Unschoolers Unlimited Update
Luz Shosie, editor
Dear friends,
Our Unschoolers Unlimited family gathering is usually on the third Saturday of every other month in Guilford CT. Come any time between 1 and 5 pm. Bring a snack or drink to share, if you like. Anyone who is interested in unschooling is welcome to join us for socialization, conversation, play, questions and answers, good food. Please email
nedvare@ntplx.net or call me 203-458-7402 if you plan to come.
If you'd like to come for a visit some other time, give me a call or email.
Check here for updates or sign up to be on our email list.
nedvare@ntplx.net
"Live your life as if school does not exist." Ned Vare 1934 - 2009
http://school-is-hell.blogspot.com/ and
http://nedvarecelebration.blogspot.com/
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When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ to this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world.
- Fred Rogers
"The goal of real education is not to primarily deliver facts, but to bring you to the truths
which allow you to take responsibility for your life." John Taylor Gatto
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From Holt Associates:
... all issues of Growing Without Schooling (GWS) are now available for free public access at
www.holtgws.com. GWS was the nation’s first magazine about homeschooling, unschooling, and learning outside of school, founded by the late author/teacher John Holt in 1977
“All I am saying in this book can be summed up in two words – Trust Children. Nothing could be more simple – or more difficult. Difficult, because to trust children we must trust ourselves – and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted.” John Holt
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power to the little people! Sadie and Emerson, 2011
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From
National Home Education Legal Defense, a national organization open to all who wish to join, that seeks to protect and defend the rights of families who wish to educate in freedom.
Freedom to educate:
Parents educate their children for a variety of reasons in a variety of ways. However, there is one thing that is crucial for all parents, the need to be free so that they are able to educate in the manner in which they choose in the best interest of their children. Together, we can and must retain this freedom; without freedom, there is only one choice: government schooling. That is not acceptable.
NHELD, LLC provides both information and assistance to its members.
NHELD, LLC believes, first and foremost, in empowering individuals to act in accordance with their conscience. NHELD, LLC does not believe in blindly following the word of anyone. NHELD, LLC also does not believe in just directing families to act in unison on the basis of an opinion that NHELD, LLC has formed on its own. NHELD, LLC believes in an informed, empowered citizenry, who is able to fight for freedom effectively when necessary.
Therefore, NHELD, LLC provides the services of:
1. Notifying its members of any proposed legislation on the federal level, and on the state level (where possible) that will affect their right to educate in freedom;
2. Informing individuals about where the entire proposed legislation may be located, so that they may find and read for themselves the text of the legislation itself;
3. Advising individuals not to take the word of anyone else about what that legislation says, but to read the text for themselves in order to formulate their own opinion about the effect the legislation will have, and
4. Suggesting courses of action that individuals may wish to take.
NHELD, LLC also acts with and on behalf of its members to resolve conficts with government officials.
http://www.nheld.com/
Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson
P.O. Box 704
Southbury, CT 06488
Tel. (860) 354-3590
Fax (860) 354-9360
Cell (203) 206-4282
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"In our family, you rebelled by going to school." - Dhani Harrison (George's son)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY
Sir Ted Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?
The dominant systems of education are based on three principles -- or assumptions at least -- that are exactly opposite to how human lives are actually lived. Apart from that, they're fine. First, they promote standardization and a narrow view of intelligence when human talents are diverse and personal. Second, they promote compliance when cultural progress and achievement depend on the cultivation of imagination and creativity. Third, they are linear and rigid when the course of each human life, including yours, is organic and largely unpredictable. As the rate of change continues to accelerate, building new forms of education on these alternative principles is not a romantic whimsy: it's essential to personal fulfillment and to the sustainability of the world we are now creating.
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I went to college only to find out later that the engineering degree I'd put a huge investment in was just simply not me. ... With less pressure and more free space as a child I might have had a better idea of what to pursue. I figure that traditional school slowed me down by at least 20 years.
...
