One of my kind readers asked me – so what is the other choice? If school causes so many problems and is so ineffective then what is the other option? That is a very valid question.
I am going to cover in the upcoming weeks a series of other choices besides traditional follower orders sit in a chair and do what your told public schooling.
So let’s start with the unschooling movement here are a list of unschooling conferences and seminars that you might find very interesting. IF your really into the idea that children must be seen and not heard you probably will be turned off by these folks – of course you probably didn’t read this far anyway – so there you go.
The unschooling movement is based on some simple ideas –
1) Learning is natural.
2) Parents are the best suited to raise their children.
3) Being curious and learning is in the human blueprint.
If you live near one of theses places – take the weekend to explore what is possible.
Thanks for reading and thanks for asking.
Till next week
Eric Wolf
The first place that comes to mind is the Rethinking education conference. One day I will get there – who knows when – but I will.
http://www.rethinkingeducation.com/
In Madison Wisconsin…
http://www.unschoolingconference.com/
In North Carolina…
http://www.liveandlearnconference.org/
LIFE is Good
NW Unschooling Conference
Red Lion Hotel ~ Vancouver, WA
Memorial Day Weekend, May 22 - 25, 2008
http://lifeisgoodconference.com/
Peabody, Massachusetts for the NORTHEAST UNSCHOOLING CONFERENCE
Memorial Day Weekend May 23-25, 2008
http://www.northeastunschoolingconference.com/presenters.html\
Toronto Unschooling conference
http://www.livingjoyfully.ca/conference/
Interesting site on all this - I found myself really enjoying some of the articles...
http://www.lifelearning.org
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6 comments:
Interesting to see you start with the most far left. Sudbury must be next. ;-).
Thanks for the lead - I heard rumors of the place but never actualy placed it...
My dear fiend Kate - so students from these school who could talk rings around the adults in environmental education conference.
It's interesting to me that you called this "left" because many unschoolers are come form the libertarian movement.
Libertarians aren't on the "left?" Huh? Most Millenial children can talk circles around any adult when it comes to environmental work, regardless of educational choices, it has appeared to me.
My experience of homeschooling for 15 years would lead me to agree with Eric. Many unschoolers have non traditional ideas about many things but are not "left" wing in the sense of being critical of the entire political and economic systems. In my understanding this is the main diff between liberals and radicals. Liberals think the system would work if everybody played nice. Radicals think the system is structurally flawed - a melting pot where the scum rise to the top and the people on the bottom get burnt? And many propose a structure to replace the rotten one. Not so with libertarians. But I digress. Well, there are many left wing critiques and you may find some at an unschooling conference. But not many. More often, in unschooling you'll find middle class folk too poor for private school or too ornery for any school at all. This is not meant to be a real demography, just some observations from many years experience in the Boston area.
Sean, you are always engaging. Like wise Eric. Great stuff here at your blog! Thanks.
Ha!
A whole different point of view -
Thanks for the positive praise - sometimes I feel like I am spitting in the wind with this blog.
Your feedback is very welcome and useful.
Good responses. Just as a point of clarification, I have homeschooled all of our children for 18 years and we continue to do so, leaning more towards the unschooling methods. I appreciate your comments on your perceptions of the unschooling demographic, it's rather much more of the ornery types down my way. Interesting take on the Libertarian discussion, too. Thanks!
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