Summer Unschool

Share A Summer Unschooling Update Here!

2009-06-16T06:37:00-04:00

I have searched and searched for a way to keep us all connected and informed of our journies in unschooling this summer. I tried Mr. Linky and couldn't get it to work. I was hoping the "wrap-ups" would work, but there is just no way for me to get around to everyone's blogs as often as I would need to. So, the most simple way seems to be to start a post (like this) and then if you have an update, just comment to this post with a link to your blog post about your unschooling adventure. Or if you don't have a blog, you can share a bit of your questions or thoughts in this space and then we can all comment and reply. These new comments are great...they are almost like a traditional forum. At least for now, let's see how it works.

And because no post is complete without a photo, the above is a shot Ian took of a little juvenile robin. They are everwhere in our neighborhood. We watched this little guy (or girl) for quite awhile hop around the backyard. Then its mama finally came back. Even though it can fly a little, its mother was still feeding it worms she caught...showing him how it was done. Such a great example of how mothers continue to be mothers even after out little ones have left the nest.

Something tells me there will be a renewed interest in birds in the coming months.

From now on there will be a group of important links on the top right hand side for easier navigation. The "Update Us!" link will be there.

Oh, and if you haven't checked out the flickr group in awhile, there are some great things to see over there. Grap a cup of coffee and check out what everyone else is up to.

What's everyone been up to? How's it going?

Unschooling Interview: Diane of Mackville Road

2009-06-05T08:30:28-04:00

Its interview time again here on the VC - Unschooling Page. This week, we get to hear from another of my most favorite unschooling bloggers, Diane of Mackville Road. Diane lives in Vermont with her husband Lucian and two children. Diane also is an amazing maker of things and has a sweet little shop called Lulu&Bea. You can see more of Diane's beautiful photos here. Grab a cup of coffee with me as we learn a little more about Diane and how she and her family are all learning along together.

Eren: Hi Diane, let's get started. So, how does your family define unschooling?

Diane: We say we unschool but I'm not sure I even want to try defining it! Pretty much what we do is live our lives. The kids are part of everything we do and allowed to participate in any way they want to in the general goings-ons. I noticed early on with my first, Em, that if he was allowed to move at his own pace he would learn things for himself without any trouble. As he got to "school age" I tried to introduce some workbooks: I mean, this is what you do, right? Work sheets! That's what I did! But it didn't take long at all to figure out that he was not interested in doing these things and it eventually became clear to me that they were completely disconnected from his real life. Not to mention no fun. And I didn't like doing them either. So we gave those up. Also early on, people would say, "Oh, I could never homeschool! I don't know enough algebra (or fill in the blank.)" Well, I myself am the product of a public school education and there's an awful lot of things I don't know or didn't retain! For instance, Em knows way more about Revolutionary War history at the age of 10 than I knew before he started learning about it. He knows more about it now than Lucian and I put together. Also, there's an awful lot of things I wished I'd learned a lot earlier -- practical things. The great things that I do remember from school were the things that thrill me still: photography and writing. I like to think that with unschooling Em is immersed in the things that thrill him and it's clear to me that he's learning exactly what he needs to at exactly the pace that is right for him. There's a lot of trust involved in unschooling, in choosing any path that leads away from acceptable mainstream-ness.

Eren: That's exciting! So, do you consider yourself a strict unschooling family, or would you say you use a mixed approach to schooling?

Diane: Em doesn't use any curriculum at all. He is allowed to follow his interests wherever they may lead him. Luckily, there are a lot of other people around who are willing to do things with him, too! For instance, he is really interested in all things medieval and really wanted to build a trebuchet. Suffice to say, this is not my forte. But then it turned out that a grandpa was game to do this with him and they got to spend a day a week at least over the fall and spring working on this projecttogether. Our extended family and friends are also willing and available to do stuff with him where his interests intersect with theirs. Want to build model trains? Go to grandpa. Want to learn about old-fashioned guns and also skeet shooting? Hang out with James. Learn to cook by feel? Check in with grandma. He has also been lucky to attend four years of a primitive skills camp for homeschoolers nearby. This camp has given him the opportunity to interact with a large group and to figure out how to be and work in a group of people. Plus, all those games that are no good with your sister and your mom and your pop get to be played on a large scale and that's pretty great, too. He takes classes occasionally, spends time at our local library, goes to naturalist meetings and field trips with his papa, helps me out at the farmers' market I go to.

