Podcasts about conventional classroom

Are you ready to pull your teens and kids from public school to start homeschooling, but don't know where to start!? This mini-series is the place. In this episode, we discuss homeschooling philosophies, rhythms, & routines for your family and homeschool! This is the 4 episode of 5 in this mini-series. For a deeper dive into the homeschooling transition, check out Episode 1: Beginning the Journey of this podcast. A Few Books to Learn More About Various Educational Philosophies: The Classical Education: The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise Charlotte Mason: A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola Home Education (The Home Education Series) by Charlotte Mason Philosophy of Education (The Home Education Series) by Charlotte Mason Parents and Children (The Home Education Series) by Charlotte Mason For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Montessori Method: The Absorbent Mind: A Classic in Education and Child Development for Educators and Parents by Maria Montessori Montessori: A Modern Approach: The Classic Introduction to Montessori for Parents and Teachers by Paula Polk Lillard, Foreward by Maria Montessori Waldorf Education: Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out by Jack Petrash Waldorf Education: A Family Guide by Multiple Authors Unschooling: Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald Free to Learn by Peter Gray How Children Learn by John Holt How Children Fail by John Holt Unit Studies: Unit Studies Planner: Brainstorm, Organize an Plan Out 100 Homeschool Unit Studies   Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. Homeschooling 101 Part 1: Laws on YouTube Homeschooling 101 Part 2: Deschooling on YouTube Homeschooling 101 Part 3: Creating a Vision on YouTube Homeschooling 101 Part 4: Philosophies Routines & Rythms on YouTube Sign Up for the School to Homeschool Newsletter School to Homeschool YouTube Channel Private Mentoring with Janae: Schedule a Free Discovery Call Etsy Store: Shop for Homeschooling Swag *Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. CONNECT with US Join the Private Facebook Group  Connect and follow along with Janae's Journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Learn more about School to Homeschool Contact Janae: schooltohomeschool1@gmail.com

Ever wondered if conventional education is the only path to raising curious, well-educated children? Our latest episode features Keri McDonald, acclaimed author of "Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom," who transitioned from an economics major to a passionate advocate for homeschooling and self-directed learning. Keri's personal journey is nothing short of inspiring, as she shares how shadowing a homeschooling family completely reshaped her views on education and led her to embrace the unschooling movement for her own children in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The pandemic acted as a catalyst, pushing many parents to reconsider traditional schooling. We explore various alternative education models that have gained popularity, such as homeschooling, micro schooling, hybrid approaches, and online learning platforms. Addressing concerns about the efficacy of these methods, we draw on peer-reviewed studies to demonstrate that children educated through these alternative models often excel, particularly in entrepreneurship. You'll also gain insights into how unrealistic educational benchmarks can affect perceptions of a child's abilities, and why a non-traditional approach might just be the answer. Building a supportive community is crucial for a successful homeschooling journey, and this episode is packed with practical advice on how to find your tribe. From utilizing Facebook groups and local initiatives to understanding the landscape of micro schools, we guide you through the myriad options available to connect with like-minded families. Learn from grassroots efforts and specific examples, like those in South Florida, to navigate the burgeoning world of innovative schooling options. Whether you're new to homeschooling or a seasoned veteran, Keri's insights and our discussion will provide valuable guidance and encouragement. Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald *Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. CONNECT with US Join the Private Facebook Group  Connect and follow along with Janae's Journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Sign Up For Our Newsletter Here School to Homeschool Website

In this podcast episode returning guest Peter Gray, retired professor of psychology at Boston College, makes an argument for why we should consider other ways of understanding and structuring learning in and outside of school. We talk about college and access to working life, possible alternative ways of learning an occupation, David Geary's evolutionary theory of biologically primary and secondary abilities, what we need to learn and when we need to learn it, what we can observe in kids who aren't taught in the conventional ways, kids who learn to read on their own or who learn the whole math curriculum in a couple of months in their late teens, how our expectations influence learning, consequences for not reading when society expects you to, how and when children learn to walk and what we do when they don't, whining in different cultures, the summer slide, and what to say when people complain that they wish that someone had forced them to learn something earlier in life, how children's independence and autonomy relates to their mental health, how we try to fix problems by taking away children's liberty and responsibility, why we should teach them about dangers instead of trying to get rid of them, and many other topics.  Even if you don't find yourself agreeing with all of Peter's arguments, we would love to hear more about what points he's making that you think are valid and worth considering. How can we let alternative views on education actually widen our current understanding of learning and schooling, instead of just assuming the worst about each other? Send un an email to larsogpaal@gmail.com, we'll be thankful to every kind of criticism, feedback and suggestions of further explorations and interviews that we should do on these topics.  See more of Peter's writings on his Substack https://petergray.substack.com/ Here's his 2017 article about the summer slide, mentioned in the episode: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-learn/201707/facts-and-fiction-about-the-so-called-summer-slide   Mentions and recommendations from the episode:  Jim Rietmulder, 2019. When Kids Rule the School: The Power and Promise of Democratic Education. New Society Publishers.  Kerry McDonald, 2019. Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. Chicago Review Press.  David Graeber og David Wengrow. 2021. The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity. Allen Lane. Harriet Pattison. 2016. Rethinking Learning to Read. Educational Heretics Press.  Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. 2007. The Old Ways: A Story of the First People. Picador.  danah boyd. 2014. It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. Yale University Press.  Peter Gray. 2013. Free to Learn: : Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. Basic Books Peter Gray, David Lancy, David F. Bjorklund. 2023. «Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children's Mental Wellbeing: Summary of the Evidence» February 2023, The Journal of Pediatrics 260(2)   Peter was previously a guest on the podcast in episode 53:  https://larsogpaal.libsyn.com/episode-53-peter-gray-on-self-directed-education-and-schooling ---------------------------- Our logo is by Sveinung Sudbø, see his works on originalkopi.com The music is by Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, see the facebook page Nygrenda Vev og Dur for more info.  ---------------------------- Thank you for listening. Please send feedback and questions to larsogpaal@gmail.com There is no better way for the podcast to gain new interested listener than by you sharing it with friends, so if you find what we do interesting and useful, please consider doing just that. The podcast is still most in Norwegian, but we have a lot of episodes coming out in English.  Our blogs: https://paljabekk.com/ https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/ Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

What is "unschooling" otherwise known as "child-led learning?" Is it effective or does it create feral children? In this episode, we dive into how and why we moved into child-led learning and how it has affected our children.  Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald Punished By Rewards: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Edition: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes by Alfie Kohn Great Article about Cole Summers! Unschooler, Entrepreneur, Prodigy: The Story of Cole Summers *Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. CONNECT with US Join the Private Facebook Group  Connect and follow along with Janae's Journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Learn more about School to Homeschool

As new homeschooling parents, you're about to navigate a path that is new and perhaps a little daunting. But fear not. We promise you a journey of discovery where you'll learn the importance of understanding education philosophies, the differences between curriculum and pedagogy, and the beauty of unschooling, all while keeping your family's worldview at the center of your child's education. The episode unfolds with a personal touch in sharing my own family's homeschool journey, laying the groundwork for the importance of slowing down to understand your child's needs. We'll journey through public school pedagogy, secular, and religious curriculums, highlighting the importance of aligning your chosen curriculum with your family's worldview. We'll chat about the significance of de-schooling, and how it's okay to leverage free resources online while you're finding the right curriculum for your family. Brace yourselves for an educational roller coaster as we delve into diverse homeschooling methods and resources, from the age-old Classical Method to modern platforms like Khan Academy, Coursera, and Wondrium. We'll take you through an exploration of various homeschooling philosophies including Montessori, Travel schooling, Forest schooling, Charlotte Mason, and many others. By the end of the episode, you'll be armed with an array of educational perspectives paving the way to craft an enriching and empowering learning journey for your child. Come along, let's transform your homeschooling journey together. A Few Books to Learn More About Various Educational Philosophies: The Classical Education: The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise Charlotte Mason: A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola Home Education (The Home Education Series) by Charlotte Mason Philosophy of Education (The Home Education Series) by Charlotte Mason Parents and Children (The Home Education Series) by Charlotte Mason For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Montessori Method: The Absorbent Mind: A Classic in Education and Child Development for Educators and Parents by Maria Montessori Montessori: A Modern Approach: The Classic Introduction to Montessori for Parents and Teachers by Paula Polk Lillard, Foreward by Maria Montessori Waldorf Education: Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out by Jack Petrash Waldorf Education: A Family Guide by Multiple Authors A Thomas Jefferson Education (TJed)/Leadership Education: A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century by Oliver DeMille Unschooling: Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald Free to Learn by Peter Gray How Children Learn by John Holt How Children Fail by John Holt Foundation for American Christian Education: Foundation for American Christian Education Website * Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. CONNECT with US Join the Private Facebook Group  Connect and follow along with Janae's Journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Learn more about School to Homeschool      

