Instead of Curriculum

This is the question for Unschooling Voices Issue 13.





Issue #13: What do you do, as an unschooling parent, when your child expresses an interest in a particular topic, and you don't know how to help them in a way that doesn't involve lesson plans and curriculum?



Lesson plans and curriculum would be a last resort for me. I'm pretty sure that my kids don't even know what a lesson plan is and therefore they do not seek it out.



We would talk about whatever we knew about the topic, then we would get online and look it up. We use the internet the most at this point, there is a wealth of information at our fingertips. We also have encyclopedias and atlases and maps and other resources in the house.



It really depends on what the interest is and how much the child wants to know. Sometimes it's just a question and we find the answer, sometimes it's an interest that lasts months or even years.



If someone we know has knowledge in this area we could talk to them, it's great to have mentors and to pick people's brains. We could see if there is a physical exhibit that we could go to. We can get on Netflix and look for movies, we can go to the library and find books.



We could make crafts or foods or play games if possible. We can print up charts, graphs, pictures, outlines, maps, etc.



A simple example, about a year and a half ago Jared was interested in sign language. I knew some as a child but I have long forgotten it, I printed up the alphabet and number charts for him, he learned all of the letters and numbers fairly quickly.



My oldest son has been into history and wars and weapons for several years now. He has a wide range of knowledge on weaponry and mostly WWII and the Civil War. He has watched movies, played video games, looked at books, researched online and talked to people who have the same interest. He used to make drawings of guns he designed and real guns, of tanks and other weapons, he also makes up battle plans and plays army with his friends and brothers.



I could have never *taught* him what he learned himself about the history and the people and the weapons.



It's kind of hard to answer this question without sounding generic because it truly depends on what the interest is. We just do whatever it takes and use whatever resource is available to find the answer and to further the learning process.



There is a wealth of information and learning outside of classrooms and textbooks. There is more to life than a boxed curriculum with scopes and sequences. There are as many ways to learn as there are topics to learn about and people to learn with and from.



Just open your mind and look for the possibilities and you will find them. Sometimes they find you when you least expect it.

Don't go gung ho and scare your child with too much information either. Observe them and find out how interested they are and how much they really want to know. It's easy to get caught up with something and over do it and lose the interest of the child. There is a balance, sometimes they just want a quick answer and sometimes they want to know everything they can about a topic.



My role is that of a facilitator, I answer questions, I provide the environment and access to the resources.

broken links

Please tell me if a link doesn't work, I have found 3 links from my recent posts that didn't work. I fixed them but I don't always check, stupid typos!

Go Vote for your favorite quote

Hint... vote for me :)

http://jewlsntexas.blogspot.com/2008/02/quirky-quotes-2008-in-their-entirety.html#links

A quote on education

Too late for the contest but too good not to share.

"An education isn't how much you have commited to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't. It's knowing where to go to find out what you need to know; and it's knowing how to use the information you get."

~William Feather

But if I don't make them...

The mainstream response to many issues between parent and child. This is a little story about my always unschooled, never bedtimed little girl. This is not the first time this is happened and it won't be the last and 3 out of my 4 kids have done this, Jared hasn't only because he is 5 and is still attached to me.

We have all heard parents say "If I don't make them_____, how will they learn?"
Left intentionally blank because there are so many phrases I have heard and read online.

This is inspired by my little girl who usually is up until 3-4am and sleeps until 3pm. She is a night owl like me, if only I got to sleep that long...

Friday night she made plans to go to her friend's house on Saturday, we decided on 2pm. She has a hard time going to bed until she is good and ready otherwise she can't sleep, gee that's vaguely familiar. She knew she had to get up before her usual time, the issue with that is that she anticipates it and can't sleep. I am the same way, if I know I have to get up before my usual time, I can't sleep, it's really frustrating and causes exhaustion for me. She is 8 though so she bounces back much faster than I can.

So last night she went to bed around 3:30 am, I read her a story every night and tuck her in. I got online and was reading all your blogs :)

She came out at 4:30am, just when I was getting ready to go to bed and told me she couldn't sleep. It was obvious to me that she was asleep and woke up so I just told her she should just go back to bed.

