By J. Anne Huss
The Simple Schooling Classroom
Well, I was wondering when the "mainstream" media would start their attack on homeschool again. I mean, it is rather predictable, what with the comparison of conservatives to domestic terrorists over the weekend by Bill Clinton. What better way to alienate these "radicals" than to point out that "10%" of homeschoolers are actually radical unschoolers. If you haven't seen the piece, you can find it here.
First of all - I beg to differ with that number. I've probably run into a handful of unschoolers in my 8 years as a homeschool parent and curriculum provider. But whatever. The numbers don't matter because a version of this method is actually being used all over the country in "mainstream" schools - yes - it is called Montessori and no one seems to be doing any "stories" on them.
Second - they start the piece with "Imagine a WORLD without school." A WORLD WITHOUT SCHOOL? What they really mean is a world without their idea of school. Let's just get that straight.
But again. Whatever. It is clear that the reporter from ABC has no idea what she's talking about - "Did you ever miss or regret not being in a NORMAL school?"
Define normal? Maybe normal means government institutions flooded with card carrying union members whining about how they don't make enough money? Or maybe a normal school is one where students are bullied, beat up, or worse. Or maybe a normal school is one that has children parroting the political agenda of the left-wing loons that dictate the curriculum choices?
Is that “normal”?
Unschooling is not for everyone and just about every homeschool I've ever met knows that this method would not work for them because the first exercise in preparing to homeschool is to understand how your students learn. I know that 10% number is false. I don’t know where it came from but anyone in the homeschooling world can tell you it’s off. The radical unschooler is few and far between.
But I will let you into a little secret – all of us WISH we were unschoolers. We do. We love them and we will protect their rights right along with our own because it is up to the PARENT to deicide how to teach their children life lessons, not JuJu whatshername or the Department of Education.
This story isn’t about unschooling, homeschooling, or anything else. This piece is to show "mainstream" America that homeschoolers are not regulated enough. That homeschoolers, because they support unschooling, must have more government involved in their lives. It is just another pathetic attempt to marginalize people who refuse to let Big Daddy Government take care of them.
Go worry about your own kids, our kids are busy learning.
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4 comments:
I love the way that they keep on flashing images of the boy playing video games. As if kids who go to "normal" school don't play video games.
The fact that he was playing on a laptop implies that he isn't actually a serious gamer at all.
Well said, as much as I enjoy all the good information being posted now (by unschooling & HS parents) after the segment, I know there is going to be some people who will try to make regulating us their new agenda to pull us into the Big Daddy mainstream. I am far from a radical unschooler and if it works for their families, I think it's wonderful.
I fear with all this commotion we will be fighting some left wingers soon to keep our freedom to teach our children as we see fit. it really does make me wonder, what is really going on that Big Daddy is trying to keep us to busy to notice?
Really? A world without School"? What a joke! Mainstream is so stuck in the happy little merry-go-rounds they trust and think public schools are the only way a child can actually learn. What they mean is they want our children in public schools so they can continue to teach them their propaganda and make our children a bunch of followers just as narrow-minded with blinders on that they are. It sickens me... They have no idea how much work we homeschool parents put into our children in helping them learn and teaching them about true life and what really matters in life!
Well I am home schooled, I know for a fact that most home schooled children are stupid, homely, immature, parents push them through, the govenment does not know about half of them, they are just plain weird, and do not know how to act in scociety. My parent are at the younger end of the scale 34 and 36 I am 15 and I was pulled from public school at age 6 because it could not, keep up with me. I fly through school work. I Am starting college classes and a high school called AAEC thats dedicated to children like me who are acvanced and know what they want to do with their lives. THen there are my cousins they act... abnormal and do not do any form of school work what so ever. Every home schooled child I seem to meet is like meeting a retarted person with no idea, or correct, out look on life. I Am not saying public school is any better drugs, pre-marital sex, peer pressure, worthless teachers, and large classes. But at least people know these kids are in a learning enviorment where the have books and do have to turn in work to hopfully qualifide teachers. Honestly if you want a good education for your child (this is coming from a 15 year old girl) your child must be willing to accept it and if they turn out a loser no matter if they went to public school, prep school, or home school, it is still YOUR FAULT because it is your duty as a parent to make and mold your children. So if you don't teach them to like to learn when they are young and you do not teach them the importance of it then the weight is on your shoulders. You can't say home school is better or that public school is better both have their major flaws that harm learning. Neither will ever be oh so amazing. So I guess it all depends on
A. THe child.
B. The parents.
People who say one or the other is better are just not looking but they are adults who read studies and think they know everything. WHen I say I Am home schooled people go wow really you don't look or act like it. THat is somthing I love to hear because some times when I say I am home schooled people go oh ok bye. I have never met another home schooled kid that really I mean really trully makes me go wow home schooling is amazing but there is nothing that will make me go wow public school is really trully amazing. Yeah I get it this is going to ruffle a ton of peoples feathers and stuff but get over it. YOur kids will be just like you, like it or not. SO be a better you and show better examples and then maybe if parents taught a little better and public schools tried a little bit harder generations would not be getting dummer. Or hey here is an idea for the century a new way of learning we respond to technology so why not give it to us through school. WHen there are online Plagerism checkers, Algebra problem solvers, and yahoo answers maybe school work should be changed to fit the times we still learn like we live in the 1800's.
Now tell me that this is not true I mean really think about this whole comment. YOu know I am right so get your head out of the clouds come back down to earth and every one just get over it and admitt neither one is very good. YOu know I Am right. SO yeah I am a 15 year old girl who mainly taught herself from 6 years old and is planing on going to Yale Pre Med and JOhn Hopkins Medical school to become a Pediatric Neuro Surgeon. I am more advanced then just about every school in the state of AZ grade 9. I am fluent in Japanese and I have high A's in every subject I study hard and know what I want to do with life. I play soft ball on a team I do girl scouts and go to concerts I look like a normal white teen with dark brown hair and hazel eyes and you would think that I was 25 by talking to me on the phone. I have very different veiws on the world as if I can see everything thats happening from all sides of the point. SO thats about it say as you wish about my comment but I Am a normal teen girl who hit this nail on the head right into the center. Get it? Got it? Good.
Wow...you may be smart, but your grammar and spelling are horrible!
My daughter is your age and is homeschooled. She echoes some of the things you are saying about most homeschoolers. I, however, have found most homeschoolers in our area to be just as smart as public schoolers (which isn't saying much, actually, but they aren't retarded). She is very mature and gets along best with kids 2 or 3 years older than her and adults.
There are a lot of good homeschool parents out there, with very smart kids.
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