Eren: What a great community of people to surrounding your children and their learning. It sounds so simple, but Im sure there are difficulties that come with unschooling too. Tell me, what is difficult about using this approach to learning?

Diane: I've found that unschooling only becomes difficult when we have to "prove" something. When we have to fit into the guidelines that somebody somewhere decided that we should all fit in to, it gets a little difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. In Vermont, where we live, if you are registered as homeschoolers (and we are registered) you have to have some sort of evaluation at the end of the year to show the powers that bethat your child is progressing. This can be a standardized test, a portfolio that you submit to the Home Study Office and they review, or a written evaluation by any licensed teacher in the state of Vermont. We have always gone with the written evaluation. If we were following a curriculum at all things would be much easier to do at the "end of the year." As it is, we don't necessarily have easy to hand over evidence of learning. Instead, we write up a list of books that were read in one form or another -- by himself, one of us reading to him, or someone else's recording. Then we write up a list of special events, classes, workshops, projects he did or trips that he did during the year. From here we have to extrapolate what parts fit into the subject areas the Department of Education wants to hear about and then to demonstrate that he's made progress from the year before. It all depends on how you define progress of course. We are lucky enough to know a licensed teacher who is happy to work with unschoolers. But even so, she still needs to see evidence and this is what I find hardest about unschooling: it's hard to quantify. If you talk to him about what he's been up to, I think it's clear that he's a kid who is interested in lots of different things and is creative, motivated, kind, generally happy, and all-around great guy. That's what's important to us as his parents and he is happy with the way his days are but sometimes it can be hard to translate into the black and white that the state wants to see. I'm really glad that there is the option to meet with a person face to face -- I think it makes a world of difference given the kind of kid Em is to talk with him about what he loves versus trying to show it.

Eren: What is the best thing about applying this approach as you educate your children? I'm sure there must be moments that make it all worth it for you.

Diane: We can do whatever we want! We don't have to follow someone else's idea about what is important to learn and when. We can let our children find their way and help them to learn whatever they want to know. We can be part of our town and our kids can have friends of all ages since they are not required to spend most of their waking hours with only people their own age. The world is our oyster! It wasn't until I was at college, a teeny-tiny liberal arts college, that I really learned how to learn. I think there is no more important lesson. Once you know how to find what you want to know, by whatever means necessary, you are ready to be an engaged lifelong learner. For me, I had to pay a whole lot of money to learn that fairly late in the game -- luckily, my kids are learning it now. There's also something really great, I think, about meeting the kinds of people you meet when you're homeschooling. It's interesting to me to see how people on the right of the political spectrum end up being allies with the people on the left side of the spectrum where homeschooling is concerned! Something we can all agree on...

Eren: What are your children “studying” currently.

Diane: Em is revved up to do some gardening this year. Of the perennial variety. He's digging up his own bed and starting to plan what he wants to grow in there. He's saving up to buy an old-fashioned gun making kit. (Guns are not my thing. Guns scare me. But he has been scouring the Dixie Gun Works catalog for at least a year now studying the different old-style models and learning about how they were used.) He decided he needed to make some money towards this end and recently put a sign at the end of our driveway offering to do odd jobs. The neighbors have started calling. So he's learning about working and how to find work, how to act on the job, how to decide what to charge, how to manage what he makes and so on. He's been doing some mountain biking with his uncle. Working at his grandparent's nursery. He's been learning a lot of songs lately, too, about Vermont history, American history, and a goodly number of sea shanties so there's lots of singing around the house.