Self-directed education is a tough concept for many people to grasp. It challenges the ways in which many of us were educated, and the ways many of our children continue to be educated, by flipping the entire idea of education as a top-down model of coercive schooling to a bottom-up model of individual agency and self-determination. My 2019 book, Unschooled: Raising Curious Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, details the history and philosophy of non-coercive, self-directed education tied to one's individual interests, goals, and life pursuits.  One place that has become a beacon for parents and educators interested in the philosophy and practice of self-directed education is the Sudbury Valley School, that I write extensively about in Unschooled. Sudbury Valley was founded in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968 and continues to flourish today more than 50 years later. It has also inspired the creation of dozens of democratic, Sudbury-model schools around the world, as well as various unschooling programs. If you remember back to episode 39 in October, I interviewed Sudbury Valley School cofounder, Mimsy Sadofsky, and explained why my husband and I decided to send our children there instead of continuing with homeschooling. But today I thought it would be interesting and insightful to hear from another parent, Nick Warren, who pulled his two children out of public school in 2021 and enrolled them at Sudbury Valley. Like us, Nick and his wife drive a long distance each way every day so that their kids can attend Sudbury Valley, but it's totally worth it. We talk more about why that is in today's show.  Sign up for my free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

***Click here to join THC+ and get full uninterrupted 2 hour episodes, a dedicated Plus RRS feed, lifetime forum access, merch discounts, & other bonuses like free downloads of THC music.*** See detailed sign up options down below. About Today's Guest: Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and host of the weekly LiberatED podcast. She is also the author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. Kerry's research interests include homeschooling and schooling alternatives, self-directed learning, education entrepreneurship, parent empowerment, school choice, and family and child policy. She has a master's degree in education policy from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in economics from Bowdoin College. THC Links: Website Proper MeetUps Calendar THC T-shirts & Merch Store  Leave a voicemail for the Joint Session Bonus Shows Leave us an iTunes review THC Communities:  Telegram Subreddit THC Plus Sign-Up Options: Subscribe via our website for a full-featured experience, or Subscribe via Patreon, including the full Plus archive, a dedicated RSS feed, & payment through Paypal. To get a year of THC+ by cash, check, or money order please mail the payment in the amount of $96 to: Greg Carlwood PO Box: 153291 San Diego, CA 92195 Cryptocurrency If you'd like to pay the $96 for a year of THC+ via popular Cryptocurrencies, transfer funds and then send an email to support@thehighersidechats.com  with transaction info and your desired username/password. Please give up to 48 hours to complete. Bitcoin: 1AdauF2Mb7rzkkoXUExq142xfwKC6pS7N1 Ethereum: 0xd6E9232b3FceBe165F39ACfA4843F49e7D3c31d5 Litecoin: LQy7GvD5Euc1efnsfQaAX2RJHgBeoDZJ95 Ripple: rnWLvhCmBWpeFv9HMbZEjsRqpasN8928w3 Solana: FvsBazMY9GAWuWqh5RH7musm9MPUw7a5uF6NVxxhNTqi Doge: D7ueXbfcKfhdAWrDqESrFjFV6UxydjsuCC Monero: 4ApmFHTgU72QybW194iJTZHZb6VmKDzqh5MDTfn9sw4xa9SYXnX5PVDREbnqLNLwJwc7ZqMrYPfaVXgpZnHNAeZmSexCDxM

On today's episode, Winston interviews Kerry McDonald, a Senior Education Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and host of the LiberatED podcast, a podcast on recent trends in education. Kerry's work has appeared in FEE, the Cato Institute (where she is also an adjunct scholar), and Forbes, with her columns focusing on school choice, educational entrepreneurship, and alternatives to conventional schooling. Find out more about her work at FEE here: https://fee.org/people/kerry-mcdonald/and more about her book, "Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom," on Amazon, available here: https://amzn.to/3ExxH74Today's theme music is from John Harrison and Wichita State University Chamber Players.

The Sudbury Valley School is legendary in alternative education and unschooling circles. Founded in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968, Sudbury Valley has become a beacon for parents and educators interested in non-coercive, self-directed education, and has inspired the creation of dozens of Sudbury-style schools around the world.  Our guest today is Mimsy Sadofsky, one of the original founders of the Sudbury Valley School who continues to work at the school as a full-time staff member.  This episode is also personally very special because I wanted to share with you our family's journey toward enrolling at Sudbury Valley School. Episode-related links: Sudbury Valley School open house Planning kit for starting a Sudbury model school Award-winning filmmaker and Sudbury Valley School alumna, Laura Poitras American Journal of Education research paper on SVS graduate outcomes Free At Last, by SVS cofounder Daniel Greenberg Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, by Peter Gray Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, by Kerry McDonald

The Essential School Sucks, #13 of 50 Theme Two: Leaving Institutional Schooling and Finding Educational Alternatives Kerry McDonald returns to discuss the growing Micro-School movement. What is a Micro-School and why should we be talking about them? (and why am I excited about a school?) We'll also cover blended learning, the question of screen time for children, and a thriving micro-school network in Arizona Kerry recently profiled in Forbes Magazine. That article is called How Micro-School Networks Expand Learning Options (https://fee.org/articles/how-micro-school-networks-expand-learning-options/) Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor. Kerry has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard University. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children. You can check out her podcast LibertaED here (https://info.fee.org/liberated). Kerry's Book: Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (https://amzn.to/3xoY5uq) And please bookmark and use this link for your Amazon shopping: Shop With Us The Ideas In Action Summit (https://sspuniversity.com/ideasintoaction/) The downloadable version of The Ideas Into Action Summit is now available. Use the coupon code independence to can get it for 30% off Learn more here (https://sspuniversity.com/ideasintoaction/). Our Partners https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/b/b9f98e30-82d3-4781-8400-880c6dc8086f/2gtm0QVk.png Visit Praxis (https://discoverpraxis.com/schoolsuckspodcast/) Please Support School Sucks School Sucks was one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). Your support keeps the show alive, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering our work. Please help us continue to spread this important message further! One-Time Donation Options:Paypal/Venmo Crypto Addresses:DASH XcZfPP6GZGVo9VKViNBVJZja5JVxZDB229ETHEREUM 0x3c5504CE3401C028832173506fa30BD4db4b7D35LITECOIN LKNp24f5wwvZ2QzeDbvxXgBxyVwi1yXnu2BITCOIN 1KhwY836cfSGCK5aaGFv8Q7PHMgghFJn1UBITCOIN CASH 1AmqLVxjw3Lp9KT5ckfvsqfN2Hn3B1hCWSZCASH t1by1ZGJ63LoLSjXy27ooJtipf4wMr7qbu4 Recurring Options: Support Us On PATREONYou support our mission, and you want to help us continue to reach new people with our message and media. Your contribution helps us maintain presence, and to further build the legacy of School Sucks Project. Our Private Community: https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/b/b9f98e30-82d3-4781-8400-880c6dc8086f/fNnDUPqb.png Visit The Uni-iversity (https://sspuniversity.com/) Originally Released November 27, 2019 As "The Micro-School Movement – with Kerry McDonald [PODCAST #632]"

I talk with Kerry McDonald about her book, Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. Chapters: 00:00:00 Kerry McDonald https://fee.org/kerry 00:04:30 Public school vs Homeschool 00:06:20 Harvard 00:10:50 FEE https://fee.org/ 00:11:30 Cato https://www.cato.org/ 00:12:10 Educational Freedom in America 00:14:15 Compulsory schooling laws 00:16:10 Unschooling 00:19:00 Adult learning vs child learning 00:20:40 Creativity, curiosity, entrepreneurship 00:23:30 Unschooling at Kerry's home 00:25:18 Creating vs consuming 00:27:40 Gender differences 00:29:14 Kids are expected to read earlier and earlier 00:30:27 Individuality in education 00:31:15 Thomas Edison 00:32:35 Study on adults who were unschooled 00:33:25 Left vs Right in homeschooling --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/aaronolson/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/aaronolson/support

I talk with Kerry McDonald about her book, Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. Chapters: 00:00:00 Kerry McDonald https://fee.org/kerry 00:04:30 Public school vs Homeschool 00:06:20 Harvard 00:10:50 FEE https://fee.org/ 00:11:30 Cato https://www.cato.org/ 00:12:10 Educational Freedom in America 00:14:15 Compulsory schooling laws 00:16:10 Unschooling 00:19:00 Adult learning vs child learning 00:20:40 Creativity, curiosity, entrepreneurship 00:23:30 Unschooling at Kerry's home 00:25:18 Creating vs consuming 00:27:40 Gender differences 00:29:14 Kids are expected to read earlier and earlier 00:30:27 Individuality in education 00:31:15 Thomas Edison 00:32:35 Study on adults who were unschooled 00:33:25 Left vs Right in homeschooling --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/aaronolson/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/aaronolson/support

Curt interviews Kerry McDonald, author of the new children's book, "A is for Abundance: The ABCs of Capitalism." Kerry is a Senior Education Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education, an Adjunct Scholar at the Cato Institute, and a frequent Forbes contributor. She also authored, "Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom."   Get the book: https://amzn.to/3sES9eE  

