my questions
unolist
okay i am going to post something from the website that i emailed
earlier, and it never showed up. i sent it before the list being
inactive response. oh,i think it's because i sent it to unschooling-
discussion, according to the error mail i got. i didn't know you guys
dropped the hyphen!
so here it is....
how many people don't ever question what they do and why, because
they've been taught (effectively) do to what they're told?
how many people don't examine or question how the schools are run and
why?
how many people are complacent with the predominant notion that
schools are necessary for a good education?
why are they complacent? were they trained to never question
authority? is it out of ignorance, or is it the fact that the school
system is a very convenient way to drop their kids off and not worry
too much beyond letters on a scorecard? is questioning dangerous to
their comfort zone? is there a denial or fear that they may have to
change what they are happy with, or face guilt when they won't?
are they simply a product of their schooling, and the vicious cycle
continues?
these are questions i ask my former schooling self and echoes in my
head about the minds of the people i encounter who won't give
homeschooling any consideration.
how it the world did i break away from being one of those people,
except by the mere chance that my daughter rejected school and i was
exasperated? had she been a conformist and a "performist", would i
not still be one of those people?
how did i become an independent and divergent thinker, other than by
a series of disappointments? a genuine accident? a fortunate stroke
of luck that i wouldn't have planned for myself?
how is it that i learn more about myself and who i want to be, not by
having gone to school, but by watching my children unschool?
these are the questions that resonate in the deepest corners in my
mind.
ang (poking my head in again, i've haven't posted here twice in 8
months, i bet. ::::::waving::::: cabin fever stimulates deep
*ponderings, is that even a word? LOL)
earlier, and it never showed up. i sent it before the list being
inactive response. oh,i think it's because i sent it to unschooling-
discussion, according to the error mail i got. i didn't know you guys
dropped the hyphen!
so here it is....
how many people don't ever question what they do and why, because
they've been taught (effectively) do to what they're told?
how many people don't examine or question how the schools are run and
why?
how many people are complacent with the predominant notion that
schools are necessary for a good education?
why are they complacent? were they trained to never question
authority? is it out of ignorance, or is it the fact that the school
system is a very convenient way to drop their kids off and not worry
too much beyond letters on a scorecard? is questioning dangerous to
their comfort zone? is there a denial or fear that they may have to
change what they are happy with, or face guilt when they won't?
are they simply a product of their schooling, and the vicious cycle
continues?
these are questions i ask my former schooling self and echoes in my
head about the minds of the people i encounter who won't give
homeschooling any consideration.
how it the world did i break away from being one of those people,
except by the mere chance that my daughter rejected school and i was
exasperated? had she been a conformist and a "performist", would i
not still be one of those people?
how did i become an independent and divergent thinker, other than by
a series of disappointments? a genuine accident? a fortunate stroke
of luck that i wouldn't have planned for myself?
how is it that i learn more about myself and who i want to be, not by
having gone to school, but by watching my children unschool?
these are the questions that resonate in the deepest corners in my
mind.
ang (poking my head in again, i've haven't posted here twice in 8
months, i bet. ::::::waving::::: cabin fever stimulates deep
*ponderings, is that even a word? LOL)
Elizabeth Roberts
Well, I think that to a degree it IS because it's been so many generations now going through "the system." Have you read any of John Taylor Gatto's "The Underground History of American Education?" He talks quite a bit about some of this.
All I know is, I have always been on the outside looking in in life, and rather prefer it that way. My dad says from the time I began talking my favorite question was any version of "Why?" (Why, why not, how come, etc.)
I think it will be a generational thing in order to overcome the mindlessness caused by schools, as homeschoolers grow up and have children who are homeschooled who grow up to homeschool their children, etc.
MamaBeth
unolist <unolist@...> wrote:
okay i am going to post something from the website that i emailed
earlier, and it never showed up. i sent it before the list being
inactive response. oh,i think it's because i sent it to unschooling-
discussion, according to the error mail i got. i didn't know you guys
dropped the hyphen!
so here it is....
how many people don't ever question what they do and why, because
they've been taught (effectively) do to what they're told?
how many people don't examine or question how the schools are run and
why?
how many people are complacent with the predominant notion that
schools are necessary for a good education?
why are they complacent? were they trained to never question
authority? is it out of ignorance, or is it the fact that the school
system is a very convenient way to drop their kids off and not worry
too much beyond letters on a scorecard? is questioning dangerous to
their comfort zone? is there a denial or fear that they may have to
change what they are happy with, or face guilt when they won't?
are they simply a product of their schooling, and the vicious cycle
continues?
these are questions i ask my former schooling self and echoes in my
head about the minds of the people i encounter who won't give
homeschooling any consideration.
how it the world did i break away from being one of those people,
except by the mere chance that my daughter rejected school and i was
exasperated? had she been a conformist and a "performist", would i
not still be one of those people?
how did i become an independent and divergent thinker, other than by
a series of disappointments? a genuine accident? a fortunate stroke
of luck that i wouldn't have planned for myself?
how is it that i learn more about myself and who i want to be, not by
having gone to school, but by watching my children unschool?
these are the questions that resonate in the deepest corners in my
mind.
ang (poking my head in again, i've haven't posted here twice in 8
months, i bet. ::::::waving::::: cabin fever stimulates deep
*ponderings, is that even a word? LOL)
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
All I know is, I have always been on the outside looking in in life, and rather prefer it that way. My dad says from the time I began talking my favorite question was any version of "Why?" (Why, why not, how come, etc.)
I think it will be a generational thing in order to overcome the mindlessness caused by schools, as homeschoolers grow up and have children who are homeschooled who grow up to homeschool their children, etc.
