From: Arlo J. Bensinger (ajb102@psu.edu)
Date: Wed Apr 06 2005 - 13:07:52 BST
Sam asked:
> >My wife and I are considering home educating our children, and I was
> >wondering if there was anyone on the list who had gone down that route
> >already, or if anyone had particular thoughts on the matter. It would seem to
be a natural progression in one sense from Pirsig's arguments in ZMM.
Arlo responds:
Having long been a supporter of constructivist learning through project-based
initiatives, integrated curriculae and mentorship programs, I can certainly
understand the frustration at the majority of classroom environments that
continue to do little more than encourage passivity and animosity towards
"learning". But the classrooms do not exist in a vacuum. They are part of
larger activity systems including parental involvement, social involvement and
what is erroneously labeled "extra curricular" activities.
It has been my experience, that the best classroom environs will achieve poor
results for students whose "school" involvement is removed experientially from
the rest of their "life". And even the worst classrooms can hardly hold back
students who have an involved system surrounding their schooling.
"School" is not just a building where kids go for 8 hours a day, it is the sum
total of all their learning, before, during and after they enter that building.
And the "during" phase is likely the least significant, or at least made
insignificant if the other two phases (before and after) are ignored.
But, having said that, like I stated upfront, I find much classroom activity to
be banal, uninteresting, uninspiring and most troubling, fostering only low
level cognitive skills (procedural knowledge rather than critical (being able
to analyze and synthesize complex knowledge), or verbal information rather than
problem solving). What I would recommend to you, is to look into the existance
of alternative or charter schools in your area. Many are emerging across the
country, and in general tend to look to project work, mentorship, and
integrated curriculae. Because these are not "private schools", you pay no
extra money to enroll your children (they tend to be first come first serve, or
interview based).
But most imporantly, as I'm sure you will be, the activity that surrounds your
childs "school" is what is most critical. Be involved, encourage learning, make
it relevant, encourge him/her to explore things that interest or excite
him/her. In short, integrate "school" into the larger activity system of the
house, her life and her interests, and you will likely face little of trouble
many parents face.
I'd caution against home schooling echoing what others have said about
socialization, the necessary peer formations (with their ups and downs) that
allow children to develop mature and healthy relationships, and the complexity
of many subject domains. "Teaching", when done right, is a skill that is beyond
"what anyone can do". These people have expertise in complicated conceptual
domain knowledge (or they SHOULD) that would be unavailable to me or to you (it
was remarked that Goethe was the last person "to know everything", not a
comment on his genius, but on the fracturing and explosive growth in domain
knowledge).
To sum, my advice, look for alternative and/or charter schools (interview THEM,
talk to them about their pedagogical and instructial practices), find one that
you believe in, but above all, be involved, be supportive and don't let
"school" become "that building over there". Like Pirsig pointed out, focus on
"school" as the Church of Reason, the abstract, ageless body of knowledge and
learning that exists.
Arlo
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archives:
Aug '98 - Oct '02 - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
Nov '02 Onward - http://www.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/summary.html
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Apr 06 2005 - 13:59:48 BST