Your own kind of unschooling
Sandra Dodd
I want to make a few simple statements and will expand on them in another post.
For people who think this group, or my site, or “radical unschooling” are “telling them what to do,” we’re only telling people what WE did and why and how it can be applied. That topic has come up here in that way because the group was created for that exact purpose, and every single person here found the group and asked to join it, knowing (I HOPE) what the group was about.
So I don’t care what people actually do at their houses, but I do care about the advice given. People who aren’t really unschooling or who don’t think unschooling is anything special should never, ever post any advice. That doesn’t hamper anyone’s ability to read more about unschooling.
Melissa Wiley has been in and out of radical unschooling discussions, and she wrote in detail about what she settled on (or where she was when she wrote, that day, anyway) here:
http://melissawiley.com/blog/2007/06/22/radical-unschooling-unschooling-tidal-homeschooling-and-the-wearing-of-shoes-that-fit/
It’s a good read, and there are thoughtful comments.
From one comment:
"I got from J’s post that she was agreeing with you and suggesting that the labels were essentially useless (like a tool only for seeing if you could surf with the waldorf moms or the unschool moms…ect). What I got from her comment was that others should do as you have and throw off the labels and do as you have by blogging about mission statements and goals – the personal stuff rather than blogging about their efforts to fit into certain labels.”
Perhaps literal surfing was involved. Melissa lives in San Diego. :-)
Maybe the question in that commenter’s mind was honestly which group the family could most comfortably hang out with socially. Because honestly, if an unschooled kid showed up at the Waldorf surfing meet-up, how many ways could he break their magic? :-)
That post isn’t at all new; that’s not the point. But people who think that somehow they will be “in trouble” if they aren’t pure unschoolers might feel better. Feeling better isn’t an invitation to post advice here that will harm others’ understanding of unschooling, though.
Sandra
For people who think this group, or my site, or “radical unschooling” are “telling them what to do,” we’re only telling people what WE did and why and how it can be applied. That topic has come up here in that way because the group was created for that exact purpose, and every single person here found the group and asked to join it, knowing (I HOPE) what the group was about.
So I don’t care what people actually do at their houses, but I do care about the advice given. People who aren’t really unschooling or who don’t think unschooling is anything special should never, ever post any advice. That doesn’t hamper anyone’s ability to read more about unschooling.
Melissa Wiley has been in and out of radical unschooling discussions, and she wrote in detail about what she settled on (or where she was when she wrote, that day, anyway) here:
http://melissawiley.com/blog/2007/06/22/radical-unschooling-unschooling-tidal-homeschooling-and-the-wearing-of-shoes-that-fit/
It’s a good read, and there are thoughtful comments.
From one comment:
"I got from J’s post that she was agreeing with you and suggesting that the labels were essentially useless (like a tool only for seeing if you could surf with the waldorf moms or the unschool moms…ect). What I got from her comment was that others should do as you have and throw off the labels and do as you have by blogging about mission statements and goals – the personal stuff rather than blogging about their efforts to fit into certain labels.”
Perhaps literal surfing was involved. Melissa lives in San Diego. :-)
Maybe the question in that commenter’s mind was honestly which group the family could most comfortably hang out with socially. Because honestly, if an unschooled kid showed up at the Waldorf surfing meet-up, how many ways could he break their magic? :-)
That post isn’t at all new; that’s not the point. But people who think that somehow they will be “in trouble” if they aren’t pure unschoolers might feel better. Feeling better isn’t an invitation to post advice here that will harm others’ understanding of unschooling, though.
Sandra
Sandra Dodd
I have friends who aren’t radical unschoolers. :-) This isn’t about friendships.
I’m going to comment just a little on what I wrote before:
-=-For people who think this group, or my site, or “radical unschooling” are “telling them what to do,” we’re only telling people what WE did and why and how it can be applied. That topic has come up here in that way because the group was created for that exact purpose, and every single person here found the group and asked to join it, knowing (I HOPE) what the group was about.-=-
There are lots of ways to homeschool. For years, people have tried to shame and pressure me into supporting all homeschooling equally, but that’s never been my interest. I’m interested in helping people unschool. Too much compromise and wimpitude prevents people from getting to unschooling in this full-on, super special way.
-=-So I don’t care what people actually do at their houses, but I do care about the advice given.-=-
If in one family they can’t avoid school, they can use lots of our ideas, still. but I don’t want them to bring their school stories here.
If in a family their religion or legalities keep them from unschooling, the archives and websites we link to are still available and might help them, but I don’t want them coming here to get us to say “no problem, we totally understand,” and having them cause doubts and unrest in those who might be able to.
