unschooling?

Unschoolers learn what they want, when they want - CNN.com




There is no way in hell I would let my child go to a school that encourages them to do nothing all day. I am all about creativity and following curiosity and passions..but life is not about doing what you want, and only what you want, all the time. There are expectations of good humans, and sometimes they suck and you have to do it anyway. I just picture these kids being incredibly self centered and obnoxious.

It's not a school, it's a "homeschooling" technique. And I agree, I've seen info on this before and the kids tend to be obnoxious, lacking in social skills and destined for welfare.

"She spends her time watching TV, doing arts and crafts or practicing the piano. She learned to spell by e-mailing with friends; she uses math concepts while cooking dinner."


This girl will probably be more productive as an adult than most of her friends who are in the public education system.

Ok, sorry, having read the whole article, I see that there is a school. I remember hearing about it when I was a teenager. My peers and I decided then, that it would work well for motivated students who already had a foundation in the basics of reading, writing, math, etc. and a desire to learn. It would allow them the freedom to pursue topics of interest to them, rather than the canned curriculum. But even then, we recognized that it wasn't appropriate for the run of the mill student.

Chasey_Lane said:

"She spends her time watching TV, doing arts and crafts or practicing the piano. She learned to spell by e-mailing with friends; she uses math concepts while cooking dinner."


This girl will probably be more productive as an adult than most of her friends who are in the public education system.

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Hey, it worked for Lance!

huntr1 said:

Local school that follows this philosophy.

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Students at Fairhaven School are required to attend school regularly, and be on campus for a minimum of five hours a day. Most students choose to be at school much longer. Families of students below the age of seven may request exemption from the five day/five hour requirement by speaking with the Attendance Clerk.

The intent of the minimum attendance requirement is to insure the development of a strong school community. Our kind of educational approach works best when parents and students see the school as the center point of their educational experience. Students are most successful when they are invested in using and contributing to the school community and resources.

Fairhaven’s open campus policy allows students to leave campus during the school day for a reasonable period of time. Students wishing to walk on Queen Anne Road must be accompanied



oh lord I can smell the hippies from here.




I do like this, though:

Diploma: Students who have attended for at least three years are granted a Fairhaven diploma by writing and successfully defending a thesis.



however there is something to be said for fulfilling requirements like you have to to graduate high school now...that's life. Requirements, rules, doing things you aren't particularly interested in.

I see nothing wrong with parents having Fairhaven as schooling option. When I read the "about us" description, I see their intention is to mentor a student into how to be self-motivated and how to set and achieve goals of all kinds not just academics.

I have two kids. There are completely different in how their brains work and what learning environment works best for them.

huntr1 said:

Local school that follows this philosophy.

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Interesting. It is a bit difficult to find some of the information about their school on their website -- origin date is buried in the FAQ on About but navigation is difficult and this kind of information is not located where one would intuitively look -- poor design or deliberate?

Also, they do not appear on the MSDE list of approved non-public schools which means that their "diploma" may not necessarily be recognized.

I am not saying that they are bad, just that this information needs to be considered along with everything else.

This kind of approach might work for some kids who have the capacity to be self-driven. It is certainly not good for all. It reminds me of the Montessori approach in that learning is, to a certain extent, dictated by the child's interest areas, although Montessori still has a curriculum that is followed.

It is an option that I, personally, would approach with caution and a healthy dose of skepticism. In a climate where there is increasing frustration with public schools and many schools of thought on the "ideal" education, parents must be extremely careful and investigate thoroughly, any alternative educational program. After all, we only get one chance to educate our children.

(DISCLAIMER: In the interest of full disclosure, I have worked in both private and public schools in two different states and have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. The above represents my own personal opinion and is not meant to reflect negatively on any one organization or practice. Hope this suits Vrai's lawyers.)

pooazzredneck said:

Montessori Pedagogy


"Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities." Dr. Maria Montessori

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Really, all good education practices should seek to release the true potential of the child. Anything less is unacceptable!