Apparantly she woke up at 10am, she got herself dressed, she packed a bag of things she was taking, she fed herself and brushed her teeth. She did wake me up a few times but hey with the dogs barking since 8 am I wasn't really sleeping.

What's sleep? I forgot what it's like...

My point is that this child got herself up and ready to go without being told to do it. WHY? Well all her life whenever we go somewhere we get dressed, eat and brush our teeth, so she knows what to do before leaving the house. Simple? Yes! Model, live, this is real life ya know.

Now I was made to get up and go to school and I am 36 years old and I finally go to bed when I want. Don't call me before 1pm, don't make plans with me before at least 2pm, I haven't found anything important enough to get me up.

See the difference? When you force a child to go to bed, get up, go to school so that they learn how to go to work as an adult is really asinine. Force and coerision are counterproductive to real life, just set them up to be miserable and resent life, yep that works...

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Protocol :: government red tape


2. Girlfriends :: Some of my new favorite people


3. Shoulders :: Jason


4. Coming home :: wonderful


5. Let it in :: Sunshine


6. Honor :: Integrity


7. Tyler :: Mary Tyler Moore


8. Thriller :: Michael Jackson


9. Angela :: a girl I knew in jr high


10. The winner is :: Little Miss Sunshine

Luna Nina

Rules, punishment, Christianity, unschooling...

Obviously I don't know what to call this post, I have thoughts spurred from a recent exchange on a yahoo group. I admit to skimming and not fully reading but I pretty much do that anyway, it's how I read.

There are no rules and punishments in my house, there is not top down authoritarian parenting. We advocate respect and safety, we talk, we model, we live, one person's freedom ends where another begins, we must have respect in the house. This is something that takes time and effort from parents to model for their kids, you can't expect what you don't give. You also need to realize that it is a process just like everything else, modeling and discussing are high on the list.

I am a Christian because I believe in God, I believe that Jesus is his son who walked on this earth as a perfect man. I do not believe in churchianity, I do not believe in obedience out of fear, I do not believe in arbitrary rules and thou shalt nots and punishment. I choose to believe, I choose to have faith, I choose to be responsible because it's the right thing to do. I do not do it out of fear of eternal damnation.

I want my kids to act out of the sheer fact that it's kind and right and respectful not because they are afraid of what I will do to them if they don't, or worse what God will do.

Parenting based on fear and punishment is flawed at best and it sets up an adversarial relationship with our kids.

There is no *getting in trouble* if anyone does something *wrong* we talk about it, we work out the problem. We talk about so many things all of the time, we do not parent out of fear and we do not instill fear in our kids. I do not train my children either they are not animals they are people, I guide,model, respect, discuss, and facilitate and pray a lot. Heck even our dogs are unschooled... They are free in the boundaries of our property, they aren't beaten or punished, they are animals, how could I treat my child less...

Society is full of laws and rules, why do we need them in our homes? We sure don't, we should be free in our own homes. Naysayers might say how could someone raised without rules obey the laws of the land?

Well it is called modeling and discussing and learning about our world. My kids know about laws and rules they just don't have extra ones at home. For what it's worth sometimes laws are stupid and I do break them, am I some bad influence? NO! I am a person with a brain that does not mindlessly follow anyone. If I drive fast and get caught I pay the consequence, it's really that simple. Although ya'll know I am against speed limits and drinking ages and homeschool laws and anything that takes away civil liberty and personal freedom and responsibility for one's actions.

As unschoolers who live and learn in freedom without the confines of school we parent the same way, we live and breathe freedom. We advocate responsibility and respect for each other and for this world that God gave us.

Entry 2

Quote 2:
Everyone wants to tell you what to do and what's good for you. They don't want you to find your own answers, they want you to believe theirs.
Socrates, Peaceful Warrior

Quirky quotes contest 2008

Jewls is hosting another contest, you can submit two quotes, tomorrow is the deadline sorry I didn't mention it sooner.

Quote 1:

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security. Benjamin Franklin

Can I do it?

