Date Posted:Wed, Jul 28 2004, 18:43:48 PDT Author:TeacherMom Subject: Describing 'UNSCHOOLING' // need advice In reply to:
Cassie
's message, "I need advice" on Tue, Jul 27 2004, 20:48:08 PDT
"Oh, I'm a homeschooling Consultant and he studies at home" normally ends conversations for me. Maybe they hear the word "consultant" and think I'm about to give a home- business- opportunity sales pitch next, eh?
"Interdisciplinary Independent Study" is close in educationalese to unschooling. It can "follow the innovative curricular approach at The Evergreen State College" *grin*
I went to TESC, and it does have a very innovative approach. No grades are given, either! Here is a snip from a TESC "Learning Communities" site:
...creating curricular learning communities,
approaches that purposely restructure the
curriculum to thematically link courses and
enroll a common group of students. These
initiatives vary greatly from loosely-linked
courses all the way to team-taught programs of
integrated, interdisciplinary study."
It goes on to say:
Research on the effectiveness of learning
communities reveals that they live up to
their intentions. Formal empirical studies
and program evaluations indicate that learning
community programs :
* increase student engagement and motivation;
* increase course completion rates, particularly
on commuter campuses;
* foster increased student intellectual development;
* and contribute to faculty and staff development
and revitalization.
TeacherMom