Eren: Anything else you want to share with us? Any last words or resources for the readers? Lay it on us.

Diane: Some things that I turn to when I'm feeling unsure about homeschooling: the book How to Learn by, John Holt and always the writing at Camp Creek Blog.

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A big thanks to Diane and the other unschoolers who have agreed to be interviewed in this space. I don't think it is a simple thing to do and I am so grateful for the women who have opened themselves up to us.

Thanks again Diane!

Unschooling Interview: Molly Dunham

2009-05-19T14:34:33-04:00

I am excited to be able to bring you another unschooling interview. Molly Dunham is one of my favorite bloggers and such a sweet gal. Her blog A Foothill Home Companion chronicles the life of she and her children, her sewing, her gardening and their spunky chickens. Molly also shares some killer recipes in her sidebar if you are interested. I identify with Molly's journey to find the right educational process for her children in many ways, and have learned a great deal from her.

Please meet Molly:

Eren: Hi Molly! Thanks for letting us into your world. Let's start off with this question, How does your family define unschooling?

Molly:For myself and my family, I would define unschooling as living the way I think and feel we should be living. Unschooling erases the line between living and learning so that we are free to learn all the time. Years and years of traditional schooling led me to believe that learning took place in a classroom, between the hours of 8 AM and 3 PM, from September until June. As a child, then as a young adult, then as a mother of school aged children, I couldn't wait until 3 PM, the weekend, summer vacation, when "learning" ceased and "living" began.

Unschooling opened my mind to the concept that learning and living could, and should, occur simultaneously, at any time of day or night or time of year, and in any location.

Learning has become as natural, enjoyable and important as eating, sleeping, and breathing.

I don't believe that I discovered the joy of learning until I was in college and was able to choose the topics I wanted to study. Unschooling allows my children the freedom to study what they want, when they want and how they want. If they want to do a science experiment, the kitchen becomes their laboratory. If they want to learn about a particular animal, we go to the library and start our research. When they're playing with blocks or Legos, or sitting and drawing, they are being exposed to new literature, either listening as I read a book aloud or listening to an audio book.

As my daughter said the other day, "I'm learning all the time." That is unschooling.

Eren: Do you consider yourself a strict unschooling family, or do you use a mixed approach?

Molly: We are not a strict or radical unschooling family. Our style of learning (much like our taste in books, music, food, friends, design) is rather eclectic. I'm constantly learning about different methods of homeschooling and educational theory, and incorporating these ideas into our life to see whether or not they work.

We have small wooden boxes filled with colored sand, inspired by a Montessori video I watched years ago. The kids and I use the boxes to practice our penmanship. Inspired by Lori of Camp Creek Press, practitioner of the Reggio Emilia approach, I bought each of us a drawing journal. Periodically we sit down together to sketch items found around the house or in nature in order to practice our drawing skills.

There are several math and grammar workbooks floating around the house that my children enjoy using on occasion. They have free reign to choose their own books at the library, but I often bring home books I think they might like. I leave the books in a location likely to be discovered, or present them to the kids when they're looking for something to do. My daughter probably wouldn't have picked out the book, Math for Every Kid by Janice Van Cleave, but I brought it home and we've enjoyed doing many of the projects from the book.

While we follow our children's lead when it comes to their education, we also provide direction and guidance. There are certain skills we want our children to develop that we believe require regular practice, such as reading, writing, spelling, math facts and household work. Our children don't jump out of bed begging to practice these skills each day.

I rarely force my children to do these things (I say rarely because I have panicked a few times that these skills won't be developed if not insisted upon - not my finest homeschooling moments by any means). My husband and I look for ways to incorporate these skills into our daily lives.

We ask our daughter to read aloud to us - mail, emails, news reports, directions, recipes, joke books.

We play spelling games - Boggle, Scrabble, Bananagrams.

We encourage our children to write notes to family and friends.

