photocopies for us (and enough to give anyone who asked) and the original was…. I sent mine to the government by putting it in the county landfill via the trash, but others did differently.
Then time passed, and the plan was that if someone said “We don’t have your papers,” we could say “Oh, Really? Do you want a copy?”
They would totally assume they had lost them, or the mail had, and we could send a photocopy of it, dated and notarized that it had been filled in before the deadline and all.
But never once did any of us ever get a request, and so my clever plan, as clever as it was, never played all the way out. You’re welcome to use it. :-)
Sandra