Luz Shosie and Ned Vare

> <llindsey3@...>
About RULES: I wish we could find a word for our practice that did not
involve the word school. Since it is such a big part of the word UNschool,
we seem to bump up against our vision of school constantly, and struggle to
seem like we're free of it even when we're not. In our attempts even to find
a definition for Unschooling or homeschooling, we find ourselves like moths
flying in flame of schooling.

I suggest we could work on this, on the back burner, so to speak, with the
idea of coming up with a concept of living with our children as integral
parts of our daily lives as much as possible. What they need is parenting,
not school teaching, so, unless they ask us for information that might be
called school-type stuff, we are simply (!?) parenting. In fact, until the
kids are six or so, they are not *school-age* no matter what the soccer mom/
daycare/buildabetter baby crowd says, and there are fine people who tell us
that the ONLY thing small children need is self-regulated play, both alone
or in groups. The radical fringe (with plenty of documented proof, say
that's all humans EVER need...play.

I'll post more on this, but I believe that much of our wrangling on this
list is due to the fact that we unschoolers are the radical (fundamental,
root) fringe of a large and growing fringe group. We are the strong-headed
independent people among semi-independent, usually self-assured, types of
homeschoolers. As such, we are sure of ourselves and willing to show our
convictions. It can be jarring for the newbies, but if they're gonna be
unschoolers, they can probably adapt.

Our similarities are much greater and more important than our differences.
What matters is that the children are not in those cages of artificial life
and synthetic experience called schools.

This group is truly leading the way out of the education dark ages. People
are much more intelligent than school gives them the opportunity to express.
Here, I believe we are expressing it.

Bring it on.

Ned Vare

[email protected]

well, i always called it.. .. the fun of learning new things.. schools teach the kids it's WORK to learn.. it's not work it's FUN it's PLAY.. natural play... watch animals.. their playing is learning what they'll need as mature animals.. look at the rainforest cultures by the amazon.. their kids just participate and learn as they go.. sounds good to ME...

L
----- Original Message -----
From: Luz Shosie and Ned Vare
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2002 10:38 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: 2189 Unschooling -- the fringe




> <llindsey3@...>
About RULES: I wish we could find a word for our practice that did not
involve the word school. Since it is such a big part of the word UNschool,
we seem to bump up against our vision of school constantly, and struggle to
seem like we're free of it even when we're not. In our attempts even to find
a definition for Unschooling or homeschooling, we find ourselves like moths
flying in flame of schooling.

I suggest we could work on this, on the back burner, so to speak, with the
idea of coming up with a concept of living with our children as integral
parts of our daily lives as much as possible. What they need is parenting,
not school teaching, so, unless they ask us for information that might be
called school-type stuff, we are simply (!?) parenting. In fact, until the
kids are six or so, they are not *school-age* no matter what the soccer mom/
daycare/buildabetter baby crowd says, and there are fine people who tell us
that the ONLY thing small children need is self-regulated play, both alone
or in groups. The radical fringe (with plenty of documented proof, say
that's all humans EVER need...play.

I'll post more on this, but I believe that much of our wrangling on this
list is due to the fact that we unschoolers are the radical (fundamental,
root) fringe of a large and growing fringe group. We are the strong-headed
independent people among semi-independent, usually self-assured, types of
homeschoolers. As such, we are sure of ourselves and willing to show our
convictions. It can be jarring for the newbies, but if they're gonna be
unschoolers, they can probably adapt.

Our similarities are much greater and more important than our differences.
What matters is that the children are not in those cages of artificial life
and synthetic experience called schools.

This group is truly leading the way out of the education dark ages. People
are much more intelligent than school gives them the opportunity to express.
Here, I believe we are expressing it.

Bring it on.

Ned Vare


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

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/4/2002 8:38:36 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
nedvare@... writes:


> I'll post more on this, but I believe that much of our wrangling on this
> list is due to the fact that we unschoolers are the radical (fundamental,
> root) fringe of a large and growing fringe group. We are the strong-headed
> independent people among semi-independent, usually self-assured, types of
> homeschoolers. As such, we are sure of ourselves and willing to show our
> convictions. It can be jarring for the newbies, but if they're gonna be
> unschoolers, they can probably adapt.
>

I think you are SO right about this, Ned.

I hear almost every day from someone either pulling kids out of school or
switching from school-at-home to a more relaxed learning model -- and I'm
amazed at how much more receptive to even pretty radical unschooling ideas
people are now compared to even just five years ago. Maybe it is more obvious
here in California, where our educational system has flip-flopped so
extremely in the last decade regarding what and how kids are taught/treated.
We went, for example, from NO testing and moving away from grades at all --
to rigid and VERY high stakes standardized testing and rigorous high school
exit exams - in the last 7 years. Many people are just disgusted with
educators and are open to completely alternative possibilities. I've been
giving considering-homeschooling workshops with a friend and, at first, we
thought that our unschooling approach might not be what people were looking
for - but the majority of people seem to be really thrilled and relieved to
hear about it.

--pamS

National Home Education Network
http://www.NHEN.org
Changing the Way the World Sees Homeschooling!


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

[email protected]

All this trend toward testing testing testing.. goes right along with the obsession with the word ACCOUNTABILITY i keep hearing from politicians.. it just burns me up when i hear this.. listening to NPR i hear educators discussing how bad this trend is for the kids that are supposedly to be educated... ..

I see it as a really good reason to get my kids OUT of the public school system..

LLL
----- Original Message -----
From: PSoroosh@...
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, August 05, 2002 1:14 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: 2189 Unschooling -- the fringe

.....
We went, for example, from NO testing and moving away from grades at all --
to rigid and VERY high stakes standardized testing and rigorous high school
exit exams - in the last 7 years. Many people are just disgusted with
educators and are open to completely alternative possibilities. I've been
giving considering-homeschooling workshops with a friend and, at first, we
thought that our unschooling approach might not be what people were looking
for - but the majority of people seem to be really thrilled and relieved to
hear about it.

--pamS




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