Re: the problem with the list being quiet ...
jfetteroll
Joyce: "A child who will be a doctor won't not learn biology"
Sandra: "A child who WANTS to be a doctor"
How about an unschooled child who becomes a doctor? ;-)
I'm trying to get across the idea that it's easier to look back from
where an unschooler ends up and see the path that led there
than to see where the path an unschooler is on will lead.
From a schooled mindset a child in a biology class is potentially
on the path to being a doctor (or biologist or something sciency.)
From a schooled mindset a child playing a video game is at best
relaxing and at worst wasting time. Video games (apparently)
don't lead anywhere.
From an unschooled mindset an unschooled child in a biology
class is doing something they find interesting.
And same for an unschooled child playing a video game. :-)
From a schooled mindset Kathryn's interest in dinosaurs from
ages 3 to 6 looked like a path to paleontologist.
But looking back from where she is now with her writing and
drawing and her fascination with fantasy creatures and creating
detailed worlds, her interest in dinosaurs was as natural a part
of the path she took to where she is as her interest in Pokemon
and cats and now manga and anime. She was always following
a path of interest.
We can't know where a child will end up from what interests they
pursue. The interests make look academically important (like
dinosaurs) or academically trivial (like Pokemon) but what
counts in an unschooling life is treating their interests seriously.
Unschooled kids don't always know where they're headed so
they won't be saying "Oh, I need to do this [like study biology] to
get there." What they'll be saying is "Oh, that [like a dead bug
:-)]
looks interesting!"
Joyce
Sandra: "A child who WANTS to be a doctor"
How about an unschooled child who becomes a doctor? ;-)
I'm trying to get across the idea that it's easier to look back from
where an unschooler ends up and see the path that led there
than to see where the path an unschooler is on will lead.
From a schooled mindset a child in a biology class is potentially
on the path to being a doctor (or biologist or something sciency.)
From a schooled mindset a child playing a video game is at best
relaxing and at worst wasting time. Video games (apparently)
don't lead anywhere.
From an unschooled mindset an unschooled child in a biology
class is doing something they find interesting.
And same for an unschooled child playing a video game. :-)
From a schooled mindset Kathryn's interest in dinosaurs from
ages 3 to 6 looked like a path to paleontologist.
But looking back from where she is now with her writing and
drawing and her fascination with fantasy creatures and creating
detailed worlds, her interest in dinosaurs was as natural a part
of the path she took to where she is as her interest in Pokemon
and cats and now manga and anime. She was always following
a path of interest.
We can't know where a child will end up from what interests they
pursue. The interests make look academically important (like
dinosaurs) or academically trivial (like Pokemon) but what
counts in an unschooling life is treating their interests seriously.
Unschooled kids don't always know where they're headed so
they won't be saying "Oh, I need to do this [like study biology] to
get there." What they'll be saying is "Oh, that [like a dead bug
:-)]
looks interesting!"
Joyce
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/18/05 12:04:31 PM, fetteroll@... writes:
Same thing.
-=-Unschooled kids don't always know where they're headed so
they won't be saying "Oh, I need to do this [like study biology] to
get there." What they'll be saying is "Oh, that [like a dead bug
:-)]
looks interesting!"
-=-
And the parents who get good at unschooling won't jump on the examination of
a dead bug as proof that the child wants to be a doctor. Might just grow up
to do horror movies with realistic chomping space-bugs, or might do movie
props or miniatures or grind up bugs to make natural dyes or develop natural
pesticides or learn to communicate with bugs so that people can just pay them to
move to vacant lots. Yeah. That would be cool.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Sandra: "A child who WANTS to be a doctor"Right you are.<g>
>
> How about an unschooled child who becomes a doctor? ;-)
>
Same thing.
-=-Unschooled kids don't always know where they're headed so
they won't be saying "Oh, I need to do this [like study biology] to
get there." What they'll be saying is "Oh, that [like a dead bug
:-)]
looks interesting!"
-=-
And the parents who get good at unschooling won't jump on the examination of
a dead bug as proof that the child wants to be a doctor. Might just grow up
to do horror movies with realistic chomping space-bugs, or might do movie
props or miniatures or grind up bugs to make natural dyes or develop natural
pesticides or learn to communicate with bugs so that people can just pay them to
move to vacant lots. Yeah. That would be cool.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
arcarpenter2003
--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
friends notice "Hmm, funny how she always stops to look at bugs." <G>
Peace,
Amy
>== Might just grow upmovie
> to do horror movies with realistic chomping space-bugs, or might do
> props or miniatures or grind up bugs to make natural dyes or developnatural
> pesticides or learn to communicate with bugs so that people can justpay them to
> move to vacant lots. Yeah. That would be cool.==Or she might be a truck driver or a chef or a cabinet-maker whose
friends notice "Hmm, funny how she always stops to look at bugs." <G>
Peace,
Amy