"A nice overview of the unschooling journey by Sandra Dodd in response to a mom worried about what her kids know compared to school kids:
Generally speaking, unschoolers seem ahead for a while, and then behind for awhile, and then ahead again.Young…"
the network for radical unschooling families
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Meredith
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the radical part of radical unschooling
Started this discussion. Last reply by Meredith Feb 1. 4 Replies 3 Likes
Welcome wagon
Started this discussion. Last reply by Meredith on Sunday. 2 Replies 5 Likes
Welcome to Meredith's Page!
Latest Activity
Meredith replied to Meredith's discussion Welcome wagon"Moving this up to the top again.
Please! If you have Local homeschooling questions - like "how do I file paperwork" check with Local sources! Unschooling, for legal purposes is home-education and all local laws, proceedures, hoops…"
Meredith replied to Debra Post's discussion NYS unschooling"Unschooling is homeschooling in terms of educational laws. You treat it exactly the same way on paper. It's a good idea to check with unschoolers local to your area if you live somewhere that has heavier regulations and get ideas how to keep…"
Lynn Harber joined Meredith's group
unschooling for social justice
A group for unschoolers to address specific issues of how they can parent mindfully while also actively working toward more social justice.
Meredith replied to Shawn Leah Peek's discussion So, Deschooling?"To start with it can help a lot to tell yourself you're taking a break and then Live like you're on vacation - a good vacation where you go out and do fun things because they're fun, or stay home and relax because it's relaxing,…"
Meredith replied to Kymmie Lucas's discussion To go get Supplies, NOW? or Later?"What sorts of experiments is he interested in? As a longer term solution, it will help to keep a big stash of a variety of supplies on hand and play with improvising when you're only missing one or two things. If you're only asking the…"
Meredith replied to Michael Jacobsen's discussion Looking for a portfolio "reviewer" who is a "state certified teacher""I suspect you'll have better luck with a local group, rather than an international one!
you could look here:
http://sandradodd.com/world#us
http://familyrun.ning.com/group/virginiarunners"
Meredith replied to Megan 's discussion What to start unschooling my 5 year old"In some places you need to provide a curriculum or learning plan or portfolios to review - but you can still unschool. The catch then is not letting the reporting get in the way of unschooling. Here are some of the ways unschoolers around the world…"
Profile Information
- what does "radical unschooling" mean to you?
- Radical unschooling is a really different paradigm of adult-child interactions. Its challenging to envision relationships outside a model of limits and testing and adult-based decision making - it sounds wacky. How can you have relationships without limits? Craziness.
Start someplace else. Start from ideas of exploration and autonomy and connections. Human beings are all about exploration and autonomy and connections - especially children.
From a radical unschooling perspective, children don't need limits in the sense that conventional parenting assumes. Limits are a natural part of life - the sun goes down, flowers fade, moms get tired, people miscommunicate. Natural limits. RU isn't about ignoring those or pretending they don't exist, its about finding ways to facilitate all that exploration and autonomy and connecting over and around and through the limits. Limits aren't the tools we use to manipulate the world and each other, they're the playground equipment we get to climb on.
- how long have you been unschooling or homeschooling?
- Ten years.
Okay, short summary of our strange life. I met Ray when he was 4 and having some very challenging times. He was pretty over-the-top and sometimes explosive. Yeeoow. Somehow, George and I fumbled along and found ways to help Ray - radical unschooly ways, if only we had known what that was! But we didn't, and started homeschooling. The more we drifted towards unschooling, the better life got! By the time Mo was born, Ray's life had gotten much easier - he wasn't nearly so explosive or extreme (still high energy, though!).
About a year after Mo was born, Ray's mom decided she was ready for him to live with her full time and go to school. We didn't stand in the way of that. Over time, Ray's intensity and explosiveness started to build back up until he finally pulled a knife on his mom's boyfriend. At that point he moved back in with us. He was 13 and in the process of being expelled from school.
In the intervening years we'd discovered radical unschooling! Hooray for all of us!
- first names of children
- Morgan is 10 and has been unschooled from the beginning, whenever that was.
Ray is 18! He's my stepson and you can read a very short history of my life with him above.
George is my partner and both kids' dad. He is sweet and strange and is also committed to radical unschooling, although he doesn't talk about it nearly as much as I do.
- a little about me
- I'm either slightly eccentric or a complete weirdo - its all in the eye of the beholder.
I quilt and knit and do all manner of homey things. I even built my own house! Nowadays I'm the breadwinner of the family, I make plaster accents and architectural details.
Comment Wall (40 comments)
- At 8:03pm on May 8, 2012,
Leah Mrozinski said… thanks meredith...I just like to be a little cautious on the internet. A friend told me about the group, so I think I am on the same page
- At 10:07pm on November 4, 2011,
Santhy George said… - Thanks Meredith:-)
- At 5:49pm on October 29, 2011,
Dawne Morgan said… - Hello Meredith, I do mention education allot, as it's everywhere, all the time. I speak of true education, without walls, without limits, and without censorship. Thanks for the info, and the helpful advice. I dont tend to worry much of the right place or wrong, as in my experience its the same thing,as we grow and learn from it. I know my mind, my family and my purpose, and I strive to accept other ways, as we are all here together on this journey, as people, parents and community. I find great peace in the growing numbers and acceptance of unschooling, as I started when parents where scorned by school districts and state for this very important choice. I look forward to discovering other like minded parents. Thanks
- At 9:48am on October 19, 2011,
Michelle said… - Dear Meredith, thanks for your helpful reply. We'd love to live near other unschoolers so thanks for helping me work this out.
- At 8:05pm on September 30, 2011,
Keila June said… - Hi Meredith, thank you for those links! I did mention taking charge of education. I didn't mean it literally.. where I will educate my children according to "standards". I just meant FREEDOM in education, whatever that may mean on any given day!! :) I am very new to homeschooling in general. My sister suggested this group/network of moms, and I'm just very excited to explore the world of RU!!!
- At 11:07am on September 29, 2011,
Tabatha Lynn said… - I would have kept that a private message, but we are not friends, my apologies.
- At 11:06am on September 29, 2011, Tabatha Lynn said…
- I already "backed off" yesterday. You obviously didn't read the entire thread, because if you had, you would have seen where I was treated rudely, criticized, and judged. Also the man Raul was. He felt that way as well. Now there are two people who feel the same way about how someone treated them. ???
I do not allow people to treat me that way. I am a good person, who treats everyone with respect, I expect the same.
- At 11:28am on August 26, 2011,
Cathy Fout said… - I haven't really thought about blogging, but it might be a fun thing to do. Especially if my youngest were to get interested, too! I'll look into it! Thanks for the idea.
- At 1:42am on August 23, 2011, Femme said…
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! :-)
However, in florida you have to keep a portfolio to be audited and take annual standardized testing. Which causes alot of pressure. This seems to hinder the unschooling approach. In fact, I was told by the head admin. of the school board that they " arrest people like this and would have to aresst me too." If i chose to do " something illegal like that. " A.K.A; Uschooling
- At 2:23pm on August 14, 2011,
Jessica said… Thanks for the links! I have actually read a bunch of stuff from Sandra Dodd's website but the other site is new to me. I've been researching unschooling off and on for 5 years (thought we would be blessed with a child a lot sooner than we were) and I am just now beginning to put it all into practice. I've already been scanning through the forums and I can tell i've got a lot to learn still. Thanks again!!
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