Can I blog without political tie in's? I have lots of thoughts and ideas but when I put them out I get political. I mean schooling, parenting, unschooling, freedom, living, authoritarian, rebellion, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, everything I think of comes back to politics some how.

My dear husband advised me to talk about unschooling to get back to it and I am trying but my thoughts keep turning political. I know that I have some readers from other countries who surely are not interested in American politics and I have some readers who completely disagree with my take on politics.
Soooo....

I've been thinking lately how apparantly *different* I must be to think the way I do. I was born kicking and screaming, I was born free and made in God's image, questioning authority, testing boundaries, going beyond limits. A dear friend of mine from high school called me a *rebel without a pause* I did almost everything I was told not to do. I have always thought for myself and not taken crap from anyone including my parents. Do not go around asserting your so called authority over me because I am not interested,you want my respect then be someone of integrity.

I have never been compliant, obedient or respecting of the elders kind of girl. I was born free and I demand freedom, I am responsible for my actions, I am conscious of my decisions, it doesn't mean they are always right and it doesn't mean that God doesn't correct me. It means that God gave me life and gave me common sense, it oozes out of my orifaces, LOL lets just say I am overflowing with common sense :)

Why aren't there more people out there that think for themselves, that take responsibility for their own actions, that aren't DUMBED down beyond belief? WHY, WHY WHY?

Public school has ripped the love of learning out of so many kids that they grow up to be stupid adults. I see it, do you see it? People blatantly admit that they aren't good enough or smart enough or they don't know how, so they don't even try to do better, they don't try to change.

Schooling is damaging, top down teaching to the test, you do and think what I say because I'm smarter and I know better... UGH!@!!! This just rips me up, those poor kids who are being labeled and ridiculed and told what to do and what to think... Many of them grow up to be clueless, dumbed down adults that repeat the process to their own children. I see it everywhere, don't you?

More people need to stand up, make changes, think, do and act responsibly and just plain get out of the system.
There is a full, rich life that has nothing to do with government influence and testing and political correctness.

I'm tired and apparantly can't think beyond the government crap at the moment.

I'll be back with some unschooling posts, TRUST ME!

What if...

Lisa tagged me again :)


1. What If I could meet anyone in the world to chat with:

There are several cyber friends that I want to meet, I won't name them but they know who they are :)

I've always wanted to meet Elizabeth Dole and Sandra Bullock.

2. What If I could travel anywhere in the world: Tuscany, Italy

3. What If I could have one wish granted to benefit all of mankind: Abolish public school.

4. What If I could live in a period other than the present for just 24 hours:

That's a tough one, I have always been thankful that I live in the technological age.

5. What If I had to become an animal for 24 hours: An elephant, of course.

7. What If I could bring anyone back to life for 24 hours: My sister, she died almost 12 years ago at the age of 21.

Tag your it tell us about your what if's.

The Man Song

Anyone with a sense of humor will love this :)

Jason was singing it and I asked him where he got it from so I had to share.

And your point is?

86% Ron Paul
86% Mitt Romney
83% Fred Thompson
78% Tom Tancredo
70% John McCain
69% Mike Huckabee
56% Rudy Giuliani
36% Bill Richardson
27% Chris Dodd
26% Joe Biden
25% Barack Obama
25% John Edwards
25% Hillary Clinton
20% Mike Gravel
17% Dennis Kucinich

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

There are so many of these out there I actually found this one from someone who is the complete opposite of me :)

I am surprised at some of the percentages but with any online quiz sometimes *my* answer just isn't there.

This same person has an unschooling blog which is how I found her and she has an excellent post here Check it out, it's worth reading :)

I am proving to myself over and over again that unschooling is awesome and it permeates any lifestyle and belief system.

Talk about being 16...

I woke up with not one BUT two zits today!!!

I only ever in my entire life get 1 at a time!!!! This is Stephanie damnit, queen of something, 2 zits is unacceptable...

I get no sympathy from my husband who gets them daily...

I get no sympathy about anything... HMMM could be a good reason for that cause I don't give it...

Hey Jenny you are in my age group and never heard of Great White?????