Learning as Unschoolers: Trusting My Child
Beth Taylor
Home Education Magazine Sept.Oct 2012
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The true test of intelligence is not how much we know,
but rather how we behave when we don’t know what to do.
John Holt
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From Uncollege.org:
Schools don’t have a monopoly on knowledge; you can teach yourself everything you need to know to succeed in life. You can get a world-class education by reading the books listed below. However, this list is in no way meant to replace college. These books are just a place to start hacking your education.
UnCollege-recommended books for easy bookmarking and reference: http://www.uncollege.org/reading-list/
Dale J. Stephens is a Penguin author, Thiel Fellow, and education activist. He founded UnCollege in January 2011 because we are paying too much for university and learning too little. Penguin will publish his first book, HACKING YOUR EDUCATION, in March 2013. He lives in San Francisco, California.
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Dear Unschoolers Unlimited,
...you are a truly a calming entity in my life. I am so thankful for you!!!!! L.
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CT Experiential Learning Center (CELC) in Branford CT offers a middle school program,
including workshops and special events for homeschoolers, geared toward students ages 10 – 14.
The offerings per session will vary through the year to include: science, music, writing, current events, thematic studies focused on ancient civilizations (includes work on research project and paper with “living museum” display presentation), nonviolence leadership, and group tutorial sessions on subjects of choice.
To register and for more information, contact us at mandm@CTExperiential.org
or call 203-433-4658.
The intention of the Connecticut Experiential Learning Center is to challenge students and nurture their highest potential. By providing a learning community based in the guiding principles of respect, integrity, responsibility and individual learning, the innate desire of all children to learn, grow, communicate, and create is honored.
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"...whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else.... Whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer."
from
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
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Parents are always saying, “The only thing I want is for my child to be happy.” And that might be true. I don’t know– I’m not a parent. ... But it seems to me that even if parents only want their kids to be happy, they are often talking about future happiness. As in, their kid will be happy because of all of the hard work that led to the success that led to the happiness. ...
But nonschooling is about reminding ourselves of the things that matter. Reminding ourselves that no one is really sure how to get to future happiness, and no one is certain how much certain kinds of success contribute to it, but I think things might be better for everyone if we just spent more time being happy now. Kids, too. Kids’ time and happiness is valuable, too.
Kate Fridkis, grown unschooler
http://skipping-school.com/
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from
http://www.holtgws.com/
“Unschooling, for lack of a better term (until people start to accept living as part and parcel of learning), is the natural way to learn. However, this does not mean unschoolers do not take traditional classes or use curricular materials when the student, or parents and children together, decide that this is how they want to do it. Learning to read or do quadratic equations are not "natural" processes, but unschoolers nonetheless learn them when it makes sense to them to do so, not because they have reached a certain age or are compelled to do so by arbitrary authority. Therefore it isn't unusual to find unschoolers who are barely eight-years-old studying astronomy or who are ten-years-old and just learning to read.”
—Pat Farenga,
Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling
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from
Why Deschooling? by Pam Laricchia
Deschooling is a general term used to describe this transition to unschooling, where we expand our definition of learning beyond the classroom paradigm. Conventional wisdom tell us that learning looks like teachers and listening and writing and tests. Even years after we’ve graduated, chances are our vision of learning is still locked within those four walls. But what might we see if we remove our school-goggles?
The guideline surrounding deschooling is that the process typically takes about one month per year of school or school-at-home. Right away that tells us that parents likely have the bulk of the work to do, which makes sense because we’ve been enmeshed in school culture the longest. The idea of a guideline makes me giggle a bit because it takes as long as it takes, but where the statement really helps is planting the idea that the process takes a while. Not a few weeks or a couple months, but some real time. Long enough that when you’re nearing the end, hopefully you’ve reached the point where you’re not even looking for the “end” any more.
