What do you think of un-schooling??

[Beekissed]

I have homeschooled and un-schooled for awhile during that time. The way I understood the whole un-schooling method is that it is not necessarily the whole curriculum, but a way to de-program kids from public school type structures and curriculums, as well as standards in education. They get to discover how best they learn and apply this when they return to a curriculum-based program.

The year I spent unschooling was delightful and beneficial to my kids and they were actually eager to learn for the first time...AND initiated their learning periods. I was shocked and pleased to see this in action. Then, after that time of relearning how to enjoy learning, we moved on to learning from textbooks once again. It made all the difference, as my boys were curious and often came up with projects and things to go along with the curriculum that provided hands-on learning opportunities. It actually made me step up my game as their teacher, to be honest.

At the end of the year of unschooling, I let my kids take public school state testing to see if I was on track after all....they both scored in the 98% in all subjects that year...unlike the year before in public school when the older boy was seriously slipping in reading and all subjects that required it.

Just like everything else, there are extremes and some of you are taking them when judging this type of learning. It is a valuable tool when switching children from public school into a home learning environment, IME.

I have a friend who started out this way and moved on to self-learning programs like I did and her children are off the charts in intelligence and have earned scholarships to some great universities. They are skilled in classical music and dance, excel at public speaking and are about the most confident, well-rounded young people I've ever met.

Unfortunately, changes in jobs and fortunes prevented me from continuing homeschooling and I had to, sadly, return my children to public school. They have suffered greatly in their "being prepared to live in the real world" from this move. Anyone thinking public school prepares children to live in the real world is obviously a product of public school education....laughably lacking.

It's not really wise to judge this method on just one article. Study up and see the numbers before deciding that it is criminal and just should not be allowed.

 

[gettinaclue]

Unschooling - ummm NO - I personally don't think that would be a good option for MOST kids.

I do have my daughter in public school. I go for enrichment after school. We persue the things she is interested in that are not being covered in school. She once asked me how to balance a check book. It's easy enough to teach. She wanted to learn more about the
Asian culture. Easy enough to go to the library. We discuss history and politics and a million other things - whether they are covered by what she is learning in school or not.

My point is...it seems that unschooling is something that should take place AFTER school - not in place of school, public or otherwise. It appears the unschooled kids will be just that - UNschooled - Uneducated.

Just my HO.

 

[saddina]

Quote:
Unschooling is a type of homeschooling dear. You asked how, I explained.

how do they move on to high school dual enrollment when they have not been taught basics?

Once you are 16, you can go to your local city college, sign up for the assessment test and enroll as a dual-enrolled student, that is a student who is still in high school, but able to take college courses. As for the basics, a text book is not the only way to learn them.

 

[redux]

Quote:
how do they move on to high school dual enrollment when they have not been taught basics?

Once you are 16, you can go to your local city college, sign up for the assessment test and enroll as a dual-enrolled student, that is a student who is still in high school, but able to take college courses. As for the basics, a text book is not the only way to learn them.

I am just curious about how kids learn calculus and American History by hanging around the house and playing in the garden. How do they learn these things if there is no curriculum?

 

[Beekissed]

If you cared to explore the many methods used by unschoolers, you would not simplify the method by calling it "playing around the garden". It is based on applied learning and there are many sources and methods for applied learning in which one can learn and apply calculus.

 

[saddina]

Quote:
Once you are 16, you can go to your local city college, sign up for the assessment test and enroll as a dual-enrolled student, that is a student who is still in high school, but able to take college courses. As for the basics, a text book is not the only way to learn them.

I am just curious about how kids learn calculus and American History by hanging around the house and playing in the garden. How do they learn these things if there is no curriculum?

The concept is that you follow thier interests, now to be quite honest most highschoolers graduate without calculus, and just algebra. So if the child asks who's on the dollar bill, you go get some books on presidents, if they ask why the fuss at thanksgiving, you get books on that. It's usually more work on the parents to keep an eye out and shift gears for changes in interests. In that respect we got lucky, when our oldest turned 5 it was all robots, has been ever since, he's exposed to plenty of other things, but he's still focused on his first love.

 

[debilorrah]

Is it time for a calming voice? Well that wouldn't be me!

After several unsavory incidents at a public high school, I chose to remove my son from that environment and home school him through a charter school. 50/50. Did it work? Not really. But that is because HE is who he is. The most important component to removing him was that the ridicule stopped and we were able to re-build his self esteem again.

He eventually went on to get his GED and is now enrolled in college, many of whom were in the same charter school as him (they are right next door to each other). I think that in many areas of this fabulous US of A, schools and the administration do not do enough to stop the bullying and ridicule. Teachers report and nothing is done. Parents report and nothing is done. So what IS the solution? Remove the child from the detrimental environment.

 

[sune42]

Ok, I just went back and watched the video that went along with the article. The boy was playing world of warcraft. Now, I love me some WoW at night, after the kids are in bed, and the other 50 million things I have going on are done. These people are, however, paying to have their kid play WoW all day instead of learning. I say that because in the article is says they watch tv or play computer games. It doesn't say anything about having a garden or balancing a checkbook. sad

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I think public school works for some and not for others, just as homeschool/unschool does. Generalizing about public school is just as bad as anybody else generalizing about homeschooling/unschooling.

I know many people who are very well rounded, successful people. Some of them were homeschooled and some of them were products of public school. I think a lot has to do with the parenting in either situation. Parents that show an interest in a child's learning will help encourage their children to try hard and succeed. This goes for any type of schooling.

Personally, I don't believe in unschooling as a permanent way of learning. From what I've read, unschooling is basically what my parents taught me while I was not in school. However, I gained most of the skills I use in college and research from public schooling. However, I strongly believe society as a whole is lacking writing and language skills. I'm appalled when I work in groups with people and I have to read over their work.

The key word in the video from the OP's post is "radical unschooling". Just as you have radicals in everything else in life, there's bound to be some wackos in the unschooling method as well! I'm sure there are situations where unschooling can benefit a child, but as I said before different people do well in different situations.

 

[gettinaclue]

Quote:
I think you have a very valid point here. Bullying is a big problem and I think for some, removing the child from this situation is the only solution.