Guest bio: Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641600632/ (Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom) (Chicago Review Press, 2019). She is also an https://www.cato.org/people/kerry-mcdonald (adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute) and a regular https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerrymcdonald/#36e691a46885 (Forbes contributor). Kerry's research interests include homeschooling and alternatives to school, self-directed learning, education entrepreneurship, parent empowerment, school choice, and family and child policy. Her articles have appeared at The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, NPR, Education Next, Reason Magazine, City Journal, and Entrepreneur, among others. She has a master's degree in education policy from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in economics from Bowdoin College. Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children. You can sign up for her weekly newsletter on parenting and education https://go.fee.org/liberated (here). Guest Links: https://go.fee.org/liberated (Liberated with Kerry McDonald (newsletter)) https://fee.org/people/kerry-mcdonald/ (About Kerry McDonald) Additional Reading: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641600632/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1641600632&linkCode=as2&tag=tomusbl-20&linkId=c386dfcaa14b0f857a82c6b543cde1df (Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (2019)) by Kerry McDonald https://www.naturalchild.org/articles/guest/john_gatto.html (Why Schools Don't Educate) by John Taylor Gatto https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0865716692/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0865716692&linkCode=as2&tag=tomusbl-20&linkId=75586c52f10fc260fae144214329c1d4 (Weapons of Mass Instruction) by John Taylor Gatto https://www.amazon.com/dp/0865718547/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=tomusbl-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=6e4c95dd2e1aa5c91196d8f9794becfe&creativeASIN=0865718547 (Dumbing Us Down) by John Taylor Gatto https://tommullen.net/featured/13-reasons-why-is-an-indictment-of-schools-not-legitimization-of-suicide/ (13 Reasons Why is an indictment of schools, not legitimization of suicide) by Tom Mullen https://tommullen.net/featured/the-thanksgiving-day-deception-exhibit-a-against-public-schools/ (The Thanksgiving Day deception: Exhibit A against public schools) by Tom Mullen Free Gift from Tom: Download a free copy of Tom's new e-book, An Anti-State Christmas, at http://antistatechristmas.com/ (antistatechristmas.com). Also available in paperback. A great stocking stuffer! Like the music on Tom Mullen Talks Freedom? You can hear more at https://skepticsongs.com/ (tommullensings.com)!

Today our special guest is Kerry McDonald, author of https://amzn.to/3GhtguE (‘Unschooled,') and advocate for the separation of state and education, i.e., homeschooling. Show notes with links to articles, blog posts, products and services: https://amzn.to/3GhtguE (Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom) https://fee.org/people/kerry-mcdonald/ (Kerry McDonald - Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)) https://www.ou.edu/education/bridges/spring-2020/hamlin-homeschooling-cultural-capital-opportunities (Daniel Hamlin) https://fee.org/articles/locke-vs-lockdowns-has-america-lost-its-way/ (Locke Vs. Lockdowns: Has America Lost Its Way?) https://fee.org/articles/cities-lead-the-way-in-another-massive-fall-exodus-from-us-public-schools/ (Cities Lead the Way in (Another) Massive Fall Exodus from US Public Schools) https://substack.com/profile/18303580-c-bradley-thompson (C. Bradley Thompson) https://www.getschoolhouse.com (Get School House dot com) https://outschool.com (Outschool dot com) https://fee.org/articles/how-three-women-sought-to-sway-americans-away-from-socialism/ (How Three Women Sought to Sway Americans Away From Socialism) https://fee.org/resources/the-2021-curious-parent-s-guide-to-education-options/ (The 2021 Curious Parent's Guide to Education Options) https://fee.org/resources/i-pencil/ (I, Pencil) Episode 36 (36 minutes) was recorded at 9 PM CET, on October 22, 2021, with https://ringr.com/ego (Ringr app).. Editing and post-production was done with the https://alitu.com/?fp_ref=egonetcast (podcast maker, Alitu). Support this podcast

We will learn: How school suppresses a child's natural learning.  Myths about literacy and teaching children young.  Better ways to help a child learn literacy, numeracy and socialization.  While I'm raising my own child, I'm also healing my own inner child.    One thing I've realized is that so many of the things I'm learning about raising him… like communication, how to teach him, how he learns… are also relevant to how I deal with my own inner child.   The way I speak to myself is so similar to how I should speak to him. Connecting through emotions before logic. Letting curiosity lead.   Even if you're not planning on having children, there's a wealth of info on how to care for yourself. Healing your inner child is all about re-parenting yourself.    So today we're going to be talking about how to foster skills that are actually helpful in the age we're living in - whether you're teaching these skills to your real child, or your inner child.    Our guest today is Kerry McDonald, author of multiple books, including: Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. Links from the episode: Show Notes: https://mindlove.com/206 Sign up for The Morning Mind Love for short daily notes from your highest self.  Get Mind Love Premium for exclusive ad-free episodes and monthly meditations.  Support Mind Love Sponsors   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans have long viewed education as something that primarily happens in schools, and for good reason; since the introduction of the common school, most formal education has taken place in schools. But that all changed when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered school buildings in March 2020, forcing the locus of education to switch from the classroom to the home. So, how has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted homeschooling? On this episode of The Report Card with Nat Malkus, Kerry McDonald discusses the homeschooling movement, its rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her book, Unschooling: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom.

Aaron interviews Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, about woke ideology, its spread throughout our classrooms, and the benefits of nontraditional schooling options.        Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever platform you prefer.   If you'd like to suggest a guest for the show or if you'd like to be on the show, email Aaron at Aaron@ObjectiveStandard.org    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/objectivestandard Twitter: https://twitter.com/ObjStdInstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/objectivestandardinstitute/    Show notes: Kerry McDonald's bio: https://fee.org/people/kerry-mcdonald/  Ebook: The 2021 Curious Parent's Guide to Education Options Book: Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom

In this episode, we're chatting with Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, about different models of education around the world, the developmental bell curve of when children read, how Unschooling benefits teenagers and how the school system can harm children.

Kerry McDonald talks about the massive growth of homeschooling and unschooling after the Covid-19 pandemic, and how you can start unschooling with your children. Kerry is a Senior Education Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education, author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, and an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute.Topics Discussed In This Episode:[2:00] What is unschooling[4:30] What does unschooling and schooling look like in comparison to government schooling and how it's trying to be different[6:10] How Covid-19 has changed homeschooling and unschooling [11:03] How children learn and how parents can support and facilitate that learning [13:27] What misconceptions people who were brought up in the system have on homeschooling [18:03] How homeschooling has expanded in the past year[19:21] Kerry's experience and journey to homeschooling [25:57] The first steps to exploring your child's education in homeschooling[29:45] The process of finding the best option for your child [35:14] How to incorporate non-academic activities into your schooling [39:07] How to spark your child's interests [40:20] Stereotypes of homeschooling [42:44] The difference in outcome between homeschooling and public education[45:56] Navigating college and how to prepare your child for an unknown futureResources: Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonaldKerry McDonald BioSubscribe and support the show directly:https://brendonmarotta.com/show/