- See more at:
http://livingjoyfully.ca/blog/2013/02/why-deschooling/
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iTunes University: Free Courses on Your Computer, iPhone, iPod Touch, & iPad
You won't receive a diploma, but you'll have the knowledge.
These free iTunes U courses can easily be added to your homeschool curriculum. You'll find courses in science, math, and...well, with over 500,000 lectures, courses, books, and videos, you'll find all you need to keep yourself and your students learning. In the app, you can build a course, and your student can switch between devices - from iPad to iPhone, for example - while studying.
iTunes U By Apple
Open iTunes to buy and download apps.
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in Connecticut
Two Coyotes Wilderness School
Raising the next generation of spring peepers
Please check out our offerings. We have programs for homeschoolers, preschoolers, weekend programs, overnight programs, a ton of great summer camps and much more!
Justin Pegnataro
Executive Director, Two Coyotes Wilderness School
http://www.twocoyotes.org
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“Education is the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty.”
Mark Twain
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from
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/26/1068595/-My-experience-as-an-unschooler?via=siderec
My experience as an unschooler
There is a wide array of opinions on home/unschooling floating around, both negative and positive, from those who have never experienced it, to those who are in the process of unschooling their children currently. One thing I don't often see though, is the perspective of an adult unschooler on the process.
Well, here is my answer to that. I'm 27 years old, and was unschooled from the age of 0 - 18. There's a lot of speculation on the effects of unschooling - on intelligence, socialization, worldview, etc. So I'm here to try and provide the perspective of someone who has been through the process and come out on the other side.
More unschooling videos:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL782D887497E15DF1&feature=plcp
the Unschooling Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/user/UnschoolingChannel?ob=0
and interviews of John Holt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQM6rHoP-5Q&feature=player_embedded#!
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"Here’s our first instruction: take a deep breath and relax. Really. The things you’re worrying about are much smaller factors in your child’s well-being than you might imagine. Many modern parents believe that children’s personality and adult behavior are shaped mainly by parenting -- but research paints a very different picture.
... Children are not passive recipients of parenting or schooling, but active participants in every aspect of their own development.
...One of the major ways that chldren adapt to their circumstances is through play. From preschool through adolescence, play is practice for adult life and helps to develop some of the brain’s most important functions."
Welcome to Your Child’s Brain/ How the Mind Grows from Conception through College
Sandra Aamodt, Ph.D. and Sam Wang, Ph.D.
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"creative, confident and in control of their environment"
Teaching life lessons through tinkering: Gever Tulley on TED.com
Gever
Tulley uses engaging photos and footage to demonstrate the valuable
lessons kids learn at his Tinkering School. When given tools, materials
and guidance, these young imaginations run wild and creative
problem-solving takes over to build unique boats, bridges and even a
rollercoaster!
http://blog.ted.com/2009/06/30/tinkering_schoo_1/
Gever
Tulley, founder of the Tinkering School, spells out 5 dangerous things
you should let your kids do -- and why a little danger is good for both
kids and grownups.
http://www.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_on_5_dangerous_things_for_kids.html
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“I began to schoolteach as an engineer would, solving problems as they arose. Because of my upbringing and because of certain unresolved contradictions in my own character I had a great private need not just to have a job but to have work that would allow me to build the unbuilt parts of myself, to give me competence and let me feel my life was one being lived instead of it living me. I brought to those first years an intensity of watchfulness probably uncommon in those who grow up untroubled. My own deficiencies provided enough motivation to want to make something worthwhile happen.
“Had I remained a problem-solver I would have drowned in life for sure, but a habit of mind that demands things in context sensitized me to the culture of schooling as a major element in my work and that wariness eventually allowed me to surmount it. The highest school priorities are administrative coherence, student predictability, and institutional stability; children doing well or poorly are incidental to the main administrative mission. Hence teachers are often regarded as instruments which respond best if handled like servants made to account for the silverware. In order to give these vertical relationships strength, the horizontal relationships among teachers— collegiality—must be kept weak.
“This divide-and-conquer principle is true of any large system. ...”