We double and halve recipes, figure out sale prices, let the children count out change to buy small items at the store.

Once you start looking, learning opportunities begin presenting themselves everywhere.

Eren: What is the most difficult thing about using this approach to learning?

Molly:I'd say the most difficult thing about unschooling (other than not having nearly enough time in our day or lifetime to learn everything I want us to learn) is confidence. Confidence that unschooling is the best way to educate our children. Confidence that my children will learn what they need to know to make it on their own one day and be able to live the life they want to live.

It was my lack of confidence in my ability to teach my son to read that led us to the decision to keep him in kindergarten at public school this year. (I believe, however, that it was unschooling that led us to enroll him in public school in the first place - he begged and begged to go to school and we followed his lead. Read more here. Now that he is reading, I'm feeling quite confident about continuing on our unschooling journey. Kindergarten was but a scenic detour.

Unschooling isn't the only part of life where I sometimes lack confidence, but what I'm learning, and hope my children will learn too, is that confidence is a choice. I'm beginning to believe that all behaviors are a choice. So I'm choosing confidence. I'm modeling confidence for my children. I believe that if my children can read and choose to be confident, they can accomplish anything.

Eren: What is the best thing about applying this approach as you educate your children?

Molly: The best thing about choosing the unschooling approach to educate my children is really getting to know them. I'm able to observe how they learn, what they choose to study, discover what they like and don't like, acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses. I get to be there for their light-bulb moments. I'm able to help them when they need help.

I once heard a kindergarten teacher say that we should celebrate where our children are. Unschooling allows us to celebrate where our children are. I know how much they are learning, how fast they are growing, how far they have come. We don't worry about red marks on papers, progress reports, behavior warnings, or test results. We don't compare our children's grades to their classmate's grades.

We live. We learn. We celebrate.

Eren: What are your children “studying” currently?

Molly: My daughter is currently studying cookbooks. She has checked out almost every kid's cookbook from our library. It's a joy to see her laying in bed at night, reading a cookbook. She loves to bake. Just the other day she made a chocolate chip cake. Deciding it needed frosting, she counted out over $2 in change and begged me to take her to the grocery store (hello real world math!).

This has been a year of pet acquisition. We've gone from no pets at all to chickens, fish and a rabbit (not to mention the triops we flushed down the toilet and the polliwogs we returned to the canal). Each time we get a new pet, my daughter checks out every book in the library about that animal. She then reads each book and disseminates all the pertinent information to us.

A few weeks ago we got goldfish, followed by a stack of books on pet fish. On the way home from the library, my son was looking at a book on aquariums. To my surprise, he turned to the index in the back of the book, found "goldfish", and turned to the appropriate pages. I really had no idea he knew how to use an index. I celebrated.

Eren: Anything else you want to share with us? Anything I have forgotten to ask? Lay it on us.

Molly:Since we started homeschooling, I've realized there are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. There are as many ways to unschool as there are unschoolers. You really can't compare methods or results because every persons experience is so unique. There is great value in sharing our experience with others. Through writing, reading and commenting on homeschooling blogs, we encourage one another and gather new ideas. By seeking out local homeschooling groups, we build friendships and support networks from which we can benefit, no matter what homeschooling method we choose.

There's more than one way to skin a cat, or so the old saying goes, and by seeing how others go about skinning, we can improve our own skinning method.

And one last thing - whether you choose public school, private school, school at home, unschooling, or a combination of all the above, choose to be confident about your decision and celebrate where you are.

Eren: Thank you Molly for sharing a bit of your life with us today. You are a gracious and inspiring mama. I am happy to count you as a sister in this journey of motherhood.

unschooling interview: jean (beetgreen)

2009-04-20T08:20:44-04:00

As we have found, the term "unschooling" can be difficult to define. As we try to apply such a fluid word to our family life this summer, getting insight into what unschooling actually looks like in practice makes sense.

