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Replies to '11/24 Great School Debate'
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November 26, 2006, 10:40 pm PST
 Quote From: sneakers145 Read what I've written.
I think unschooling makes a lot of people very uncomfortable, as it goes against what conventional wisdom tells us.
Notice I did NOT say: Everyone is uncomfortable with the idea of unschooling. I didn't even accuse you of being uncomfortable.
No, my kids have never been formally assessed. What would it tell me? That they are at grade level? They're not in school, so that info is not important to me. That they're above grade level? Again, grade level is not important to me. That they're way behind? Behind what? They can't be behind themselves. Oh, you mean grade level? Um, is every kid in school 'at grade level'? No. Is every kid a straight A student? Again, no. I care more about who my kids are as people than any test score can tell me.
My children are bright, inquisitive, and there is no doubt in my mind that they can achieve anything in life they set their minds to. Yes, that means college if they choose it. But my idea of success in life and yours may not jive.
What do I want them to know? How to find the information they need on whatever topic they choose to learn about. Do I have a goal? No. My kids set their own goals. They are 8 & 12. No need to decide the future today. Do I expect them to be gainfully employed and to be able to live on their own? Sure. Why wouldn't they?
Deadlines and unpleasant expectations are a part of living, and my kids do live in the real world. As I've previously stated, my daughter had a job at age 10. She managed to get to the barn on time without my prompting.
Success to me does not come from high achievement on standardized tests, awards, college degrees, or a boatload of money. Success and happiness comes from within. And we have several family members who have become very successful without college degrees, and another who is a skilled computer programmer (and well paid for it) who is self-taught.
Seeing is believing and the proof is in the pudding. If you spent a few hours chatting with my kids you'd never know they have never attended school unless you asked them. Honestly, I do not think this homeschool was being combative. Perhaps this type of evaluation is simply difficult to translate into a set framework of tests and grades that have long been the standard measurements for learning.
It may not be able to see that a person does not have to be evaluated in a specific way in order to be evaluated. I believe this unschooler is saying that when he sees his children setting goals and accomplishing those goals, they are evaluating themselves. When he sits down to talk with his kids, their words tell him what they are learning.
If I were an employer, I might use a test to eliminate people who clearly would not qualify for a specific job, but I would use an interview to evaluate them. Employers don't usually ask test questions. Employers want to know how the individual applies what he or she knows to everyday life.
If I were a bank employee or investor, I would prefer to talk with someone who has experience running a business before I invested the bank's money or my money. I would not look at test scores. I would evaluate their ability to succeed based on past experience.
Although I do not unschool, I can see the advantages. The work the child performs can be seen as a continuous internship in life. Making great grades does not mean you will succeed in life or that you will enjoy life. It does not even mean that you learned the material covered on a test.
People use tests when they cannot afford to spend one-on-one time with someone to evaluate them. This can be useful in many situations, but one-one-one evaluation of the type this unschool parent does is much more valuable. Job experience is everything to an employer. Knowledge applied is knowledge learned.
BTW, I do homeschool my sons. This type of learning style does fit in with some of what we do. Actually, it would be much harder for me to unschool. I do prefer the idea of unschooling to learning to a test or straight book learning. Experience is very important. Most of the truly important learning I received happened when I was working for my father as a teenager. This includes the college education I received. |
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