Comments on: Homeschooling, Unschooling and Bold Schooling: By Any Name, It’s Education Without Limits http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/2009/08/27/homeschooling-unschooling-bold-schooling/ Writer. Mindfulness Trainer. Global Ed Cheerleader. Savvy Gardener. Happy Frugalista. A Former Oregonian Celebrates the Simple Life in Rural Uruguay. Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:45:06 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Tony Hollowell http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/2009/08/27/homeschooling-unschooling-bold-schooling/comment-page-1/#comment-7789 Tony Hollowell Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:23:52 +0000 http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/?p=587#comment-7789 I don't think schools or "education" in general has a bias against such programs. I think the parents are usually the ones who are overly-concerned that "unschooling" doesn't represent a "normal" path and they don't want that stigma on their son or daughter. In the school systems with which I am familiar, the community is very supportive of students who seek alternative paths, its just that the school systems themselves haven't done a very good job of structuring these alternative paths. They need people like Maya to help show us the way! Many teachers and educators know that there are many students in their classrooms who do not fit the generic one-size-fits-all approach to education, and as a teacher, I'm pumped up when I find out that a student has found an alternate path. I don't want to blame the parents, but I do want to point out that a teacher is just as likely as anyone else to accept an alternate approach to education even though this teacher is "locked" in the system. The bottom line is that everyone should be happy when students are engaged: students, teachers, parents, and the community at large. We all have a part to play. I don’t think schools or “education” in general has a bias against such programs. I think the parents are usually the ones who are overly-concerned that “unschooling” doesn’t represent a “normal” path and they don’t want that stigma on their son or daughter. In the school systems with which I am familiar, the community is very supportive of students who seek alternative paths, its just that the school systems themselves haven’t done a very good job of structuring these alternative paths. They need people like Maya to help show us the way!

Many teachers and educators know that there are many students in their classrooms who do not fit the generic one-size-fits-all approach to education, and as a teacher, I’m pumped up when I find out that a student has found an alternate path. I don’t want to blame the parents, but I do want to point out that a teacher is just as likely as anyone else to accept an alternate approach to education even though this teacher is “locked” in the system.

The bottom line is that everyone should be happy when students are engaged: students, teachers, parents, and the community at large. We all have a part to play.

]]> By: Christie http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/2009/08/27/homeschooling-unschooling-bold-schooling/comment-page-1/#comment-7094 Christie Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:04:15 +0000 http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/?p=587#comment-7094 I wholeheartedly agree that these misconceptions exist about high school aged home schoolers and about the term 'unschooling.' Of course, it would help if schools were able to also grow "self-directed learners who embrace their freedom to discover more about the world and themselves in whatever way is most intriguing to them" and could also facilitate "learning in a variety of settings—college courses, online courses, volunteer work, jobs, community activism, study abroad, etc." Thank you for raising these important issues, Christie http://childhood101.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-3-year-olds-too-young-to-vote.html I wholeheartedly agree that these misconceptions exist about high school aged home schoolers and about the term ‘unschooling.’

Of course, it would help if schools were able to also grow “self-directed learners who embrace their freedom to discover more about the world and themselves in whatever way is most intriguing to them” and could also facilitate “learning in a variety of settings—college courses, online courses, volunteer work, jobs, community activism, study abroad, etc.”

Thank you for raising these important issues,
Christie
http://childhood101.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-3-year-olds-too-young-to-vote.html

]]> By: Brandon Pearce http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/2009/08/27/homeschooling-unschooling-bold-schooling/comment-page-1/#comment-6851 Brandon Pearce Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:58:30 +0000 http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/?p=587#comment-6851 I whole-heartedly agree. I wouldn't say I'm a hard core unschooler - we've just starting homeschooling and are still figuring out how we want to do things. But one thing we do know is that the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional U.S. education didn't work for us, and we'd rather not enforce that on our kids either. And how much of what is taught in school today is even necessary to live a good, honest life, make a living, and make a difference? I think a lot of it is just unnecessary. It might be necessary for some of the students, someday, but why require everyone to learn it when they have little interest in it to begin with? If you're only memorizing to pass a test, you won't remember it anyway, because you don't care. Once you have a need for such information, you'll eagerly seek out the answers yourself. (Just finished your book last week, by the way. We're now moving to Costa Rica in January! See my blog for details. Thanks for your help!) I whole-heartedly agree. I wouldn’t say I’m a hard core unschooler – we’ve just starting homeschooling and are still figuring out how we want to do things. But one thing we do know is that the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional U.S. education didn’t work for us, and we’d rather not enforce that on our kids either.

And how much of what is taught in school today is even necessary to live a good, honest life, make a living, and make a difference? I think a lot of it is just unnecessary. It might be necessary for some of the students, someday, but why require everyone to learn it when they have little interest in it to begin with? If you’re only memorizing to pass a test, you won’t remember it anyway, because you don’t care. Once you have a need for such information, you’ll eagerly seek out the answers yourself.

(Just finished your book last week, by the way. We’re now moving to Costa Rica in January! See my blog for details. Thanks for your help!)

]]> By: Grif Frost http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/2009/08/27/homeschooling-unschooling-bold-schooling/comment-page-1/#comment-6850 Grif Frost Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:19:42 +0000 http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/?p=587#comment-6850 Aloha Maya! Glad you explained where the concept for "Bold School" came from...it wasn't clear to me before. Aloha Maya! Glad you explained where the concept for “Bold School” came from…it wasn’t clear to me before.

]]> By: SwitchedOnMom http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/2009/08/27/homeschooling-unschooling-bold-schooling/comment-page-1/#comment-6845 SwitchedOnMom Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:21:05 +0000 http://www.mayafrost.com/blog/?p=587#comment-6845 Amen! How about the term "learning entrepreneurs?" Amen! How about the term “learning entrepreneurs?”

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