[email protected]

Good morning all !
I signed up for this list to see what unschooling was all about .
Unfortunatly I came in on , what seems to be , a bad day for you all .
This is our second attempt at hs-ing our oldest , she's 12 , and we
thought we would like to know more about the "un" part of school that
you all talk about .
I would love to give these text books and the "constant struggle" a
good toss out the window !
Maybe today's not the day to be asking or listening in .

God bless you all
Heidi

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/2/01 10:21:36 AM, gunnerfunner@... writes:

<< This is our second attempt at hs-ing our oldest , she's 12 , and we
thought we would like to know more about the "un" part of school that
you all talk about .
I would love to give these text books and the "constant struggle" a
good toss out the window ! >>

If you go to www.unschooling.com and read the library, archives and message
board, you might decide you don't even need this list! (Seriously, there's
a ton of information there, and you can ask questions and get answers same or
next day.)

Sandra

"Everything counts."
http://expage.com/SandraDoddArticles
http://expage.com/SandraDodd

Leslie

Hi,
I'm new here too. I have three kids 18, 11 and 7. My oldest was unschooled except for math. He was good at it and it was no problem but my second struggles with it and it makes him feel stupid. I would like to leave it alone completely but I'm afraid this will leave him at a disadvantage later. My youngest has her oldest brothers aptitude for math which makes it all that much more frustrating for my 11 year old. With her I'm not afraid to leave it alone because I'm confident that she will be able to pick it up, whenever she finds she needs to, without any difficulty. Do unschoolers use a math curriculum, do they make sure their kids understand the basics at some point or do they rely experience and need to accomplish the task?
Thanks,
Leslie Rice

----- Original Message -----
From: gunnerfunner@...
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 12:14 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] I'm new to this list


Good morning all !
I signed up for this list to see what unschooling was all about .
Unfortunatly I came in on , what seems to be , a bad day for you all .
This is our second attempt at hs-ing our oldest , she's 12 , and we
thought we would like to know more about the "un" part of school that
you all talk about .
I would love to give these text books and the "constant struggle" a
good toss out the window !
Maybe today's not the day to be asking or listening in .

God bless you all
Heidi


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/02/2001 4:21:10 PM !!!First Boot!!!,
gunnerfunner@... writes:


> I would love to give these text books and the "constant struggle" a
> good toss out the window !
> Maybe today's not the day to be asking or listening in .
>
>



Pardon us -- OK people -- put on your company manners for a few minutes!

Now, the key thing to this "tossing out the window" thing is to open the
window! There, did that help? :)

Really, it's OK. You have my permission to throw the text books away. That
and a dollar . . . But go ahead. Figure out what you want and do it.

And don't be put off by people everywhere who will tell you "the way" to do
anything. Figure out what works for you and dive in!

Warning: If our experience is any guide, it will all have to be changed
regularly. Also OK. And one thing will click with one kid and not with
another. And don't hold your breath waiting for everyone you know to
understand. It really doesn't matter. And you will be completely spoiled in
no time -- just like us!

What other cliches have I left out guys?? :)

Nance


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/2/01 10:38:45 AM, leslie@... writes:

<< Do unschoolers use a math curriculum, do they make sure their kids
understand the basics at some point or do they rely experience and need to
accomplish the task? >>

The latter.

Nobody can make sure anyone understands any basics.

A math curriculum takes a small subset of an entire language and a way of
looking at the world, and says "If you learn these few dozen tricks, you will
never need to worry." It's not true. And it creates a set of "requirements"
(false requirements) which pretty much ignores the larger world of real
mathematical thinking and inquiry.

Sandra

"Everything counts."
http://expage.com/SandraDoddArticles
http://expage.com/SandraDodd

[email protected]

--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., "Leslie" <leslie@j...> wrote:
> Do unschoolers use a math curriculum, do they
make sure their kids understand the basics at some point or do they
rely experience and need to accomplish the task?
> Thanks,
> Leslie Rice

I have what I think is a cute story about math and I'm sure I'm not
the only unschooler who has experienced this: When my daughter was 6
she was in a ballet class. Another mother was having trouble with her
six year old who hated first grade. I suggested homeschooling and she
replied that she would never be able to teach her daughter the math.
I bit my tongue, but thought, "lady, if you can't do first grade
math..."

