unschooling from an evolutionary perspective
Amey Park
Okay, here are all the caveats:
1. I'm fairly new to unschooling
2. I haven't read all (or even most) of the literature about unschooling
3. This may have already been discussed, so I'm sorry if this is old news and to
everyone else it is HO HUM.
4. I had this thought at 4 a.m., so it might be kind of funky.
My dh and I were discussing this morning the case of someone we know who has
worked at one place for 20 years and has left for another job because the
handwriting was on the wall and he pretty much had to leave.
As the mother of five children, I immediately worried about my own children's future.
The part of me that was traditionally schooled thought, "Oh my goodness, I'd better
start really doing traditional school so that our kids can get GOOD jobs and not lose
them." Then, I remembered all the really good, smart, top-notch people who have
done just that and STILL lost jobs, even though it wasn't their fault.
The next thought that hit me was that, as parents, we want our children to thrive as
adults, and perhaps, stepping back and looking at this from a species perspective,
unschooling does this better than other forms of schooling: it produces adults who
are adaptable and able to move around life and employment with flexibility. In other
words, as a species, perhaps unschooling gives us the greatest odds for survival.
The more I think about this, the more I think this is probably old news to you, but it
was an "a ha!" moment for me.
By the way, our family is coming to the Peabody conference. We're going on the
whale watch. We coming via upstate NY, so that we can visit Rev. War sites (our 10
year old loves the Rev. War.) I love how much I learn because of the kids' interests!
Amey Park
Hudson, OH
1. I'm fairly new to unschooling
2. I haven't read all (or even most) of the literature about unschooling
3. This may have already been discussed, so I'm sorry if this is old news and to
everyone else it is HO HUM.
4. I had this thought at 4 a.m., so it might be kind of funky.
My dh and I were discussing this morning the case of someone we know who has
worked at one place for 20 years and has left for another job because the
handwriting was on the wall and he pretty much had to leave.
As the mother of five children, I immediately worried about my own children's future.
The part of me that was traditionally schooled thought, "Oh my goodness, I'd better
start really doing traditional school so that our kids can get GOOD jobs and not lose
them." Then, I remembered all the really good, smart, top-notch people who have
done just that and STILL lost jobs, even though it wasn't their fault.
The next thought that hit me was that, as parents, we want our children to thrive as
adults, and perhaps, stepping back and looking at this from a species perspective,
unschooling does this better than other forms of schooling: it produces adults who
are adaptable and able to move around life and employment with flexibility. In other
words, as a species, perhaps unschooling gives us the greatest odds for survival.
The more I think about this, the more I think this is probably old news to you, but it
was an "a ha!" moment for me.
By the way, our family is coming to the Peabody conference. We're going on the
whale watch. We coming via upstate NY, so that we can visit Rev. War sites (our 10
year old loves the Rev. War.) I love how much I learn because of the kids' interests!
Amey Park
Hudson, OH
[email protected]
AMEYP@... writes:
Nation" by Daniel Pink. :) JJ
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> The next thought that hit me was that, as parents, we want our children toLove those "aha!" moments -- a book to read for more is "Free Agent
> thrive as
> adults, and perhaps, stepping back and looking at this from a species
> perspective,
> unschooling does this better than other forms of schooling: it produces
> adults who
> are adaptable and able to move around life and employment with flexibility.
> In other
> words, as a species, perhaps unschooling gives us the greatest odds for
> survival.
>
> The more I think about this, the more I think this is probably old news to
> you, but it
> was an "a ha!" moment for me.
>
>
Nation" by Daniel Pink. :) JJ
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
"The more I think about this, the more I think this is probably old
news to you,
but it
was an "a ha!" moment for me."
But it's a really important "a ha" moment! And it was cool to read
about, thanks for sharing.
Once a person has that particular paradigm shift, I think
unschooling ought to be fairly simple and natural. I really believe
most people get stuck in the fear of the childs future, and stuck
thinking school is the guarantee of success. Once you can see that
isn't the case at all, and that unschooling BETTER prepares you for
success, the rest is really easy to get.
Great shift. I totally agree.
Ren
news to you,
but it
was an "a ha!" moment for me."
But it's a really important "a ha" moment! And it was cool to read
about, thanks for sharing.
Once a person has that particular paradigm shift, I think
unschooling ought to be fairly simple and natural. I really believe
most people get stuck in the fear of the childs future, and stuck
thinking school is the guarantee of success. Once you can see that
isn't the case at all, and that unschooling BETTER prepares you for
success, the rest is really easy to get.
Great shift. I totally agree.
Ren
Mary
From: "Amey Park" <AMEYP@...>
<<The more I think about this, the more I think this is probably old news to
you, but it
was an "a ha!" moment for me.>>
Ah ha moments are always welcome here, never ho hum and always good old
news!!!
Mary B
<<The more I think about this, the more I think this is probably old news to
you, but it
was an "a ha!" moment for me.>>
Ah ha moments are always welcome here, never ho hum and always good old
news!!!
Mary B
Elizabeth Hill
** My dh and I were discussing this morning the case of someone we know
who has
worked at one place for 20 years and has left for another job because the
handwriting was on the wall and he pretty much had to leave. **
I agree with your conclusion that unschooling is better preparation for
this than schooling.
