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Doesn't this sound like a great idea? Imagine going into today's Career fair with this back story:

Quote :

"No school, no books, no teacher's dirty looks Thursday, February 2, 2006; Posted: 2:34 p.m. EST (19:34 GMT) (CNN) -- It's a child's dream. Wake up whenever you want, with nobody telling you what to do and when to do it. And here's the kicker: No school to rush off to. Welcome to the world of "unschooling" -- an educational movement where kids, not parents, not teachers, decide what they will learn that day. "I don't want to sound pompous, but I think I am learning a little bit more, because I can just do everything at my own pace," said Nailah Ellis, a 10-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, who has been unschooled for most of her life. Nailah's day starts about 11 a.m., her typical wake-up time. She studies Chinese, reading, writing, piano and martial arts. But there's no set schedule. She works on what she wants, when she wants. She'll even watch some TV -- science documentaries are a favorite -- until her day comes to an end about 2 a.m. An extension of home-schooling, "unschooling" is when parents give their children total freedom to learn and explore whatever they choose. According to Holt Associates, an "unschooling" advocacy group, in 2005, about 150,000 children were unschooled, about 10 percent of the estimated 1.5 million home-schooled children in the United States. The term "unschooling" was first coined in 1977 by John Holt, an education reformer, the founder of Holt Associates and author of the book, "Teach Your Own." Holt felt traditional home-schooling didn't go far enough, He believed parents should not duplicate schools in their homes. He favored an education more freewheeling in nature, one that depends on the child for direction The expectation is that along the way they will get an education. There are no mandatory books, no curriculum, no tests and no grades. Nailah's parents are in touch with the local school district and she takes the district's required tests. While "unschooling" could be characterized as the ultimate indulgence by a parent, Nailah's stay-at-home mother, Barbara Ellis, doesn't see it that way. "When you get to travel around, that's education to me. That's learning. You're doing it firsthand. You're not reading it from a book. You are not hearing it from a teacher," Ellis said. But proponents of the public education system suggest these children may be missing a key part of the educational experience. "There is nothing like the texture of kids having contact with each other, making friends and relating to different adults in a school setting," said David Tokofsky, a longtime educator and member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. Nailah, who would be in 4th grade if she attended a regular school, seems to enjoy the "unschooled" lifestyle, even if she's a bit confused when asked what exactly she is learning. "I actually don't know what I'm learning," Nailah said. "I think I'm just having a good time." "

I mean really, what kid is going to stumble across calculus and want to learn it when you're young.

2/2/2006 5:54:24 PM

i like it

2/2/2006 5:55:49 PM

think it is a horrible idea really... can see where the kids will easily have difficulties socializing later on and then have worse problems facing real world day to day routines and job requirements.

2/2/2006 6:00:49 PM

It's a quick way to weed out.

2/2/2006 6:03:38 PM

I can see how this would be a good method for some - but it'll really depend on your kid's discipline and motivation. You honestly can't let a kid learn "how to kill king koopa" for ten hours. And likewise...she good with language it would seem, but can she even multiple simple equations?

2/2/2006 6:09:48 PM

^^WINNER

2/2/2006 6:12:00 PM

just like almost everything in life.

there's always an exception.

what works for one kid, won't work for everyone.

2/2/2006 6:19:47 PM

If I had been allowed to learn at my own pace, I wouldn't have even graduated elementary school.
She's gonna die when she has to start waking up at 7AM (or earlier) to go to an actual job.

2/2/2006 6:22:47 PM

I think it's interesting. I could see some kids really excelling like this while others fall far behind. I think it probably should have some structure though even if it is far more loose than a normal schoolsystem.

2/2/2006 6:27:22 PM

Double post.

[Edited on February 2, 2006 at 6:27 PM. Reason : l]

2/2/2006 6:27:24 PM

i wonder how many unschooled children major in tv and video games

2/2/2006 6:35:43 PM

Quote :

"She's gonna die when she has to start waking up at 7AM (or earlier) to go to an actual job."

Not all "actual" jobs require waking up at "7AM (or earlier)"

2/2/2006 6:42:59 PM

what a load of crap.

2/2/2006 6:49:37 PM

Quote :

"It's a quick way to weed out."

then what happens to those who were weeded out?

2/2/2006 6:56:54 PM

I would have enjoyed it, if it were an option when I was younger

I never got along with anyone in school, sat in the back of the class to myself, slept most of the time because the teacher bored me, but only went to school because I had to.

Homework, tests, things like that were no problem, but having to learn certain material that will not help you in the long run, bullshit.

