Kelli Traaseth

The interview that I mentioned a month or so ago came out today. I thought I'd share it with all of you.

I'm pretty happy with it. There are a few things that I don't like about it, a couple of misunderstandings and I was quoted a bit wrong in one part, but, all in all I'm pretty satisfied.

Here is the link: http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/ you can see a pic of the kids. <g> Then click on "full story".

We'll see how my small town reacts. :)

Kelli~




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Angela S

That was a great article! I am looking forward to reading the comments.
There either weren't any yet, or I didn't see how to find them.



Angela ~ Maine

game-enthusiast@...





Here is the link: http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/



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Kelli Traaseth

***I am looking forward to reading the comments.
There either weren't any yet, or I didn't see how to find them.**



The article just ran today,, so there aren't any,,, yet.



It will be very interesting to see how the community takes it.



Kelli~






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Nichole Fausey-Khosraviani

That was about the best article on unschooling by a non-unschooler I've ever read. I'm going to send it to my ex-mother-in-law who is quite nervous about what we're doing (I'm also sending her a typical week (are there typical week's) and the modified Acme Academy Curriculum for Elementary Students. It was pretty easy to change it to Freedom School, and replace the "student" with "Margaux"). Thanks for opening your life to that reporter, Kelli and I hope that the community embraces the story and your family....and unschooling!

Warmest regards,
Nichole
----- Original Message -----
From: Kelli Traaseth
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 7:29 AM
Subject: RE: [UnschoolingDiscussion] My interview with the local newspaper




***I am looking forward to reading the comments.
There either weren't any yet, or I didn't see how to find them.**



The article just ran today,, so there aren't any,,, yet.



It will be very interesting to see how the community takes it.



Kelli~






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Kelli Traaseth

**Thanks for opening your life to that reporter, Kelli and I hope that the community embraces the story and your family....and unschooling!**



Your welcome and thanks for the feedback.



I was really nervous about the outcome, started waking up at night and wondering what I said. <g>



I really wanted to get the word out about unschooling. So many people think that school at home is the only option. We know that there is another option and I have no doubt in my heart that its a better one. :)



Kelli~






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nellebelle

Would it be possible to cut and paste the article? When I finally got a chance to check it out today (12/24), I could only find part 2 of the series. I searched on the newspaper website but couldn't find Kelli's article.

If so, thanks!

Mary Ellen
----- Original Message -----
From: Kelli Traaseth
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 3:46 AM
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] My interview with the local newspaper



The interview that I mentioned a month or so ago came out today. I thought I'd share it with all of you.

I'm pretty happy with it. There are a few things that I don't like about it, a couple of misunderstandings and I was quoted a bit wrong in one part, but, all in all I'm pretty satisfied.

Here is the link: http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/ you can see a pic of the kids. <g> Then click on "full story".

We'll see how my small town reacts. :)

Kelli~




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Kelli Traaseth

***Would it be possible to cut and paste the article?***

Here it is:


Un-schooling method provides children with lessons from life
Thursday, December 23, 2004

By Kelly Custer
Staff Writer
kcuster@...


Alec, 11, used to be really interested in space; now he�s intrigued with video games.

He might choose to spend most of his day playing video games, researching video games on the internet, writing a gaming review or memorizing the characteristics of his Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards.

And that�s just fine with his mom, Kelli Traaseth of Bemidji. Alec, and his sisters Abbi, 10, and Kyra, 7, are being �un-schooled� � self-directed learning in their home.

Un-schooling means no written tests, worksheets or regimented schedules throughout the day. Kelli serves as a tour-guide for their three children � not a teacher. Tim Traaseth is also a tour-guide for the kids, when he�s not at work as a pharmaceutical sales representative.

For the last three years, the Traaseth kids have been un-schooled. The kids have tried district schools, charter schools and approximately half a year of home schooling before nestling into un-schooling. Both parents attended traditional schools growing up, but chose un-schooling for their children.

�Un-schooling is more about living life and following a child�s interests,� Kelli said. �Being able to do un-schooling (well) you have to look through the child�s eyes.� Proponents believe un-schooling is receptive to a child�s inherent curiosity and natural desire to learn.

