Join an Unschooling Conference This Weekend

This inaugural conference is our attempt to bring together as many groups and people who have a genuine interest in helping children learn in their own ways and schedules, rather than forcing children to learn what economists, politicians, and educators have decided they should know at any given age. Steve Hargadon and I have created this event rather quickly this year, but we decided we had to give it a shot and bring it to life on our own rather than continue to wait for sponsorship and the perfect moment . . .

Unschooling, John Holt, Homeschooling Current IssuesPatrick FarengaAugust 19, 2013the homeschool conference, unschoolingComment

New Books By and About John Holt

Escape From Childhood is back in print as a paperback for the first time in over 20 years! Plus a preview of the new book The Legacy of John Holt: A Man Who Genuinely Understood, Trusted, and Respected Children.

The Alternatives to Compulsory Schooling Conference, April 27, 2013

A homeschooler volunteering at the local library during school hours. This is just one of the many opportunities you can help children use in lieu of classroom seat-time. Read to learn more about the Alternatives to Compulsory Education Conference on April 27, 2013 at Harvard University.

Amazon is offering The Willed Curriculum, Unschooling, and Self-Direction: What Do Love, Trust, Respect, Care, and Compassion Have To Do With Learning?

Carlo Ricci, founder of the Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning (JUAL), has written a wonderful personal account and analysis of unschooling with his book, The Willed Curriculum, Unschooling, and Self-Direction: What Do Love, Trust, Respect, Care, and Compassion Have To Do With Learning.

Book Review, UnschoolingPatrick FarengaMarch 29, 2013Carlo Ricci, The WIlled Curriculum, Free downloadComment

The Power of Play and How We Ruin It for Children

A review of Peter Gray's new book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life.

School Vacation Week Advice: Do Nothing!

Homeschooling Current Issues, Parenting, UnschoolingPatrick FarengaFebruary 25, 2013Dr. Peggy Drexler, school vacation, sense of self, children's independenceComment

How Homeschoolers Make A High School Transcript: Wes Beach Interview, Part 2

Part two of my interview with Wes Beach, teen advisor for students who need options to conventional high school. In this part, Wes details how to create and customize a high school transcript so homeschoolers/unschoolers can gain access to college or work.

View Schooling the World for Free—Ends Feb. 12.

Carol Black, an Emmy-Award-winning writer/director/producer of both entertainment and documentary television and film, co-creator with her husband Neal Marlens of the television series The Wonder Years, noted for its portrayal of the American public school experience. She studied education and literature at Swarthmore College and UCLA, and after the birth of her children, withdrew from a successful career in the entertainment industry to become involved in the alternative education movement. Schooling the World was the culmination of many years of research into cross-cultural perspectives on education.

Education Week Explores Unschooling

Elementary school Principal Peter DeWitt writes about unschooling and why educators can find common ground with unschoolers . . .

Unschooling, Public School IssuesPatrick FarengaJanuary 31, 2013Peter DeWitt, Education Week Comment

Unschooler.com Seeks Help

Peter Kowalke is looking for someone to help him run and grow his website, The Unschooler Experiment . . .

Community, UnschoolingPatrick FarengaJanuary 29, 2013Grown Without Schooling, Peter KowalkeComment

The Right Side of Normal

Book Review, Learning Challenges, UnschoolingPatrick FarengaSeptember 25, 2012ADHD, Right side of normal, cindy gaddis, right-brained learners Comment

Teach Your Own: A Seminar About Homeschooling and Unschooling

Homeschooling, UnschoolingPatrick FarengaSeptember 6, 2012Homeschooling, Pat Farenga, Teach Your OwnComment

Maturity Is Not Created by College

Autodidact, College, UnschoolingPatrick FarengaAugust 29, 2012Emma Zale, alternatives to college, chicgeek, collegeComment

Learning Without Us

We need to shift our thinking from a goal that focuses on the delivery of something—a primary education—to a goal that is about empowering our young people to leverage their innate and natural curiosity to learn whatever and whenever they need to. The goal is about eliminating obstacles to the exercise of this right—whether the obstacle is the structure and scheduling of the school day, the narrow divisions of subject, the arbitrary separation of learners by age, or others—rather than supplying or rearranging resources. (p. 6)