With this, I am thrilled to bring you the first interview of one of my most favorite unschoolers.

Jean, her husband Andrew and their 12 year old son live and homeschool by the sea, in Maine. Jean does not have a public blog, but you can view her rich and earthy flickr photos where she goes by the name beetgreen.

Let's get started.

Eren: So Jean, how does your family define unschooling?

Jean: I guess the best place to start is to say, quite simply, that we don’t do school at home. The learning that happens is driven by what any one of us is exploring, and is sometimes incidental to how we spend our days. We lead a very rich life, both within our community of family and friends and in the greater community in which we live. My husband and I are, at any given time, aware our son’s budding interests. We provide the tools and experiences for learning, but do not insist that any topic or course of study be followed. We don’t structure the learning in any specific way, which is not to say we lack structure or routine in our daily lives. As a natural consequence of how we live our lives, he is continuously exposed to new ideas and experiences.

Our son was an early reader, and gets much of his knowledge through books. Those books sparked interests that have led to fiddle classes, concerts, museum visits, horseback riding, farm camp, boat rides, growing and harvesting food, and many other experiences. Along the way there was a lot of learning. Also, we are fortunate to have a number of class offerings available through a local homeschooling cooperative. We let our son know about upcoming classes, and sign up if he is interested. We visit the library 3-4 times per week, swim at our local Y, attend presentations at the Audubon center, meet friends at beaches and parks, explore the local trails and woods, skate, go to museums, and stay home when we feel we need some quiet. We are avid readers and love being outdoors. We enjoy travelling to visit family and friends, and drop everything for last minute invitations. That said, we are homebodies to the core. We have busy days, when we are out and about, and quiet days when we are home all day. Although we do pay for lessons and programs, we love finding fun things to do that cost nothing.



Eren: Do you consider yourself a strict unschooling family, or do you use a mixed approach?

Jean: It wasn’t always like this. We hadn’t planned on homeschooling, and at first thought he would eventually go to school. He did attend preschool, but did not continue on to school when the program ended. When he was little I attempted to do lessons with him for writing and math. I taught in public schools for years and thought this would be the best approach.    Although he was a fluent reader at about age five, he had no interest in writing, and zero interest in anything that smelled like a math lesson. After many fruitless months, I stopped all formal instruction. It took me a long time to let go. It took him no time at all. He spent his days reading, building, playing, and exploring, just as he had always done. We cooked together, read stories, watched documentaries, played with friends, and attended classes. When he wanted to take lessons, we sought out folks who understood our approach and would work with us. For example, while he loved fiddle lessons, he hated practicing the fiddle at home. His teacher understood this and never insisted that he practice outside of lessons. Now that he is older he practices quite regularly, prompted by his desire to be a better fiddler.

One day, about a year after we started unschooling, he came inside and told me he thought he should start writing. He has been writing daily ever since. It quickly became a major focus in his life. Much to my surprise, the same thing happened with math. After years of showing absolutely no interest in anything resembling a lesson, he requested math workbooks. He sets the kitchen timer and works independently in his books. When he needs clarification or instruction, he asks one of us to sit down and work with him. From time to time I hear him in conversation with my husband discussing more abstract math concepts.

All this is NOT to say we have abandoned him. He has learned lots by being part of our family, our community, our world. He has responsibilities and chores, just as we all do. We provide a rich variety of experiences, some based on his interests, some on our own. The difference is that we don’t turn any of those experiences into lessons. There was lots of math in planning our food garden, and he was eager to work with us. The learning that happens is a natural extension of living. We have found that as he gets older he is increasingly interested in pursuing more traditional approaches to learning.

Eren: What is the most difficult thing about unschooling?

Jean: I think the most difficult part is having faith in unschooling itself, particularly when just beginning. Most children will learn no matter what approach is used. Many others will not. When it goes badly for a little person, the damage done can be profound. I believe strongly that there is purpose and meaning in the pursuits a child chooses for himself. But, the connection between a child’s activity and the learning that results is not always evident to adults. When you have faith in your children, encourage and trust them, they will grow and learn.

