[email protected]

Kate writes:

> I can go for months in an unschooling "mode" and then, lo and behold, out
> come the workbooks, or the research assignments, or the "required and
> coerced" reading lists.
>
> The bottom line is: my children appreciate the "ideas" that I sometimes
> "give" them.
>
> Sometimes, of course, they don't. And I appreciate THAT.
>

Kate, I have watched your explanations and frustration and sympathize with
you as I see much of our own style of schooling in what you have described.
Without living in your home I can't say that it is the SAME but I do see many
similarities and I want to thank you for the things you are saying. You
speak for me and perhaps others too (can't speak for them, just a guess.)
I'm not a COMPLETE unschooler, however, I have come to see homeschooling as
having one goal: teaching learning. Not that my child doesn't learn on her
own. She does. But there are very valuable tools that I can give her to help
her learn MORE and resources that she doesn't know about that I can expose
her to so that she can learn more and love to learn more.
Thank you for your eloquent and sometimes frustrated responses. They've
mirrored my own at times in reading some posts and trying to discern just why
there is such a seemingly rigid line drawn in the term unschooling. That
puzzles me more than anything. Maybe someone can help me grasp that "line"
that I observe. I realize that homeschooling is not unschooling and
unschooling is not homeschooling. I see unschooling as a method of
homeschooling and I too blend, using direction, guidance, maturity and my
role as her parent to turn her on to things that she is excited about. There
are things she wouldn't even know she would be excited about if I didn't
guide her toward them. Perhaps that is what unschooling is? Providing as many
opportunities and freedoms to learn?
Kudos Kate.
Kristine


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

Lynda

Kristine, perhaps looking at what you and Kate have written will help to
understand the difference between UNschooling and eclectic/relaxed
homeschooling.

For example, you can't combine UNschooling with types of schooling and still
be unschooling, that is what eclectic/relaxed homeschooling is all about.

Kate mentions "required and coerced" reading lists. That isn't UNschooling,
it might be eclectic but "sounds" more like school at home.

You mention "teaching learning" as a goal. UNschoolers have a goal of
raising a happy, healthy child who acquires the knowledge they want and need
without anyone having to "teach" them UNLESS they ask for help and then most
of us would "help," not sit down and "teach."

If you "blend, using direction, guidance, maturity and my role as her parent
to turn her on to things that she is excited about," then you are using the
eclectic/relaxed homeschooling method. And if that works for you and your
family is happy with it, then that is great. However, it isn't unschooling.

It tells me that you haven't reached the point where you can "let go" and,
as son #3 puts it, "go with the flow." And it isn't to say that as
unschoolers we don't provide any stimulous to encourage exploring new or
different avenues, it simply means that we don't decide that we know what is
best.

I'm continually off doing things that are new and different and the kidlets
may follow along or they may not. We have a house full of "stuff" and they
may or maynot explore those varous avenues. Their choice.

I think maybe the difference could be that I say, "Hey, I'm going to
Artie's, ya wanna come along," and eclectic/relaxed homeschoolers would say,
"Let's go to Arties. I'm going to buy some art supplies so you can paint a
picture. You can *help* ME choose the colors."

Now, I do hold the title of CAM (ClearAsMud), but does that help somewhat?

Lynda

----- Original Message -----
From: <balikris@...>


> Kate writes:
>
> > I can go for months in an unschooling "mode" and then, lo and behold,
out
> > come the workbooks, or the research assignments, or the "required and
> > coerced" reading lists.
> >
> > The bottom line is: my children appreciate the "ideas" that I sometimes
> > "give" them.
> >
> > Sometimes, of course, they don't. And I appreciate THAT.
> >
>
> Kate, I have watched your explanations and frustration and sympathize with
> you as I see much of our own style of schooling in what you have
described.
> Without living in your home I can't say that it is the SAME but I do see
many
> similarities and I want to thank you for the things you are saying. You
> speak for me and perhaps others too (can't speak for them, just a guess.)
> I'm not a COMPLETE unschooler, however, I have come to see homeschooling
as
> having one goal: teaching learning. Not that my child doesn't learn on
her
> own. She does. But there are very valuable tools that I can give her to
help
> her learn MORE and resources that she doesn't know about that I can expose
> her to so that she can learn more and love to learn more.
> Thank you for your eloquent and sometimes frustrated responses. They've
> mirrored my own at times in reading some posts and trying to discern just
why
> there is such a seemingly rigid line drawn in the term unschooling. That
> puzzles me more than anything. Maybe someone can help me grasp that "line"
> that I observe. I realize that homeschooling is not unschooling and
> unschooling is not homeschooling. I see unschooling as a method of
> homeschooling and I too blend, using direction, guidance, maturity and my
> role as her parent to turn her on to things that she is excited about.
There
> are things she wouldn't even know she would be excited about if I didn't
> guide her toward them. Perhaps that is what unschooling is? Providing as
many
> opportunities and freedoms to learn?
> Kudos Kate.
> Kristine
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
> Visit the Unschooling website:
> http://www.unschooling.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Tia Leschke

>
>I'm not a COMPLETE unschooler, however, I have come to see homeschooling as
>having one goal: teaching learning. Not that my child doesn't learn on her
>own. She does. But there are very valuable tools that I can give her to help
>her learn MORE and resources that she doesn't know about that I can expose
>her to so that she can learn more and love to learn more.