MamaBeth
unolist <unolist@...> wrote:
okay i am going to post something from the website that i emailed
earlier, and it never showed up. i sent it before the list being
inactive response. oh,i think it's because i sent it to unschooling-
discussion, according to the error mail i got. i didn't know you guys
dropped the hyphen!
so here it is....
how many people don't ever question what they do and why, because
they've been taught (effectively) do to what they're told?
how many people don't examine or question how the schools are run and
why?
how many people are complacent with the predominant notion that
schools are necessary for a good education?
why are they complacent? were they trained to never question
authority? is it out of ignorance, or is it the fact that the school
system is a very convenient way to drop their kids off and not worry
too much beyond letters on a scorecard? is questioning dangerous to
their comfort zone? is there a denial or fear that they may have to
change what they are happy with, or face guilt when they won't?
are they simply a product of their schooling, and the vicious cycle
continues?
these are questions i ask my former schooling self and echoes in my
head about the minds of the people i encounter who won't give
homeschooling any consideration.
how it the world did i break away from being one of those people,
except by the mere chance that my daughter rejected school and i was
exasperated? had she been a conformist and a "performist", would i
not still be one of those people?
how did i become an independent and divergent thinker, other than by
a series of disappointments? a genuine accident? a fortunate stroke
of luck that i wouldn't have planned for myself?
how is it that i learn more about myself and who i want to be, not by
having gone to school, but by watching my children unschool?
these are the questions that resonate in the deepest corners in my
mind.
ang (poking my head in again, i've haven't posted here twice in 8
months, i bet. ::::::waving::::: cabin fever stimulates deep
*ponderings, is that even a word? LOL)
"List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
To unsubscribe from this send an email to:
[email protected]
Visit the Unschooling website and message boards: http://www.unschooling.com
---------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnschoolingDiscussion/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Susan Gallien
> how many people don't ever question what they do and why, becausethey've been taught (effectively) do to what they're told?
I believe the figure on that is around 95-98%, maybe even more after 12 years of compulsory brainwashing by the system.
> how many people don't examine or question how the schools are run andwhy?
I think there are lots of different reasons. "I went to school and I turned out just great." being a big one. Plus the 95-98% non-questioning people mentioned above. I think we as humans need more Indians than Chiefs otherwise our somewhat aggressive nature would cause a lot more violence than we already suffer on this planet, so by nature most of us are followers.
>how many people are complacent with the predominant notion thatschools are necessary for a good education?
Probably 95-98% again. Have you ever had someone irate at you because you homeschool your kids? The true-believers treat school almost as a religion and see people who question their faith as a threat to it's foundation. It's even worse as an Unschooler, I try to avoid letting people know that we don't follow a pre-packagfed curriculum, if they think I'm playing school's games in my own home many can relax... except they then bring up the "S" word, then I tell them exactly what I think about school socialisation and ask them just how much they enjoy the company of teens... most say that they don't and I reply that's largely to do with too much age-segregated socialising and wouldn't it be better to learn social skills from adults instead. Most shut-up at this point.
As to your other questions I think the 95-98% and the "It didn't hurt me" attitude sums up most complacency.
As to why you [we] are different maybe we fall within the 2-5% of people who can resist brain-washing, maybe we were abused as children and this causes us to not entrust the most precious people in our lives to the unloving care of strangers [this seems to be a sad fact behind a lot of homeschooling mothers], maybe we were a part of the school system and saw as teachers how much time was merely crowd control and how little time was of any real value to the inmates, maybe we were rebellious and never got the school religion and kept the rebellious spirit long enough to allow our own kids to benefit.
Sue Gallien
The Winona Farm, Minnesota
http://thewinonafarm.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/30/2004 6:50:36 PM Central Standard Time,
unolist@... writes:
it had a name for far too many years. What once caused me no small amount of
angst is now an advantageous gift.
Laura
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
unolist@... writes:
> how did i become an independent and divergent thinker, other than byI know for myself I have always been a divergent thinker, I just did not know
> a series of disappointments? a genuine accident? a fortunate stroke
> of luck that i wouldn't have planned for myself?
>
it had a name for far too many years. What once caused me no small amount of
angst is now an advantageous gift.
Laura
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
<< how many people don't ever question what they do and why, because
they've been taught (effectively) do to what they're told?
-=-I believe the figure on that is around 95-98%, maybe even more after 12
years of compulsory brainwashing by the system. >>
I think even in the total absence of school, human nature is such that a
person will recognize an authority or leader and follow along without much
reflection.
Our culture tends to remove us from our instincts. "Tends" meaning tries
consciously to deny we even HAVE an instincts. Yet the instinct of any mammals
that live in groups is to acknowledge some leadership and trust that they dont'
want the whole group to be eaten by lions in the dark (unless they ARE lions
in the dark).
More people are followers than are leaders. School probably takes advantage
of that fact, but school didn't create it.
Sandra
they've been taught (effectively) do to what they're told?
-=-I believe the figure on that is around 95-98%, maybe even more after 12
years of compulsory brainwashing by the system. >>
I think even in the total absence of school, human nature is such that a
person will recognize an authority or leader and follow along without much
reflection.
Our culture tends to remove us from our instincts. "Tends" meaning tries
consciously to deny we even HAVE an instincts. Yet the instinct of any mammals
that live in groups is to acknowledge some leadership and trust that they dont'
want the whole group to be eaten by lions in the dark (unless they ARE lions
in the dark).
More people are followers than are leaders. School probably takes advantage
of that fact, but school didn't create it.
Sandra