When we first started homeschooling I felt obligated to explain our philosophy to anyone who asked. Now, I’m really quite skilled at gauging if the inquiry is genuine, or simply a way of starting a conversation that ends with a lecture on how wrong we are to live this way.    I am more than happy to share our story and exchange ideas with people who hope to learn something about it. But, if I sense that they are not really open to it, I move on.

Eren: What is the best thing about applying this approach as you educate your son?

Jean: The best thing for me, personally, is the education I have received while living this life. I have learned more about learning and the human spirit in the last few years than I ever did while teaching, or in any of my teacher training classes. While providing a wide range of opportunities for our family, I have expanded my own interests and knowledge in all kinds of ways, and met all kinds of interesting people. That is a gift beyond measure.

For most of us, being joyful is a natural state. Young children are usually full of a very positive spirit. Our son has retained that sense of well-being and joy. I believe that is a result of living the way we do.

Eren: So, what is your son studying at the moment?

Jean: My son loves history. Only after living this way for a few years did I see a pattern emerge. He usually gets quite involved with a specific topic and sticks to it for a long period of time. Sometimes it lasts for a few months, sometimes for a year or more. From time to time it will be quite brief. There is usually a period of time in between when he is much more casual about his learning. Then he gets a bit restless, and dives into something new. Several years ago he read an account of Shackleton’s expedition. He read and re-read as much material as he could find. We watched documentaries, went to local museums, made clay boats in a pottery class, and followed Will Steger, a modern day explorer, on the internet. The next year, after watching “Spirited Away”, he became interested in Japanese history and culture, and the life and work of Hayao Miyazaki. That was followed by an interest in baseball. We played baseball with friends and neighbors, went to local games, and headed back to the library. He studied the history of the sport, which led to learning about segregation and civil rights. He has also studied boat building, hawks, and owls, among other things. (He is well known at our library, and uses the internet to request materials from all over the state.)

He has always spent much of his time outdoors, either alone or with friends. His books are his dearest possessions. He dreams constantly about what he will be when he grows up, and where he will live. For the joy it brings, he wants to be a really, really good fiddler. He wants to be good enough at math to get into the college of his choice. His professional aspirations change from time to time, but usually find their way back to books and history. If all of this changes, we’re fine with that. Our goal is to continue to nurture his independence and growth so that when he is ready, he will walk out our door confidently, knowing he has much more to learn and lots to offer.

Eren: I can't think of a more perfect ending, Jean. Thank you dear woman for your candidness and your willingness to share a very real peek into your unschooling days. We are all learning about trusting ourselves and our children more because you have shared a bit of yourself with us here today.

Jean has also shared a few of her favorite resources and are now available in the sidebar. Be sure to check out the Skylark Sings link. But be sure to get a cup of coffee first, there is so much to check out you will want to have a nice amount of time to "walk around" the site.

Thanks again Jean and happy Monday all!

wrap up #1

2009-04-16T10:03:35-04:00

Im hoping to keep track of some of everyone's activities as best I can, so if I run across a post or two that I think we would all benefit from reading, I'll be sure to post them in what we'll call "wrap ups". I know this is just the beginning, but already mamas are thinking, taking opportunities when otherwise they would be not.  Here are a few of these posts:

Gretchen shares a wonderful post about how a lunch date with daddy turns into a warm and talk about the finalito of life. If you get a chance, read her post.
And Kelli shares a peek into one day when she stopped to take the time to follow her son's lead into math.
Aimee has a great post about how to create a little bit of quiet in the afternoons with a preschooler.
Bean shares a day at Keystone Canyon and the resulting discussion about geology.
And finally, this post from Diane had me catching my breath. Although, Diane is not officially a participant of Summer Unschooling, she is an amazing unscholing mama and has agreed to be interviewed for this space. So, you'll be hearing more from Diane soon.

