Seth W Bartels

ugh. in reaching out to our local homeschool group, i found that a lot
of families are calling what they do with their families unschooling even
though it looks nothing like what we talk about here! lots of
planned/imposed activities, restricted tv, computer, food, etc. how
disappointing!

lisa
(frustrated and stewing in her juices while quarantined for whooping
cough)

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

pam sorooshian

On Sep 20, 2004, at 2:10 PM, Seth W Bartels wrote:

> ugh. in reaching out to our local homeschool group, i found that a lot
> of families are calling what they do with their families unschooling
> even
> though it looks nothing like what we talk about here! lots of
> planned/imposed activities, restricted tv, computer, food, etc. how
> disappointing!

For the purposes of discussion, here, we talk about unschooling in what
I'd consider its highest form. But in my noncyber life, I have a lot of
friends who are "unschoolers" - who don't really do "school" at home,
but do other planned and imposed kinds of activities, restrict tv,
computer time, videogames, and so on.

Unschooling is not schooling. I'm very very happy when people get that
far and their kids have the freedom to follow their interests with
their parents' support, even if their parents plan some activities for
them and insist on certain things, I'm happy when they're not insisting
on an imposed-curriculum, doing assignments, taking tests, being
graded. The rest of what we talk about here - all the further
ramifications of applying what we've learned from unschooling to the
non-academic areas of life - some of us pick that up and run with it,
others pick it up more slowly, some not at all. But to NOT school a
child is a rare and wonderful thing.

-pam
<www.unschooling.info>

Seth W Bartels

good point...i'm always happy to see the diversity in people's approaches
to growing with their kids and even happier when i see respectful
exchanges between them. i just wish i had more people that i could enjoy
in person who made choices like us. it gets old being SO different all of
the time.

still kinda bummed in IL,
lisa

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 16:49:12 -0700 pam sorooshian <pamsoroosh@...>
writes:

On Sep 20, 2004, at 2:10 PM, Seth W Bartels wrote:

> ugh. in reaching out to our local homeschool group, i found that a lot
> of families are calling what they do with their families unschooling
> even
> though it looks nothing like what we talk about here! lots of
> planned/imposed activities, restricted tv, computer, food, etc. how
> disappointing!

For the purposes of discussion, here, we talk about unschooling in what
I'd consider its highest form. But in my noncyber life, I have a lot of
friends who are "unschoolers" - who don't really do "school" at home,
but do other planned and imposed kinds of activities, restrict tv,
computer time, videogames, and so on.

Unschooling is not schooling. I'm very very happy when people get that
far and their kids have the freedom to follow their interests with
their parents' support, even if their parents plan some activities for
them and insist on certain things, I'm happy when they're not insisting
on an imposed-curriculum, doing assignments, taking tests, being
graded. The rest of what we talk about here - all the further
ramifications of applying what we've learned from unschooling to the
non-academic areas of life - some of us pick that up and run with it,
others pick it up more slowly, some not at all. But to NOT school a
child is a rare and wonderful thing.

-pam
<www.unschooling.info>



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pam sorooshian

On Sep 21, 2004, at 9:02 AM, Seth W Bartels wrote:

> i just wish i had more people that i could enjoy
> in person who made choices like us. it gets old being SO different all
> of
> the time.

Yes, I can understand that. Maybe you can find some that are relatively
closer to you in practice, and open-minded, and convert them over to
the "dark side?" <BEG>

You can invite some unschooling missionaries to your neck of the woods
- we'll convert them for you.

I'm KIDDING -everybody - I'm NOT personally on a mission to convert
people against their will, okay?

But - having unschooling speakers is a way to open up discussion and
bring out those who have a genuine interest.


-pam
National Home Education Network
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.

Michelle

This is how I came to unschooling. I was a die hard school at home person. . Said that I could never unschool, I need a routine. I then met a woman who unschools her children. We spent time with her and her family and saw how it does work. Found out later that she was a moderator on this list. Definitely a radical unschooler. I am now totally over to "the dark side"!! Over the course of a year or so, went from having control on TV, food, bedtime, video games and everything else, to total freedom for my almost 7yo son. The best change we have ever made!!

pam sorooshian <pamsoroosh@...> wrote:

Yes, I can understand that. Maybe you can find some that are relatively
closer to you in practice, and open-minded, and convert them over to
the "dark side?" <BEG>




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Seth W Bartels

haha...i'm doing my best to pull them over to the darkside! i feel like
i'm a walking ad for unschooling sometimes. and i only hope i'm not
turning away more people than i'm attracting. it's hard to ignore that
it's effective when you look at kids who are raised on it (like
mine)...and even our extended family is turning around a bit. i think
they all assume that i'm kidding about not having some sort of plan or
curriculum though. their minds won't bend that direction yet. time will
tell if they ever do!

lisa

On Tue, 21 Sep 2004 19:18:22 -0700 pam sorooshian <pamsoroosh@...>
writes:

On Sep 21, 2004, at 9:02 AM, Seth W Bartels wrote:

> i just wish i had more people that i could enjoy
> in person who made choices like us. it gets old being SO different all
> of
> the time.

Yes, I can understand that. Maybe you can find some that are relatively
closer to you in practice, and open-minded, and convert them over to
the "dark side?" <BEG>

You can invite some unschooling missionaries to your neck of the woods
- we'll convert them for you.

I'm KIDDING -everybody - I'm NOT personally on a mission to convert
people against their will, okay?

But - having unschooling speakers is a way to open up discussion and
bring out those who have a genuine interest.


-pam
National Home Education Network
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.



"List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.

Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
http://www.unschooling.com



Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT






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.

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