Alec, Abbi and Kyra pursue their changing interests and Kelli is charged with providing resources for those interests � a strategy called �strewing.�

Pursuing interests

On a Wednesday afternoon in November, Kyra decided she wanted to make a multiplication table. Her older sister, was helping her fill it in. Kyra, a budding artist, produces piles of paintings seeped in color and loaded with glitter. She�s also interested in learning to spell names of things. The kitchen is covered in post-it note labels saying �refrigerator,� and �freezer.� A wooden, antiqued calendar on the wall is marked along with nearly every door in the whole house.

Later that afternoon Kyra and Abbi cut out paper-dolls � �Little House on the Prairie� dolls with frontier clothing and dolls from India with traditional Indian dress.

The family bookshelf is loaded with Eyewitness books about ancient Egypt and mythology. The computer table has reading and math games.Abbi�s learned to crochet and likes to spend time on-line instant messaging and playing interactive computer building games like Sim City.

For a while she was interested in Shakespeare. After seeing a Harry Potter film, she recalled the �double, double, toil and trouble,� spell � which was taken from Macbeth. Kelli recognized the connection from reading it in college, and read together with her daughter from the book. This led to the movie rental of �Macbeth,� �Hamlet,� �West Side Story,� (based on Romeo and Juliet) and �Shakespeare in Love,� which includes a number of references to Shakespeare�s works.

She saw the Paul Bunyan Playhouse production of Shakespeare�s �The Twelfth Night� three times, and played �Go Fish� with cards printed with lines from Shakespeare�s plays.

All three of the kids are frequently involved in discussions. �Discussion is huge,� Kelli said. ��We�re doing it all the time and always learning.�

Nearly everything is done with parent and child together. Un-schooling is very hands-on for parents, Kelli explained. And the process of exploratory learning continues all the time, year round.

Philosophy

When the students began un-schooling three years ago, Kelli started with a more regimented schedule and kept a journal for the first few weeks trying to record the learning that was going on. She soon abandoned trying to categorize and classify everything and wholeheartedly accepted the philosophy of un-schooling: student-directed learning.

One of the core beliefs is that a person will learn what he or she needs to know � in due time. Un-schooling is hinged on the natural progression of learning, rather than a regimented timeline.

The idea is that by following their interests, they�ll learn more than if they are forced to study particular subjects.

�You can�t teach a person who�s unwilling to learn,� Kelli explained.

John Holt, an education critic who published in the 1960s and �70s was a proponent of un-schooling.

In his book �Instead of Education: Ways to Help People Do Things Better,� John Holt writes that he is in favor of �doing � self-directed, purposeful, meaningful life and work,� and against �education� � �Learning cut off from active life and done under pressure.�

He writes that learning is inherent in living and by doing things and that people �learn� what�s interesting, helpful or exciting to them. He writes, �Whether I learn, depends on whether it helps me do my work and live and enjoy my life.�

Through un-schooling, Kelli hopes that her children will continue the desire for life-long learning and that their developing interests may lead to their life�s work. �If people pursue things they enjoy, the well-roundedness comes through,� she said.

Kelli is confident that subject areas will be revealed through their everyday interests. For instance, while Alec is interested in computer and video games, he utilizes math and problem solving skills, among others.

Pam Laricchia, an un-schooler from Canada and contributor to Life Learning Magazine, wrote about what her son�s interest in video games yielded in an article titled �Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Video Games.�

Among the skills she mentions are: reading game manuals and walkthroughs; research through gaming magazines or the internet; writing through correspondence with other players on-line or writing gaming critiques; typing; logic through solving puzzles, formulas, percentage charts in player�s guides and statistics.

The Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game that Alec is interested in, offers similar complexities.

The game is made up of 50 game cards including Monster, Spell, Trap and Foil cards. Each type of card is divided into further sub-categories, according to the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game official website. The Monster Card alone has 20 different types and six different attributes � which in turn affect the character�s ability to attack and defend. The combinations are dizzying.

Socialization

Having the kids at home allows for more interaction with adults in the community, Kelli said, as well as their peers.

Both Abbi and Kyra have been involved in tumbling/gymnastics class and play productions of Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. All three kids took pottery class. At one time, Alec played the cello and was in science club.

The kids really get to know each other, as they typically spend all day together.

