what does unschooling really mean?

[anabean]

and how is it different from homeschooling?
please enlighten my ignorant mind.

i'm really curious about unschooling, but have major biases. i think it's cause i don't know enough about it, though.

how does an unschooler go about life when they're college age? do they just NOT go to college? how does that work?

please forgive my ignorance, i hope none of this offends anyone. i am genuinely curious.

thanks!

[root*children]

Go to your library and find just about any of John Holt's books, also look for The Unschooling Handbook, or The Teenage Liberation Handbook. I know there are many other great reads, but those are my faves up til now.

Unschooling is basically child-led learning. It's using that inborn natural curiosity and love of learning that we're all born with. When one goes to a traditional school (be it public or private) we tend to lose that love or desire of learning.

College and unschooling fit so nicely together, if the person wishes them to. If an unschooled person is at college age and interested in doing something that requires college specialized classes, then that person can and will succeed very well b/c they want to be there (unlike most of the kids there, that are not happy to be there) and want to learn. Unschoolers tend to have a much broader view on our world than trad. schooled kids, so they can also feel confident enough to explore other arenas than college, like traveling, apprenticing at a craft or trade, etc.

go through the MDC archives on this forum, and you're bound to find answers to all your questions and concerns with unschooling

[UnschoolnMa]

Unschoolers can and do attend college if that is the path they want to go down. You just identify what steps need to be taken to start attending, and then go about taking those steps.. easy as that Kristi