Guest Co-Host Jessica McGough Hi All! I am a nature enthusiast and aspiring adventurer and was born and raised in Sonoma County, California. I attended college in northern California and then spent five months in Massachusetts where I participated in an AmeriCorps/Student Conservation Association program to work on environmental education and complete trail work projects in 2010. I taught at the preschool level as a college student, which is where my passion for working with children was ignited. I possess my California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and taught kindergarten for three years, third grade for one year, and have also substitute taught in all of the elementary grades. My identical twin daughters were born in 2016 prematurely at 30 weeks gestation, and I have greatly enjoyed focusing my energy on them over the last handful of years. Taking a step back from teaching in the traditional school setting and having children of my own has been an enlightening process. In this phase of life, my thoughts and perspectives on education have shifted immensely. This transformation has led me to the exciting, innovative, and inspiring world of self-directed learning and unschooling. Thankfully, I have found my new place in education as a facilitator for Galileo, the amazing online self-directed global school. I am also an aspiring children's book author and hope to release my first book in the coming months. My family hopes to adopt a more fluid and adventurous lifestyle in the near future consisting of new and exciting places and experiences. Instagram @jessicadmcgough Clubhouse @jessicadmcgough Show Notes Jessica was an educator for several years, working with children in preschool thru elementary school. After having her twin girls, her perspective on education changed dramatically and she began researching and reading more about alternative education. She read ‘Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom' by Kerry McDonald, Teach Your Own by John Holt and Pat Ferenga, and The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment. She's spent years immersing herself in alternative and self-directed education. She and her husband have chosen an alternative education path for their daughters when they become school-aged. She is so happy to have found an independent-study charter school in California where they live and they will be trying that out for the first year of school for their daughters. She has been so excited to find a job for herself as a facilitator at Galileo, a self-directed online global school. ($100 off your first month's tuition if you mention Rogue Learner) Jenna asks Jessica if there was a specific moment in her teaching career where she felt like something wasn't working or she didn't agree with the way things were done in the conventional school system? Jessica said she started out her teaching career teaching kindergarten. She was on a team of seven kindergarten teachers and found it difficult to implement some of her own ideas in the classroom because the more experienced teachers weren't willing to try new things. They were stuck in their ways and not open to change. She found that difficult. She also said there were times when kids were labeled “difficult” or “low performing” based on the fact that they couldn't sit at their desk for hours or didn't know their ABC's. Parents questioned her about that, and Jessica didn't have a good answer for the parents. She was just doing what she was directed to do. She had a student in kindergarten who could already read, but couldn't sit still. A third grade student she once had was an avid reader and would read his book during instruction. Jessica wanted to let him read his book, but felt as a public school teacher her job was to make sure he paid attention during her lessons, otherwise he'd miss something important. After she had her twins, she realized she couldn't return to work in a traditional school setting. She didn't want her own girls to be a part of the system, so she couldn't imagine teaching in it herself. She thought about sending her girls to alternative schools like Montessori or Waldorf, but again, that wouldn't give her kids the opportunity to really decide for themselves which learning style best suits them.  Jenna adds that she and her kids toured several schools as well; Montessori, Waldorf, and a Free School in Frankfurt. She says there seems to be an evolution that occurs in parents and educators where they realize kids don't need them in order to learn. Some take a more gradual approach toward self directed education, while others dive right in from the very beginning. Jenna adds that having your own kids really helps you to see that kids are learning all the time and are naturally curious.  For Jessica, one of her “aha” moments was while listening to episode 11 and 12 of the podcast where Naomi Fisher talked about how even Waldorf or Forest Schools can offer a great alternative for kids who enjoy that style of learning, but again, it has its limitations because it doesn't suit all learners. The best thing we can do is find the environment which is best suited for the individual needs of each child.   Jenna adds that as parents we need to be open to offering all the educational possibilities to our kids and let them decide for themselves which educational experiences are best for them. Whether that be through a Waldorf education or homeschooling, it's our kids' journey not ours. We need to trust them to make the right decision for themselves and learn to adapt to them as their needs change. Holding back options from our kids is contradictory to an unschooling mindset because it's a form of control. Jenna's daughter decided to go back to school because she missed structure, working with classmates and having a set curriculum. She felt out of control when all the decisions fell on her shoulders. It was just too much.  Jenna can relate to her daughter's needs for structure. Jenna says that when she went into entrepreneurship, she realized it wasn't the best working environment for her. It requires a lot of self-determination, motivation, and keeping to a self-inflicted schedule. This is hard for her.  If she was able to do her job as an employee, she thinks she'd probably prefer it because she thrives in environments where the schedule is set, her goals are clearly stated, and she's surrounded by inspiring colleagues. Just as adults are given the chance to try varying work environments, children need the same freedom to explore educational environments and see which ones work for them. Jessica says she thinks it's so great that Jenna is giving her daughter the chance to discover what's best for her. Jenna adds that she had the example laid out before her by her mother, who always let her make her own choices about school and trusted her as a teen. It was just the norm in her house growing up.  Jenna asks Jessica to share her first takeaway from the episode with Heidi Dusek, episode 020. Jessica's first takeaway was how she related to Heidi's comment about becoming a mom and  feeling the pressure to decide between motherhood and adventure. We're told in our society that we should get adventuring out of our system before we have kids, but Jessica thinks you can keep adventure in your life throughout parenthood. It goes in phases. Sometimes adventure just looks like going out to eat with your baby in their carseat. She shares how once her twin girls were one year old, they took a trip to Hawaii and it was tough, but the memories of that trip are still fun and she's still glad they went.  Jenna talks about Heidi's definition of adventure being any new experience or anything that feels a bit like a risk or that you could fail at it. Based on that definition, Jenna's very first adventure as a mom was an outing to Walgreens with her son. It felt really risky at the time and she was swelling with pride when she got home.  Jenna's first takeaway was about creating an environment where the kids can thrive. Jenna tries to offer up opportunities (without expectations) that lets the kids do what they will with it.  Jessica mentions her next takeaway was when Heidi mentioned how the community is a resource for our kids and provides our kids with meaningful social interactions. She also likes how Heidi mentioned the studies showing why some families don't adventure together; in that study, parents revealed that they are afraid of not having the answers to their kids's questions and refrain from adventuring with their kids because of it. Jessica notes how that's similar to parents thinking they can't homeschool because they lack the knowledge to teach their kids everything they may want to know. Jenna talks about how we need to rely on experts in our community to fill in the gaps where we aren't able to instruct our kids, or learn it together. New experiences are not only useful to kids, but they can serve as valuable learning opportunities for the entire family.  Jenna talks about how being a parent of an 11 and 13 year old, she has to find ways to create shared experiences with her kids where everyone is a willing participant and that gets harder as kids get older. At least, that's been her experience. They all have different interests and ways they like to spend their time. A shared adventure for her, may look like trying to play Fortnite with her son or doing a makeover with her daughter. Sometimes a fun shared experience comes from the parent taking risks or being uncomfortable, not the children.  Jessica says how she liked in the last episode how Heidi and Jenna talked about spending smaller chunks of time together that are meaningful as opposed to setting a specific amount of time to hang out together. She thought Heidi's comment about quitting an activity while everyone is still having fun was a really valuable tip and a great reminder to parents to be flexible and adjust your expectations. Jenna says there's a real balance we need to strike because we know our kids, and that's what makes each or our experiences unique. Sometimes our kids are not in a good mood, or aren't dressed well for the weather, and it's okay to end the trip early. But alternatively, we also know when our kids could benefit from a gentle nudge to keep going. Jenna shares a couple examples of when her kids have needed an early finish and times when everyone was having a good time despite the adventure taking way longer than anticipated.  Jenna mentions how Heidi talked about her experience with lockdown sort of gave her a peek into the world of homeschooling and provided her with the time to get to know her kids better. Jenna wonders how many families had a similar experience, because lockdown definitely played a role in kick starting the self-directed learning journey for her own family. Jessica says she has talked with so many families who found the system inflexible and learned that there are alternative methods to educate their children than through conventional schools, so she knows Jenna and Heidi are not alone. A lot of families saw their kids deep dive into hobbies and interests that they otherwise didn't have time for. Families got a chance to get to know one another better.  Jenna says that she was frustrated when people argued that school is necessary for kids to have social lives, because school does NOT have to be the sole provider of social interaction. Jessica said her experience teaching actually illustrated how socialization in schools is oftentimes a negative experience. For example, she had a 3rd grade girl bullied for her weight on the playground. There are so many ways for kids to socialize, and homeschooling provides socialization across age groups and backgrounds, which research shows is actually better for kids. Jenna says she likes that homeschooling provides kids with the option to choose who they spend their time with, as opposed to being subjected to forced socialization where it can actually be detrimental to their wellbeing. (ie; bullying, criticism, austrosizing) Jessica thinks many adults can't recall what type of socialization went on in schools and are slightly out of touch since they aren't working in schools. Most of the time, teachers are actually discouraging socialization in the classroom because they have a curriculum to get through. Or, socialization is forced and controlled. Many times, there are negative consequences for students when they do want to socialize in class.  Jenna liked Heidi's question for her kids; “what do you want this experience to look like?” Jessica also mentions how she liked the idea of creating “to go” bags or bins so you can just get up and go. She also thinks it's important though, even with all that forethought and planning, to keep some level of spontaneity in your life. She mentions the book “Memory Making Mom” by Jessica Smartt as a great inspirational book for adventure, tradition, and spontaneity. As a planner, Jessica needs reminders to be spontaneous and flexible at times, so she found the book very helpful.  Jenna feels like her family doesn't have any traditions to speak of. They change things up every single year, and she says as a multicultural family that's moved to three different countries, she finds it difficult to repeat traditions year after year. It's something she wants to work on because she does think they're important. Jessica feels like simple adventures can become amazing traditions, and a bit unconventional. You have to see what comes up naturally for your family and not put pressure on yourself to do it every single year. Jenna laughs about how she doesn't think her family has any traditions, but she'll let the audience know if she thinks of one.  Jessica liked the simplicity of the RV trip Heidi and her family went on. Jessica's family has recently downsized and they live very simply, so that part of the interview really resonated with her. Jenna agrees, she says the more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to take care of. Since her family has moved so many times, they have to keep their possessions to a minimum too.  The episode with Heidi was recorded a while ago, and Jenna wants to mention how Heidi recently went on a trip to Hawaii with her family of five for just $500.  You can connect with Jessica on Instagram @jessicamcgough. Jessica also wants to let the audience know about InspirEd, a global online event hosted by Galileo Online School. The event will be for parents and educators looking toward alternative and forward-thinking educational models, like self-directed learning. Some of the guest speakers for the event will be Kerry McDonald, Naomi Fisher, Peter Gray, Pat Farenga, and Michael Saylor. Go here for more info about that event and to register for the inspirEd global summit. (Register before July 12th and it's free!) You can listen to the interviews from the global homeschooling summit 2020 hosted by Galileo here.    Helpful Resources Mentioned in Today's Show ‘Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom' by Kerry McDonald Teach Your Own by John Holt and Pat Ferenga The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment Galileo, a self-directed online global school ($100 off your first month's tuition if you mention Rogue Learner) “Memory Making Mom” by Jessica Smart Ordinary Sherpa - travel hacking with a family InspirEd, a global online event  Episode 11 and 12 with Naomi Fisher Global Homeschooling Summit 2020   Ways to Connect Join me on the Show! Leave a Voicemail! Email me: contact.roguelearner@gmail.com Facebook  Instagram Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rogue-learner/id1543224038 Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/search/rogue%20learner Spotify: https://roguelearner.libsyn.com/spotify YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdCocbWsxxAMSbUObiCQXPg Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/rogue-learner