When my husband was in school, it was fairly terrible, but he learned if
he hated his teacher, or vice-versa, he HAD to tough it out. Come June,
the school problem would disappear. This does NOT reliably work when
you are in a bad work situation. One can endure and endure a bad work
situation and the crummy boss may never leave.
I think forced schooling taught my spouse to feel powerless and made him
less effective when he needed to make career changes. Most schooling
raises followers, not leaders and adventurers and take-charge types.
Betsy
who has
worked at one place for 20 years and has left for another job because the
handwriting was on the wall and he pretty much had to leave. **
I agree with your conclusion that unschooling is better preparation for
this than schooling.
When my husband was in school, it was fairly terrible, but he learned if
he hated his teacher, or vice-versa, he HAD to tough it out. Come June,
the school problem would disappear. This does NOT reliably work when
you are in a bad work situation. One can endure and endure a bad work
situation and the crummy boss may never leave.
I think forced schooling taught my spouse to feel powerless and made him
less effective when he needed to make career changes. Most schooling
raises followers, not leaders and adventurers and take-charge types.
Betsy
[email protected]
In a message dated 4/23/04 10:18:40 AM, ecsamhill@... writes:
<< Most schooling
raises followers, not leaders and adventurers and take-charge types. >>
School likes to think they're identifying leaders early on. Those with the
best grades, the captains of sports teams, presidents of this or that school
club, class, student body.
They like to think they've already given future leaders some real leadership
experience.
Sandra
<< Most schooling
raises followers, not leaders and adventurers and take-charge types. >>
School likes to think they're identifying leaders early on. Those with the
best grades, the captains of sports teams, presidents of this or that school
club, class, student body.
They like to think they've already given future leaders some real leadership
experience.
Sandra
AlysonRR
Daniel Pink, author of "Free Agent Nation", was the keynote speaker at
the Maryland Home Educators Association conference I recently attended.
He made that exact point: Unschoolers are preparing our children to
ideally suit the currently evolving free agent economy.
He was an excellent speaker, highly recommended. The book is on my "to
be read" pile in part so I can get inspiration about turning our careers
into free agent ones; with three layoffs and three voluntary job changes
for my husband in the last 10 years in the biotech industry, we're
looking for more security for our future.
Replying to Amey Park, who wrote, in part:
...
The next thought that hit me was that, as parents, we want our children
to thrive as
adults, and perhaps, stepping back and looking at this from a species
perspective,
unschooling does this better than other forms of schooling: it produces
adults who
are adaptable and able to move around life and employment with
flexibility. In other
words, as a species, perhaps unschooling gives us the greatest odds for
survival.
...
the Maryland Home Educators Association conference I recently attended.
He made that exact point: Unschoolers are preparing our children to
ideally suit the currently evolving free agent economy.
He was an excellent speaker, highly recommended. The book is on my "to
be read" pile in part so I can get inspiration about turning our careers
into free agent ones; with three layoffs and three voluntary job changes
for my husband in the last 10 years in the biotech industry, we're
looking for more security for our future.
Replying to Amey Park, who wrote, in part:
...
The next thought that hit me was that, as parents, we want our children
to thrive as
adults, and perhaps, stepping back and looking at this from a species
perspective,
unschooling does this better than other forms of schooling: it produces
adults who
are adaptable and able to move around life and employment with
flexibility. In other
words, as a species, perhaps unschooling gives us the greatest odds for
survival.
...
Danielle Conger
I agree with your conclusion that unschooling is better preparation for
Someone else already pointed in the direction of Daniel Pink's _Free Agent
Nation_, but I wanted to say how excited I was to hear him actually make
this distinction in a talk he gave recently at a Maryland Homeschool
Conference. I was all prepared to ask him if he weren't really talking about
*unschooling* and not homeschooling at all when he made that very clear all
by himself in the middle of his talk. Of course, I had to start clapping at
that moment--rabble-rouser that I am. *g*
So even he has come to the conclusion that what's really preparing kids for
the future is letting them live and learn on their own terms. Just wish he'd
made that distinction in the book itself. Though, of course, his kids are in
*good* schools, but they will [paraphrased quote here] "probably be
homeschooled in the future to get the best of both worlds." My friend asked
him about it.
BTW, Beth--it was great to meet you there!
--Danielle
http://www.danielleconger.com/Homeschool/Welcomehome.html
> this than schooling.=====================
Someone else already pointed in the direction of Daniel Pink's _Free Agent
Nation_, but I wanted to say how excited I was to hear him actually make
this distinction in a talk he gave recently at a Maryland Homeschool
Conference. I was all prepared to ask him if he weren't really talking about
*unschooling* and not homeschooling at all when he made that very clear all
by himself in the middle of his talk. Of course, I had to start clapping at
that moment--rabble-rouser that I am. *g*
So even he has come to the conclusion that what's really preparing kids for
the future is letting them live and learn on their own terms. Just wish he'd
made that distinction in the book itself. Though, of course, his kids are in
*good* schools, but they will [paraphrased quote here] "probably be
homeschooled in the future to get the best of both worlds." My friend asked
him about it.
BTW, Beth--it was great to meet you there!
--Danielle
http://www.danielleconger.com/Homeschool/Welcomehome.html