And finally, I got an email from Heidi, Ren's sister, and I thought Heidi shared a lot of valueable information with me. I omitted the first two paragraphs about "the controversy" because honestly, I think we all can see the other person's view and where they are coming from and I am so ready to move beyond that and start learning from each other.  I loved that Heidi was open enough to share some examples of unschooling at work in her family. Here is some of what Heidi emailed me:

Just on a side note: Remember that sometimes kids are interested in one thing one day and not the next, just something to keep in mind. A lot of people think that unschoolers are just lazy parents but it's actually quite the opposite. Over the years I've learned that when a kid shows interest you have to jump on it at that moment because the moment may not be there tomorrow.   So it's good to be aware of what your child is interested in but if you are making a list and then trying to do a project 1 month later your child many not be interested then. The other thing is are you choosing the project? Most kids naturally do "projects" on their own without any parent intervention.

I know you were wanting a dialogue from unschoolers about what unschooling looks like to them, etc. So I thought I would throw a couple examples out for you from our life: We were sitting at a stop light one day and my daughter was looking at the geese flying overhead. I could tell she was really studying them and I asked what she was thinking.  She said, "Mom, have you ever noticed that they fly in a V shape. Why do they do that? That's so cool!" That led into a day of talking and researching why geese fly in a V formation.

Another example: My oldest son is really into politics. He participates in a weekly Teen Political Talk and there is always lots of conversation around the house because his political views are different from my own. My daughter has been listening in a lot and apparently became very interested in the Presidents. One day I noticed that while she was watching TV she was making a list of some sort. I looked and it was an ongoing list of all the Presidents. I asked her about it and she said she was just very interested in them. So I went and found a pile of books I had about the Presidents, one was little odd facts. Well, she studied that book and for the next three weeks told us all odd tidbits about each one. It sounded something like this for several weeks, "Did you know that James Madison ................?" We learned a lot too!

Yet another example: My son LOVES to build things! We have an old barn that is falling apart so I gave him wood, hammer, nails, and a crow bar to do whatever he wanted to that barn and asked if he wanted he could take the roof off and we will eventually repair it (the roof has to come off anyway). He built a ladder going up to the roof from a tree, added a "zip" line to the house that didn't work but he is determined to figure out a way.

And another: This same son loves birds and talked and talked about wanting a Macaw. We knew how much work they are and how much you need to know about them but he had done tons of research on his own and continued to hound us about getting a bird. So I called the Bird Adoption Club and got on the foster parent list. About a week later they had a Caique that needed foster care for one month. Perfect! We had him for one month, my son fell in love with him and he was up for adoption. We have now had that bird for one year and he does everything. To top it off he put his building talent to work and, with his dad, built a perch/playground for the bird.

Anyway, didn't meant to make this lengthy, just wanted to show you a little pie piece of what our lives looked like as unschoolers. We don't guide or prod, we just let them live their lives and we are here to have resources available for them and try to expose them to lots of new things when we can. Some days we sit around in our pajamas and do nothing, other days we are busy beavers. We don't judge either way, we live our lives as if every day is summer vacation. Make sense?

I do appreciate your reply and like I said before, I appreciate anyone trying to understand unschooling so their children can live better, happier, more fulfilled lives.

Heidi

Thank you Heidi, and thank you all of you for reading and joining in.

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section and with the new comments format, you can comment on someone else's comment. Which should be a nice way to dialogue.

a little controversy can be a good thing

2009-04-07T08:34:02-04:00

You can't shake hands with a clenched fist. - Indira Gandhi

Response to the Summer Unschool project has been simply amazing. We now have over 130 participants, mothers and fathers, unschoolers, homeschoolers, public and private schoolers, teachers, and even a day care, representing countries from as far away as Australia, France, Egypt and Morocco. And I get a few more entries every day. Wow, I am overwhelmed! And so giddy to be on this journey with so many of you.

