On April 20, 2010 The Young Turks – a YouTube show – uploaded a video about unschooling. The video shows an ABC news segment on unschooling. The hosts of The Young Turks follow the video screening with commentary. Ana Kasparian blogs about her thoughts on homeschooling and unschooling. I am truly amazed by how uninformed these individuals appear and how little investigation would seem to have gone into their reports. True journalists seek information rather than toss about unsubstantiated information.
Unschooling is a form of homeschooling. It is an educational philosophy. Homeschoolers are diverse as are their educational methods, not unlike schools. Unschooling is not about letting your children do “whatever” in a careless, neglectful manner. It is about non-coercion. Obviously, Ms. Kasparian at age 10 preferred television over reading a book — she wasn’t unschooled. And yes, Ms. Kasparian if an unschooled teen decides she truly wants to go to college, she will acquire the knowledge she needs to do it.
Watch the video and judge for yourself, “Unschooling vs. Homeschooling vs. Formal Education”.
As we approach college applications as homeschoolers, we are often asked to explain our choice in education. What follows is a personal essay for a particular student. I thought it might be helpful and enlightening.
Why we chose to homeschool and our homeschooling philosophy
Zack is the second of three children. His older sister attended school, affording me the opportunity to spend three plus years volunteering in the Kindergarten classroom while Zack toddled at my side and my daughter progressed through third grade. Over this period, I watched and learned how the children were taught to read and write, how mathematics was introduced. I observed firsthand the benefits children derive from school, as well as the drawbacks, in one of the top elementary schools in the City of Philadelphia.
The school environment certainly provided structure and ample intellectual and creative stimulation. However, there were also some unexpected byproducts of mass education which caused me to hesitate. This was a time when the label “ADHD” was on the upswing – children were routinely placed on drug regimens, especially boys. This troubled me. I was also alarmed by the aggressive and violent behavior displayed by young children both in the classroom and on the playground. The social ills of our society were like beacons of distress shining brightly in the schools.
