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Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

outsideonline.com

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Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#21

Post by barry-cotter »

fred_durst wrote: post #3

> At the time, my father—who earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell and his master’s at Johns Hopkins Nothing cooler than rich kids taking all their advantages they were given and use them to live like paupers with zero concern for the the world around them. > I can report that Fin and Rye both learned to read and write with essentially zero instruction, albeit when they were about eight years old, a year or so l…

>This thing is full of gems. I shouldn't be so sarcastic about child abuse, but I just can't help it. I've met far too many of these clowns in my life.

If you actually believe these children are being abused I'm sure that you can call CPS on their parents. If not, the only way you could make a "joke" in worse taste would be to imply paedophilia.

>Nothing cooler than rich kids taking all their advantages they were given and use them to live like paupers with zero concern for the the world around them.

"Everyone we know who unschools, in fact, has chosen autonomy over affluence. Hell, some years we’re barely above the poverty line."

Doesn't sound like they're living like rich kids. Nor are they living like paupers. They own their farm and they're not even using as many public services as a normal family with two children would.

Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#22

Post by ForHackernews »

prestadige wrote: post #18
eurleif wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For what it's worth, I was unschooled, and I scored a perfect 800 on the critical reading section of the SAT. I didn't spend nearly as much time outdoors as these kids, though; I gravitated toward computers from a young age.

My daughter is unschooled and taught herself to read and type mostly from the web browsing. Most people somehow assume that because they learnt to read and write at school that one cannot do it out of school, and more efficiently. This despite the fact that they themselves didn't get good at reading until they found books they were excited about and wanted to read for their own reasons (reasons, btw, that might inclu…

> taught herself to read and type mostly from the web browsing.

first. thumbs up if u agree lolz ndb smh

Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#24

Post by ejfox »

socrates1998 wrote: post #4

There are a lot of things I like about this, but I am do see some issues. I think the boys are learning a lot of very interesting skills, but I think they would struggle a lot with becoming lawyers and doctors like the author claims. My biggest concern would be their reading skills, and later, their advanced math skills. He says they read fine, but reading is something that must be done almost every day for years to…

I was unschooled, and I think that it really depends on what passion your kid has (which you can't predict, but can impact). If your child becomes really interested in the law, he will have unlimited time to pursue that goal. If your child is really interested in math, he will be able to study that in a much deeper way than someone similarly into math attending public or private school. He can learn not only at his own pace, but his own depth.

My younger brother, also unschooled, quickly began reading so he could use the computer and google things (like funny YouTube videos) but later things like free drawing applications (independently finding and installing Inkscape) and emulators (learning on his own how to install, find, and download, and play emulations of old NES and N64 games, around age 8) - which in my mind requires not only reading and literacy but deep comprehension. My point is, their passions will drive their knowledge. I think if you have a passion for technology, math, etcetera it will inevitably rub off on your children. You need to convey to them a passion for the subject, and a hunger for knowledge.

Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#25

Post by chrisduesing »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #8
rdtsc wrote: post #5

> Everything I learned felt abstract and standardized. It was a conditional knowledge that existed in separation from the richly textured world just beyond the school’s plate-glass windows, which, for all their transparency, felt like the bars of a prison cell. Tell that story to a kid in Africa who has to walk miles to get to school and the school might not have electricity or water and so on. They would say "So, yo…

As a urban parent who plans to unschool our three kids, I think this article only gives a single perspective to the unschool movement - namely a rustic one, which happens to be very popular with this movement. What is overshadowed in the article, largely because it is an outdoorsy magazine, is that the philosophy behind unschooling is the difference rather than the specific skills learned. Case in point, my kids will…

What you are describing sounds more like the author's definition of homeschooling than unschooling. That said, he is teaching them the skills to run a farm, so at what point are you exposing children to something rather than instructing them.

Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#26

Post by crucifiction »

learc83 wrote: post #16
fred_durst wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There's a lot of evidence that learning to read early can be detrimental in the long run. More and more of the educated parents I know are no longer focusing on teaching their preschoolers to read. That's horrifying. Can't wait for the rest of us to have to clean up their experiment.

