Just a vent: Unschooling in a schooling world
Michelle/Melbrigða
I joined the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) YEARS ago and got out
about 8 for a variety of reasons, one being that I had small children and at
the time children were practically ignored and so going to events was a
whole lot like primitive camping in funny clothes chasing after children. I
didn't need to dress up in funny clothes to go off in the woods by myself.
*Anyway* we've recently gotten back involved and there is a very active
"minister of children" who is very enthusiastic about doing things with the
kids and helping them feel included. And the majority of her ideas sink
like lead balloons with my kids. They are very very schoolish in nature.
Her latest project is to create a series of "lessons" for the kids to do.
The lesson would include a written description of an activity, project, art,
science or historical aspect (Mongols, French Ren., High Gothic, etc.)
After the children read the lesson then they would be given a comprehension
test to see what they learned. If they "pass" the test then they will get
some sort of points for "Page School." ICK!!! This is a wonderful
organisation that spurred me into wanting to know more about history. Not
because of tests or achievements but because I found living history
interesting! This just sucks all the fun out of the organisation and makes
it SO much more like school. I wrote a short reply offering a different
idea (like adults taking on "students" and sharing with them the things that
they know, learning through doing). Instead of spending hours and hours
creating essentially "reading comprehension tests" we could create a
database of skills that the children (and adults) could reference to and
find someone who is doing something that they are interested in. I even
snuck in a link to Sandra Dodd's website (her SCA side - which is filled
with lots of unschooly ideas LOL!) about teaching and learning. She replied
back to me and said (basically) "I respect your opinion, but you are wrong
because this is the way that kids learn best." GAG!
Why do people take something that is enjoyable and make it so not fun? Why
do people feel that the only way a person (particularly a child) can learn
something is from reading something and taking a test? I never even thought
that way when my kids did go to school!
Sorry, I just needed to vent somewhere that was safe.
--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
about 8 for a variety of reasons, one being that I had small children and at
the time children were practically ignored and so going to events was a
whole lot like primitive camping in funny clothes chasing after children. I
didn't need to dress up in funny clothes to go off in the woods by myself.
*Anyway* we've recently gotten back involved and there is a very active
"minister of children" who is very enthusiastic about doing things with the
kids and helping them feel included. And the majority of her ideas sink
like lead balloons with my kids. They are very very schoolish in nature.
Her latest project is to create a series of "lessons" for the kids to do.
The lesson would include a written description of an activity, project, art,
science or historical aspect (Mongols, French Ren., High Gothic, etc.)
After the children read the lesson then they would be given a comprehension
test to see what they learned. If they "pass" the test then they will get
some sort of points for "Page School." ICK!!! This is a wonderful
organisation that spurred me into wanting to know more about history. Not
because of tests or achievements but because I found living history
interesting! This just sucks all the fun out of the organisation and makes
it SO much more like school. I wrote a short reply offering a different
idea (like adults taking on "students" and sharing with them the things that
they know, learning through doing). Instead of spending hours and hours
creating essentially "reading comprehension tests" we could create a
database of skills that the children (and adults) could reference to and
find someone who is doing something that they are interested in. I even
snuck in a link to Sandra Dodd's website (her SCA side - which is filled
with lots of unschooly ideas LOL!) about teaching and learning. She replied
back to me and said (basically) "I respect your opinion, but you are wrong
because this is the way that kids learn best." GAG!
Why do people take something that is enjoyable and make it so not fun? Why
do people feel that the only way a person (particularly a child) can learn
something is from reading something and taking a test? I never even thought
that way when my kids did go to school!
Sorry, I just needed to vent somewhere that was safe.
--
Michelle
aka Melbrigða
http://eventualknitting.blogspot.com
[email protected] - Homeschooling for the Medieval Recreationist
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]