Unschooling books

[xander7ful]

I love this video & agree with everything in it except for your statement that unschooling and government don't mix & that you'd have to be a green liberal to do unschooling. Abraham Lincoln, if I remember correctly, was self-taught and yet he became President. And maybe a greater percentage of unschoolers ARE liberals or greenies, but why couldn't it work for children and young people who are ultra-right wingers? It's the philosophy and the structure (or un-structure) that matters.

[catzie690]

@xander7ful I never said "unschooling & government don't mix." I shared MY views on unschooling & government, & expressed surprise that more people don't make similar connections between issues that I have.

Also? I am NOT a liberal. At all. I expressly state that I'm an (green) anarchist, which is VERY different from "liberal"!

I agree that unschooling works for people with a wide variety of political opinions and worldviews.

[GeekyMex]

I am currently reading through the teenage liberation handbook and I have to say I am really enjoying it. I am a really picky reader and usually stick with humour or science fiction books, but the way that this book is structured makes me enjoy it.

[generalheadquarters]

First of all, I want to thank you for posting all these videos on unschooling. Great idea!

We are currently thinking of unschooling our two children (11 and 8).

However, we strongly feel that our kids, and really any kids, learn much of what there is to learn by being part of some sort of community of peers, i.e., other kids.

How do unschoolers deal with this issue? Did/do you have more or less daily interaction with others your age? If not, what's your take on this issue?

[dac8555]

So at what age do you think kids have enough knowledge and life experince to make a life-long conequeces sytle choice on whether or not to to go to school? ^6?8? By the way...you little movement is truly the dumbest idea I have ever heard of. When your kids grow up they are goint to HATE you for not giving them opportunity in life. Think about that. There is no going back. You only get one chance, and you aren't giving you kids one.  Bravo.

[catzie690]

@dac8555 Umm... I'm not talking about unschooling as something I want to do with my kids (though I do), I was unschooled myself, and I *am* grown! I don't hate my parents. Instead, I'm eternally grateful to them!

Unschooling in it's modern form has been around since the 70's. Many, many grown unschoolers have proven the success of the unschooling philosophy. Your comment is based on ignorance & fear, which is sad. Instead, try looking into things before condemning them.

[shioswsey]

@dac8555 Many adults are angry and upset about the wasted years they were forced to spend in school. I am one of them. You are right - there is no going back.

You make a lot of assumptions that are verifiably false. (That adult unschoolers will be disadvantaged in life and hate their parents, for one.) When I was first learning about unschooling I innitially had a lot of the same concerns you're having. A lot of people do. Instead of flaming, I did some research. Maybe you could try it?

[dac8555]

@shioswsey -I have learned and read an enormous amount about this. The idea is simple : let children do what they want and make their own decisions about their life Correct? The problem is children arent capable of making smart decisions and information doesn't just appear in thier brains unless it is presented to them. your stupid movement assumes that other parents who educate their children don't respect thier deisres, which is a fundamental flaw.

[shioswsey]

@dac8555 Also -- School attendance doesn't have to be decided "once and for all". You can switch from home/un-schooling to public/private school at any time. Many unschoolers attend college/university with no prior formal education and do quite well (and this is something that can be done at any age). Do you assume that the innitial decision to not attend school would put unschoolers at a permanent disadvantage even if they choose to attend later? The opposite appears to be the rule.

[dac8555]

@shioswsey- How does someone with no formal education get into college? there are tests, state requirements etc. that need to take place in order to be accepted. If people actually are "unschooled" then they wont test well and wont have the knowledge to get into any decent school. Now if they were homeschooled and followed a ciriculum, this is possible. I challenge you to name ANYBODY with no formal education that has gon on to attend college. It doesn't happen.

[catzie690]

@dac8555 If you'd really "learned an enormous amount about this" then you wouldn't be making such ridiculous statements. I'm a grown unschooler, & I have no interest in university, but MOST of the grown unschoolers I know are in university. So yes, it does happen. All the time.

[dac8555]

@catzie690- which claims are untrue? You are a grown unschooler huh? You never went to school in your life? really? you just stayed at home all day and did only what you want and nothing else? really? how do people with no education get into college? I think you porbably know homeschoolers that have gone to college...not unschoolers.

[shioswsey]

@dac8555 lol. If you refuse to believe that anyone who was unschooled ever attended college and they are all just lying about it then nothing will change your mind.

Some unschoolers have some type of formal education before honestly enrolling in college - some don't. I'm sure you'll say that any amount of formal ed before college somehow means they aren't unschoolers, but here you've missed the point. It's not about shunning education - it's about FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.

[catzie690]

@shioswsey I don't like arguing with idiots or trolls (and dac8555 seems to be both) so I'm not responding much, but I really love your responses to him/her! Just thought I'd mention that. :-P

[shioswsey]

@catzie690 Thanks! ;) I was also starting to think he/she might just be a troll (or perhaps just hoping!) I can understand some innitial confusion/ignorance, but it's hard to believe someone's honest reaction to being proven wrong could be, "Well I think you made up that evidence." Hard to take seriously anymore...lol.

I notice (s)he responded to you but didn't touch the video I linked. I guess that wasn't an easy enough target. Oh well. :p

[shioswsey]

@dac8555 Untrue:

Doing what you want automaticly excludes learning or even getting a formal ed.

Unschoolers cannot attend college without prior formal ed.

Decisions about schooling have to be made once and adheared to for life.

Deciding to get a formal ed. later rather than sooner will put the learner at a disadvantage.

Having information presented to you is the only (or best) way to learn.

I could go on but there's a character limit...

