All Is Grace

with any research endeavor, the biggest job of getting from what you know now to what you want to know involves sifting through the vast enormity of information available on the topic. as with any Google search, i am overwhelmed by the amount of information found where i started–the very broad topic of “unschooling” (also, the fact that i have to teach my computer, phone, and Word program that unschool is, indeed, a word…speaks to the word itself. but then, i shouldn’t be surprised. type “homeschool” in your search bar and guess what? not recognized either.). though the first few hits led me to some helpful places right off the bat, i find myself asking more specific questions than just “what is unschooling?” now that i’ve dug a little deeper. a few of you asked me to keep you in the loop. below, please find my loop.

http://unschoolery.com/
this blog is written by an unschooling parent–Leo Babauta– who obviously faced some opposition when he started. heck, he probably faces it every day even now. this site lists great resources, which i will give below, but the first piece that pops up when you open the page compelled me to read more: Unschooling: Am I Ruining My Kid’s Life? (if you’re wondering…the answer is…probably not.)

http://sandradodd.com/unschooling
Sandra Dodd’s approach is radical unschooling and for this, she makes absolutely no apologies. if you check out her wikipedia page (i know, i know…) you’ll find that she’s asked to speak about this topic all over the place at homeschooling and unschooling conventions. when she says radical, she means radical. there’s a certain “hippy” feeling, for lack of a better word, that i keep getting from the research i’m doing…and I have a feeling that’s exactly why people tend to think it’s less-than-acceptable on the whole. i’m digesting that whole thought process as i dig. Sandra learned some of her philosophy from the next man on the list–and he’s where I came up with the majority of my information as i dug.

http://www.johnholtgws.com
I linked you to John Holt’s “Frequently Asked Questions” page because that’s where I started reading. i found myself so moved by his words that I read section after section aloud to Reasa, who sat next to me at the time, and she kept saying things like, “that is crazy!” and, “that’s so true!” John actually begins with a discussion of unschooling in general, but then focuses on the specifics of homeschooling itself. most of John’s stuff is in book form–i haven’t purchased these books because, well, i’ve only been researching for several days. give me some time. i promise i’ll keep you posted. there is a book i’m purchasing…right…now (i love amazon. and my kindle.), though it’s not his. recommended from another site. i’ll let you know what i think.

JoyfullyRejoycing
ok, this is easily my favorite spot so far. there is much, much, much to digest, and the font is impossibly small (somebody redesign her page to make it easier to read!!), but with time and patience, this is probably the most informative site i clicked around. i barely scratched the surface. when i finish this post…i’m going back there. or to the book i just bought. i’m not sure. SO MANY CHOICES!! at the moment, this is the line from that first page of her site that is sticking in my brain:

“Q: I’m a bit uncomfortable with no structure.

A: Who is the homeschooling for? Them or you? Whose needs is homeschooling supposed to meet? Theirs or yours?”

hmm. interesting thought. and it’s interesting because it’s where i’m at.

Unschoolery’s Resource List
this is where most of my resource searches started. because i’m a researcher. i can’t just…not plan anything, friends. i have to have a jumping off point. this is it at this point. this list gives unschooling “defense” if you will, but it also includes some great resources for what to actually incorporate in your unschooling–scholarly stuff, courses online, free sources, books you can buy or use or find, lesson ideas when you’re searching for more information, whole college courses offered free or not free, websites devoted to kids figuring stuff out or practicing the stuff they’re learning. or adults. i joined Kahn Academy…to re-teach myself calculus. because the list Reasa made yesterday scared the CRAP out of me.

which is why i have to stop this post right now…and go to the next one.

what’s interesting is…this blog just turned into a research paper. the next post will include a little bit of psychology in the mix. (no, it won’t. but…it will be fun for me to pretend anyway.)