All of the requirements in school now don't make sense. It's like, I took 2 maths a year, so I could get more credits, and figured I wouldn't have anything to take my junior and senior years, therefore I could take more transfer classes at my community college. Well even though I had taken AP Calc and AP Stat, I had to move back down to Discrete Math 101, and Pre-Algebra which were 5 years behind me, because I HAD to take a math once a year.

Maybe I'm getting off topic, but it seems to fit to me, I can't stand requirements in school, and I don't see why we're made to learn certain topics; therefore, I believe in a society that allows students to learn on their own.

[Edited on February 2, 2006 at 7:31 PM. Reason : ]

2/2/2006 7:29:12 PM

Quote :

"I can't stand requirements in school, and I don't see why we're made to learn certain topics; therefore, I believe in a society that allows students to learn on their own."

Humanity's ability to function without guidance is very poor. Also, you are required to study various subjects so you may become a well-rounded individual--if you fail to see why that is important, you should kill yourself now.

2/2/2006 7:32:50 PM

stupid

2/2/2006 7:33:39 PM

Is an art class important? How about JROTC? and being a TA for no credit? There were so many bullshit electives back when I was in high school that serve no purpose in life that were required if you didn't have a certain GPA. How do you think people felt when they were put in a foods and nutrition class because they made a C- in Biology? Not that I had this problem, but many in the school I went to did.


I know quite a few people who were forced to be in certain electives, to become 'well-rounded'

I would rather had quit school before being required to take JROTC classes, or some art shit because I'm not considered 'well-rounded' by a counselor.

I can understand the basics: science, math, social studies, english, the works
but specifically the requirements in graduation and how many electives you HAVE to take, which won't really help you in life, its just a waste of time and tax payer money

I'm speaking specifically on middle school and high school here, nothing to do with college because you pick your classes other than the required that are important for your major

[Edited on February 2, 2006 at 7:44 PM. Reason : ]

2/2/2006 7:43:48 PM

Worst thing you can do for your kid.

The REAL world has a schedule, rules, requirements, and a heavy emphasis on communication.

2/2/2006 7:58:11 PM

JROTC is not a requirement here in Wake County

2/2/2006 8:25:04 PM

I'm going to have to say that yeah, this creates a dangerous bubble for the child. Even if they do learn the academics they need to in order to pass the local school system's test...they are missing out on the structure of responsibilities and expections that exist in the real world.

Personally I'm a fan of the classical education style, which they do in some private schools but public school abandoned it long ago. I say this being a product of public school, but hey, that means I get to be a critic.

2/2/2006 10:14:52 PM

This could only work for asian kids... good god, haven't they already seen what our youth is like???? yeah, less structure and discipline is DEFINATELY what we need.

2/2/2006 10:38:25 PM

Quote :

"then what happens to those who were weeded out?"

That's for the successful children to determine

2/2/2006 10:49:50 PM

wtf, why does everybody like kids all of a sudden

those little shits will learn what the school tells them or I'll beat their little snotty nosed asses

2/2/2006 11:28:49 PM

and they'll like it!

2/3/2006 1:04:07 AM

I could care less if they like it, as long as they get As so they can get a good job and put me up in a really nice nursing home someday

2/3/2006 1:06:46 AM

AMEN

2/3/2006 1:22:06 AM

I could see how this approach to schooling would work, but not past the first one or two years of high school. Unless you have parents that can muster up lessons in advanced math and pre-calc, after about grade 10 you’d be missing out on what most public high schools can provide. This applies especially for vocational studies that are available under one's interest... for me it was electronics classes that made me happy with the decision to go into a public high school (I was homeschooled from grades 7-8).

Unschooling I see working only for a very small fraction of students... and well educated parents are a must if the kid plans on getting anywhere after they graduate. Being unschooled through college too I imagine isn't very attractive on a resume if you haven't accomplished anything in a marketable field of interest in the meantime.

2/3/2006 6:55:54 AM

a 10-year old said "pompous"? That's a borderline SAT word - it must work!

/sarcasm

2/3/2006 11:59:13 AM

atually, i can see it working too for some kids.

I think if I'd been allowed to do this I'd have learned more, and frankly enjoyed more. I was an outcast untill sr. year of high school, so the socialization argument would be bunk in that case.
I learned at my own pace in a private monetesauri (sp?) for half a year, and loved it.

And honestly, i dont think they'd need to go to the last couple years of high school if the parents were willing to hire a private and well qualified tutor for things like calculus or foreign languages they didnt know.


