Unschooling demystified

[Anonymous]

I didn't really understand what unschooling was all about until I stumbled upon this site. Wow, the Q&A section makes a compelling case!

http://www.johnholtgws.com/frequently-asked-questions-abo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't really understand what unschooling was all about until I stumbled upon this site. Wow, the Q&A section makes a compelling case!

http://www.johnholtgws.com/frequently-asked-questions-abo

No, it doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Agree. I can't even bring myself to read that wall of text.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree. I can't even bring myself to read that wall of text.

Um, this makes no sense. You're objecting to something you haven't even read? Please contribute a meaningful critique after reading it, or do everyone a favor and move along to another thread.

[Anonymous]

So tell me . . .

How does one go on to become a doctor or a veterinarian or a nurse w/o schooling?

After all, isn't college also a microcosm of society? the next step after elementary and secondary in "brainwashing the masses?"

Until society beaks down, my kids will attend school, and I will continue to brainwash the masses!

OP, if this impresses you, you're a fool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree. I can't even bring myself to read that wall of text.

Um, this makes no sense. You're objecting to something you haven't even read? Please contribute a meaningful critique after reading it, or do everyone a favor and move along to another thread.

Provide a meaningful piece to analyze and perhaps people will read it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So tell me . . .

How does one go on to become a doctor or a veterinarian or a nurse w/o schooling?

After all, isn't college also a microcosm of society? the next step after elementary and secondary in "brainwashing the masses?"

Until society beaks down, my kids will attend school, and I will continue to brainwash the masses!

OP, if this impresses you, you're a fool.

I feel ridiculous arguing with someone who hasn't read the page in question, but in a nutshell: unschooling doesn't mean not learning. It's a different approach to learning, ie. "interest driven, child-led, natural, organic, eclectic, or self-directed learning." So, to use your example, if a child has an interest in being a doctor, they would apply themselves to learning the things they need to reach their goal. But there's no reason that learning has to happen in a school environment, until that kid reaches the level of college and med school ... and then only because (I assume) attending those institutions is a requirement for getting a medical license.

There are so many resources nowadays; it's not all up to the parents to teach. There are all sorts of centers that offer a-la-carte classes, as well as books, the Khan Academy, and online K-12 classes offered by the likes of Stanford and GW (children can pick and choose those that are relevant to them). I've been reading many accounts of unschoolers going on to attend colleges with great success; in fact, many start taking college classes well before they reach 18. Heck, I noticed that Stanford even has a page devoted to homeschool college admissions now (http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/requirements/home_school.html).

[Anonymous]

Maybe if we had more "unschooled" or less-school doctors, some of them would have some actual talent. Most of our current conventional education kills the child's natural thirst for real knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tell me . . .

How does one go on to become a doctor or a veterinarian or a nurse w/o schooling?

After all, isn't college also a microcosm of society? the next step after elementary and secondary in "brainwashing the masses?"

Until society beaks down, my kids will attend school, and I will continue to brainwash the masses!

OP, if this impresses you, you're a fool.

I feel ridiculous arguing with someone who hasn't read the page in question, but in a nutshell: unschooling doesn't mean not learning. It's a different approach to learning, ie. "interest driven, child-led, natural, organic, eclectic, or self-directed learning." So, to use your example, if a child has an interest in being a doctor, they would apply themselves to learning the things they need to reach their goal. But there's no reason that learning has to happen in a school environment, until that kid reaches the level of college and med school ... and then only because (I assume) attending those institutions is a requirement for getting a medical license.

There are so many resources nowadays; it's not all up to the parents to teach. There are all sorts of centers that offer a-la-carte classes, as well as books, the Khan Academy, and online K-12 classes offered by the likes of Stanford and GW (children can pick and choose those that are relevant to them). I've been reading many accounts of unschoolers going on to attend colleges with great success; in fact, many start taking college classes well before they reach 18. Heck, I noticed that Stanford even has a page devoted to homeschool college admissions now (http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/requirements/home_school.html).

