This new movie about learning outside the classroom is not only a great introduction to homeschooling and unschooling, but is also a testament to our individual and group abilities to create new private and public spaces for living and learning with children when institutions fail to do so . . .
Read MoreHelp us make John Holt's videos accessible in other languages and to the deaf by joining our new video captioning project . . .
Read More"How did you homeschool/unschool without having the Internet?" Well, John Holt created a book and music catalog for helping parents and children find learning materials that were either unavailable from school product providers (they didn't support homeschooling then as they do now) or that he thought were better books and materials than standard-issue curricula. I collated most of the books and materials we sold into this list . . .
Read More". . . In NY last week and saw this campaign ad for Cuomo. And almost fell off my chair. Here is a Democrat, in a very blue state, and the last line of the ad is:
'And I still believe the best education equipment is the kitchen table, and the best teacher is the parent . . .'"
Read MoreYou see children making things a lot when you learn at home with them, and many deep lessons are embedded in these projects. Here are some interesting DIY projects made possible by the Internet . . .
Read MoreMany educators grasp the importance of letting children learn through their own joy and passions, but almost none recommend that unschooling can be a sound way to do so. Even fewer dare to be education heretics and question why we need to box children into schools and how else they might learn and grow in today's world . . .
Read MoreJohn Gatto's website is temporarily down, but he's doing well . . .
Read MoreAll the presentations from the 2014 Homeschool+ conference are available for free! Speakers include Blake Boles, Oliver DeMille, Pat Farenga, Jamie McMillin, Jerry Mintz, Carlo Ricci, Monica Cochran, Matt Hern, Ken Danford, Ocean Robbins, and many more!
Read MorePrior learning assessments (PLAs) are gaining more acceptance as the costs of higher education rise and alternatives to conventional schooling proliferate . . .
Read MorePew Research Center: "Screens have changed our reading patterns from the linear, left-to-right sequence of years past to a wild skimming and skipping pattern as we hunt for important words and information . . . " One solution to this is slow reading.
Read MoreTrying to break the cycle of child abuse seems like a gargantuan task, not just because all sorts of experts, institutions, laws, and religious beliefs encourage and support corporal punishment but also because the majority of adults don’t think children are capable of having deep thoughts and feelings . . .
Read MoreDon't teach the way you were taught: Involve other adults, other kids, and other activities in your children's lives. But most of all, get involved in building an open relationship with your children to best understand what does and doesn't work for them and you . . .
Read MoreFin and Rye drying foraged chokecherries. The boys know where to find wild mushrooms and berries, "and Lord knows what else [they] are eating out there," Hewitt writes on his blog . . .
Read MoreIn conjunction with this week’s free, online homeschooling conference that I co-chair with Steve Hargadon, last night the Alternative Education Film Festival started. We launched the film festival with La Educacion Prohibida, a wonderful documentary about alternative education in Spanish-speaking countries (with English subtitles), directed by German Doin. Steve and I interviewed German last night and you can view it here . . .
Read MoreFrom the creator: "My inspiration comes from the College Board's new AP Chemistry framework that includes this gem—'The student can connect phenomena and models across spatial and temporal scales.'"
Read MoreAs part of the homeschool plus conference, we're also holding a virtual Alternative Education Film Festival . . .
Read More". . . Most [unschooled adults surveyed] reported themselves to be at an academic advantage compared with their classmates, because they were not burned out by previous schooling, had learned as unschoolers to be self-directed and self-responsible, perceived it as their own choice to go to college, and were intent on making the most of what the college had to offer . . ."
Read MoreI am cochair for the Homeschool Plus conference; it will be held online on August 7 and 8, 2014. It is free to attend and everyone is encouraged to submit a presentation proposal, including first-time presenters . . .
Read More"Homeschooling is more than just freedom to learn. It’s more than just awesome classes or innovative learning centers. It’s time with family. It’s building close relationships with your kids. It’s going through real life ups and downs with the support of your friends, your community. It’s kids finding their own mentors by virtue of living an authentic life . . . "
Read More"European Unschooling Conference from July 2 to 6, 2014 in Switzerland at campingplace Seehorn, directly on the shore of the Lake Constance . . ."
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