The world is a classroom
BevK August 31st, 2006
http://www.kansascity.com…on/15398950.htm
The conclusion to this piece about an unschooling family…
Child-directed. Life learning. Holistic. These are terms used by unschoolers. They aren’t brand new.
Suzanne Rice, associate professor of education at the University of Kansas, called unschooling “a phenomenon with some pretty deep roots in the philosophy of education.”
Waldorf schools long have advocated a holistic approach that encourages student choices. A 1970s book, Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich, decried standardized instruction that stifled intellectual curiosity.
Recent trends, including No Child Left Behind, are re-emphasizing testable standards. “I see the unschooling movement today as at least partly a response to that,” Rice said.
She said parents considering homeschooling should take stock of how good they would be at teaching. And while children are naturally curious, adults “have the obligation not merely to indulge children’s interests but to expand their interests.”
OK, unschooling today is at least partly a response to No Child Left Behind? I first learned about unschooling fourteen years ago. At the time, Home Education Magazine had been around for some time. Growing Without Schooling first started publication in the 70’s. I don’t see unschooling as a response to No Child Left Behind. Unschoolers have far more against the educational philosophy found in most public schools than testing alone. Sure they don’t like testing, but they have so much more they dislike before you even get to testing.
Then she likens unschooling to Waldorf schools because both use the terms holistic to describe their educational philosophies. I don’t think she gets it, or if she does, she doesn’t want to say anything directly negative. Just that final warning that children need to have their interests expanded.