It's Too Late Episode 146: Educational Opportunities in Pandemic with Kerry McDonald On this week's episode of It's Too Late, Alan is joined by Kerry McDonald of the Foundation of Economic Education (FEE) to discuss homeschooling and the silver lining of the pandemic. Kerry can be found at https://www.fee.org/kerry​ and you can buy her book "Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/164...​ You can catch live streams of our episodes in video as they debut on Wednesdays at 8pm central, 9pm eastern time at facebook.com/alanmosleytv and see our entire library at www.youtube.com/alanmosleytv​​​​​​​​ and https://odysee.com/@alanmosleytv​​​:6​​ Our show is now available as an audio podcast on all your favorite podcasting platforms via https://anchor.fm/alan-mosley You can support the show by subscribing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/alanmosley​​​ https://www.twitter.com/alanmosleytv​​​​​ http://www.alanmosley.tv --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/alanmosleytv/support

Mass schooling is a relatively recent phenomenon, an experiment in education that gained steam following the industrial revolution, becoming increasingly widespread in the nineteenth century, in part, due to advocates like Horace Mann. Mann was a social reformer skeptical of parents’ abilities to properly educate their children to become future employees and democratic citizens. He believed that these common schools, as they were called, could remedy the lack of proper discipline found in some homes. Notably, Mann homeschooled his own children outside the dictates of these common schools he advanced for other people’s children. Further, he and his fellow reformers worried about the flood of diverse immigrant families that were challenging contemporary cultural and social hegemony. Mann went so far as to argue that these marginalized groups were “wholly of another kind in morals and intellect.”  Mass schooling champions asserted that compulsory education was necessary for preventing the corruption of young children in the hands of those they deemed ill-suited to properly foster their moral and intellectual development—namely, their families and respective communities. Traditional schools were to be the means of instilling a particular sense of shared American identity that would allow American democracy to function well. This is not to color all mass schooling advocates as cultural chauvinists but to highlight that what we consider traditional schooling today is, in many ways, informed by the notion that parents and children lack the skills required to learn outside the schooling system. Traditional schooling embraces a view that learning best occurs when a uniform curriculum is imposed upon young minds, children being segregated according to age within rigid classroom structures. It is commonly held that becoming a successful and contributing member of a democratic society requires going through the mass schooling system. Conventional schooling’s primary goal is knowledge acquisition—with everything else being secondary. Students tend to be treated as passive subjects, receptacles for the knowledge considered necessary by their teachers, school system administrators, and other centralized educational authorities.  What might a more student-centered learning environment look like? What if instead of imposing a universal curriculum onto children, they were instead provided with the resources needed to help them achieve their own self-selected goals? What if becoming a socially- and emotionally-intelligent human being was the primary goal of an educational approach, rather than being supplemental to knowledge acquisition?  Jeffrey Howard speaks with Tiersa McQueen, an unschooling parent of four children. Following her own experiences as a teacher and her children’s encounters with mass schooling, her family has embraced unschooling and gentle parenting. According to McQueen, these two philosophies go hand-in-hand, holding central the idea that children deserve full respect, greater autonomy, and tailored support as they learn how to thrive as young people—and eventually, as adults.  Despite her advocacy for self-directed learning, she acknowledges that she isn’t completely opposed to schooling. It’s still an option for her kids should they choose it. However, as a Black parent, she is well-aware of the school-to-prison pipeline and the reality that Black children are punished far more frequently and severely than other children in schooling environments. She expresses that she can’t wait for traditional schools to change in order for them to become safe and nurturing places for her children. McQueen considers the criticisms lobbed at unschoolers and self-directed education advocates, suggesting that many of them are stereotypes pertaining to a type of homeschooler that doesn’t really exist anymore. Unschooling and gentle parenting are difficult for some people to imagine, and have their own share of difficulties, but she observes that her relationships with her own children have never been better. She also notes that the depth of her children’s learning has increased dramatically as they’ve been able to direct time and attention toward their own goals and interests.  Some things to further consider. A century ago, the philosopher and social activist John Dewey proposed a notion of education as “learning by doing,” emphasizing the need for practicality in meaningful learning. What might happen if more young minds were afforded this approach, supported by family and community members as they experimented with overcoming the challenges they face in their particular social environments? In what ways might an unschooling approach to learning better prepare people to navigate the demands and problems unique to their local contexts? And how might unschooling better prepare children to participate in democratic living? Show Notes “When You Get Into Unschooling, It’s Almost Like a Religion” by Molly Worthen (2020) Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work by Akilah S. Richards (2020)  Untigering: Peaceful Parenting for the Deconstructing Tiger Parent by Iris Chen (2020) Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life by Peter Gray (2013) John Holt “First Impressions of an Unschooling School” by Jeffrey Howard (2018) Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald (2019) Horace Mann’s Troubling Legacy: The Education of Democratic Citizens by Bob Pepperman Taylor (2010) “My Pedagogic Creed” by John Dewey (1897) Democracy and Education by John Dewey (1916)

42 Minutes Safe for Work Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor. Kerry joins Pete to talk about her hopes for the future of education especially in relation to some of the change in attitudes among parents that's she's seen during the CV19 Lockdowns. She also gets into the history of compulsory school attendance and a few other topics. Kerry's FEE Page Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom Get Autonomy 19 Skills PDF Download The Monopoly On Violence Pete's Patreon Pete's Substack Pete's Paypal Pete's Books on Amazon Pete's Books Available for Crypto Pete on Facebook Pete on Twitter

Michael talks to Author Matt Margolis about his book "Airborne: How The Liberal Media Weaponized The Coronavirus Against Donald Trump". Michael also talks to Kerry McDonald who is an author and is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education about her book "Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom" and her article discussing why talking to your kids about liberty in a Covid world is important for parents.

It's essential that entrepreneurs understand the pros and cons of publishing vs self-publishing, and how agents and publishing companies work when an entrepreneur is ready to publish a book.   In this episode of the Published Author Podcast, Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, explains that the choice a writer makes will depend on their timelines and end goals.  Unschooled and Kerry's first book, Your Unique Wedding, were published by traditional publishers. But she self-published Choosing Home, an edited anthology of essays by moms who decided to be stay-at-home parents. And her next series of books—part of her new teachcapitalism.com project—will be self-published, too.  Top Takeaway: Understanding Publishing vs Self-Publishing  Getting her teachcapitalism.com project books out quickly is Kerry's priority, and she says self-publishing is the best way to accomplish this goal. (If this part interests you, check out Ep 0004 with Connor Boyack, talking about his Tuttle Twins series).   “I want to have a lot of books, and to be able to have that quantity and have them out for people. In this case, self-publishing  is the right way to go to build up that particular website.”  With traditional publishing, it can take up to two years for a writer's  book to appear on Amazon and in bookstores.   “Typically, it takes about a year, unless you're sort of a celebrity, or something is timely in the news,” notes Kerry. “But for most of us, it takes about a year from submitting your finished manuscript to the publisher, to having your book on the shelves.”  When writers opt for a traditional publisher, they usually need an agent to connect them with a respected publishing house. A publishing house can add credibility and will really help with distribution. Traditional publishers also give some help with publicity, tours, and PR.  However, this route may result in a writer losing control over their book's final title and cover design, which can be hard for some authors to swallow.   A Writer's Journey  Kerry also discusses what motivates her to write. With Unschooled, the book began as a series of blog posts about homeschooling after the birth of her first child. As she became more of an expert on the subject, she decided to put her ideas into a book for parents and educators.    With the teachcapitalism.com project, Kerry thinks that capitalism's successes are sometimes  maligned, and that parents want to offer alternatives to their children.  “Parents are looking for more of these tools, particularly parents of young children, that can help them to offer different viewpoints around economic progress and prosperity than their kids may be getting elsewhere,” she explains.  Kerry and host Josh Steimle also explore other important topics for writers, including how to  build a portfolio, and the power of a well written proposal, and why it's important to begin writing when you are young.  Links  Twitter.comLinkedin.comTeachCapitalism.comUnschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside of the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald  Subscribe to Published Author Podcast  If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe. And if you want to spread the word, please give us a five-star rating review and tell your friends to subscribe, too. We're available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts.   And if you're an entrepreneur interested in writing and publishing a nonfiction book to grow your business or make an impact, visit PublishedAuthor.com for show notes for this podcast and other free resources.  TwitterYoutubeFacebook.comLinkedin.comInstagram.comJosh SteimleJosh Steimle - LinkedInJosh Steimle's book - CMOs At Work

