Melanie Shimokawa

Hi again

I need some websites for my brothers and sisters. Mom is reluctant to
just let the kids go, and would like some websites that they could just
check out on their own.

What would anyone suggest for a (I know I'm stereotyping here, but...)
an 18 year old boy, a 16 year old boy, a 13 year old girl, and a 9 year
old girl? I suggested http://www.freeworksheets.com (my little sister
loves doing worksheets, and Mom will feel that she's actually
accomplishing something). But there's a website - um something about
howstuffworks and Dr. Science, etc. I really expect my brothers to just
take care of everything themselves - they were "Very good students" and
will probably go to the library ASAP and check out lots of "educational
materials" - basically take charge of what they feel their education
should be. My sisters, though, I'm sure, need quite a bit of
deschooling time - Mom says she's willing to allow that, but I'm afraid,
at the pressure of my Dad (he's got a PhD+ and always expected us to do
the same), it's not going to happen.

I think a lot of people just don't think about what they believe - they
just believe because that's what they were taught. (Just to clear
things up, I'm not talking about people who have studied their beliefs,
and I'm not bashing religion - I'm very religious <but not fanatic about
it> myself. I'm trying to express how I feel about the way some people
seem to feel like they have authority and others don't, etc - Now I'm
really not making sense...) Before I searched and researched, I thought
homeschooling was just a way to legally escape the torture the rest of
us were expected to go through and that school was the only way to learn
anything and that kind of thing. That's what I had been taught by the
authorities, and as a fully ps'ed child, I had been taught never to
question the authorities. Until I had multiple degrees, etc., then my
opinion would never matter or be correct. I just accepted this as the
way things were. I think a lot of people are like this. From the time
they are four or five, they're brainwashed that the teacher is always
right, and the teacher knows best, and the kid is always wrong, and the
kid's opinion doesn't matter. When this goes on for 13-17+ years,
people lose their confidence and self-worth. When they get certain
degrees, they finally have their authority. And they just assert what
they were taught - they just teach others (their own kids, or anybody
else) that you should never question authority and it's just another
cycle. My dad is like this. My husband is like this. I used to be
like this - 'course, I was always (and still would be - if it wasn't for
the liberation of unschooling) at the bottom of the pecking order. Does
my rambling make sense?

Love, Melanie in Japan

P.S. I'm on the digest version (Using Netscape 4.6) and never have
problems with the list coming as an attachment or having to download or
anything...

Carolyn Crane Love

Hi Melanie. Yes, your ramblings make some sense to me. I was so scared to
finish college on "time" --my father said I HAD to finish in 4 years--that
I took 27 units of English lit my senior year. It was the only year I made
the Dean's list. Of course I remember nothing. I started homeschooling my
oldest because I saw his propensity to become a "company man" and buy into
whatever the "Mrs. Whoever" said was correct. Now he's a fourth grader and
used to scrutinizing and questioning every authority (with appropriate
respect) and I feel I've broken the cycle.

Take care, way out there. C C in California
>From: Melanie Shimokawa <sfamily@...>
>
>Hi again
>
>I need some websites for my brothers and sisters. Mom is reluctant to
>just let the kids go, and would like some websites that they could just
>check out on their own.
>
>What would anyone suggest for a (I know I'm stereotyping here, but...)
>an 18 year old boy, a 16 year old boy, a 13 year old girl, and a 9 year
>old girl? I suggested http://www.freeworksheets.com (my little sister
>loves doing worksheets, and Mom will feel that she's actually
>accomplishing something). But there's a website - um something about
>howstuffworks and Dr. Science, etc. I really expect my brothers to just
>take care of everything themselves - they were "Very good students" and
>will probably go to the library ASAP and check out lots of "educational
>materials" - basically take charge of what they feel their education
>should be. My sisters, though, I'm sure, need quite a bit of
>deschooling time - Mom says she's willing to allow that, but I'm afraid,
>at the pressure of my Dad (he's got a PhD+ and always expected us to do
>the same), it's not going to happen.
>
>I think a lot of people just don't think about what they believe - they
>just believe because that's what they were taught. (Just to clear
>things up, I'm not talking about people who have studied their beliefs,
>and I'm not bashing religion - I'm very religious <but not fanatic about
>it> myself. I'm trying to express how I feel about the way some people
>seem to feel like they have authority and others don't, etc - Now I'm
>really not making sense...) Before I searched and researched, I thought
>homeschooling was just a way to legally escape the torture the rest of
>us were expected to go through and that school was the only way to learn
>anything and that kind of thing. That's what I had been taught by the
>authorities, and as a fully ps'ed child, I had been taught never to
>question the authorities. Until I had multiple degrees, etc., then my
>opinion would never matter or be correct. I just accepted this as the
>way things were. I think a lot of people are like this. From the time
>they are four or five, they're brainwashed that the teacher is always
>right, and the teacher knows best, and the kid is always wrong, and the
>kid's opinion doesn't matter. When this goes on for 13-17+ years,
>people lose their confidence and self-worth. When they get certain
>degrees, they finally have their authority. And they just assert what
>they were taught - they just teach others (their own kids, or anybody
>else) that you should never question authority and it's just another
>cycle. My dad is like this. My husband is like this. I used to be
>like this - 'course, I was always (and still would be - if it wasn't for
>the liberation of unschooling) at the bottom of the pecking order. Does
>my rambling make sense?
>
>Love, Melanie in Japan
>
>P.S. I'm on the digest version (Using Netscape 4.6) and never have
>problems with the list coming as an attachment or having to download or
>anything...
>
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>http://www.unschooling.com


