Shelly G

Good morning!

I'm pretty new to unschooling, and to this board as
well.

I must admit that, at first, I was quite taken aback
by what seemed to be a pretty high level of bickering
here in this group. But, I try not to be hasty, so I
kept reading, and reading, and reading .... (This is
such an active group!)

I'm glad I kept reading. It's beginning to seem to me
-- and I hope I'm right -- that the challenges are,
for the most part, an attempt to help each other think
seriously about what unschooling IS and examine our
motives in what we do with/for our children, and not
just meaningless arguing for arguing's sake.
(Although, if I may be a bit presumptuous, I think I
may have seen a BIT of that type of arguing here, too.
But hey, we're all human and all still learning,
right?)

I think the "strewing" topic is a great example. I
haven't been a "strewer" in the past, but I think I
might try a little random strewing in the future. What
I've learned from reading the posts is that the
strewing is fine, as long as you don't get hung up on
the outcome (I'm sorry I can't remember who exactly
said that, but to me, that was a really important
point.) Isn't that something really fundamental about
unschooling? To focus on the process rather than the
outcome? On the love of learning, not on objective
measures like tests?

Thanks for the posts. I've enjoyed reading them and
hope to read lots more!

Shelly

=====
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does." -- Margaret Mead

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In a message dated 5/29/02 6:13:54 AM, shellyrae00@... writes:

<< the challenges are,
for the most part, an attempt to help each other think
seriously about what unschooling IS and examine our
motives in what we do with/for our children, and not
just meaningless arguing for arguing's sake.
(Although, if I may be a bit presumptuous, I think I
may have seen a BIT of that type of arguing here, too.
But hey, we're all human and all still learning,
right?) >>

All human and MOST sincerely interested in learning.

<<Isn't that something really fundamental about
unschooling? To focus on the process rather than the
outcome? On the love of learning, not on objective
measures like tests?>>

I think so. If "the outcome" is a love of learning, then that one's fine to
focus on. <g>

I think when people are saying to leave something out but not be attached to
the outcome, they mean if you leave the castle blocks out and three days
later nobody has built a single little tower, don't have an internal attack
about it, just put them back up and bring them out again in a month or a
year. That was WHOLLY hypothetical, because we have some of those Spanish
castle blocks we bought used for $5--a big thrill because the set was over
$80 new--and when they appear in public they are invariably used by two or
three people. I hate to take those things apart. I should have started a
scrapbook to go with the box, but that would have taken away from the plain
joy of making something from nothing, it would have turned it into an ongoing
project, a competition of sorts.

Some of our greatest successes here with just leaving things out has been a
visitor (adult or kid) who knows something cool to do with or to explain
about the thing (puzzles, magnets, building stuff, prism, magnifying lenses,
whatever it is) and whose contributions change everyone around them! That
knowledge is added to the richness of that item, for the next time it comes
out.

Sandra

Tia Leschke

>I'm glad I kept reading. It's beginning to seem to me
>-- and I hope I'm right -- that the challenges are,
>for the most part, an attempt to help each other think
>seriously about what unschooling IS and examine our
>motives in what we do with/for our children, and not
>just meaningless arguing for arguing's sake.
>(Although, if I may be a bit presumptuous, I think I
>may have seen a BIT of that type of arguing here, too.
>But hey, we're all human and all still learning,
>right?)

It's good to hear this from a newbie. I've heard from at least one other
lurker here how valuable all this discussion has been for her.

Isn't that something really fundamental about
>unschooling? To focus on the process rather than the
>outcome?

Absolutely!
Welcome Shelly.
Tia


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