-=-People who aren’t really unschooling or who don’t think unschooling is anything special should never, ever post any advice.-=-
This group is not for light chit-chat. It’s for serious analysis.
The discussion shouldn’t be anyone’s everything.
All the things already written should be the main resources, I think.
Here are lots of voices. It’s as good a starting place or review as anything:
http://sandradodd.com/othervoices
Read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch.
If you try radical unschooling, and you do the best you can for a year or two, and it starts to work well, you’ll be grateful that there was a place to go where people didn’t “support” just any old thing. If you stall and don’t try, and think about maybe just kind of sort of borrowing a little bit from radical unschooling, your kids will get older, and it could be too late very soon.
Sandra
I’m going to comment just a little on what I wrote before:
-=-For people who think this group, or my site, or “radical unschooling” are “telling them what to do,” we’re only telling people what WE did and why and how it can be applied. That topic has come up here in that way because the group was created for that exact purpose, and every single person here found the group and asked to join it, knowing (I HOPE) what the group was about.-=-
There are lots of ways to homeschool. For years, people have tried to shame and pressure me into supporting all homeschooling equally, but that’s never been my interest. I’m interested in helping people unschool. Too much compromise and wimpitude prevents people from getting to unschooling in this full-on, super special way.
-=-So I don’t care what people actually do at their houses, but I do care about the advice given.-=-
If in one family they can’t avoid school, they can use lots of our ideas, still. but I don’t want them to bring their school stories here.
If in a family their religion or legalities keep them from unschooling, the archives and websites we link to are still available and might help them, but I don’t want them coming here to get us to say “no problem, we totally understand,” and having them cause doubts and unrest in those who might be able to.
-=-People who aren’t really unschooling or who don’t think unschooling is anything special should never, ever post any advice.-=-
This group is not for light chit-chat. It’s for serious analysis.
The discussion shouldn’t be anyone’s everything.
All the things already written should be the main resources, I think.
Here are lots of voices. It’s as good a starting place or review as anything:
http://sandradodd.com/othervoices
Read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch.
If you try radical unschooling, and you do the best you can for a year or two, and it starts to work well, you’ll be grateful that there was a place to go where people didn’t “support” just any old thing. If you stall and don’t try, and think about maybe just kind of sort of borrowing a little bit from radical unschooling, your kids will get older, and it could be too late very soon.
Sandra
sukaynalabboun@...
I am not sure what inspired all of this, but I wanted to add to those who have said that sticking it out for a while DID pay off, in ways unimagined. I am really and truly grateful for having become lighter, less negative, more grateful, patient, kinder gentler, more mindful.....the list goes on and on. What matters, to me, is that our family is healthy and whole, that we are real people who can live in a way which is more peaceful and more harmonious and that brings us joy- the real purpose of living is not a checklist to be completed but to enjoy our lives, to love one another and support each other.
If others want to write about other types of living, they should do it elsewhere. When I want to read about radical unschooling, Sandra's sites and groups are where I go.
If others want to write about other types of living, they should do it elsewhere. When I want to read about radical unschooling, Sandra's sites and groups are where I go.
> On Apr 20, 2016, at 8:46 AM, Sandra Dodd Sandra@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I have friends who aren’t radical unschoolers. :-) This isn’t about friendships.
>
> I’m going to comment just a little on what I wrote before:
>
> -=-For people who think this group, or my site, or “radical unschooling” are “telling them what to do,” we’re only telling people what WE did and why and how it can be applied. That topic has come up here in that way because the group was created for that exact purpose, and every single person here found the group and asked to join it, knowing (I HOPE) what the group was about.-=-
>
> There are lots of ways to homeschool. For years, people have tried to shame and pressure me into supporting all homeschooling equally, but that’s never been my interest. I’m interested in helping people unschool. Too much compromise and wimpitude prevents people from getting to unschooling in this full-on, super special way.
>
> -=-So I don’t care what people actually do at their houses, but I do care about the advice given.-=-
>
> If in one family they can’t avoid school, they can use lots of our ideas, still. but I don’t want them to bring their school stories here.
>
> If in a family their religion or legalities keep them from unschooling, the archives and websites we link to are still available and might help them, but I don’t want them coming here to get us to say “no problem, we totally understand,” and having them cause doubts and unrest in those who might be able to.
>
> -=-People who aren’t really unschooling or who don’t think unschooling is anything special should never, ever post any advice.-=-
>
> This group is not for light chit-chat. It’s for serious analysis.
