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LOL! I'm a Southerner. My accent would undoubtedly cause some of your fellow Yankees to automatically remove 10% from my IQ. And I do homeschool. But I don't look remotely like the Duggars, I promise. (I'd like to tell you I look like a young Candace Bergen, but I don't resemble her, either. But let's pretend.)
The media does focus on those who seem most outlandish. That's simple showmanship, and evident in the deterioration of news programs since Cronkite as well as in cable network shows.
"Freaks" may be excessively and colloquially frank (though totally in keeping with NE's online "voice"), but the sentiment stands.
Would you like to be called a freak if someone, who did the same thing you did, but in a different manner?
The Duggars are the extreme of the extremes. Hence a tv show. They also see $$ & will be the ones laughing all the way to the bank as we work into our 70s.
Homeschooling & unschooling is not the "norm" in American society. Thus, those who choose this route are open to question.
That being said, I do not necessarily agree w/ what is considered normal in society but calling a family who homeschoolers "freaks" as the poster herself homeschooled...doesn't make much sense...as many could consider her a freak for homeschooling based on her views.
Homeschooling has amazing advantages & some real drawbacks. I've yet to meet a family who homeschools for non-Christian reasons. Again, nothing wrong with it, just that homeschooling has a very large religious stigma attached to it the same as private schools have a well-to-do finacial stigma attached to it.
Unschooling is the new media baby & the media will turn it into a circus.
TLC will pick up on it after its next new show which is about polygamy.
If I could guarantee decent socialization opportunities for my boys & had the patience, I'd homeschool in a heartbeat. I disagree with how unschooling is approached but not necessarily the concept.
See, I think half of my stubborness if you will, comes from where I live. MA isn't a big homeschooling state (at least I don't think it is). So my penchant for sterotyping leads me to believe it is most prevelant in the Midwest and South aka "The Bible Belt" (I know, more sterotyping) thus my conclusion.
So basically, as I admitted earlier in the thread, I am usually full of horse manure and generally talk out of my butt. I am now going to add sterotyper to that list.
Massachusetts homeschooling support groups:
Homeschool Support Groups in Massachusetts (http://www.mhla.org/support/masupportgroups.htm - broken link)
I think that those who are brought to the attention of the public are religious and that's where that impression comes from. I know many people who homeschool and none of them do it for religious reasons. With the Duggars putting themselves on camera for the whole world to see gives people the impression that homeschooled kids come from overly religious families.
The cults behind walls homeschool, the Duggars homeschool. The media doesn't focus on every day people who are trying to give their children a better, more rounded education by homeschooling, who do it quietly in their homes. The media focuses on the freaks who do.
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Originally Posted by 121804
And you homeschool due to what your child did not receive in the public setting? Not sure how calling those who are different from you "freaks" is the best example to teach a child.
You read incorrectly. Those behind the walls, and the Duggars are freaks, and those are who the media focus on. Those of us who are everyday people, mind our own business and teach our kids aren't of any interest to the media.
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Originally Posted by 121804
Maybe for "you" but it is also very untrue to say your last statement. A very large portion of homeschooled children come from very strong conservative religions. A quick google of homeschooling materials and one will run into a very large percentage being based on a strong core religious values. Nothing wrong with that IMO but your last statement is not necessarily correct unless you are speaking for the entire population of homeschoolers?
Christian groups publish educational material. They do for homeschooling, and they do for their schools. You can find their material online. HOWEVER, there are plenty of homeschooling publishers that AREN'T religious publishers as well.
Because people are religious doesn't mean they homeschool for THAT REASON. Quite probably they homeschool to give their children a better education.
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Originally Posted by LeavingMassachusetts
Here is my small sample size. I have known roughly 10 homeschooled children and/or parents through my life and my kids. Every single one was because of relgious beliefs. 100% and yet I still agree with you that they are not all for religion.
I know and have known LOTS of families who homeschool and NOT ONE for religious reasons. 100% for reasons other than religion.
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Originally Posted by rkb0305
Homeschooling FAQ"Again, we don't know. In the 2007 National Center for Education Statistics survey, 83% of parents said that providing "religious or moral instruction" was a reason for their choice to homeschool."
One has to wonder where they got the list to survey. Did they take from the state rosters across the country? Did they take it from a publishing company who distributes religious educational material? Did they take it from a particularly religious area that has an inordinate amount of students homeschooled?
Also, "moral" might mean parents don't like the way kids are growing up in public schools and have no moral values anymore. "Moral" instruction may or may not (depending on the person polled) have anything to do with religion itself.
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Originally Posted by 121804
Would you like to be called a freak if someone, who did the same thing you did, but in a different manner?
I already explained this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 121804
Homeschooling & unschooling is not the "norm" in American society. Thus, those who choose this route are open to question.
Homeschooling has amazing advantages & some real drawbacks.
We are open to question why? Because you don't understand? You're afraid of what you don't understand, aren't you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 121804
I've yet to meet a family who homeschools for non-Christian reasons. Again, nothing wrong with it, just that homeschooling has a very large religious stigma attached to it the same as private schools have a well-to-do finacial stigma attached to it.
I do not homeschool because of religion.
This is virtually the only place (City Data) where I have heard that homeschooling is associated with religion. Honestly, I have never heard that before here. We have homeschooling groups and I know other homeschooling families in other states and not once has any one of them said it is for religious reasons.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 121804
If I could guarantee decent socialization opportunities for my boys & had the patience, I'd homeschool in a heartbeat. I disagree with how unschooling is approached but not necessarily the concept.