But anyway, she seemed to be a functioning human being inspite of her
self proclaimed lack of math, so I guess the world keeps revolving
whether you don't learn the math at school or don't learn the math at
home!

Diane

A helpful pointer that may be of assistance is to go over to unschooling.com and
find the "certificate of empowerment" that gives you the backup you need to do
what's best for your kids. Print that out and frame it.

:-) Diane

> Now, the key thing to this "tossing out the window" thing is to open the
> window! There, did that help? :)
>
> Really, it's OK. You have my permission to throw the text books away. That
> and a dollar . . . But go ahead. Figure out what you want and do it.

[email protected]

Your child can and will learn math when it has some meaning in real life.

My friend struggled all through public school with math. She could not
memorize the "times tables". She could not add or subtract in her head.
She never got fractions or percentages. And in high school she had to
take algebra twice and still never understood it.
Today she is a loan officer. In real life there are calculators and
adding machines and computers and people to ask. Teachers are the only
ones who get uptight about answering questions, I think. There is such a
thing as learning on the job.

Her inability to do math in school has never effected her life as an
adult. As an adult she learned exactly what she needed. It did effect
her life at school however. She felt stupid and humiliated and suffered
from terrible headaches.
I don't know anyone who doesn't think it's better to be confident and
happy and healthy.
Deb L

[email protected]

--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., ddzimlew@j... wrote:
> Your child can and will learn math when it has some meaning in real
life.
>
> My friend struggled all through public school with math. She could
not
> memorize the "times tables". She could not add or subtract in her
head.
>
> Deb L

You can't imagine how true this all rings . It sounds as if you're
talking about my daughter when she's grown .
Same exact problems with math !!!!!!!!! Times tables , ect.........
Thank you for your input .

[email protected]

<<<go over to unschooling.com and find the "certificate of
empowerment"

:-) Diane>>>

I've spent all the time I feel I can spare looking for this, Diane,
and I don't see it anywhere. Any more specifics?? I'd love to see
it!

Thanks~
Aimee in TX

Teri Loftis

--

On Tue, 02 Oct 2001 16:14:29
gunnerfunner wrote:
> Good morning all !
> I signed up for this list to see what unschooling was all about .
>Unfortunatly I came in on , what seems to be , a bad day for you all .
> This is our second attempt at hs-ing our oldest , she's 12 , and we
>thought we would like to know more about the "un" part of school that
>you all talk about .
>I would love to give these text books and the "constant struggle" a
>good toss out the window !
>Maybe today's not the day to be asking or listening in .
>
>God bless you all
>Heidi
>
>

I have been with this list for a few days now and I am with Heidi, we seem to have caught you all on a few bad days. It's very frustrating to get 50 some emails and only 4 have anything to do with homeschooling. Please resolve this issue and get back to unschooling.

Teri


Make a difference, help support the relief efforts in the U.S.
http://clubs.lycos.com/live/events/september11.asp

Leslie

Hi Deb,
I couldn't agree more and thanks for your encouragement. This is exactly the advice I was looking/hoping for! I think I'll like this list community. I don't know if I like the term unschooler because it feels a little negative but I'm not what I'd call a homeschooler either unless I'm dealing with the school board. They sure wouldn't go for the term unschooler. I'm an alternative or community educator/student maybe. Two things for sure, I don't make my kids go to school and I don't follow a curriculum, which seems to be just the ticket on this list. A third thing about me, that may be significant here, is that I believe I have more to learn from my kids than I have to teach them.
Leslie

Your child can and will learn math when it has some meaning in real life.

My friend struggled all through public school with math. She could not
memorize the "times tables". She could not add or subtract in her head.
She never got fractions or percentages. And in high school she had to
take algebra twice and still never understood it.
Today she is a loan officer. In real life there are calculators and
adding machines and computers and people to ask. Teachers are the only
ones who get uptight about answering questions, I think. There is such a
thing as learning on the job.

