I read an interesting article today about "unschooling," an approach to home schooling where children are allowed to pursue what interests them, rather than trying to make them interested in things that interest others. Here is how the article started, which explains how the approach is used:

"On any given day Riley will probably sleep until he is ready to get out of bed and then spend his time doing whatever interests him. Maybe he'll play his guitar, or go to the park to meet with like-minded friends. Or maybe he will boot up his computer and start 'playing around' with HTML codes."

I was confused about the term "unschooling." While I get that these kids are allowed to pursue their own interests, how is this unschooling? The article described how schools force subjects on kids, thus dampening their curiosity for learning. I am sure this happens in some schools, and then I can understand the unschooling terminology. However, I surely don't think that happens in most school districts, and it surely didn't happen in ours. I find the term a little insulting to public and private schools.

Can't think how those methods would work with teenagers who mostly would just flop into an armchair and watch TV or do sod all all day!I mean "sleep until he's ready to get out of bed"! Well that's most of the day gone for starters.
Personally I think it takes good teachers to motivate children, they need encouragement to take an interest in things or all to often they'll take the easiest route. I speak as a bit of a lazy git myself- I have to self-motivate myself or I'd never get anything done!

And I agree the term "unschooling"is a strange way of putting it- why don't they just say that they are actually doing nothing to educate their child- personally I would call it neglect myself.

I don't like the term or the concept. I agree with Erik that the term sounds like they are trying to give a name to doing nothing. The concept is almost too ludicrous for words. Apply it across the nation and in a couple of generations there won't be a nation.

The idea that everyone can just get along doing whatever they please in life is dangerous lunacy.

When you're getting beaten badly at a game of basketball, you could say you are "unschooling" your opponent. The term here should be non-schooling.

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Or maybe he will boot up his computer and start 'playing around' with HTML codes

This sentence was obviously spoken by a person who had almost no understanding whatsoever of computers. Besides that, skill at writing HTML allows you to make websites and make a fabulous $10 an hour doing it.

BTW, here is a link to the article.

I've heard about unschooling. The library is a place where many homeschoolers go to find their resources. If done well, unschooling could actually be something that works well. It is child-driven to a certain extent, but if you are living and growing in an environment where everyone is learning and seeking knowledge all the time, it's a different kind of environment than just vegging out on the couch. It wouldn't work with every kid . . . as some friends of mine found out. They have 2 kids who work well without the structure, and one kid (so far) who needs a more structured curriculum.

Among homeschoolers "unschooling" simply means not following any particular, pre-packaged curriculum. It has certainly worked well enough for our three dangerous lunatics.

I think it is the terminology that is bothersome. Innovative learning, or something similar, would describe it better.

I suppose you could call it child-directed learning or something to give it some academic gloss, but I think unschooling is short and clear and descriptive: it means not an attempt to replicate school, or rather the current American model of school, at home.

I understand what it means, and I certainly can agree with it. But I think the terminology is counterintuitive. To me "schooling" or "school" means education or instruction. While I agree that some "schools" can be boring and monotonous, I don't agree that all public and private schools are that way. Just like there is good and bad home schooling (or unschooling, whatever) there is good and bad public and private schooling, at least in my opinion.

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To me "schooling" or "school" means education or instruction.

I would argue they are not synonymous. One can have schooling without education, and education without school.

maybe he will boot up his computer

I wonder how many of us have booted a computer by manually entering a boot sequence and running it?

As for unschooling, how about deschooling? The coinage seems in keeping with the usually insufferable attitude that the home-schooled and their parents exhibit.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zmježd,

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Originally posted by zmjezhd:
maybe he will boot up his computer

I wonder how many of us have booted a computer by manually entering a boot sequence and running it?

Ah, I well remember my old days on a PDP-8, entering binary sequences on toggle switches to load the boot sequence from paper tape.

Those were the days.

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load the boot sequence from paper tape.

Ah yes, I remember when I worked in a bank in the '70s we had to boot the terminal (about the size of a large desk with a typewriter on top) from punched tape. It took about 20 minutes. Often the thing had to be re-booted during the day as well if something went wrong.

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As for unschooling, how about deschooling? The coinage seems in keeping with the usually insufferable attitude that the home-schooled and their parents exhibit.

Sorry, but Ivan Illich beat you to it. I do like your other suggestion, however, and when we file our R-4 form in October we shall call our school Zmjezhd's Insufferable Dangerous Lunatic Academy.

I well remember my old days on a PDP-8

That was my first computer, too. First thing I did when I started up my new PowerBook a couple of years ago was to download a PDP-8 simulator (a PC emulator is also available), load some paper tapes (virtually), and run them. (You can even punch in the boot sequence on the front panel toggle switches.)

we shall call our school Zmjezhd's Insufferable Dangerous Lunatic Academy.

Ta. If your children would like to learn linguistics, as well as other insufferable dangers, zmjezhd lives just across the Bay from you.

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zmjezhd lives just across the Bay from you.

I thought R'lyeh was more under the Bay?