definitions and list's purpose
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-=-correct me if I am wrong... but you are not the official determiner of what an unschooler is.... each family is welcome to determine what works for them. If it doesn't fit your definition exactly they may still be unschooling. -=-
This is from a post that was returned for being not in keeping with the list's guidelines (which are here:
http://sandradodd.com/lists/info
and in a file here
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnschoolingDiscussion/
which is, unfortunately, more than one click away unless you're reading at the yahogoroups webpage already.
This list isn't the only or final word on unschooling, and it doesn't need to be everything to anyone. My opinion doesn't match the other two list owners' nor the other moderators all the time, and that's fine.
Sometimes a poster is on about something that is based on personal matters not even related to unscholing directly, and that's fine to a point, but sometimes moderators get things back on topic by returning posts or writing to someone on the side, and sometimes it's done out on the list itself.
There are several unschooling lists here:
http://sandradodd.com/lists/other
Others can be found with google.com or by searching yahoogroups
http://groups.yahoo.com/
with the "join a group" button search, which is right below the "start a new group" button.
With over 1600 members, not everyone can be made happy, but luckily there are lots of places to discuss unschooling.
-=-each family is welcome to determine what works for them. If it doesn't fit your definition exactly they may still be unschooling.-=-
Yes, but not all versions of unschooling need to be equally welcome on this list. There are people who will write that they use a curriculum in the mornings and unschool in the afternoons. I don't think that's unschooling, and am unwilling to say "Oh good! If that works for you..." Some say their kids go to school but they unschool on the weekends. That's insufficiently "unschooling" for my support.
We're not approving or certifying unschoolers on this list, though, we're discussion various ideas and what will help unschooling flourish and what can be detrimental. If we stick to the ideas themselves, we'll be doing well.
All unschoolers are self declared, aren't they? There is no application, test and certificate saying "Now you're an unschooler." It's something people choose to do, knowing they have LOTS of school and school-at-home options. It's a goal to be moved toward, continuously, as children grow up. Because it involves ideas and attitudes, it can only be clarified in people's minds with ideas and experimentation and analysis of their reactions and responses to how it's unfolding. "When the kids do [whatever], it makes me angry... [sad... afraid...]" it's the emotional response that is often the blockage between trusting natural learning and giving up and going back to rules and lessons and deadlines.
Some people don't mind lessons and workbooks and deadlines. Millions of them are out there, and lots claim to be unschoolers.
For my volunteer time and energy, I want to help maintain a list where the position is held that those things are not only unnecessary, but can be harmful to an ideal natural learning situation.
Others can spend their volunteer time and energy as they wish, and they do! There are LOTS and lots of websites and local in-person groups and e-mail lists with other points of view.
Sandra
This is from a post that was returned for being not in keeping with the list's guidelines (which are here:
http://sandradodd.com/lists/info
and in a file here
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnschoolingDiscussion/
which is, unfortunately, more than one click away unless you're reading at the yahogoroups webpage already.
This list isn't the only or final word on unschooling, and it doesn't need to be everything to anyone. My opinion doesn't match the other two list owners' nor the other moderators all the time, and that's fine.
Sometimes a poster is on about something that is based on personal matters not even related to unscholing directly, and that's fine to a point, but sometimes moderators get things back on topic by returning posts or writing to someone on the side, and sometimes it's done out on the list itself.
There are several unschooling lists here:
http://sandradodd.com/lists/other
Others can be found with google.com or by searching yahoogroups
http://groups.yahoo.com/
with the "join a group" button search, which is right below the "start a new group" button.
With over 1600 members, not everyone can be made happy, but luckily there are lots of places to discuss unschooling.
-=-each family is welcome to determine what works for them. If it doesn't fit your definition exactly they may still be unschooling.-=-
Yes, but not all versions of unschooling need to be equally welcome on this list. There are people who will write that they use a curriculum in the mornings and unschool in the afternoons. I don't think that's unschooling, and am unwilling to say "Oh good! If that works for you..." Some say their kids go to school but they unschool on the weekends. That's insufficiently "unschooling" for my support.
We're not approving or certifying unschoolers on this list, though, we're discussion various ideas and what will help unschooling flourish and what can be detrimental. If we stick to the ideas themselves, we'll be doing well.
All unschoolers are self declared, aren't they? There is no application, test and certificate saying "Now you're an unschooler." It's something people choose to do, knowing they have LOTS of school and school-at-home options. It's a goal to be moved toward, continuously, as children grow up. Because it involves ideas and attitudes, it can only be clarified in people's minds with ideas and experimentation and analysis of their reactions and responses to how it's unfolding. "When the kids do [whatever], it makes me angry... [sad... afraid...]" it's the emotional response that is often the blockage between trusting natural learning and giving up and going back to rules and lessons and deadlines.
Some people don't mind lessons and workbooks and deadlines. Millions of them are out there, and lots claim to be unschoolers.
For my volunteer time and energy, I want to help maintain a list where the position is held that those things are not only unnecessary, but can be harmful to an ideal natural learning situation.
Others can spend their volunteer time and energy as they wish, and they do! There are LOTS and lots of websites and local in-person groups and e-mail lists with other points of view.
Sandra