Her inability to do math in school has never effected her life as an
adult. As an adult she learned exactly what she needed. It did effect
her life at school however. She felt stupid and humiliated and suffered
from terrible headaches.
I don't know anyone who doesn't think it's better to be confident and
happy and healthy.
Deb L

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

Diane

OK--here it is!
http://www.unschooling.com/library/essays/essay02.shtml

:-) Diane

actullos@... wrote:

> <<<go over to unschooling.com and find the "certificate of
> empowerment"
>
> :-) Diane>>>
>
> I've spent all the time I feel I can spare looking for this, Diane,
> and I don't see it anywhere. Any more specifics?? I'd love to see
> it!
>
> Thanks~
> Aimee in TX
>
>
> Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
> Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
>
> To unsubscribe, set preferences, or read archives:
> http://www.egroups.com/group/Unschooling-dotcom
>
> Another great list sponsored by Home Education Magazine!
> http://www.home-ed-magazine.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Lynda

Life is unschooling, unschooling is life.

Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: Teri Loftis <itsmeeteri@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 6:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] I'm new to this list


>
> --
>
> On Tue, 02 Oct 2001 16:14:29
> gunnerfunner wrote:
> > Good morning all !
> > I signed up for this list to see what unschooling was all about .
> >Unfortunatly I came in on , what seems to be , a bad day for you all .
> > This is our second attempt at hs-ing our oldest , she's 12 , and we
> >thought we would like to know more about the "un" part of school that
> >you all talk about .
> >I would love to give these text books and the "constant struggle" a
> >good toss out the window !
> >Maybe today's not the day to be asking or listening in .
> >
> >God bless you all
> >Heidi
> >
> >
>
> I have been with this list for a few days now and I am with Heidi, we seem
to have caught you all on a few bad days. It's very frustrating to get 50
some emails and only 4 have anything to do with homeschooling. Please
resolve this issue and get back to unschooling.
>
> Teri
>
>
> Make a difference, help support the relief efforts in the U.S.
> http://clubs.lycos.com/live/events/september11.asp
>
> Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
> Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
>
> To unsubscribe, set preferences, or read archives:
> http://www.egroups.com/group/Unschooling-dotcom
>
> Another great list sponsored by Home Education Magazine!
> http://www.home-ed-magazine.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/2/01 7:52:51 PM, leslie@... writes:

<< I don't know if I like the term unschooler because it feels a little
negative but I'm not what I'd call a homeschooler either unless I'm dealing
with the school board. They sure wouldn't go for the term unschooler. >>

The term's not the greatest, true, but it's an internal term
anyway--unschoolers are homeschoolers. Not all homeschoolers are
unschoolers. But as far as the state and the neighbors are concerned, to say
"We're homeschooling" is a true statement. It's only within homeschooling
discussions that the distinction is useful.

Sandra

"Everything counts."
http://expage.com/SandraDoddArticles
http://expage.com/SandraDodd


[email protected]

In a message dated 10/3/01 6:35:14 AM Mountain Daylight Time,
marbleface@... writes:


> : is the pretty blonde lady in the corner Sandra?? :)
>

WHAT CORNER!?
(and no <g>)

There's a photo of me with my profile on unschooling.com.

http://www.unschooling.com/cgi/discus/board-profile.cgi?action=display_profile
&profile=sandradodd-public

It's not my house. It was a friend's house in Kirk Ella, in EastYorkshire.
They've moved to London now, or are in that process.

My hair is about a foot shorter now (the end was scrawny) but still not
blonde.
(AnneAliz, look--the white hair doesn't show in that one either.)

Sandra


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/03/2001 1:05:34 PM !!!First Boot!!!, SandraDodd@...
writes:


> There's a photo of me with my profile on unschooling.com.
>
>
>
> http://www.unschooling.com/cgi/discus/board-profile.cgi?action=display_profile
> &profile=sandradodd-public
>
> It's not my house. It was a friend's house in Kirk Ella, in EastYorkshire.
>
> They've moved to London now, or are in that process.
>


Thanks!

I have desk that looks like that . . . :)

Nance



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

[email protected]

On Wed, 3 Oct 2001 08:55:56 EDT SandraDodd@... writes:
> There's a photo of me with my profile on unschooling.com.
>
>
http://www.unschooling.com/cgi/discus/board-profile.cgi?action=display_pr
ofile
> &profile=sandradodd-public
>

Oh, hey! You have a blue heeler. It's my favorite dog breed (just don't
tell Mack, the lovely black lab). Ours is at my feet as I type. He's my
family's third heeler (one was red) and was a rescue dog who was returned
from an unsuccessful adoption where the people apparently beat the crap
out of him for 2 weeks, and he did some fear-biting for a while, but not
for months now... and he's the sweetest dog. He was spending hours with
my mom on the bathroom floor a few months ago during her radiation
treatments, just being there with her.