And i doubt it's listed on a resume with college as anything other than homeschooling. The kid still takes the standard tests with the district, and likely "unschooling" falls under some of the regulations of home schooling, that you pass certain minimums.

[Edited on February 3, 2006 at 3:19 PM. Reason : .]

2/3/2006 3:17:16 PM

i think it's ridiculous

2/3/2006 3:57:02 PM

Quote :

"Not all "actual" jobs require waking up at "7AM (or earlier)""

almost any job worth having does

2/3/2006 3:57:39 PM

1. she is chinese which gives her the god given ability to do math...we all know they are born with calculators.

2. Its Georgia...seriously now...what would she be studying in school? how to be a hick? at least now she can learn stuff like martial arts instead of learning how to grow peanuts

2/3/2006 5:18:18 PM

It could work... there's no reason the child couldn't socialize in an extra-cirricular environment, and I think human knowledge is pretty individually navigable after a certain point (the point of understanding language)-- concepts are built on concepts and you'll only immediately understand the concepts derived from what you already know, you'll ignore anything radically unfamiliar, you'll recognize anything you're familiar with, etc etc. Further, I don't see the point of being 'well-rounded,' the advantage of functioning as a society is that it allows the individual to specialize and operate more efficiently within their knowledge and experience. Have you ever seen anyone excel at anything by being 'well-rounded'? I think that's just another way to say 'mediocre'.

2/3/2006 5:37:36 PM

Quote :

"And honestly, i dont think they'd need to go to the last couple years of high school if the parents were willing to hire a private and well qualified tutor for things like calculus or foreign languages they didnt know. "

I don't know about you, but that's money that my parents probably didn't have. And they definitely didn't have the time to sit down with me and homeschool me or anything like that.

2/3/2006 6:45:09 PM

Good luck getting into a decent college by being "unschooled".

2/3/2006 7:57:27 PM

My friend got into Princeton through home schooling. He scored 1600 on the SAT twice, he took it twice to see if the first was a fluke. He's in Harvard Law now.

2/3/2006 8:03:26 PM

home schooling is much different than "unschooling"

2/3/2006 8:40:14 PM

I would like for someone to give me an example of a good job that doesnt require getting up early.

2/4/2006 12:04:48 AM

^Anything working the 3rd shift

2/4/2006 4:25:29 AM

she isn't Chinese, she studies it


seriously, how many chinese people have the first name "Nailah" or the surname "Ellis"

[Edited on February 4, 2006 at 5:26 AM. Reason : 2938]

2/4/2006 5:26:18 AM

chinks take american names all the time

2/4/2006 5:52:09 AM

I suppose that this would work nicely for some kids.

Me personally, I know for a fact that I would have majored in Nintendology and the like.

2/4/2006 7:12:57 AM

I was homeschooled for 6th and 7th grades. We (my sister and I) did math and English. We had a coloring book to learn the states, and a video to learn the presidents. That's about it. Practically "unschooling" and when I went back to public school my social skills weren't all that great, but they weren't from the beginning. So I essentially didn't suffer from being homeschooled, and was 23 in my class of around 160 when graduated from high school.

I could see it working if they altered it to require math and English, and then let them choose their history and science. They'll have a difficult time in college if they're not self-motivated enough to choose those subjects themselves, although that's dependent upon what they major in. Either way aren't the kids still subject to the end-of-term exams given by the state? We were when homeschooled.

2/4/2006 8:02:45 AM

in my experience(i'm from alamance county), everyone i've ever seen homeschooled was either trailer park trash, or had no aspirations of even graduating high school

[Edited on February 4, 2006 at 8:05 AM. Reason : i only knew 3, but you could tell they were gonna grow up to be nothing]

2/4/2006 8:05:20 AM

Quote :

"My friend got into Princeton through home schooling. He scored 1600 on the SAT twice, he took it twice to see if the first was a fluke. He's in Harvard Law now."

WOW I BET THAT IS THE RULE AND NOT THE EXCEPTION... seriously though. the sat's aren't a great measure of public school. they work well as a "general" iq test assuming you know basic math and english (that engrish got me decent yar), but beyond that I wouldn't put much stock in them as a measure of a school's ability to teach.



I would like to note that the only people who have backed this 100% in the thread are the admitted social trolls. Running away from your problems won't help you, learn to find some dorky ass friends like you and be happy with who you are. That shoulda been the lesson, but I guess you 2-3 were too busy sulking all emo/goth stylez in the back of the room. </troll>

2/4/2006 10:48:20 AM