"I'm sure the way to enjoy life is to live in obscurity with frequent
escapades." --Freya Stark

Joseph A. & Susan D. Fuerst

melanie,

There is a really great website with LOTS of graet links. However......I
forgot to bookmark it when I found it and can't find it in my 'history' :o(
It's an Ohio site....I think CHEO may be in the addy ? ANyway, there's
a 'play' section with great fun educational links (we've gone to how crayola
crayons and markers are made, hershey Chocolate factory 'tour', tons of
other fun links!
Anyone know this??
Susan
-----Original Message-----
From: Melanie Shimokawa <sfamily@...>
To: list <[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 1999 9:45 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] need websites


>From: Melanie Shimokawa <sfamily@...>
>
>Hi again
>
>I need some websites for my brothers and sisters. Mom is reluctant to
>just let the kids go, and would like some websites that they could just
>check out on their own.
>
>What would anyone suggest for a (I know I'm stereotyping here, but...)
>an 18 year old boy, a 16 year old boy, a 13 year old girl, and a 9 year
>old girl? I suggested http://www.freeworksheets.com (my little sister
>loves doing worksheets, and Mom will feel that she's actually
>accomplishing something). But there's a website - um something about
>howstuffworks and Dr. Science, etc. I really expect my brothers to just
>take care of everything themselves - they were "Very good students" and
>will probably go to the library ASAP and check out lots of "educational
>materials" - basically take charge of what they feel their education
>should be. My sisters, though, I'm sure, need quite a bit of
>deschooling time - Mom says she's willing to allow that, but I'm afraid,
>at the pressure of my Dad (he's got a PhD+ and always expected us to do
>the same), it's not going to happen.
>
>I think a lot of people just don't think about what they believe - they
>just believe because that's what they were taught. (Just to clear
>things up, I'm not talking about people who have studied their beliefs,
>and I'm not bashing religion - I'm very religious <but not fanatic about
>it> myself. I'm trying to express how I feel about the way some people
>seem to feel like they have authority and others don't, etc - Now I'm
>really not making sense...) Before I searched and researched, I thought
>homeschooling was just a way to legally escape the torture the rest of
>us were expected to go through and that school was the only way to learn
>anything and that kind of thing. That's what I had been taught by the
>authorities, and as a fully ps'ed child, I had been taught never to
>question the authorities. Until I had multiple degrees, etc., then my
>opinion would never matter or be correct. I just accepted this as the
>way things were. I think a lot of people are like this. From the time
>they are four or five, they're brainwashed that the teacher is always
>right, and the teacher knows best, and the kid is always wrong, and the
>kid's opinion doesn't matter. When this goes on for 13-17+ years,
>people lose their confidence and self-worth. When they get certain
>degrees, they finally have their authority. And they just assert what
>they were taught - they just teach others (their own kids, or anybody
>else) that you should never question authority and it's just another
>cycle. My dad is like this. My husband is like this. I used to be
>like this - 'course, I was always (and still would be - if it wasn't for
>the liberation of unschooling) at the bottom of the pecking order. Does
>my rambling make sense?
>
>Love, Melanie in Japan
>
>P.S. I'm on the digest version (Using Netscape 4.6) and never have
>problems with the list coming as an attachment or having to download or
>anything...
>
>--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------
>
> GRAB THE GATOR! FREE SOFTWARE DOES ALL THE TYPING FOR YOU!
>Tired of filling out forms and remembering passwords? Gator fills in
>forms and passwords with just one click! Comes with $50 in free coupons!
> http://www.onelist.com/ad/gator1
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Check it out!
>http://www.unschooling.com
>