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When I began posting to this list (all of two weeks ago), I thought I knew
what "unschooling" was.

I thought that it was "homeschooling without a lesson plan."

That's not what it is. I still had an "agenda." I still knew what I wanted
my children to learn, and ideas about how I wanted them to learn it.

I thought that I was "unschooling" because I did not use store-bought
curricula, or "lesson plans," or a structured schedule.

I was not "unschooling." (Nor am I "unschooling" at this point in time
either, I don't think.) But I am exploring unschooling and the concepts
underlying unschooling, and I believe that unschooling can and does work.

I almost unsubscribed from the list as a result of perceived personal
"attacks" on myself.

I am glad that I did not.

I am glad that I "hung in" there.

I also think that the more I understand of unschooling, the more I understand
the reason that tempers flare on this list. On the one hand, this list
comprises many devout, dedicated, and longtime unschoolers. Those
individuals belonging to that "group" have the benefit of experience, and, I
think, are being supportive when they call attention to the use of
"schoolish" words, like "lessons," "required reading," or other such
buzzwords. Orwell, I think, said "Who controls language, controls thought."
Words are key in creating perception and understanding. Only when these
buzzwords were called to my attention (as a result of my own prior posts) did
it dawn on me that what I thought was unschooling was not, in fact,
unschooling. It was "homeschooling without a lesson plan." I was properly
labeled (yuck) an "eclectic homeschooler." And, though I am not happy to be
labeled, I can think of worse labels than that!

On the other hand, we have people who approach this list with their own
perception of what unschooling is, and woe unto them if they use the
buzzwords and do not understand that the acrimony directed at the use of the
buzzwords is NOT directed at the user of the buzzwords.

We are all rebellious here. Were we not, we would be conforming with the
societal standards of education and shooing our children off to public school
five days a week. We all are outspoken. We all are intelligent. We all are
open-minded.

And we all want to be right. (Okay, I'm speaking only for myself here, but I
don't think I am so very different from anyone else -- I mean, does anyone
really WANT to be wrong?!)

In any event, it is truly understandable that the newbies' diction elicits
some corrective diction from the oldies, which, in turn, gives rise to
defensiveness, hostility, and impassioned diction from all.

I don't happen to mind any of it anymore. Personally, I think that observing
the arguments, or debates, or discussions, among the newbies, the oldies, and
the in-betweenies is, in fact, contributing to my understanding of
unschooling, the language of unschooling, and the zealous manner in which
unschooling proponents will defend both.

I, for one, will miss the dialogue when (or if) it is moderated out.

Kate Davis (a newbie)


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

joanna514

> I don't happen to mind any of it anymore. Personally, I think that
observing
> the arguments, or debates, or discussions, among the newbies, the
oldies, and
> the in-betweenies is, in fact, contributing to my understanding of
> unschooling, the language of unschooling, and the zealous manner in
which
> unschooling proponents will defend both.
>
> I, for one, will miss the dialogue when (or if) it is moderated out.
>
> Kate Davis (a newbie)
>

Great post Kate!
You'll be a force to be reckoned with when you become an "oldie". ;-)
Joanna

Karen

Kate, what a fantastic post! I look forward to reading more of them!

Karen