Kerry McDonald shares her optimistic view of education and education innovation along with her insights about the remote learning situation many parents currently face during the pandemic. Kerry defines “Unschooling” - the idea taught in her book “Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom” and gives evidence based advice and hope to parents seeking a better way to educate their children. This episode is a great reflection on what education really is and how it should be approached.  Highlighted Quotes “Opportunity in Education Entrepreneurship”   We're seeing tremendous growth in all aspects of the economy in terms of entrepreneurship, of course that's not offsetting the vast number of businesses that have been shut down due to government orders, but it is a hopeful sign that entrepreneurship is alive and well and I think, again, education entrepreneurship is ripe for more opportunities and more innovators to create some really wonderful options for families. “Defining Unschooling” “Unschooling” is really disentangling education from schooling and seeing schooling as one method to being educated sort of top down, course of type learning where you know here are your daily assignments here are your tests and quizzes here's your ABCDEF grade, and yet learning is so much broader and again more enriching than that experience. Also unschooling doesn't mean that you're not taking classes, it doesn't mean that you're not doing what we would consider school like activities. It just means that it's a less coercive experience and it's more driven by the child's interest. “Parents” Parents are the ones, ultimately responsible for making sure their children are highly literate and numerous highly educated, and I argue that that's true whether your children are homeschooled or in a conventional school that it's up to the parents to make sure your children are getting a high quality education that it's your responsibility as a parent to do that. Resources/Mentions: Book Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom Why I Love Homeschooling  Company Expanse Learning   Expanse(Linkedin)  Organization FEE.org Guest Links: Kerry - Linkedin Kerry Mcdonald Website (Fee.Org) Kerry's Forbes Articles  Kerry - Facebook Kerry - Instagram  Kerry - Twitter  Podcast Links: Instagram: @Hopestrategy  Facebook: @hopestrategy  Twitter: @thehopestrategy Youtube The Hope Strategy   

Kerry McDonald is back to discuss her appearance at and lessons from Cato's recent event called Homeschooling: Protecting Freedom, Protecting Children. Kerry came Zoom-face to Zoom-face with Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Bartholet, who authored the controversial Arizona Law Review paper attacking homeschoolers and called for a "presumptive ban" on their educational way of life. Kerry's Take-Aways: - There Are People Who Believe the State Should Be Your Co-Parent - Random Home Visits Will Be a Weapon of the State - Private Education Is in Danger - State Standardized Testing Begs the Question: Whose Standard? - Homeschoolers Will Win (Read her FEE article about the event HERE ) Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor. Kerry has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard University. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children. You can sign up for her weekly newsletter on parenting and education here. Kerry's Previous Appearance On the Podcast: [PODCAST] #504: Unenclosed Children and Self-Directed Learning – With Kerry McDonald Please Support School Sucks We do cool things! Thanks to your support. School Sucks is one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). Your support keeps the show going and growing, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering our work. Please help us continue to spread this important message further! Before you do anything, please bookmark and use this link for your Amazon shopping: Shop With Us One-Time Donation Options: Paypal/Venmo; Donate DASH Donate ETHEREUM Donate LITECOIN Donate BITCOIN Donate BITCOIN CASH Donate ZCASH Recurring Options: NEW! SubscribeStar Access our personal development bonus show, The Discomfort Zone, and lots of other irreverent and acerbic commentary you've never heard before. Support Us On PATREON Help incentivize our production! Pledge $1 per content item and access dozens of Patron only audios and videos. Join the A/V Club If you're looking for more School Sucks content, the A/V Club option grants you access to a bonus content section with 400+ hours of exclusive audio and video. If you are a regular consumer of our media, please consider making a monthly commitment by selecting the best option for you... A/V Club - Basic Access - $8.00/Month A/V Club - "Advanced" Access - $12.00/Month Sigma Sigma Pi - "Privileged" Access - $16.00/Month   Crypto Addresses: DASH; XcZfPP6GZGVo9VKViNBVJZja5JVxZDB229 ETHEREUM; 0x3c5504CE3401C028832173506fa30BD4db4b7D35 LITECOIN; LKNp24f5wwvZ2QzeDbvxXgBxyVwi1yXnu2 BITCOIN; 1KhwY836cfSGCK5aaGFv8Q7PHMgghFJn1U BITCOIN CASH 1AmqLVxjw3Lp9KT5ckfvsqfN2Hn3B1hCWS ZCASH; t1by1ZGJ63LoLSjXy27ooJtipf4wMr7qbu4

This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard are happy to be joined by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. Drawing on her experiences as a homeschooling parent and researcher, Kerry shares thoughts on the major lessons we all should be learning from this... Source

Many parents new to homeschooling often immediately think “what curriculum or program should I buy” when in reality, that question should be much further down the list. Every family comes to homeschooling for different reasons but regardless of that reason, a parent should really take some time to think about what they want for their child’s education, as well as, what their child needs to learn best. These are two separate issues to think about. Both are are very important though to determine how to move forward in determining how and what to teach your child(ren). The good news is there are a variety of social media groups, blogs, articles, and books to learn from and get insight for your educational needs. It’s important to take time to research, think and formulate your own educational philosophies and needs for YOU and YOUR CHILD. Once you think a bit deeper about your needs, you may find that what you want for your child isn’t “traditional” and you want something more natural or developmental. On the flip side, you may find that you want something more rigorous and challenging. Each child is different and it will be easier to target curriculum or programs that might work for you and your child once you dive deeper into these ideas.Here’s a list of well regarded books to explore education and homeschooling as a larger issue. It’s by no means an exhaustive list and there are many books available through your library e media, amazon, Kindle, or perhaps even a fellow homeschooler can loan you one. Reading just a few of these will very likely get you thinking differently about education and sharpen your educational goals. You will find it’s much easier to continue your homeschool journey with a better foundation.Educational Realities (or why you should homeschool)Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor GattoWhy Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School by Blake Boles (releasing soon)Free to Learn by Peter Gray John Holt-any of his booksHomeschool Styles/Philosophies The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart (www.bravewriter.com)The Unschooling Journey by Pam LaricchiaUnschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald, forward by Peter Gray Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child's Education By Susan Wise BauerA Literary Education by Emily Cook How to booksProject Based Learning by Blair Lee & Samantha CookThe Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer (caveat:this is a lengthy book that can feel intimidating and overwhelming, however, if used as a guide, it can be very helpful for those interested in a more rigorous and/or classical education model)Cathy Duffy's 102 Top Picks for Homeschool CurriculumI would greatly appreciate it if you enjoyed the podcast, please leave me a review wherever you listen to podcasts to help my search-ability. Thank you in advance!Find me on Facebook where I post articles, live videos, and relevant resourcesMy website is www.learningoutsidethelines.com where you can listen directly if needed.Check me out on Instagram @Lattebooks2read where I post books, resources for learning and snapshots of our homeschool life.Please feel free to send me comments, suggestions for episodes, or questions to outsidethelinespodcast@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of our Big Ideas series, we sit down with Kerry McDonald to discuss her book, "Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside of the Conventional Classroom." For more information, visit www.edchoice.org.

Kerry McDonald is back again to discuss what numerous mainstream media outlets have apparently decided to call "home schooling." What they're all talking about is the forced distance learning brought about by the country's current health crisis. But even the term "distance learning" is perhaps too kind; we're talking about "distance schooling," where many of the impositions of school have been driven even further into the home and the family. Is a media campaign underway to connect the current inconveniences, fears and frustrations to the idea and practice of home education? If the answer is yes, it has been a resounding success so far; according to Google Trends the term "home schooling" reached peak popularity in March 2020. Its previous peak was in 2009, with the rollout of Common Core. Is this a tragedy? Kerry McDonald says no, and today we'll discuss how the current crisis is rich with opportunity for children, families, and the entire future of self-directed education. Back in early March, Kerry explained that "We have collectively become so programmed to believe that education and schooling are synonymous that we can’t imagine learning without schooling and become frazzled and fearful when schools are shuttered. If nothing else, perhaps this worldwide health scare will remind us that schooling isn’t inevitable and education does not need to be confined to a conventional classroom." (Read that entire FEE article HERE ) Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor. Kerry has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard University. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children. You can sign up for her weekly newsletter on parenting and education here. Kerry's Previous Appearance On the Podcast: [PODCAST] #504: Unenclosed Children and Self-Directed Learning – With Kerry McDonald The downloadable version of The Ideas Into Action Summit is now available. Email me at brett@schoolsucksproject.com to get it for 30% off Visit THIS LINK to learn more about the presenters, topics, bonus materials and encore presentation. Please Support School Sucks We do cool things! Thanks to your support. School Sucks is one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). Your support keeps the show going and growing, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering our work. Please help us continue to spread this important message further! Before you do anything, please bookmark and use this link for your Amazon shopping: Shop With Us One-Time Donation Options: Paypal/Venmo; Donate DASH Donate ETHEREUM Donate LITECOIN Donate BITCOIN Donate BITCOIN CASH Donate ZCASH Recurring Options: NEW! SubscribeStar Access our personal development bonus show, The Discomfort Zone, and lots of other irreverent and acerbic commentary you've never heard before. Support Us On PATREON Help incentivize our production! Pledge $1 per content item and access dozens of Patron only audios and videos. Join the A/V Club If you're looking for more School Sucks content, the A/V Club option grants you access to a bonus content section with 400+ hours of exclusive audio and video. If you are a regular consumer of our media, please consider making a monthly commitment by selecting the best option for you... A/V Club - Basic Access - $8.00/Month A/V Club - "Advanced" Access - $12.00/Month Sigma Sigma Pi - "Privileged" Access - $16.00/Month   Crypto Addresses: DASH; XcZfPP6GZGVo9VKViNBVJZja5JVxZDB229 ETHEREUM; 0x3c5504CE3401C028832173506fa30BD4db4b7D35 LITECOIN; LKNp24f5wwvZ2QzeDbvxXgBxyVwi1yXnu2 BITCOIN; 1KhwY836cfSGCK5aaGFv8Q7PHMgghFJn1U BITCOIN CASH 1AmqLVxjw3Lp9KT5ckfvsqfN2Hn3B1hCWS ZCASH; t1by1ZGJ63LoLSjXy27ooJtipf4wMr7qbu4