However, it seems I have opened up a can of worms. Not that this surprises me. I have been known to do that before.

You see, a small sect of "radical unschoolers" (their word not mine) have taken offense to our little project. They do not like the name I chose and feel that I have "hijacked" the term unschooling. You can read the comments for yourself here if you wish. I have commented and emailed back and forth trying to establish an open line of communication. Like I said originally, I don't claim to have all of the answers. I am learning right along side my kiddos and you all.

And honestly, it is beginning to remind me a bit of my junior high days when one of the popular 7th grade girls decided they didn't like another less popular girl for one reason or another. Quite possibly it was because she was new to the school. Or because she wore glasses or shoes from the thrift store. And then you know what came next, right? Said popular girl would get all of her popular friends to dislike the new girl too.

I was that new girl over and over and over in every new town we moved to. It was hard being on the outs when I was 12, but now I recognize that popular girl for who she really is. She is scared to death mama who feels like she iscontrol (even if part of the unschooling thought is about letting go of control). That she has it all together. That she had something figured out.  And now she is feeling threatened by the new kid who might have something to offer.   A new way of thinking about the concept of unschooling.

The way I see it, the benefits are all positive. Maybe some of us choose to eventually homeschool. Maybe some of us learn the value in a tailored education and lobby the powers that be to make changes to the existing public education system. Maybe a public school teacher learns a few new tricks on how to follow her students' lead and how she can incorporate that into her classroom. Who knows where we are headed.

Being that political science was my second major, I have always loved a good, intelligent conversation. Especially over thoughts about educating our little people. I think unclenching your fists, stretching out your hand in peace and friendship is always the better choice.

So, I am making the intntional decision to take the some of their productive parts of their comments to heart. We should learn as much as we can about the concept of unschooling before we dive in head first. I have asked each of the dissenting unschoolers if they would write a guest post for this space or agree to be interviewed. And not one has welcomed the invitation. Go figure.

So instead, for the next several days,I will be interviewing some of my favorite unschooling mamas about how they define unschooling and why it is a good fit for their family and posting their answers here.

How does that sound?

Thank you dissenters for the little bit of conflict you have injected into this discussion. Good things are coming out of your comments as I remember that a grain of sand begins as an irritant to the oyster, but eventually becomes a pearl. I am learning and in turn, over 130 other people are too.

Up next, an interview with Molly of A Foothill Home Companion.

summer unschooling sign ups!

2009-02-19T16:16:07-05:00

What is Unschooling?

"Unschooling provides a unique opportunity to step away from systems and methods, and to develop independent ideas out of actual experiences, where the child is truly in pursuit of knowledge, not the other way around." - Earl Stevens

( read more and more)

Who Can Play?

Summer UnSchool is for any parent who wants to enrich their children's summer with child lead learning. Whether you send our children to public school, private school or homeschool, there are many times that we find ourselves wishing we could follow up on one idea or another that our children bring to us. "Mom, is the wind run by elecrticity?" or "How do you make peanut butter?"

Summer is the perfect time to let you child's mind run and for you to follow along with them and learn side by side - learning things that would otherwise not get covered in their current school year. Join us!

If you would like to participate in our summer unschool project, please send me an email at:

esanpedro1@cox.net and I will add you to the participants page.

Is There A Flickr Group?

Of course! There is a flickr group for everything. Here is the link.

Who's Playing Along?

Anyone is welcome...for a full list of participants, click here.

Is There a Fun Button For My Blog?

Why, yes there is. Thank you for asking. You can find the button and directions for adding it to your blog here.

If there is anything I haven't covered, email me and I'll do my best to get your answers posted ASAP.

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Clarification (added April 5, 2009)

I am by no means claiming to be an unschooling parent by these posts. Or that you will be an unschooling parent by following along. Only that by applying some of the unschooling principles to the time spend with our children this summer, that we can become more open to how each of our individual children learn and the schooling options available.

Whew! Now lets go have some fun!!!