Unschooling

[meboriqua at aol.com]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
 
> No, and I don't think it would take more resources to have an 
> unschooling approach with everyone, just a very different way to 
> organize society.  Instead of spending so much time in classrooms, 
> kids would work with whoever in the area can teach them what they 
are learning.  A "school" would be a mix of workshops, factories, 
libraries, classrooms, laboratories, etc. . . i.e., the town would 
be the classroom.>

I agree.  School can and should be so much more than just students 
suffering through the purely academic subjects like they do now.  Even 
though I like my school, there are some very big problems with it (and 
the system as a whole).  I think all schools should include mediation, 
conflict resolution and anger management classes as part of every 
student's required classes.  I think class trips should be encouraged 
and should happen no less than once a month, but organizing a trip and 
getting permission can be a hassle that turns off many a teacher.  
Art, music and gym classes have dwindled and with our new budget cuts, 
after school creative programs were the first to go.  "Give them more 
reading and writing!" cry the politicians and the administrators, but 
they don't get it all.  Many classrooms in NYC do not have adequate 
resources as it is, but the city itself sure does.  There are special 
museum and theater programs that cater to students' attention spans 
and wallets - how is that not considered getting an education?  It 
baffles me.

What Amy said is the way all schools should be, but I can't say that 
I'd turn to Hunts Point in the Bronx for the community support I'd 
want for my students.  They'd sure learn a lot about prostitution, 
though.

--jenny from ravenclaw, who is still blushing at the nice things Amy 
said about her in another post 
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