What are you basing that on? There is evidence that not teaching children to read until age 6 or 7 has an overall net benefit. Many countries ranked very well for education, don't start formal education until age 7 (Finland and Sweden for instance). The children in these countries are taught to read later than in the US, but they do just as well or better on reading tests later in life. Children in the US weren't tau…

Care to cite some of this evidence? I was just reading about this and found zero evidence its somehow harmful and only anecdotal evidence that it is not beneficial and "evens out" later.

Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#27

Post by prestadige »

fchollet wrote: post #13

The fundamental problem with the elementary school system in the west is that kids are given no room for self-direction whatsoever; school for them is de facto a part-time prison or "labor" camp. As a result they are trained by association to dread to that which the system purports to champion: learning, culture, reading, knowledge, even any demonstration of intelligence. It takes a combination of luck, will and posi…

True, except that it's more the case in unschooling for adults to be guided by the children, being available to give help or find help when required.

It takes years for the average adult to break his school conditioning and find the courage to follow his own direction. Most never manage it, and of those that do, most don't till retirement, which is tragic.

Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#28

Post by tea9 »

rdtsc wrote: post #5

> Everything I learned felt abstract and standardized. It was a conditional knowledge that existed in separation from the richly textured world just beyond the school’s plate-glass windows, which, for all their transparency, felt like the bars of a prison cell. Tell that story to a kid in Africa who has to walk miles to get to school and the school might not have electricity or water and so on. They would say "So, yo…

My school has 1600 students but most of the building doesn't have air conditioning. The school had federal money to install central air conditioning but "borrowed" it to buy iPads for all the students. Then whatever they intended to reimburse the money fell through. (This was illegal.)

Somehow a PE teacher manipulated his way to become the Director of Human Resources for the district. He now lives in a million dollar house in the nicest housing edition in the city. He divorced his wife and married a new girl. She had no qualifications but he gave some 6-figure job in the school district. He also got his mother a job.

The district hired a new CFO, who quickly realized the district had two sets of books. He protested and was offered a bribe via an increased salary. He went to the FBI and subsequently wore a wire. The school district concocted a false sexual harassment charge against him and fired him.

He sued the school district. A federal grand jury was convened months ago but so far nothing has happened. Maybe the FBI is waiting to indict the various individuals involved once the civil suit is over. But it's been months and maybe there will be no indictments.

There's about 75,000 people in my city. We are far from progressive and this small town good ol' boy network has negatively effected our public schools.

The story doesn't even sound true but it's a great example of just how corrupted and messed up public education is in some cities.

http://www.stjoechannel.com/story/d/story/musser-files-lawsu...

http://www.stjoechannel.com/story/d/story/grand-jury-asks-st...

Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#29

Post by pyre »

fred_durst wrote: post #3

> At the time, my father—who earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell and his master’s at Johns Hopkins Nothing cooler than rich kids taking all their advantages they were given and use them to live like paupers with zero concern for the the world around them. > I can report that Fin and Rye both learned to read and write with essentially zero instruction, albeit when they were about eight years old, a year or so l…

> I shouldn't be so sarcastic about child abuse

What does it say about you if you feel that this is child abuse, but do nothing?

Also, by claiming that this is child abuse, you are grouping it with things like sexual and physical abuse. Are you sure that you are attempting to make such a strong statement?

Re: Unschooling: The Case for Setting Your Kids Into the Wild

#30

Post by prestadige »

rdtsc wrote: post #5

> Everything I learned felt abstract and standardized. It was a conditional knowledge that existed in separation from the richly textured world just beyond the school’s plate-glass windows, which, for all their transparency, felt like the bars of a prison cell. Tell that story to a kid in Africa who has to walk miles to get to school and the school might not have electricity or water and so on. They would say "So, yo…

How can it be 'elitist' if the education is not only cheaper but its graduates are allegedly doomed to be exploited in their 'bubble'?

The reality is that school leavers are more likely to be exploited. Once cast out of their enclosures, which resemble almost nowhere else in the wider world, they are mentally unable to pursue their own interests.

>I personally think they are a little bit crazy for doing what they are doing

All moral progress looks crazy in the beginning.

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