Kelli gets up early in the morning along with Kyra, an early riser, and spends some time one-on-one with her. Frequently the kids are sprawled all over the three-floor house doing various projects. Alec might be downstairs playing computer games on a large TV screen, Abbi might be seated at the computer in the dining room and Kyra can be found sitting on a high-legged stool painting at the kitchen counter.

Un-schooling the kids is not about sheltering them, but rather indulging their interests and allowing them to shine, Kelli said.








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pam sorooshian

On Dec 25, 2004, at 6:52 AM, Kelli Traaseth wrote:

> This led to the movie rental of “Macbeth,” “Hamlet,” “West Side
> Story,” (based on Romeo and Juliet) and “Shakespeare in Love,” which
> includes a number of references to Shakespeare’s works.

Great article, Kelli -- congratulations!!! You did a great job getting
unschooling across to the reporter.

I wanted to mention Kenneth Branaugh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves,
Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton and others --- all in "Much Ado About
Nothing" -- my family's absolute favorite Shakespeare movie - just in
case you all missed that one!

-pam

Kelli Traaseth

Thanks Pam, I'm pretty happy with it. :)

There are still a few things in it that she said I said, but I'm wondering when I said them??? Did that make any sense? <g> Things that weren't in quotes. Oh well,, it really could have been a lot worse off.

The words that are bugging me in that article are,,"well rounded" and "indulge". I don't remember saying those things. But that's OK.

***I wanted to mention Kenneth Branaugh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves,
Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton and others --- all in "Much Ado About
Nothing" ***

We love that one too! Sooo many good lookin guys in that one! <g> And we've enjoyed "Midsummer Night's Dream" too. I love having so many versions of the plays to watch.

Kelli~







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Angela S

Kelli,

Were there any responses yet to the article about unschooling in the paper?



Angela ~ Maine

* game-enthusiast@....



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kelli Traaseth

**Were there any responses yet to the article about unschooling in the paper?**



Here are the ones that came across on the internet. There haven't been any in the paper yet. If anyone is wanting to go to the site you can find it by searching the term "un-schooling". The reporter wrote it like that. :)

Or the direct link:

http://bemidjipioneer.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=17665&SectionID=3&SubSectionID=&S=1

Kelli~



PS.. I now see that some how the comment from "Professor Reality" is no longer there. Some people responded to his remark. He criticized that my kids wouldn't know what to do when they came into adulthood. That they won't know what to do in the "real world". <G> That they'll learn from the "school of hard knocks". Its so ridiculous because my kids are living in the real world, everyday. :)



Reader Comments


---------------------------------


Posted: Friday, December 24, 2004
Article comment by: diana jenner

My compliments to the very open minded reporter, thanks for presenting this oft misunderstood lifestyle without negativity. Kelli, your kids are a joy and the world gets to share because of your faith in yourSelf and in them. Keep inspiring us, mama!

Posted: Thursday, December 23, 2004
Article comment by: Angel Goulet

Speaking of Hard Knocks Professor Reality, I've been unschooling for over 15 years, and I know for sure unschoolers are not fools, and we're not rude either, so we've got one up on you. If that's the kind of conduct you learn in your school, count me out. Great article, Kelly.

Posted: Thursday, December 23, 2004
Article comment by: Barda Allen

This is one of the best articles on unschooling that I have read in the mainstream press. My appreciation goes out to the reporter and to the awesome family of unschoolers she interviewed. We are also an unschooling family and our oldest daughter (22 years old) is a Clinique Manager at Bon-Macy, able to climb the corporate ladder with either company!

Posted: Thursday, December 23, 2004
Article comment by: Kelli's Brother

I think that this a very good article and the "kiddies" will do just fine. I think that its obvious that Professor Reality was too schooled. Your ignorance and lack of self confidence shows. You need to pick on young children. As their Uncle, I'll make sure that NO one will receive hard knocks!! Not these kids. Reality is, you're no match for them. They live life with their eyes wide open. You barely have one open.

Posted: Thursday, December 23, 2004
Article comment by: Stacie Johnston

This is a great article on unschooling! It explained a lot of things to me....I am thinking of doing it with my kids.











Angela S <game-enthusiast@...> wrote:
Kelli,

Were there any responses yet to the article about unschooling in the paper?



Angela ~ Maine

* game-enthusiast@....



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Angela S

Kelli,
Thanks for the follow up. Interesting!

Angela ~ Maine
game-enthusiast@...