—John Taylor Gatto
The Underground Historyof American Education
A Schoolteacher's Intimate Investigation Into The Problem Of Modern Schooling
If you appreciate John Taylor Gatto, the author of Dumbing Us Down (probably his most popular book), you'll appreciate this freebie read of his, The Underground History of American Education.
http://johntaylorgatto.com/chapters/index.htm
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“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
quotes from
http://thinkexist.com/quotation
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Kelly Lovejoy wrote a great description of the stages of unschooling - you can read it here.
http://sandradodd.com/kellylovejoy/stages
"The first stage is the longest and most difficult and involves getting rid of all school-think, which includes classes and "instruction" and school-speak. We have to rid ourselves of the reliance on schools and teachers and testing and book-worship. We need to look deeply into the difference between "teach" and "learn". We ban classes and structure and nagging. It's accepting that grades and requirements and diplomas and curricula and extrinsic motivations truly have no meaning in an unschooling life. It's realizing that the whole world is related and inter-related: it's about NOT dividing the world into subjects: math is science is art is history is literature is FUN! It's a time for reflection on how we've learned the things that really matter in our adult lives. It's hard to let go of all that school-think, to go beyond what we've been *taught* was important and to value ALL learning as important."
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When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.
John Muir
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The Things I Really Want My Kids to Learn by Sue Smith Heavenrich –
“I think I’d put ‘making your own lunch’ at the top of the list.” Knowing how to make a tuna sandwich or whip up a pot of macaroni is as important as knowing how to divide fractions. Maybe even more important.”
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Dear Unschoolers Unlimited,
Thank you SO much for the UnCurriculum article. (
http://unschoolersunlimited.blogspot.com/)
I’m in PA, in a school district & state which require a daily log of school work. As this is my first year of “officially” homeschooling, I’ve been struggling to find a ‘guide’ for putting everyday life into “school terms.” I was deeply encouraged to be true to who I am & who the boys are (AGAIN – encouragement & reminders seems a recurring need for homeschooling parents). While I teach with a few “aids”, most “schooling” stems from good reading, real life application, and play.
THANK YOU for this very simple listing, which I will refer back to in those moments of forgetfulness & panic over what I could possibly write in ‘that log’.
A very, very thankful Momma in PA ~
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Video on TED.com
William Ury: The walk from "no" to "yes"
http://www.ted.com/talks/william_ury.html
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"Don’t be afraid of your own strength." by Diane von Furstenberg
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from NewEnglandUnschooling@yahoogroups.com
What I found really useful at first was joining and reading at
Unschoolingbasics, a yahoo group for those new to unschooling.
I also *really* like Sandra Dodd's daily emails of encouragement she sends out. You can see them and subscribe here: http://justaddlightandstir.blogspot.com/
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from
HEM-Unschooling@yahoogroups.com
Posted by:"HelenH"
Taking a Closer Look at Unschooling
Defining unschooling is a little like describing a color, and every bit as elusive. You can rely on commonly-held descriptions; for example, we generally all agree what blue looks like, but what about cobalt, aqua, navy, cyan, sapphire, azure, indigo, cerulean, turquoise or cornflower? It's the same with unschooling. There's a generally accepted definition, but then there are all these wonderful variations
Taking a Closer Look at Unschooling
http://www.homeedmag.com/closerlook/3/unschooling/
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Open Yale Courses provides free and open access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University. The aim of the project is to expand access to educational materials for all who wish to learn.
http://oyc.yale.edu/
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The best way to know life is to love many things.
Van Gogh
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Joyfully rejoicing!
http://joyfullyrejoycing.com/
This site is about unschooling. And it's about parenting more peacefully. But overall it's about living more joyful family lives. If I had to summarize it the message would be "Put the relationship first and then figure out how to fit everything else around that."
As you're reading the parenting answers, probably the most useful piece of advice is:
Don't drop all your parenting rules at once. Just say "Yes!" more.
