freelance_trance

Hello. My name is David, a 16 year old unschooler. First time posting
here, as well. =) Hello!

Anyway, I'll just skim over my unschooling history. I became
frusterated at junior high for all the reasons teenagers usually have,
started the whole rebelling thing, failed 9th grade on purpose, etc.
In the beginning of my second year of 9th grade, I found the Teenage
Liberation Handbook. Having really no support for trying to get out of
school, I decided to try to "fight the system" by myself. (Both of my
parents didn't like the idea, but they didn't really get in my way
that much. I can be very stubborn and strong willed when I set my mind
on something. =P) After skipping school on and off for about two
months, the school threatened to send my parents to court, and so I
went back to school. It wasn't fun at all, (I would get detention for
reading books in class instead of "learning", and then get sent to
alternative schools for reading in detention. =P), but I stayed in
school until I turned 16, then rose out of it.

I've been out of school for about a little over half a year now. But I
feel like I haven't *done* anything. I like messing around with
computers and electronics, and I can safely say I know more about them
than the average user, but I would like some pointers on what I should
do. The internet has been great in helping and research, but I would
like to find some kind of computer store, or something, and try to get
some kind of job there, but I live in a very small town in rural New
York. Stuff about philosophy, and things like that also interest me.
(The closest library is about 7 - 10-ish miles away.)

Anyhow, any feedback would be nice. If you have any other questions,
feel free to ask.
Thank you in advance!
-Dave

[email protected]

In a message dated 1/16/2004 6:08:24 PM Central Standard Time,
infiniteclay@... writes:


> Anyhow, any feedback would be nice. If you have any other questions,
> feel free to ask.
>

Do you drive yet Dave?
Laura Buoni


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

wrensong2001

Dave, I'm afraid this doesn't exactly answer your question, but I think you'll find some
very interesting resources in "WebSights," a Homeschooling Gateway to the Internet--
it's a huge set of links to interesting web sites:
http://www.hsc.org/gateway/intedws.html
These are a few of the subjects the links are organized into:
Great Gateways to Interesting Sites
Fine Arts & Fun Arts
Go figure! The Fascinating World of Mathematics
Our World and Beyond: Earth, Science, Space and Technology
People, Cultures, and the Making of History
The Written Word, Reading and Language
Myths & Folklore
Especially For Kids and Other Inquiring Minds
College & Career Information
Long Distance Learning

:) Lillian
http://www.BestHomeschooling.org







.

Tia Leschke

>
>I've been out of school for about a little over half a year now. But I
>feel like I haven't *done* anything. I like messing around with
>computers and electronics, and I can safely say I know more about them
>than the average user, but I would like some pointers on what I should
>do. The internet has been great in helping and research, but I would
>like to find some kind of computer store, or something, and try to get
>some kind of job there, but I live in a very small town in rural New
>York. Stuff about philosophy, and things like that also interest me.
>(The closest library is about 7 - 10-ish miles away.)

I did much the same thing back in the late 60's. When I started feeling
like I wanted some direction, I enrolled in the local community college and
just took courses that interested me. Maybe you could do something like that.
Tia

lifelearners6

Hi David.

We used to live in a very small town. I also have a 16-y-o son, who
after leaving school 2 1/2 years ago, spent quite a bit of
time "doing nothing." So, from that base of experience, I have a
couple of suggestions.

Get a job, even if it's not in your field of interest. Earning money
will enable you to expand your world--by getting a car, license,
insurance; by funding workshops, book purchases, computer stuff,
classes, conferences, camps; by funding memberships (DVD clubs like
Netflicks or Mentura), subscriptions, etc. Running your own computer
assistance business might work in a town like yours. Put an ad on
the local bulletin board and in the local shopper. Other self-
employment ideas: house cleaning, yard work, childcare, snow
shoveling, cleaning gutters, painting. It can feel good to work--
gets your energy going.

Challenge yourself to ask questions when you watch a movie or read a
book. Write them down. Pursue answers.

Ask the library that's closest to you to get titles you want, either
on interlibrary loan, or by purchasing them.

Some books my son has enjoyed recently:
The Simpsons and Philosphy: the D'oh! of Homer. eds: Irwin, Conard, &
Skoble
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki & Sharon L. Lechter (about
financial intelligence; the authors note that schools do nothing to
promote financial intelligence, but merely repeat the "stay in
school, get good grades, get a degree, so you can get a good job"
line, which, the authors say, isn't true and doesn't teach money
management at all)
Knowing God, by J.I. Packer

If you're interested in philosophy, my husband recommends:

Patterns of the Western Mind, by John Kok --long ordering time from
Amazon, quicker at http://www.dordt.edu/bookstore/

I encourage you to get to know some people better in that small town
of yours. You write well. Have you thought about putting together a
history of your town, or a collection of stories from its
inhabitants? Start with some of the oldest people there. How has
life changed? How is it the same? Why?

The best to you,
Lynn







--- In [email protected], "freelance_trance"
<infiniteclay@e...> wrote:
> Hello. My name is David, a 16 year old unschooler. First time
posting
> here, as well. =) Hello!

>
> I've been out of school for about a little over half a year now.
But I
> feel like I haven't *done* anything. I like messing around with
> computers and electronics, and I can safely say I know more about
them
> than the average user, but I would like some pointers on what I
should
> do. The internet has been great in helping and research, but I would
> like to find some kind of computer store, or something, and try to
get
> some kind of job there, but I live in a very small town in rural New
> York. Stuff about philosophy, and things like that also interest me.
> (The closest library is about 7 - 10-ish miles away.)
>
> Anyhow, any feedback would be nice. If you have any other questions,
> feel free to ask.
> Thank you in advance!
> -Dave