| Author | |
Willa
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Location: California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3881
|
| Posted: Oct 29 2005 at 10:34am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I don't even know how to ask this question: bear with me.... it comes from recent threads on college admissions, high school requirements etc.
I've always been a believer in "real learning" for education and have been exploring how this works best in the homeschool lifestyle -- classical, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, or an eclectic combination of methods.
I guess the main balance I've been trying to figure out (or RE-figure, recently) is how much to direct kids' learning and how much to encourage them to self-direct. I have no trouble with the PRINCIPLE of it -- the end goal of an excellent education is a self-directed, self-motivated lifelong learner -- but I get muddled with the day to day details of how to go about it.
I have 2 highschoolers and a middle schooler, at present -- my oldest graduated and is doing well academically in college so far. But my oldest was quite self-directed and academic by his own inclination and I never had to push him much, just encourage and provide and support. In fact, in some ways I had the best of both worlds, a non-coercive environment PLUS a curriculum geared to college prep standards.
SO now I'm wondering, when the self-direction and the outside requirements seem to be heading in two different ways, where is the comfort zone -- how much do you "push" to get them to meet the outside standards to keep their options open, and how much do you hold back to let them find their own feet? Especially if you don't necessarily agree with the outside standards philosophically -- ie don't think they truly measure what's important in an education?
I hate to tell kids, "Yes, I know this is boring and you will probably forget it within weeks or months, but you need to do it so I can put it on your transcript." OR is this is an OK reason to study a subject?
__________________
AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
cathhomeschool
Board Moderator
Texas Bluebonnets
Joined: Jan 26 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7303
|
| Posted: Oct 31 2005 at 8:03am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Great questions, Willa! I don't have any answers, but since my older two are "in" 5th and 6th grades, I look to the future and wonder the same things. 
__________________
Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
TracyQ
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: New York
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1323
|
| Posted: Oct 31 2005 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I ask myself these same questions every single day, as our oldest is in 10th grade, and our second son will be in 9th next year.
Hmmm.....pondering, and hoping that there is some good insight in this thread. 
__________________
Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Leonie
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2831
|
| Posted: Oct 31 2005 at 5:57pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I found articles by Alison McKee and Cafi Cohen to be helpful here.
They both tend to stress a) looking at what your teens do in educational/transcript terms and b) looking for ways to meet with the teens, discuss goals and uni requirements and find a way to blend the two, a way to approach any requirements in a variety of ways.
For example, with my sixteen year old, we have "meetings" each term to look at what he is doing. This term, he is not doing any external university courses ( he did two of these earlier this year) but wanted to concentrate on his art. I discussed SAT prep with him and keeping up writing skills - so we chose a SAT prep book and weekly essays.
Cafi Cohen
Alison McKee
__________________
Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Real Learning and meeting requirements