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Good video on childhood education--might be helpful to show doubting spouses or grandparents:
http://www.clicks.robertgenn.com/picasso-artwork.php
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"A child who is learning naturally, following his curiosity where it leads him, adding to his mental model of reality whatever he needs and can find a place for, and rejecting without fear or guilt what he does not need, is growing - in knowledge, in the love of learning, and in the ability to learn....
All his life he will go on learning."
~John Holt, in
How Children Fail
http://www.holtgws.com/
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from NewEnglandUnschooling@yahoogroups.com
~ This TED talk is very much addressing the unschooler approach to life
learning:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/cameron_herold_let_s_raise_kids_to_be_entrepreneurs.html
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from
www.huffingtonpost.com
No Homework and Never a Test - The Life of an Unschooler
" Up until a year ago I could barely spell. It was my own fault, because I was reluctant to take on the daunting task. Most parents would have intervened in this situation, but my mom says there's a cost to that.
"When you force someone to do something, especially when they're a child and there's an imbalance and a power relationship anyway, they lose part of their will and their confidence that they know what's right for them. And I think that's a pretty high cost for being a good speller."
Sam Fuller, 16, unschooler
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from NewEnglandUnschooling@yahoogroups.com
One of the best things about unschooling during the teenage years is the time and space to pursue interests. I have found that adults in the community respond amazingly to young people who want to learn from them. My son's interests were animals, birding, photography, music -- he volunteered at wildlife centers, developed wonderful relationships with area birders, joined the local digital photography club and birding group, hung out at open mikes, and played in bands. On weekends he'd get picked up by his 60-year-old birding mentor and they'd go out and have a blast with other adult birders. He loved their knowledge -- they loved his youth, enthusiasm, and sharper eyesight :). M.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNLSy8uXUK8&feature=related
The Levity Project is a social movement which creates change through public play, laughter, and celebration with the goal of creating a lighter and more joyful society.
The Laughter Flash is an event with The Levity Project where participants gather and laugh together for no reason. The purpose is to infuse a public space with the energy of laughter starting with the participants and creating a ripple effect to all who are present or who are passing by.
www.thelevityproject.com
Videography by Max Heiligman
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New England Science & Sailing
PO Box 733 · 70 Water Street · Stonington, CT 06378
www.nessf.org 860-535-9362 860-535-9362
Homeschool Programs at NESS. We have many new offerings based in science, engineering, boats, math, art, marine careers, and even FISHING!! We will be offering family classes again too!
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“The ability to think outside the box develops over time, a result of study, observation, thought, and a valuable collection of abject failures and stunning successes. Only your attention can give you the tools you need; only your time can hone them. If upon completion of your first year of homeschooling you are on your way to thinking outside the box, if your children are uncovering and following interests with the time available to them, if education is emerging as something you all do for yourselves instead of having it done ‘to’ you, congratulations. You are a homeschooling success.”
Linda Dobson
http://www.parentatthehelm.com
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Consumption is a word used to describe acts of acquisition – generally, the acquisition of things, in exchange for money. Unconsumption is a word used to describe everything that happens after an act of acquisition.
http://unconsumption.tumblr.com
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“Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college, but it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever--because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference.”
Steve Jobs Commencement Speech at Stanford, 2005
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html
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Environmental Education Lesson offered by US Fish and Wildlife Service
Homeschool Educators:
It is part of the mission of the US Fish and Wildlife Service to provide environmental education programs to the local community FREE OF CHARGE.
A new environmental education lesson is available to your students from the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Westbrook, CT.
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/mckinney/
This lesson is based on Connecticut state curriculum standards for the 4th grade level. It provides a basic introduction to the National Wildlife Refuge System and the migratory birds that can be seen right here in our state. It utilizes a Powerpoint presentation with graphics, includes a question/answer session, a research session and a birdhouse building activity. All materials will be provided by the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge.