Kerry McDonald (fee.org/kerry) is the author of the 2019 book, Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, as well as a regular contributor to Forbes, the Cato Institute, and the Foundation for Economic Education. We discuss Kerry’s faith in the private sector to nurture innovative education models, what sets her book apart from others, her path through Harvard Graduate School of Education, her role in founding the Alliance for Self-Directed Education, and her mysterious new ed-tech business. (Update: not so mysterious any more! Visit https://unschool.school) Kerry has four children, all of whom are unschooled, and three of whom regularly attend a hackerspace/makerspace in Boston.

Kerry McDonald returns to discuss the growing Micro-School movement. What is a Micro-School and why should we be talking about them? (and why am I excited about a school?) We'll also cover blended learning, the question of screen time for children, and a thriving micro-school network in Arizona Kerry recently profiled in Forbes Magazine. That article is called How Micro-School Networks Expand Learning Options Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor. Kerry has a B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard University. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children. You can sign up for her weekly newsletter on parenting and education here. Kerry's Previous Appearance On the Podcast: [PODCAST] #504: Unenclosed Children and Self-Directed Learning – With Kerry McDonald The downloadable version of The Ideas Into Action Summit is now available. And this FRIDAY ONLY you can get it for 30% off Visit THIS LINK to learn more about the presenters, topics, bonus materials and encore presentation. Enter your email and I'll send you the coupon code on Friday. Please Support School Sucks We do cool things! Thanks to your support. School Sucks is one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). Your support keeps the show going and growing, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering our work. Please help us continue to spread this important message further! Before you do anything, please bookmark and use this link for your Amazon shopping: Shop With Us One-Time Donation Options: Paypal/Venmo; Donate DASH Donate ETHEREUM Donate LITECOIN Donate BITCOIN Donate BITCOIN CASH Donate ZCASH Recurring Options: NEW! SubscribeStar Access our personal development bonus show, The Discomfort Zone, and lots of other irreverent and acerbic commentary you've never heard before. Support Us On PATREON Help incentivize our production! Pledge $1 per content item and access dozens of Patron only audios and videos. Join the A/V Club If you're looking for more School Sucks content, the A/V Club option grants you access to a bonus content section with 400+ hours of exclusive audio and video. If you are a regular consumer of our media, please consider making a monthly commitment by selecting the best option for you... A/V Club - Basic Access - $8.00/Month A/V Club - "Advanced" Access - $12.00/Month Sigma Sigma Pi - "Privileged" Access - $16.00/Month   Crypto Addresses: DASH; XcZfPP6GZGVo9VKViNBVJZja5JVxZDB229 ETHEREUM; 0x3c5504CE3401C028832173506fa30BD4db4b7D35 LITECOIN; LKNp24f5wwvZ2QzeDbvxXgBxyVwi1yXnu2 BITCOIN; 1KhwY836cfSGCK5aaGFv8Q7PHMgghFJn1U BITCOIN CASH 1AmqLVxjw3Lp9KT5ckfvsqfN2Hn3B1hCWS ZCASH; t1by1ZGJ63LoLSjXy27ooJtipf4wMr7qbu4

Kerry McDonald is the Author of "Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom". She is also a frequent Forbes contributor on education topics, a Senior Education Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education, and an Adjunct Scholar at the Cato Institute.

This is the Revolution of One Podcast #6 with host T.K. Coleman. This week’s guest is Kerry McDonald. Kerry is the author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. She will talk about the education system in the US, and how parents and children have power to take control of their education without relying on public schooling. ______________________________ FOR MORE CONTENT: http://www.fee.org/rev1 ______________________________ TODAY'S GUEST: Kerry McDonald Insta: @wholefamilylearning Website: www.fee.org/kerry ______________________________ CREDITS: Producer: Sean W. Malone Asst. Producer: Pavel Rusakov Marketing: Kamau Olatunji

Kerry McDonald is a Senior Education Fellow at FEE and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019). She is also an adjunct scholar at The Cato Institute and a regular Forbes contributor. Kerry's research interests include homeschooling and alternatives to school, self-directed learning, education entrepreneurship, parent empowerment, school choice, and family and child policy. Her articles have appeared at The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, NPR, Education Next, Reason Magazine, City Journal, and Entrepreneur, among others. She has a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bowdoin College. Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and four children.

For many children, compulsory education and authority figures tend to inadvertently turn off their sense of curiosity and wonder about the world. Additionally, assigned districts can limit school choice for many parents and mandatory curricula can put unnecessary stress on educators. Are there solutions to these problems within the current framework? Is there any evidence to support changing the way we approach schooling to benefit children, parents, and teachers? Where did all these mandates originate? Join Antony Davies, James Harrigan, and special guest Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled, as they discuss the public school system and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits: Beach umbrellas https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/menendez-urges-aggressive-action-protect-beachgoers-dangers-flying-beach-umbrellas/ https://www.nsc.org/in-the-newsroom/nsc-statement-on-new-cdc-data-showing-a-rise-in-accidental-death Candidates reticent to mention Obama https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/democrats-want-have-it-both-ways-barack-obama/595270/ Foolishness of the week: Soy sauce https://www.9news.com.au/national/soy-sauce-could-be-banned-under-alcohol-sales-restrictions-in-the-northern-territory/71ef616f-778a-4c24-bf95-a63e2627b00f Topic of the week: Unschooling: Kerry McDonald https://fee.org/people/kerry-mcdonald/ Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641600632/ Join the conversation: Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

How to "unschool" your kids. CLICK HERE for Full Show Notes!

Curt interviews Kerry McDonald, Senior Education Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education, and author of the new book,  “Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom”.

Lawrence W. Reed from FEE.org interviews author Kerry McDonald about her book "Unschooled, Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom." --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/loving-liberty/support

Hal Shurtleff, host of Camp Constitution Radio, interviews Kerry McDonald, author of "Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom." Camp Constitution Radio Show 203. This show originates on WBCQ The Planet

I love talking with people who talk about Learning and Education as a juxtaposition to "schooling". In this conversation, I talk with Kerry McDonald about a recent article Compulsory Schooling Laws Aren’t Progressive, They’re Inhumane she wrote where she says, "The first step to restore education freedom and empower parents with choice and opportunity for their children is to eliminate compulsory schooling laws that authorize state control of education." https://fee.org/articles/compulsory-schooling-laws-aren-t-progressive-they-re-inhumane/ We talk about this, Unschooling, and innovation in Education that gets us to think outside of our current 'school' box. Kerry McDonald (@kerry_edu) has a B.A. in Economics from Bowdoin and an M.Ed. in education policy from Harvard. She lives in Cambridge, Mass. with her husband and four never-been-schooled children. Kerry is the author of the forthcoming book, Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press). Follow her writing at Whole Family Learning.      

Kerry McDonald says that all children are natural learners. Our role, then, as parents and educators is to facilitate this learning. We need to provide resources and opportunities, while letting children guide their own learning. Kerry has unschooled her four children and is the author of Unschooled: Raising Curious Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. For show notes, visit: www.readwithyou.org Purchase Kerry's book on Amazon

Kerry McDonald is an author and education policy writer. She is also the founding board member at the Alliance for Self-Directed Education. Her 4 children have never -been- schooled. Kerry'a book, Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom will be released in the Spring of 2019. Her Unschooled Path Kerry McDonald was on the right path. She received a BA in Economics from Bowdoin College. Next, her Master’s degree in education from Harvard University. But it was with an independent study project that her path started to veer. She had a classmate that had a family member that homeschooled. The family allowed her to shadow them for her senior project.Kerry became enchanted by what she saw at the home. The child was curious and interested. Articulate and at ease talking with adults. She played violin and was part of the community. It shattered the stereotypes Kerry had of homeschooling.At the same time she was doing a teaching practicum at a local elementary school. The teaching practicum became a stark contrast to the homeschool experience.Her eyes opened to alternatives to schools. But it wasn't until she became a mom that she re-looked at homeschooling. Unschooled InsightsIn this episode Kerry shares her insights on unschooling and self directed learning. Do Children need to be taught in order to learn? We explored: What it means to UnschoolWhy Homeschooling is Showing No Signs of SlowingThe Impact of Technological ChangeWhat Self Directed Learning Looks Like In Her FamilyThe Future Of EducationWhat Our Economic Future Relies On Let us know what you think about the ideas shared.You can contact Kerry through her blog Whole Family Learning (www.wholefamilylearning.com). Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @wholefamilylearning, and on Twitter @kerry_edu.Resources  Alliance For Self-Directed Education Alternative SchoolsUnschool San Juan (Public High School)Powder House School Somerville, MA (Public High School)Sudbury Valley  Educators and BooksJohn HoltPeter Gray- Free To LearnKarl Wheatley Summerhill School: A New View Of Childhood  If you would like to hear more about educators that left the traditional classroom to help support self directed learning check out my interview with Mara Linaberger  