This would do such a disservice to a child that cannot make choices like this for himself at a young age. If a child is focused on etymology but disregards other less interesting subjects, that's a problem (for him). I have no issue with a child spending EXTRA time on a loved topic; I object to it being exclusive time on a lived topic, not having a well rounded curriculum, etc.

[Anonymous]

If that is how someone who is unschooled writes a Q&A, that is a pretty good deterrent to unschooling.

Pretty much unreadable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't really understand what unschooling was all about until I stumbled upon this site. Wow, the Q&A section makes a compelling case!

http://www.johnholtgws.com/frequently-asked-questions-abo

No, it doesn't.

What? 19 pages of solid text, almost 12,000 words to provide some concise answers about the foundational aspects of unschooling and homeschooling didn't convince you?!! Apparently he wasn't interested in studying the craft of writing or written expression!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tell me . . .

How does one go on to become a doctor or a veterinarian or a nurse w/o schooling?

After all, isn't college also a microcosm of society? the next step after elementary and secondary in "brainwashing the masses?"

Until society beaks down, my kids will attend school, and I will continue to brainwash the masses!

OP, if this impresses you, you're a fool.

I feel ridiculous arguing with someone who hasn't read the page in question, but in a nutshell: unschooling doesn't mean not learning. It's a different approach to learning, ie. "interest driven, child-led, natural, organic, eclectic, or self-directed learning." So, to use your example, if a child has an interest in being a doctor, they would apply themselves to learning the things they need to reach their goal. But there's no reason that learning has to happen in a school environment, until that kid reaches the level of college and med school ... and then only because (I assume) attending those institutions is a requirement for getting a medical license.

There are so many resources nowadays; it's not all up to the parents to teach. There are all sorts of centers that offer a-la-carte classes, as well as books, the Khan Academy, and online K-12 classes offered by the likes of Stanford and GW (children can pick and choose those that are relevant to them). I've been reading many accounts of unschoolers going on to attend colleges with great success; in fact, many start taking college classes well before they reach 18. Heck, I noticed that Stanford even has a page devoted to homeschool college admissions now (http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/requirements/home_school.html).

This would do such a disservice to a child that cannot make choices like this for himself at a young age. If a child is focused on etymology but disregards other less interesting subjects, that's a problem (for him). I have no issue with a child spending EXTRA time on a loved topic; I object to it being exclusive time on a lived topic, not having a well rounded curriculum, etc.

OP here. I had the same thought at first, but I've been reading a lot of discussions about this topic since it piqued my interest, and I personally no longer have this concern. The unschooling philosophy makes the child the driver of his or her education, and it involves trusting them to make the choices that are right for them. It also requires the parents to let go of ideas about what someone else "should" learn, in what order, and by what age. From what I've been reading (statistics and anecdotes), it works, in the sense that it helps children develop into self-fulfilled, well-adjusted adults. For example, I found a gallery of interviews with grown-ups who had been unschooled. I tried to find it again just now but couldn't readily track it down, but they came across as very mature, confident, motivated, self-aware and satisfied with their lives, I suppose because they'd been given the freedom to make a lot of their own choices and really own their failures and accomplishments.

[Anonymous]

Op sounds like they work in sales.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If that is how someone who is unschooled writes a Q&A, that is a pretty good deterrent to unschooling.

Pretty much unreadable.

Well, by this silly reasoning, if this is how someone who is schooled writes a critique (focusing only on style instead of substance), then maybe that is a pretty good deterrent to schooling. And btw, the author did in fact go to regular schools himself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op sounds like they work in sales.

This is OP. I don't see the relevance, but no, I'm not in sales. Though I think I'll take that as a compliment. (Of course I doubt you meant it that way; I feel like there's maybe one poster on this thread who is just dead-set against unschooling (which is fine) and is taking every possible indirect tack to try to be negative.)