This lesson can be given at our headquarters building in Westbrook to groups of about 15 people or smaller. If you are able to assemble a group of more that 15 people, we can travel to a venue that you provide to complete the lesson off site.
If you are interested in having this lesson presented to a group of students, please contact me using the information below.
Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Shaun Roche, Park Ranger
Stewart B. McKinney NWR
US Fish and Wildlife Service
733 Old Clinton Road, Westbrook, CT
860-399-2513 ext. 111
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Man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard.
Luther Standing Bear
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7 Tips to Help Your Child Learn Without Teaching
By Linda Dobson
http://www.parentatthehelm.com/6522/7-tips-to-help-your-child-learn-without-teaching/
Children are humans. Humans learn. That’s what they do, if well-intentioned adults don’t interfere with or, worse, destroy, their natural curiosity. With this basic concept in mind, let’s explore seven tips that allow you to help your child learn without turning into “the teacher” of your worst nightmares!
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"A child enters school as a question mark, and leaves as a period." -- Neal Postman.
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Dear U.U.
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your time and experience with us. It's beyond inspirational to me as a parent doing things differently to hear about the experiences of others who went a similar way. It's so nice to know that there's a community out there that we can be a part of. I really appreciate the work you and your family have done to pave the way for other families in CT.
L.
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“Never let schooling interfere with your education.”
Mark Twain
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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
Aristotle
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Dear Unschoolers Unlimited,
I thank you so much for the emails and the wealth of knowledge within. I truly appreciate your time and although it did not click until I read your email, I have in fact read your book! A retired doctor lent it to me when my kids were just babies. I am honored to speak with you. I also thank you for not giving up and for you and Ned's dedication to the truth of the education system and the courage to do what was right for Cassidy. In doing so you have managed to be a lighthouse in the midst of a sea of lies and manipulations. You and Ned through your life have brought peace, knowledge, and courage to countless other families. Thank you for helping to pave way through this societies illusion. While reading your book I remember thinking we would have so much to talk about. Mostly though I was thankful that I was not alone and I was right about the education system in our country. May we stay in touch and I can not wait to meet you.
L.
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“… what I said at the end of Escape From Childhood was this: People who feel their children are full human beings and ought to be treated that way should try, within the geographical boundaries of their community, say, to set up a sort of invisible network, in which adults can treat children as we hope all adults will someday treat them. I think of what Paul Goodman used to say to radicals: ‘Suppose the revolution was over and you had won - how would you live your life then? Well, live it that way now!’”
From a 1981 interview with John Holt
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It seems that in the rush to give children every advantage — to protect them, to stimulate them, to enrich them — our culture has unwittingly compromised one of the activities that helped children most. All that wasted time was not such a waste after all.
It has always been; it will always be. Play is children’s most important work.
Linda Dobson’s Parent At The Helm
http://www.parentatthehelm.com/
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Dear U.U.
... Your email is inspiring. ... always wanted to homeschool ... but ... He enjoyed kindergarten and first grade. ... Today will be his last day at conventional school. Frankly, I am a bit scared about whether I will be good enough, but more so I am very excited. There is so much to do and learn and he can do all in a more tranquil, supportive and loving setting.
Thank you!
J
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from
Home Education Magazine, Sept/Oct. 2011
http://homeedmag.com/
“I had learned in school that one can only enjoy things one is good at, and, more critically, one should only pursue things one is good at, and furthermore, resources should only be expended for students to participate in activities they are good at. And, still further, one shouldn’t undertake anything difficult unless one is prepared to sweat at it. I am a living demonstration that all four principles are schoolish mythology, and act as detriments o the ultimate quality of our lives.
“This is not a paean to mediocrity. ... But I also have learned that I need not be a passive spectator, and that I can take control of my experience, and my learning, at whatever level I choose. It has taken me four decades to get there, and an awful lot of deschooling, but I am thankful to have arrived.”
David H. Albert
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Thanks for all your emails, calls, visits! I love hearing from you!
Luz
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