There currently is no body of laws governing unschooling (aka self-directed learning). It is categorized/covered under normal homeschool regulations, which don't actually fit the philosophy. Unschooling is kinda hard to explain to others, and I'm betting the school board will be no exception. People ask questions about what you're going to teach, and they use the word student all the time. It's really hard to talk about in terms others can understand because it's still categorized "schooling" and people expect that vocabulary and hierarchy of teacher and student. Until we get better at this, I'm giving my kids "calls to action", which was a fabulous tool my chemistry professor used to logically link task to purpose, giving us clear motivation and goals. This is necessary for me to do because I have to create a portfolio to prove the kids are being adequately taught the approved subjects covered in the State regulations. The exact verbiage is incredibly vague: Provide regular, thorough instruction in the studies usually taught in public schools to children of the same age. Include instruction in English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education. Take place on a regular basis during the school year and be of sufficient duration to implement the instruction program. The only clear expectation of homeschooling from the State is "emulate public school at home", which is going to be tricky since I disagree with how they regulate the process of learning (and that's why we left in the first place). I think we'll be fine though. Maybe the assessment board will learn a thing or two from us. Wouldn't that be amazing?!
My plan is to simply provide calls to action they would likely be interested in, and then keep track of their creative problem-solving on this blog. Hopefully that will serve as a good enough portfolio to justify our learning experiences. My prediction is that the kids will become deeper thinkers and better problem solvers as they gain experience. I also predict they will find their own tasks or problems to solve as time rolls on.
What I noticed from my recent foray back into college, is that far too many students are paralyzed by the task of finding answers. They also have a real problem defining the questions themselves. Many become stressed and angry by the request, expecting the professors to provide answers, because that's what they pay them for! I became stressed and angry too, but not about finding answers or asking the right questions... I was angry that we were rarely asked to try anything on our own. Memorization and testing is still the norm in many college classes, and for some subjects and portions of lessons there's no real way to avoid that. However, there was a serious lacking in practical application. It probably wouldn't have bothered me as much if I hadn't had the distinct pleasure of being in at least one college class that was the opposite. A chemistry lab that gave me a problem and a lab partner, a deadline, a grading rubric, and resources. It was like learning how to ride a bike, and when it was over I felt empowered. However, the general consensus was one of insecurity. If I had been fresh out of High School where I was still required to ask for permission to go to the bathroom, I may have felt the same way.
No comments:
Post a Comment