Unschooling on Today?

[eli's mama]

My sister just called to tell me she saw a teaser for a bit on Today about unschooling.  I don't know when it'll be on, but i figured I'd share!

[Stacey B]

Why is it now when I here this I want to hide. I feel like it always becomes an attack on those mainstream shows.

[Attila the Honey]

It didn't strike me as an attack at all - it seemed mostly favorable or at least balanced.  It's up on youtube now:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkc0gGz8VP8

[dogmom327]

I think that was the most positive I've ever heard it treated in the mainstream.

[rumi]

In spite of a concern that without tests "how will we know if there are gaps in the learning" the host and guest psychologist seemed to allow that unschooling had something that "all of us could learn from."  On balance, a fair glimpse into the unschooling world.

Among ourselves, though, I wonder if all that video-recording and blogging (which is portrayed as the kind of academic work that these kids get to do since they aren't spending all day in school) is as much of a learning experience as it is made out to be ... I am thinking, sure, they can write all about the rocks, but is anyone going to give them feedback?  Correct errors? 

I haven't read their particular blogs or anything but I have read other reports and presentations posted in some of the homeschool blogs and I am not sure if anyone discusses the contents of these works with the students, or why exactly they are posting on the blog apart from personal record-keeping.

Is the only point expressing themselves or also testing their own hypotheses, revising their own ideas?  Often there are errors, sweeping generalizations, etc. which I fear go unchallenged in the blogosphere, if that is supposed to serve in lieu of the classroom.

[Dar]

Originally Posted by rumi 

I am thinking, sure, they can write all about the rocks, but is anyone going to give them feedback?  Correct errors? 

I can't speak for this family, but it our family, I read what I was asked to read and gave feedback when it was asked for. Rain never wanted me to read her blogs, for example, but if she was working on something like a letter to the editor or an email to an adult, or an essay to apply for a scholarship, she would often ask me to read it over and give feedback. I tried to differentiate between feedback on mechanics and feedback on ideas and organization, because sometimes she wanted only one or the other... but it worked out well, and she's a lovely writer now.

I also though it was a pretty balanced piece, but I was concerned that the girls were only shown with their family. In my experience, it would be really unusual for 15 and 11 year old unschooled girls to not be out and about with other people more - this made them look very insular. When Rain and I did a piece on unschooling for our local paper when she was 14, most of the photos they used were of her with her friends - in fact, I don't think I was in any of the pictures at all, which probably isn't balanced either (although in the interviews we were clear that we did stuff together). Anyway, that bit concerned me. I would have liked to see the girls involved with their community somehow.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by Dar 


I can't speak for this family, but it our family, I read what I was asked to read and gave feedback when it was asked for. Rain never wanted me to read her blogs, for example, but if she was working on something like a letter to the editor or an email to an adult, or an essay to apply for a scholarship, she would often ask me to read it over and give feedback. I tried to differentiate between feedback on mechanics and feedback on ideas and organization, because sometimes she wanted only one or the other... but it worked out well, and she's a lovely writer now.
I also though it was a pretty balanced piece, but I was concerned that the girls were only shown with their family. In my experience, it would be really unusual for 15 and 11 year old unschooled girls to not be out and about with other people more - this made them look very insular. When Rain and I did a piece on unschooling for our local paper when she was 14, most of the photos they used were of her with her friends - in fact, I don't think I was in any of the pictures at all, which probably isn't balanced either (although in the interviews we were clear that we did stuff together). Anyway, that bit concerned me. I would have liked to see the girls involved with their community somehow.

I peripherally know these folks. They have recently moved to another state and I don't know if they've been situated long enough to have built a new community. I hear they were at their house for 7 hours doing the filming. That doesn't take away for the insular look you're mentioning, it just might explain it.