Kerry McDonald is an education policy writer and unschooling advocate whose articles have appeared at Forbes, Newsweek, NPR, Education Next, and Natural Mother Magazine, among others. She first became interested in alternatives to school while a graduate student in education at Harvard, but it wasn’t until she became a mom that homeschooling and Self-Directed Education really resonated. Kerry is the author of the forthcoming book, Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, being published in early 2019 by Chicago Review Press. I learned so much from Kerry, and the importance of unstructured time. I have been focusing a lot of my studies lately around http://homeandfamilyculture.com/cope (coping skills), and she and I talked about this idea that we all have a coping strategy to escape from our stressful lives, right?! How often do we come home from a stressful day and watch TV? Well, kids spend time on their devices because it is their way of coping with how over scheduled their lives are! When our kids are spending lots of time on their devices, we need to give them more freedom, and with freedom, they will be less likely to engage in these escape-type coping mechanisms. But, with that freedom, we need to provide them with opportunities. This can be challenging since it isn't as easy to encourage free play, or less structured time. We are often coerced into the institutionalizing everything we do as families. We turn them over to our schools, day cares, camps, sports, and classes to keep them busy. We parents need to be more deliberate about creating space, and opportunity for our kids to explore their freedom and engage in productive activities without the pressure of doing things because they are required by some institution. As parents, we need to figure out how to get away from over-scheduling their lives. http://homeandfamilyculture.com/cope (Subscribe here) to take the challenge to improve your coping strategies and get away from the cycle of stress and consolation! One important reason is the decline of play. Studies are showing a correlation between play deprivation to mental disorders! Watch this video of Kerry's colleague, Peter Gray explaining why play is so important: "https://youtu.be/Bg-GEzM7iTk (The Decline of Play)." Kerry makes a distinction between structured time, and providing opportunities for engaging in productive activities on their own. Kerry gives an example of a camp called Camp Stomping Ground where kids have free time most of the week they are at camp, and they have unlimited access to electronics! But, they also provide lots of opportunities to do other productive things! The might be playing a video game, but then they see a shaving cream fight going on and get swept into the action. Soon, the devices hold little interest because there is so much going on to capture their attention. Plus, they don't have anything to escape from because they experience freedom all week. This all reminded me of my conversation with https://wp.me/p9eySW-Jp (Carol Danaher in episode 036) where we talk about allowing more freedom for kids at the dinner table. But, something to remember is that not everything is going to be OK according to your family standards. Kerry talks about a study by Peter Gray on civilizations that provide their children with access to adult tools including bows and arrows, except for their poison darts. Even when we are providing freedom for our children, we will all have those "poison darts" that we will always want to guard our families from. They may be different in every family, but we will all have something we believe our kids should not have access to. Have better coping skills in thirty days with these powerful constructive coping skills: 30-Day Coping Challenge So, what are your family's "poison darts"? What are your important values? How can you create space for your children to have freedom so they can create a life they...

Unschooling and…Freedom June 13, 2018   By Kerry McDonald   This inaugural episode focuses on unschooling and…freedom.   I am excited to launch this new podcast series that amplifies the ideas and practices of unschooling and Self-Directed Education using a broad array of topic launching pads. Unschooling can be connected to so many things in the past, present, and future! Let’s talk about some of them here!   First, let’s get to a working definition of unschooling. The term Unschooling means different things to different people. It was coined in the late 1970s by the educator and social reformer, John Holt, who was among the early leaders of the modern homeschooling movement, helping to legalize and normalize homeschooling during the last two decades of the 20th century. Today, unschooling is a philosophy of education that dismisses conventional school and school-at-home approaches, and instead values a non-coercive, self-directed, interest-driven, adult-facilitated learning environment.    The number of unschoolers has been growing steadily in the new millennium. It is hard to estimate exactly how many unschoolers there are. A 2016 article in USA Today suggested that about 10 percent of today’s nearly two million homeschoolers identify as unschoolers, but another 2016 article in the Christian Science Monitor suggested that up to half of today’s homeschoolers incorporate unschooling ideas and practices. New 2016 data from the National Center for Education Statistics suggest that 20% of homeschoolers either “always” or “mostly” use informal learning practices. So we can probably safely say that as few as 10 percent and as many as 50 percent of today’s homeschoolers are unschoolers. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.   In recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of self-directed learning centers and unschooling schools—like the Sudbury model—sprouting across the United States and worldwide. Some of the children who attend these centers and schools are registered as homeschoolers; but many are not, and they may attend the center or school part-time or full-time. When we include the new and growing alternatives to school that emphasize Self-Directed Education, the number of unschoolers expands significantly.   In my forthcoming book, Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, which is being published later this year by Chicago Review Press, I spotlight some of the unschooling families, as well as self-directed centers and unschooling schools, that put unschooling ideals into practice. I discovered a recurring theme while traveling around the country researching this book. Echoed in the stories and daily experiences of both unschooling parents and educators was an unrelenting faith in the power of freedom. It was this idea that young people should be freed from a coercive system of schooling and allowed to educate themselves, with the support and mentorship of adults, while following their own, distinct interests and goals, that motivated these parents and educators. This self-directed education looks nothing like schooling, although often young people will seek out instruction, participate in formal classes, and engage in what we would consider rigorous “academic” work. But they are choosing to do this, based on their own interests and goals. They have the freedom to choose what classes, if any, to take or not take. They have the freedom to explore, discover, and synthesize their world, driven by their innate human curiosity.   “Oh, but children can’t learn with that much freedom!” some skeptics may counter. “If they are given the freedom to direct their own learning they won’t learn anything. They will do nothing. And they certainly won’t seek out rigorous academics.”   But this simply isn’t true. When children know that they are fully in charge of directing their own education, with the guidance of adults—and when their natural learning instincts have not been extinguished by conventional schooling or have been rekindled after leaving it—they will learn and do remarkable things. My older daughter, Molly, whom you will hear from shortly, has been taking a very rigorous fiction writing class through Outschool.com, an online learning platform for kids. The class is taught by an award-winning fiction writer and incorporates live group discussion with her classmates around the world and ongoing writing expectations and feedback. It is quite a commitment! But it is something that she is passionate about, that she is driving! As an unschooling parent, I connected her to Outschool.com as a possible resource, as well as other local writing classes, and she found that this online class was the best fit for her writing goals. She writes all the time, enthusiastically prepares for her class, and connects with many of her classmates around the globe through Google hangouts. She also knows that if this course no longer meets her needs, she can leave. Like we adults who may take an adult education class or an online course that we may drop or discontinue if it doesn’t meet our expectations, so too unschooled children have the freedom to quit.   Unschooling is the ultimate expression of freedom in education. It places the child in charge of his or her own learning, while adults facilitate that learning, connect the child to broader community resources, and ensure that the child becomes highly literate and numerate. This is where freedom meets responsibility—and this was another primary theme of my book research. As the 20th century Nobel prize-winning economist, Friedrich Hayek, wrote in The Constitution of Liberty: “Liberty and responsibility are inseparable.” Or as Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.” Providing the freedom in unschooling is often the easy part; demonstrating responsibility, as both children and adults in the unschooling relationship, is often much trickier. As I detail in the book, freedom and responsibility looks different for each unschooling family and organization. As an example, some parents and educators place screen time limits in their homes, centers or schools because they feel that it creates a better balance between freedom and responsibility; others don’t. For many, this particular issue is constantly changing and evolving. In fact, this topic could be a podcast episode all its own.   The larger point is that balancing freedom with responsibility is a critical component, not only of unschooling’s success for any individual family or organization, but also for the true potential of unschooling ideals to redefine education in the 21st century. Increasingly, parents and educators are challenging the idea that the best way to educate people for life in a free society is to compel them to spend most of their formative years learning by force. We must nurture in children their natural creativity, ingenuity, exuberance, and empathy--qualities deeply necessary for the innovation era as we try to distinguish our human advantage from those of robots. Unschooling is the model that will allow these qualities to flourish, and will serve as the antidote to our dominant schooling system that steadily destroys these qualities. For unschooling ideals and practices to firmly take root and grow to their greatest potential, we unschooling advocates must frequently highlight and reinforce the essential dance of freedom and responsibility, for unschoolers and for society as a whole.   If, as Nelson Mandela said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and if we want that world to be freer, then unschooling is the preferred pathway to a truly free society.