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Barbara C.
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I'm getting ready to put up a post on my blog about this, but I thought in light of recent discussions of his book I would present it here as well.
As far as I know, Gatto did not homeschool his children (I don't even know how many kids he has beyond the one daughter mentioned in Weapons of Mass Instruction). I think he was still trying to change the system from within at the time. And most of his work was with junior high and high school students.
So, what method(s) do you think John Taylor Gatto would use if he started homeschooling his children today based on what you've read of his writing? This is assuming that he homeschooled one child K-12. I have my own theory, but just for fun I wonder if anyone else as a theory.
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Chari
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clever question, Barbara!
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LeeAnn
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Fun question. Let's see, based on what he seems to admire most in WOMI, maybe an independently hired teacher, shared with other families a few months of the year to teach basic skills like reading, math, writing starting around age 7 or 8. Before that, probably just informal parent-run playgroups. After age 12 or so, I would think vocational training of some kind would take up the majority of a child's life, with formal schooling being child-directed ("Mom, I want to find some books on the Civil War" or "learn violin" or "study with a professional carpenter/Latin tutor/chef."). Formal schooling would end when the young person has achieved the goals desired and/or the young person is able to begin making a living. College would be for those few who truly desire to achieve credentials in academic, scientific or learned professions (law, medicine, professors, etc.)
That's my guess anyhow.
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folklaur
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Well, he wrote the forward for "Understanding Waldorf Education" - you can read that part online
here
so - he seems to see Waldorf as a good option...
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Willa
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From the foreword it looks like what he likes about Waldorf is that:
--"human possibility is seen as infinite"
---there is "human genius in all"
---and that the method "coaxes the muscles of that genius into play"
---also, that it's very different from "pedagogical orthodoxy"! 
I would guess that he probably likes the "hands head heart" idea of integrating the different parts of ourselves. It's been a while since I read a Gatto book but it seems to me that what he proposes is not too different from David Albert's form of homeschooling -- I think Barbara already mentioned that on the other thread.
David Albert homeschooled his daughters by bringing them out into the community and finding mentors and experiences that would maximize their natural abilities. Some of his articles are here.
Just guessing what's on your mind, Barbara! I've been enjoying your blog posts about Gatto.
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Barbara C.
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Thanks for the compliments, Willa, and thanks for the link. I really like David Albert's, but I had never checked out his website before. I think Albert's was actually one of Gatto's book editors at one point.
Thanks for the other link about the Waldorf introduction. I am kind of surprised that he would endorse Waldorf; I would just think he would be suspicious of any educational method that comes from that general area. I love that part, though, where he writes:
Quote:
| In a sense, the shape of any school reflects its social architect's deepest beliefs about humanity, and the best world possible. |
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I mention this in my blog post...but I kind of imagined Gatto mixing Classical education (particularly the Rhetoric phase) with lots of unschooling. That's just what I decided from WOMI. I really am interested to hear the take of others, though, or if anyone has any links like the one from the Waldorf introduction that might shed light on the question.
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MarieA
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I came across this blog and found it interesting.
John Taylor Gatto and Maria Montessori 
MarieA 
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Mackfam
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Is this an old post of Lori's, Marie? I seem to have a vague memory of it...but my brain cells aren't very reliable! I could be remembering something else...
I tried to link to the article last night and this morning and the link doesn't work. It's NOT your link that is the problem though, it appears Lori's blog is down. I was just there yesterday morning and it was fine, so hopefully the problem will be worked out soon!
I've been following all the interesting conversations you all have been having on John Taylor Gatto with much interest and I'd love to read this article. Thanks for linking it.
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MarieA
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Jennifer, yes, this is from Lori's blog.
I just tried the link and it seems to be working right now. (I've really enjoyed these posts, too!)
Marie
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Bookswithtea
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Honestly, I have no idea. I'm kind of picturing unschooling with but with a strong work/service ethic as well? Maybe kind of like the Moore's? But I did order Weapons of Mass Instruction yesterday and can't wait for it to get here...