[shioswsey]

@dac8555 Agreed - if you learned anything about this you wouldn't be making such claims. "Information doesn't just appear in their brains" Who said it did?

Do all non-unschoolers go to college? I didn't. Are all PS kids even literate? You're applying much higher standards to unschoolers just because it's different. Beyond that, college isn't some sole measure of intelligence or even always a desirable goal.

watch?v=kp-6VgpcQ-8&feature=ch­annel

There's one. Want more? Try google.

[sergeantyeti]

Yes, Teenage Guide to Liberation is a great, great book! Highly recommended for an unschooler or someone considering unschooling!

Thank you so much for posting this video.

[SCHRUBBE1966]

Doper parents creating another hippie generation. These people that unschool seem to mostly all have nice homes. They probably just tell thier kids. 'Don't worry, you have trust fund and are rich. Just smoke dope and do what feels good" America is dooming itself. Of course the unschooler won't be able to post a reply to my statement becouse of lack of reading skills. And Mcdonalds after all will still hire them. I would like a large fry with that coke please. Get used to it.

[catzie690]

@SCHRUBBE1966 I kind of fell over laughing at the rich trust fund thing. I wish. :-P Beyond that, I don't see a need to reply. You're just trolling, not looking for a real discussion.

[dac8555]

Wait, You think the government is brainwashing and controlling you kids so then you turn into the person that tells your kids exaclty what they should do and how they should think? Seems to me that they would be better off going to school and you being active in their lives to teach them each side of each argument. to make their own decisions. You cant expect them to be open minded by keeping them closed off.

[shioswsey]

@dac8555 Unschoolers are free to choose to attend school if they want. Some do. It's about giving them a choice. Some parents choose to home-school in order to shelter/indoctrinate their children, but this has nothing to do with the unschooling philosophy which is about freeing children to make their own decisions and think for themselves. Who said anything at all about telling your kids exactly what they should do and how they should think? Do you even know what unschooling is?

[dac8555]

@shioswsey-choice my ass. You are essentially teaching them that formal education is bad. how is that not indoctrination?

You really think that a 6 year old should be able to choose what they do with their life? say, eat junk food all day and watch TV? please dont ell me that your reaction would be "that's fine it is their choice"??? that is insanity. Children dont have the knowledge or experince to make sound and wise decsions about their future, that is why there are parents.

[shioswsey]

@dac8555 There is no way to not send messages about your beliefs. Go to school = school is good. Indoctrination?

If you tell a child he's not smart enough to know what he needs and should defer to authority, this is less likely to produce free-thinkers in the long run.

Unschoolers believe that kids know what they need, or will gain that knowledge thru experience. They choose to empower them by trusting. If it didn't work - parents would stop doing it. Unschoolers want whats best, too.

[catzie690]

@shioswsey Great comment!

[catzie690]

@dac8555 You obviously have no grasp of unschooling whatsoever! Didn't I say that unschooling is about freedom and choice? My political opinions are different from both of my parents. If they were trying to indoctrinate me (which they certainly weren't) then they did a shitty job of it!

[claudioOMG]

what makes me pissed of is that they stopped selling the teenage liberation handbook but on amazon i got it for about 37 bucks though

[rhythymsofmysoul]

I hate school I went to public school from k-7 and then went to a online school and researched a ton of things on my own thats how I became an anarchist. I support anarcho primitivism and the venus project. Now im back in public school cause my grades were failing in the online school. I wish I could do unschooling though.

[nye1956]

Great video, thanks for posting!

[CommodoreV]

Wow, you have a great personality!

[meghandsheamas]

idzie! i knew this was you! hi!!! (its me,bLISs from RUN)

:) rock on, girl. you are beautiful in/out.

[NoCryingNowYes]

Thx for the book recommendations btw, I def. wanna check some of those out

[sexdrugsRnR]

unschooling means not to go to school?

you can learn interesting things in university... its a little bit more 'volunteerist' then public school... but, there are sooo many, for lack of a better word, sheeple.

[rubbleofempires]

Awesome, this is one my most promising YT finds in a while. :)

[MeursaultBatemen]

i'm checking some of that stuff out

[bigajosep]

its not illegal to unschool, so what does that have to do with government?school is a service provided by the government. a crap service that i hate, but it could be provided by any government (communist, dictatorship, democracy, whatever) and be just as bad, or good.

[catzie690]

What I mean when I say that I find it hard to understand why unschoolers support government, is because many (most?) unschoolers feel that school is an institution that exists in large part to teach students to be obedient, to respect authority, and not question the status quo. If unschoolers realize that that is what the government designed and run school system is for, then how can they not realize that the government is not such a great thing?

[NoCryingNowYes]

Because parental authority is projected onto The State. School maximizes this process. But unschoolers or unschooled people can still have parental authority projection, to the extent that they had things forced on them by their parents, they will see it as a necessity to be forced to certain things by the government.

/watch?v=nALUk6A4vpc (there's 2 parts)

[NoCryingNowYes]

I mean, to the extent that they had things forced on them by their parents and rejected their (natural) negative reaction to that, and built a false idea that it was "for their own good", usually because of the parents as well.

Well it can be any authority figure, but it happens mostly during the first 3 years of age.

I can send you a ton of links if you're interested.

[pennilesscripple]

i'm glad you are here, doing what you do

[catzie690]

Thank you. :-)

[themajikat]

Jensen also said that one of the most radical things you can do is raise a healthy child. Definitely unschooling!

Definitely try to spread anti-civilizationism to the unschoolers!

My cousin who's really radical and cool recommended the Teenage Liberation Guide also. I'm working at the camp she's the director of this summer, I'm definitely going to talk to her about all this stuff.