Beyond the educational aspect of radical unschooling is the lifestyle element. My children have unrestricted access to media and technology, they choose what and when they want to eat and they determine when they go to sleep. We live in a house where freedom of choice reigns over rules, chores and schedules. It is different from the norm and it is liberating. My children thrive in this environment and yet they understand the parameters of society. We choose to challenge the norm and live by our own terms. We also acknowledge that this path may make others uncomfortable or confused by our choice. We are okay with how others view us. We are doing what we feel is best for our kids and we enjoy and embrace pushing the status quo. My kid is a hacker and we are disrupting education and loving every minute of it.
For more information and guidance about alternative learning options, please visit:
http://atypicalminds.com
Now, onto the radically accelerated part of our unschooling lifestyle. My just turned ten year old, L, is working a few hours a week one-on-one with a brilliant professor from a prominent, prestigious university. Initially, we thought that L would be in the lecture with the 100+ students at the university but working privately with the prof is turning out to be infinitely better. My son is working at a very high level in his specialty and requires such depth that is finally getting addressed by the prof. They work through the course lecture and go off on beautiful, depthful tangents that would never happen inside a lecture hall. I am privvy to their lessons as I am situated in the next room and can overhear their conversation. And that is just what it is...a conversation about all things programming and tech. These sessions are invaluable to my child and are integral to his social development as well as the obvious academic development. Our lifestyle affords us this opportunity which would never have materialized but for our first year of unschooling. We started this unschooling journey a year ago and in that one year of absolute freedom to satiate his curiosity my son was able to teach himself enough about computer science to rise to the level of intense college material. This is radically accelerated, radical unschooling at it's finest. Then again, he could still be in an elementary classroom stuck with the lock step grade level curriculum which doesn't address computer science in any way.
I realize that our situation is unique but the fact is, until we started on the homeschooling / unschooling journey which keeps evolving, I would never have discovered that my kid is a tech prodigy. When he was eight and in school he showed a facility with technology but nothing astounding. Unschooling unleashed the prodigy in him which had been laying dormant within the confines of school.
Homeschooling can seem like an overwhelming concept for those newly considering it but it is a journey that allows your child's true personality and intellect to unfold. No two homeschooling / unschooling families are alike and we all find out what works best by trial and error. Or, in our case, we have two such strong, independent thinkers that have determined our lifestyle for us and we are just here to support them, love them and nurture them. I am their guide and their facilitator but they are in the driver's seat of their own education. When children have the power to choose what they want to learn based on their own interests and not state (or now federal) standards for the one sized fits all mentality, then they actually love learning and are enthusiastic about it. Unschooling allows for creativity, thinking, problem solving and life learning which are critical skills for the future.
I realize that our situation is unique but the fact is, until we started on the homeschooling / unschooling journey which keeps evolving, I would never have discovered that my kid is a tech prodigy. When he was eight and in school he showed a facility with technology but nothing astounding. Unschooling unleashed the prodigy in him which had been laying dormant within the confines of school.
Homeschooling can seem like an overwhelming concept for those newly considering it but it is a journey that allows your child's true personality and intellect to unfold. No two homeschooling / unschooling families are alike and we all find out what works best by trial and error. Or, in our case, we have two such strong, independent thinkers that have determined our lifestyle for us and we are just here to support them, love them and nurture them. I am their guide and their facilitator but they are in the driver's seat of their own education. When children have the power to choose what they want to learn based on their own interests and not state (or now federal) standards for the one sized fits all mentality, then they actually love learning and are enthusiastic about it. Unschooling allows for creativity, thinking, problem solving and life learning which are critical skills for the future.
This blog is part of a blog hop on homeschooling gifted children.
For more information and guidance about alternative learning options, please visit:
http://atypicalminds.com
Nothing like the Apple Store to put a smile on your face. Your kids are adorable. They will change the world. I wish I was as brave and free as you are. You are doing it RIGHT for your kids!! :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. I am homeschool a pg daughter. She is 6. We are radically accelerated here, we do have some structure because she craves it. But she chooses her own course of study. We have what she calls "study time" for an hour or two in the morning, where she works with my help on what she has chosen. Then the rest of the day is hers to create and explore and I have found that she choses to write a LOT during that time. She is turning out great stories.
ReplyDeleteI love reading about other pg kids!
-Amanda
http://beringseaadventures.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-day-in-our-world-what-does-it-look.html
This is our first year homeschooling with my eg son who is 7. I found your blog through the blog hop. I look forward to reading your blog and getting great ideas. We started our homeschooling in August and were pretty structured. Only a few months into it and I have already figured out that my son does not function well with so much structure. I am already leaning more towards an unschooled approach. Thanks for your wonderful inspiration.
ReplyDeleteRaising my youngest daughter without any form of schooling (or programming I might add), I prefer to think of unschooling as natural learning and creative living. I don't regret the choice for a moment. Thanks for the article!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea which kind of gifted my kids are, but it's so much fun to be unschooling them. For a while, they tried online classes, but my eldest got scapegoated really badly by the prof and when we protested, he expelled him. Not a good time. So now, we're back to the fun stuff.
ReplyDeleteI have an adopted son from international adoption. Three days home speaking no English a lady at local park approaches me to say he is profoundly gifted. I think it must have something to do with him being malnourished and size of 2 year old but actually age 4 because all he is doing is playing in sandbox NOT anything profound either with some other kids. After a few school moves due mainly to his highly sensitive traits (not physical sensitives but emotional)--montessori, constructivist, public, finally I want to homeschool but still don't think he is pg despite the park incident (4 parents of pg kids from 3 states who just randomly approach me at parks / on the beach; and 1 teacher). I'm single and must work though so decide that 'unschooling' via using local Waldorf school would be least harm setting. From what I read Waldorf was 'odd' but sort of daycare like and I could live with that as a glorified babysitter if need be. turns out he finally likes school so I've been happy but got worried again when a teacher reported he might be highly gifted. was I doing right? I read a book she gave me and one just blew my mind. I never believed the profoundly gifted comments despite occassional wow moments. After book reading I felt maybe I was doing a disservice to my son by NOT seeking 'challenging' school. I even blew half a paycheck on 3 years worth of math homeschool curriculum to see where he was. I started one year below his current waldorf grade since waldorf is 'slow' academically...he blew through first year in 2 weeks, so ordered next 2 years and in 2.5 months he has completed 3 years of math (2x above his grade level: this is stuff he didn't know going in but mastered after 1 presentation!). whoa...but scary. Did I just 'ruin' my child by not providing challenge in last for years and doing what I consider unschooling?! so I hit web and Just spent hours reading your blog. It is such a reassurance! and has saved my son from a mother who was preparing to throw all sorts of challenges at him!
ReplyDeletethat is one chapter of the book given to me blew my mind with how much the child in the chapter reminded me of my son.
ReplyDeletebtw, very un-waldorf school of me but my child also has unrestricted media and tech access!