This paragraph could be read two ways. If you are *offering* all these
tools and resources, and she is completely free to refuse them without
feeling she's disappointing you, then you *are* unschooling. If not, then
what you're doing sounds more like eclectic homeschooling. Nothing wrong
with that. But if you call it unschooling, then you won't ever actually
*get* to unschooling, because you won't have given up control.

>Thank you for your eloquent and sometimes frustrated responses. They've
>mirrored my own at times in reading some posts and trying to discern just why
>there is such a seemingly rigid line drawn in the term unschooling. That
>puzzles me more than anything. Maybe someone can help me grasp that "line"
>that I observe.

It's all about control. Who is in control of the learning
decisions? Parent or child? All the time or some of the time?

>I realize that homeschooling is not unschooling and
>unschooling is not homeschooling.

Actually I'd say that homeschooling is not always unschooling, but that
unschooling is one flavour of homeschooling.

>I see unschooling as a method of
>homeschooling

If you really want to understand unschooling, try to think of it as more of
a mindset than a method. You can mix and match methods, but it doesn't
really work with mindsets.

>and I too blend, using direction, guidance, maturity and my
>role as her parent to turn her on to things that she is excited about. There
>are things she wouldn't even know she would be excited about if I didn't
>guide her toward them. Perhaps that is what unschooling is? Providing as many
>opportunities and freedoms to learn?

That's an important part of it, assuming that those opportunities are
voluntary. But the freedoms to learn can't be offered just some of the
time. If you control them even some of the time, then the mindset is one
of control rather than freedom. Does this make sense?
Tia

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island

Lynda

As long as it isn't a worm flavored jelly belly, I'm fine with this
definition <g>

Lynda, who couldn't resist %-}
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tia Leschke" <leschke@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 2:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Digest Number 1916


>
> >
> >I'm not a COMPLETE unschooler, however, I have come to see homeschooling
as
> >having one goal: teaching learning. Not that my child doesn't learn on
her
> >own. She does. But there are very valuable tools that I can give her to
help
> >her learn MORE and resources that she doesn't know about that I can
expose
> >her to so that she can learn more and love to learn more.
>
> This paragraph could be read two ways. If you are *offering* all these
> tools and resources, and she is completely free to refuse them without
> feeling she's disappointing you, then you *are* unschooling. If not, then
> what you're doing sounds more like eclectic homeschooling. Nothing wrong
> with that. But if you call it unschooling, then you won't ever actually
> *get* to unschooling, because you won't have given up control.
>
> >Thank you for your eloquent and sometimes frustrated responses. They've
> >mirrored my own at times in reading some posts and trying to discern just
why
> >there is such a seemingly rigid line drawn in the term unschooling. That
> >puzzles me more than anything. Maybe someone can help me grasp that
"line"
> >that I observe.
>
> It's all about control. Who is in control of the learning
> decisions? Parent or child? All the time or some of the time?
>
> >I realize that homeschooling is not unschooling and
> >unschooling is not homeschooling.
>
> Actually I'd say that homeschooling is not always unschooling, but that
> unschooling is one flavour of homeschooling.
>
> >I see unschooling as a method of
> >homeschooling
>
> If you really want to understand unschooling, try to think of it as more
of
> a mindset than a method. You can mix and match methods, but it doesn't
> really work with mindsets.
>
> >and I too blend, using direction, guidance, maturity and my
> >role as her parent to turn her on to things that she is excited about.
There
> >are things she wouldn't even know she would be excited about if I didn't
> >guide her toward them. Perhaps that is what unschooling is? Providing as
many
> >opportunities and freedoms to learn?
>
> That's an important part of it, assuming that those opportunities are
> voluntary. But the freedoms to learn can't be offered just some of the
> time. If you control them even some of the time, then the mindset is one
> of control rather than freedom. Does this make sense?
> Tia
>
> No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
> Eleanor Roosevelt
> *********************************************
> Tia Leschke
> leschke@...
> On Vancouver Island
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
> Visit the Unschooling website:
> http://www.unschooling.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>