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CrunchyMom
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I was just reading Dumbing Us Down, and this thread popped into my head upon reading this sentence:
"We might be able to see that if we regained a hold on a philosophy that locates meaning where meaning is genuinely to be found -- in families, in friends, in the passage of seasons, in nature, in simple ceremonies and rituals, in curiosity, generosity, compassion, and service to others, in a decent independence and privacy, in all the free and inexpensive things out of which reeal families, real friends, and real communities are built..."
He also references in the same essay, "...the use of critical thinking tools -- like the dialectic, the heuristic, or other devices that free minds should employ..."
So, it does seem that he values what is the common thread many on this board have found as the overarching similarities that have brought us all together while employing different approaches.
I imagine he would be an unschooler who encourages his children to study the classics (he references the ancients frequently), but I also think he would see the value in all the individual appraoches represented here which honor the above principles and which seek to help form a complete human soul capable of being independent and leading a fulfilling life!
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Bookswithtea
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I am almost 1/2 way through the book now, and find myself thinking a lot now about what he considers to be a good education.
He speaks highly of the Amish system, and seems to really value a society that has strong family, community traditions and morals.
He also talks a lot about the ability to think outside the box and about "dialectic", but I have this feeling from the examples he shares that his version of studying dialectically would not be what we homeschoolers call either a neo-classical or a classic-classical education. 
He seems to value hard work (as in manual labor) and learning from experts.
He also mentions A LOT how the best in our history learned from excellent literature, like 5th graders reading Shakespeare and the other greats.
I am completely inspired and am finding myself thinking more outside the box than I ever have before.
I kid you not, I passed my 6 yr old in the hallway with a screwdriver and a pile of good batteries (she was trying to figure out how to replace batteries in a beloved toy). Normally, I would have told her that she should ask for help from her big brother or dad. Instead, I stepped over her, told her to be careful and to make sure not to leave the batteries out for the baby to get into when she was done. Anyone who knows me well knows that this is a breakthrough for me. 
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Barbara C.
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The book does have a way of helping you reassess what your kids may be capable of.
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Barbara
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Bookswithtea
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Barbara C. wrote:
The book does have a way of helping you reassess what your kids may be capable of. |
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Yes, it does. Now if I can only just remember! It reminds me a bit of the first time I read Continuum Concept.
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BrendaPeter
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So would like to get this link to work  . My friend & I were just discussing the similiarities between Gatto & Montessori yesterday.
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BrendaPeter
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Bookswithtea wrote:
I am completely inspired and am finding myself thinking more outside the box than I ever have before. |
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That always happens when I read Gatto . After reading the other night, dh & I were up before the kids the next morning & I told him to sit down so he wouldn't fall over  when I told him that I'd like him to show our 2 oldest boys (13 & 15) how to safely ride their bikes to the local park. My 15-year-old reminds me of a caged tiger pacing back & forth at the zoo . Time to loosen those reins!
Adding on to the thread "Is College Really Necessary?", the possibility of a plane ticket to Europe as a gift to Europe at age 18 keeps popping into my mind!
I do think classical education would play a substantial role in John Gatto's preferred method of education. I picked up too many references to it in the book to totally discount it.
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Bookswithtea
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I also see a place for Classical Education, but I think it would depend on the child and their interests. Aside from letting my young adults be more like young adults and less like, well...teens , I am feeling much braver about choosing coursework that is not necessarily standardized for the perfect transcript. That's always seemed scarey to me, but Gatto sort of gives me permissio to not worry about it so much, kwim?
LOVE the idea of a ticket to Europe! Does he have a brother or trusted friend close in age to go with him???
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MarieA
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Brenda, I sorry that the Gatto and Maria Montessori link isn't working for you, but try this and see if this works. (For some reason, the link does work for me... )
http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/if-john-taylor-gat to-and-maria-montessori-could-meet.html
Marie
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folklaur
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MarieA wrote:
Brenda, I sorry that the Gatto and Maria Montessori link isn't working for you, but try this and see if this works. (For some reason, the link does work for me... )
http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/ if-john-taylor-gat to-and-maria-montessori-could-meet.html
Marie |
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whoops - there was a space it gatto's name.
I got this link to work fine
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: How Would Gatto Homeschool?