Daron
________________________________________________________________
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Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
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Lisa Bugg

> This is our second attempt at hs-ing our oldest , she's 12 , and we
> thought we would like to know more about the "un" part of school that
> you all talk about .
> I would love to give these text books and the "constant struggle" a
> good toss out the window !

First, Welcome ;)

My next question will sound a bit off tangent, but do you thwart yourself
often by not doing what you'd love to do? And... why would you do that,
thwart yourself I mean?

Life is struggle enough without creating a struggle over learning. This is
not to say that sometimes what we want to learn and do will require us to
work hard and even tussle with concepts or skills, but that's not quite the
same thing.

Tell us more about your child, her likes and dislikes and maybe we can help
you see from a different perspective.

Lisa

[email protected]

Welcome, Leslie,
I believe Sandra directed you to unschooling.com and I can only agree
with her and encourage you to read as much as you can about unschooling.
The term unschooler may not be perfect but the IDEA is magnificent. John
Holt, if you've never read him, would be one place to start.
There are a lot of wise and experienced voices here to support you. And
I agree, I also listen to the wise voice of my son, age nine, going on
infinity.

Did you post a question about dissension among the ranks? Never fear.
It hasn't come to blows yet, and can be a very interesting personality
study. ( for personal, internal review only)
Deb L

[email protected]

--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., SandraDodd@a... wrote:
> Nobody can make sure anyone understands any basics.
>
> A math curriculum takes a small subset of an entire language and a
way of
> looking at the world, and says "If you learn these few dozen
tricks, you will
> never need to worry." It's not true. And it creates a set
of "requirements"
> (false requirements) which pretty much ignores the larger world of
real
> mathematical thinking and inquiry.
>


Sandra,

I've read GWS, Unschooling.com, etc. and I still don't get how higher
math can be unschooled (unless the child is a math prodigy).

Imo

[email protected]

I hit enter too soon. So, Sandra, any suggestions for a teen who
wants to be unschooled, is college-bound, and is math-averse after
using a textbook for so many years.

> Sandra,
>
> I've read GWS, Unschooling.com, etc. and I still don't get how
higher
> math can be unschooled (unless the child is a math prodigy).
>
> Imo

[email protected]

On Thu, 04 Oct 2001 00:14:21 -0000 imo_and_theking@... writes:
> I hit enter too soon. So, Sandra, any suggestions for a teen who
> wants to be unschooled, is college-bound, and is math-averse after
> using a textbook for so many years.

What does being unschooled mean to this teen? The way you say "wants to
be unschooled" sounds awkward to me, like you (or this teen) is expecting
unschooling to be a discrete thing, like from 9-12 every day he'll
unschool. It doesn't work that way....

And what exactly do you mean by "college-bound"? Has this teen always
just planned to go to college? Does he have a specific time and place to
go picked out? *Why* does he want to go to college?

I sort of envision my kid becoming interested in things like algebra and
geometry at around 12, since that seems to be a pattern among girls we've
known who are sort of like her, who have spent the time up until then
without doing any formal studies of mathematics but grove on stuff like
logic problems and Martin Gardner and all that. At that point, I figure
I'll help her find some algebra or geometry resources and see what she
likes (I personally would love to get back into Algebra and geometry, and
then try to go further... I'm trying to find very cheap Harold Jacobs
texts, because I've looked through them and enjoyed them).

Of course, that would be math for the sake of math. If she still wants to
go to Stanford in 10 years (right now she wants to go because they were
all nice to her at the Battle of the Bands, and she really likes the
tree) but somehow hasn't enjoyed the resources we've found and hasn't
learned a lot from them, at least hasn't learned enough to get into
Stanford, then I imagine we'll have to find other resources... my job
would be buying or borrowing stuff and asking my friends for advice on
resources, together we would figure out exactly what math she needed to
know to go to Stanford, and she would then learn it in whatever way she
decided was best.

Of course, she might decide to be a band groupie and not go to Stanford,
or anywhere else, and then she can go the rest of her life without
learning any formal "higher" math... although we've been playing Bazaar a
lot, and that's algebra, but she doesn't know.....

Daron

________________________________________________________________
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Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
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[email protected]

Thanks, Diane!