>
> The discussion shouldn’t be anyone’s everything.
> All the things already written should be the main resources, I think.
> Here are lots of voices. It’s as good a starting place or review as anything:
>
> http://sandradodd.com/othervoices
>
> Read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch.
> If you try radical unschooling, and you do the best you can for a year or two, and it starts to work well, you’ll be grateful that there was a place to go where people didn’t “support” just any old thing. If you stall and don’t try, and think about maybe just kind of sort of borrowing a little bit from radical unschooling, your kids will get older, and it could be too late very soon.
>
> Sandra
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
> Posted by: Sandra Dodd <Sandra@...>
> ------------------------------------
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo Groups Links
>
>
>
Sandra Dodd
-=-I am not sure what inspired all of this, but I wanted to add to those who have said that sticking it out for a while DID pay off, in ways unimagined. -=-
Thanks.
I think I just hit the limit of people trying to explain things to me that beginners try to explain—that unschooling is a label, that parents know their children, that some kids need structure, that they don’t want to trade a curriculum for unschooling dogmatism, and so forth, and EVERY ONE OF THEM thinks she’s the first one to every think it or write it.
There was a time when this group wasn’t for beginners. Beginners were sent to another group called Unschooling Basics. This was only for people who already had experience.
There was a time when AOL’s forums were VERY busy. There was another time when, for a few years, a long-defunct message board that Home Education Magazine had set up just to keep unschoolers out of the way of “regular homeschoolers” was VERY rich and busy.
Then for a while, yahoogroups.
There were four or five, good, solid, for unschoolers.
Now, though, the busy venue is facebook, and there are no good walls or barriers (for an open group)—people post recklessly, loosely, and irresponsibly, thinking “it’s just facebook.”
This group used to be open (visible to anyone) and I wanted it that way, but when yahoogroups was revamped and I was exploring the new appearance of the moderators’ “back room,” I clicked something I shoud not have, and an open group became a closed group, which is (apparently) undoable.
That matters little to anyone but me. Because another reality in 2016 is that there is more material available, well-chosen, static, than were was on any of those forums I’ve named above, in their prime.
But I’m tired. Once in a while I’m moved to explain things, show people behind the curtain, a plant tour, and explain (again) that really, truly, I’m not keeping statistic, people come and go, some of the greatest unschoolers might never once have posted a single word, and that’s fine. Some who’ve posted quite a bit end up with kids in school. The outcomes are not tracked, not graded, not certified.
What I want to protect is the quality of the information provided, so I’m glad this was posted:
-=-If others want to write about other types of living, they should do it elsewhere. When I want to read about radical unschooling, Sandra's sites and groups are where I go.-=-
Thanks,
Sandra
Thanks.
I think I just hit the limit of people trying to explain things to me that beginners try to explain—that unschooling is a label, that parents know their children, that some kids need structure, that they don’t want to trade a curriculum for unschooling dogmatism, and so forth, and EVERY ONE OF THEM thinks she’s the first one to every think it or write it.
There was a time when this group wasn’t for beginners. Beginners were sent to another group called Unschooling Basics. This was only for people who already had experience.
There was a time when AOL’s forums were VERY busy. There was another time when, for a few years, a long-defunct message board that Home Education Magazine had set up just to keep unschoolers out of the way of “regular homeschoolers” was VERY rich and busy.
Then for a while, yahoogroups.
There were four or five, good, solid, for unschoolers.
Now, though, the busy venue is facebook, and there are no good walls or barriers (for an open group)—people post recklessly, loosely, and irresponsibly, thinking “it’s just facebook.”
This group used to be open (visible to anyone) and I wanted it that way, but when yahoogroups was revamped and I was exploring the new appearance of the moderators’ “back room,” I clicked something I shoud not have, and an open group became a closed group, which is (apparently) undoable.
That matters little to anyone but me. Because another reality in 2016 is that there is more material available, well-chosen, static, than were was on any of those forums I’ve named above, in their prime.
But I’m tired. Once in a while I’m moved to explain things, show people behind the curtain, a plant tour, and explain (again) that really, truly, I’m not keeping statistic, people come and go, some of the greatest unschoolers might never once have posted a single word, and that’s fine. Some who’ve posted quite a bit end up with kids in school. The outcomes are not tracked, not graded, not certified.
What I want to protect is the quality of the information provided, so I’m glad this was posted:
-=-If others want to write about other types of living, they should do it elsewhere. When I want to read about radical unschooling, Sandra's sites and groups are where I go.-=-
Thanks,
Sandra