It's what you put into it. Homeschooled kids can participate on rec teams like mine did. Homeschooled kids can participate in any part of the school day you wish them to (mine did in art and language and lunch along with after school archery club). There are homeschool teams in some places that play against some schools. Libraries ALWAYS have homeschool group activities. Homeschooled kids can volunteer in the community.
There is no end to what homeschooled kids can do for socialization. The ONLY thing is they don't go to school, and they are likely to be more mature than schooled kids are. They are more likely to have more sophisticated interests as well.
Most of the people I know (which is a limited number) of homeschool families did -not- choose homeschooling based on religious beliefs. One family was homeschooled because their school district -required- vaccinations which they refused to get, and they didn't have exceptions at the time.
Two others lived in a sub-par school district and couldn't afford private school. Another was licensed as a teacher anyway, the school district was so-so, and she didn't want to bother with private school since she was qualified to do it herself.
There was a great MTV True Life Episode on recently about Homeschooling. One family was really religious and the oldest son was very into football and the homeschool football league was awful and he was hoping to play in college, so he begged to go to public school to be on the team.
The other family had a really lazy daughter who did online schooling and was basically a waste of space.
Third family was the mother was afraid of school shootings so she didnt allow her son to go to school. Then he went for a bit and went back to home schooling.
Not always the case. There are summers, vacations, weekends. <snip>
It's all about time management. If a parent raises a child to be self motivated and interested in learning, they will do it and find the time to do those things.
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Originally Posted by lisalan
I find the whole concept strange. Why not send kids to a regular school and do this unschooling thing with them on the side. I can see a benefit to that. Relying solely on unschooling is doing more harm than good.
I haven't read the whole thread, but I wanted to respond to these posts. The reason "unschooling" doesn't happen with a child who goes to school, is because the school environment doesn't promote natural learning. A child having all of their time free to do as they choose will thrive with natural learning, as long as support & resources are there. Natural learning looks nothing like school learning. It happens in bits & pieces, the kids pick up ideas and facts here and there, until they coalesce into a solid body of knowledge. It's not measurable, or quantifiable. There's no way to unschool after school, or just on weekends, because unschooling is an entire way of life.
After a while in traditional schools, most kids lose their spark and love of learning. After being shut down enough when they express an interest ("sorry, we don't learn about WWII in kindergarten"), they learn to quell their interests, to cope with school. I have experience with both schooled kids and unschoolers, and the difference is undeniable. *Some kids* will, of course, come through school "fine" - but ime, a large majority do not. They lose *themselves*.
You can't shut down a child again and again and again and expect them to jump back on weekends.
I haven't read the whole thread, but I wanted to respond to these posts. The reason "unschooling" doesn't happen with a child who goes to school, is because the school environment doesn't promote natural learning. A child having all of their time free to do as they choose will thrive with natural learning, as long as support & resources are there. Natural learning looks nothing like school learning. It happens in bits & pieces, the kids pick up ideas and facts here and there, until they coalesce into a solid body of knowledge. It's not measurable, or quantifiable. There's no way to unschool after school, or just on weekends, because unschooling is an entire way of life.
After a while in traditional schools, most kids lose their spark and love of learning. After being shut down enough when they express an interest ("sorry, we don't learn about WWII in kindergarten"), they learn to quell their interests, to cope with school. I have experience with both schooled kids and unschoolers, and the difference is undeniable. *Some kids* will, of course, come through school "fine" - but ime, a large majority do not. They lose *themselves*.
You can't shut down a child again and again and again and expect them to jump back on weekends.
I agree w/ most of what you have stated minus the part that children should have unlimited choice during free time. I feel there needs to be boundaries dependant on age & nature of child.
One thing that no one has mentioned is the 5 day school wk issue or summer breaks. It boggles my mind that we give children close to 80 days off & expect them to retain all the knowledge they learned months later. I remember spending all of Sept reviewing all of the yr priors material & all of May staying patient & figuring out how to keep my students occupied as they knew 3 months of vacation was fast approaching.
Academics is not highly respected in this country. Tom Brady, the QB of the Patriots, got in a car accident yesterday. I saw it on the local news, cable news & internet as well as this morning's paper. I'm all for sports & the good aspects that come with it, but this is what is focused on in society.
The school supply thread was another good example. Parents want to do it as cheap as possible. Well, just as cheap clothes made in China fall apart after a few washings...expecting education for as cheap as possible will also give you that outcome.
I required every yr that 2 projects required information gathered from the library. The students had 4 wks to complete the project. And every yr I had numerous ph calls & popping up parents who stated they had no time to take their child to the library.
Public education could be effective.
Homeschooling for the right family has proven effective.
I'm not sold on unschooling.
And truth be told, many kids do just fine in traditional settings, have good memories & learn.
It's not common to hear a 5yr old ask about WWII& stay interested in it for weeks. If a child is so bitter about school b/c they can't learn what THEY want to learn when THEY want to...I don't think that equates a positive method of learning. Nor do I think it behooves parents to allow a child to dictate their learning experience. So Johnny doesn't want to learn his numbers but wants to paint all day until HE feels like learning numbers. I don't say force rote memorization down his throat but also, at 5, Johnny should not have complete control as that only creates larger issues. Figure out how to incorpate his love for painting with learning numbers. Teachers do this & not every school in America is having kids punch the time clock. There are some excellent schools and teachers out there as well as not so good. If a parent cannot believe the teacher will do as Johnny demands, then time for parent/teacher to chat. If over time & so on issues continue to arise, other methods definitely need to be looked at.
My almost 5yr old loves space. I don't think it is necessary to withdraw him from school in order to let him learn about space.
Finally, so much is age dependant. I don't know how I will feel about all of this as they get older.
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leads me to believe it is most prevelant in the Midwest and South aka "The Bible Belt" (I know, more sterotyping) thus my conclusion.