I had read this several months ago, and I guess I forgot to print a
copy. I've got it tacked above my desk now, and I'm arranging to
have it included in our new support group's 1st newsletter next week.

Great thoughts, Sandra. Thanks for writing and sharing them.

Peace~
Aimee in TX

<><>The best way to predict the future is to help create it.<><>


--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., Diane <cen46624@c...> wrote:
> OK--here it is!
> http://www.unschooling.com/library/essays/essay02.shtml
>
> :-) Diane
>

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/3/01 10:28:12 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
actullos@... writes:


> Great thoughts, Sandra.

You're welcome.
Some of the details and phrases came from a brainstorming session on AOL
years back, but I can't remember who all's cuttings made it into the quilt!
I've used it as a handout at workshops ever since, though.

Sandra


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

Elizabeth Hill

freeform@... wrote:

> On Thu, 04 Oct 2001 00:14:21 -0000 imo_and_theking@... writes:
>



> I personally would love to get back into Algebra and geometry, and
> then try to go further... I'm trying to find very cheap Harold Jacobs
> texts, because I've looked through them and enjoyed them).

I found his algebra and geometry texts semi-cheap (used but in good shape)
on Efollett's used textbook site. I think I paid roughly 30 dollars apiece,
which I admit is still a sizeable chunk of change.

Other people have mentioned buying used copies through a group of
Pennsylvania homeschoolers.

But if you want a $2 copy, that will take time and patience. Hope you find
it!

Betsy

[email protected]

On Thu, 04 Oct 2001 08:07:02 -0700 Elizabeth Hill
<ecsamhill@...> writes:
> But if you want a $2 copy, that will take time and patience. Hope
> you find
> it!

:-) I actually saw one for $1 in a thrift store a couple of years ago - a
very used Algebra book, which I didn't buy because I thought I could get
one in better shape for not much more. Right....

I do have a friend who has one, and her youngest is 12 and really into
math so I figure they'll be done with it pretty soon... ;-)

Daron
________________________________________________________________
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Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
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Tia Leschke

>
>Of course, she might decide to be a band groupie and not go to Stanford,
>or anywhere else, and then she can go the rest of her life without
>learning any formal "higher" math... although we've been playing Bazaar a
>lot, and that's algebra, but she doesn't know.....

What's Bazaar?

And do you live somewhere near Stanford? Just curious. I live on
Vancouver Island, but I grew up in Berkeley. My dad went to Stanford.
Tia

Tia Leschke leschke@...
On Vancouver Island
**************************************************************************
It is the answers which separate us, the questions which unite us. - Janice
Levy

[email protected]

On Thu, 04 Oct 2001 17:01:16 -0700 Tia Leschke <leschke@...>
writes:
> What's Bazaar?
>
It's a neat game, by Discovery Toys, although I'm not sure it's still
being made. You use two randomly selected cards for each game, and they
each have 6 or 7 different equations of jewels, like two red jewels (and
they show pictures of two red jewels for this) = a blue, a white, and a
yellow jewel. That's the exchange system part. Then there are also
smaller cards that you "buy", each of which has a combination of 5 jewels
on it, like two blues and 3 greens. On your turn, you can either roll the
die, which has all five jewel colors on it and a star (wild), or you can
make one exchange, based on the equations, Exchanges can be made forwards
or backwards, you can trade, say, a green and get 3 blues, or trade 3
blues and get a green. At the end of your turn, if you want, you can buy
a small card if you have the right jewels, and after you buy, you get
points according to how many jewels you have left in your hand - the
fewer you have left, the more points.

> And do you live somewhere near Stanford? Just curious. I live on
> Vancouver Island, but I grew up in Berkeley. My dad went to
> Stanford.

I'm not sure where we live... we lived in Alameda, in the California Bay
Area, until a couple of months ago. Then we moved all of our stuff to a
farmhouse on our friends' farm, about 100 miles north of Alameda, and
moved ourselves to Tucson, to stay in my parents' guest house while my
mother lives with cancer for as long as she can. Legally we live on that
farm, although we've spent a total of one night in our house there...

Tia, I remember you from years ago, because either Heather or Tane' used
to forward your Bonnie updates to some of us who knew her. I've been
thinking about Bonnie a lot lately, ever since my mom got cancer...

daron


________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
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