Google them my dear, they are a blues rock band and they ROCK. Some songs you may have heard would be, Rock Me (It's their Stairway to Heaven) Some others are Save all your love, House of broken love, Lady red light, Once bitten twice shy, Sail away,Face the Day,Love is a Lie,Desert Moon, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Old Rose Motel, Call it Rock and Roll, Big Goodbye and so many more :)

So my cd is from 1993 so maybe that is why it doesn't play... BWHAAAA! That is the year we got married is it so long ago?

My husband was easily assimilated

While I was delirious with fever Jason had recovered enough to take care of everything else.

He even stayed home from work because I couldn't get out of bed.

He worked on the dishes and laundry and feeding the kids and taking care of me, he brought me soup and tea in bed.

You ladies will appreciate this, do you like ladies, what do I call you or me? I don't like ma'am,I'm not a Miss, I think I'll just stick with girlfriend, LOL.

Years ago I had a dear friend(male of course) that called me *female* he and only he was and is the only person allowed to call me such a thing. Sometimes Jason will call me *woman* usually when I have said or done something so completely characteristic that he doesn't know what else to say :)

Ok, back track, focus...

My dear husband played Mr. Mom for 3 days and he did things like walk in circles in the hallway muttering things like coffee, celery, dishes, oh yeah I was going to make coffee but then the piggies squealed and I remembered I was supposed to feed them... He also forgot he was cooking and burned his lunch, once he did this he told me that he can see how I do it now. Do it as in get totally sidetracked and have something triggered, oh yeah I was doing THAT!

I told him he better go back to work because he has been assimilated, then he told me to speak English :)

He is a good guy, I'm blessed to have him, he ROCKS!

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Passport :: Italy


2. Small world :: meeting someone in a new town that is from where you used to live


3. Radio :: internet


4. Marine :: tough


5. Wall :: brick


6. Wanna be :: poser


7. Pigtails :: cute little girls


8. Hyphen :: dash


9. 9.99 :: 10 bucks


10. Unrated :: life

Luna Nina

Still 16 at heart

I love music, and tonight I wanted to hear Great White, one of my all time favorite bands. I love all of their songs, some more than others but I went to play my greatest hits cd and it was skipping and locked up and I was so bummed. I've been going through you tube and watching their videos and rockin out, I love Great White :)

Last week my husband said we are 16 in 30 something bodies, and he is right, young at heart, yes we are :)

So enjoy life, do what you love, have fun and ROCK ON!!!

Great Unschooling Article

http://www.cityonahillpress.com/article.php?id=1037

Valentine's meme

I was tagged for this meme from Lisa


Brag About Your Husband:

What is his name: Jason

How long have you been married: 15 years in April

How long did you date: 4 years (engaged for 3 years)

How old is he: 38

How old are you: 36

Who eats more sweets: he does

Whose parents do you see most? Neither since we moved

Who said I love you first: I did

Who is taller: he is

Who can sing better: we both have average voices

Who is smarter: we are both smart, we know different things

Who does the laundry: I do (he helps if I can't like when I had the FLU)

Who does the dishes: I do but he helps when I can't

Who pays the bills: both of us

His guilty pleasure: video games (I hate that term guilty because it implies that it's wrong to do :)

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed: he does

Who mows the lawn: the neighbor

Who has more friends: not sure

Besides you, who is his best friend: Jim and Dave

Who cooks dinner: both of us, he is an awesome cook

Who is more stubborn: DUH!

Who kissed who first: I kissed him, when you know what you want you go for it.

Who asked who out first: Not sure we were best friends and out a lot.

What was your first date: No clue, probably a party.

Who proposed: He did

Who has more siblings: same except I have stepsiblings too

What is your favorite thing about him: he makes me laugh

I won't tag anyone but please participate if you want to.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Score :: Touchdown


2. Luxurious :: hot bath, wine, dark chocolate


3. Party :: fun


4. Limited edition :: Disney movies


5. Security :: I'll cover your ass if you cover mine (Anyone know where that is from)


6. Betty :: White (Golden Girls)


7. Under construction :: My house
   
8. Pest :: mouse


9. director :: movies


10. Express :: train, freight train, flu

Luna Nina If you want to play.

Gee I did better when I was unconscious :)