More on Pam's presentation

Pam Sorooshian posted this to Always Learning a week and a half ago. I thought I should put it here, too, as a preview. I'm looking forward to her presentation.

At the upcoming Always Learning Live Unschooling Symposium (ALL) in December, I'm going to be talking about what made me think unschooling was a good idea back umpteen years ago when we started. I've been thinking about that a lot, lately. I thought SO much more in terms of "education" back then, that my reasons all had to do with how the kids would learn math or science or history or reading and writing in natural ways that wouldn't destroy their love of learning. It is really interesting to me, now, that those are NOT the main reasons I think unschooling is wonderful. They seem pretty trivial in comparison to the really big important things in life that have so much more to do with character and behavior. I'll talk about them, but I no longer have any concern about whether or not unschooled kids will learn to read or write or do math or whether they'll have "gaps" in their education. I guess I'll talk about why that seems like a complete nonissue to me, these days.

I'm also going to talk about what I have learned about unschooling. I've learned a lot about it in just in the past week, so this talk is definitely a work in progress. What I have in mind is talking about some of the things I did not know about unschooling until we'd done it. The one thing I've been thinking about this week is that unschooling is a profoundly optimistic decision and that it involves a huge commitment to living a very optimistic life. I'm going to talk more about what I mean by that and what happens when children grow up that way - kind of amazing.

I'm also thinking a lot about the damage done by schooling - thinking of this in contrast to the above. Schooling is a quite pessimistic endeavor. It assumes negative behaviors are normal, expects the worst, and sets up system with a zillion rules and consequences for breaking the rules. It assumes kids don't want to learn and have to be bribed or punished to get the learning into them. What effect does living in such a pessimistic environment have on kids?

Scientists who study this stuff report that pessimism and optimism seem to be slightly inherited - maybe due to being connected to other factors that are genetic. But they are also largely learned habits of attitude. I think it is possible that THE most significant thing unschooling does is nurture optimism.

-pam

Pam Sorooshian's topic, and other encouragement!

Pam Sorooshian:   "Learning is Learning: Unschooling Everything"

What was the basis for our decision to unschool? What made us think it was a good idea? What were we hoping to get out of it? How did we first apply our ideas about how children learn to conventional school subjects and then begin to go beyond that to apply them to all kinds of learning? And, along the way, what did we learn about unschooling?

Keith, Holly and I have returned from the Florida Unschooling Conference, and now there is nothing to keep me from telling everybody to COME TO ALBUQUERQUE.

For those who are not on the Always Learning discussion list, please consider joining.

I was interviewed (at length, by e-mail from India, with side discussions) and two long blog posts contain the good parts of that exchange.   Pam Laricchia (who lives in Ontario) has created a really great introduction to unschooling that you can sign up for and receive in installments.  The author of a blog called ZenHabits wrote a beautiful description of unschooling.  Links to all of those are gathered here:   http://aboutunschooling.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-interview-new-resources.html

Some families planning to attend are in early stages, so please do take advantage of Pam Laricchia's newly and freely offered introductory materials before you get to the symposium.

Children's playroom and a cake

Last year the side room dedicated to young children's play had a nylon tunnel, dinosaurs, and a few other things.

Since then I've thought of other things we have that would be fun and not noisy, so that room might be the best of the three. :-)

Related to having bought a cake for the second anniversary of Just Add Light and Stir, we're planning to get a cake from ABC Cakeshop, a local bakery that makes beautiful and great-tasting cakes. We plan to have the snack table as last year, and at some point we'll have an Always Learning cake.

Cakes...

In case you haven't seen my cake page...
Musings about the Meanings of Cake Eight hours after I thought to myself, on the way out to water the yard, "I really should put up a webpage about cake as a sacrifice," I was looking at unschoolers' blogs with a "next" function on a blogring, and came to this photo...

Something old, something(s) new

Here is Heather Booth's review, with photos, of the 2011 Albuquerque Symposium. http://todaywasamazingsf.blogspot.com/2012/01/always-learning-live-2012.html. She called it "2012" because she wrote it in early 2012, but it was a review of the end of December 2011.

I was really excited to have Deb Lewis last year, but she asked (strongly and politely) not to be bothered any more. I'm kind of joking, but she's not a travel-and-speak kind of personality, and I'm glad she allowed us to impose on her in 2011! It was really nice. I'm glad she still writes regularly on Always Learning, from her cosy, peaceful home.

So to the news:

Julie, James and Adam can't make it from England this year. I'm hoping they will in 2013. They are planning to run another LiTTLe Conference in Ashford, Surrey, in July 2013, where Joyce and I will speak.

In Albuquerque, Renee Cabatic will be speaking, perhaps a short session, perhaps two short sessions.

Kirby Dodd (my oldest) will be here from Austin, so my whole family will form a panel on the last day. Before that time, feel free to seek out Kirby, Marty or Holly d and talk to them. They're there to be examples of having grown up unschooled.

Rose Sorooshian's session last year got the best feedback, so she is our star speaker for 2012. Joyce, Pam, Jill and I will be back. Luke will help his mom (Jill) with her presentation on online gaming.

And a request:

For anyone reading who can't attend but might be wanting to help, I have a fundraising project in the works—a gift exchange in honor of the second anniversary of Just Add Light and Stir, and you would get something in the mail, which is always fun. (Those attending are welcome to donate, too, but don't if it will cut into your conference budget!)

That cake is from a local bakery called ABC Cake Shop, and they taste as good as they look. I'll get one for the symposium.

Nearly Autumn!

It's time to start making plans and reservations soon, or asking for the Christmas (or other winter holiday of your preference) gift of a trip to Albuquerque!

We have the same rates at the hotel as last year, $51 for a basic room (and they're nice), or $56 for a room with a microwave and refrigerator.

The background of this page looks boring, maybe, unless you scroll down and see the mountains. It's just one of those regular plain-sky days in New Mexico, in a photo of the mountains, by Holly. Last year one day it was 64 degrees. We can't guarantee this year will be as warm, but the hotel is warm and secure in any case, and you would hardly need to leave it.

Someone last year left a board game, "Sequence." If it's yours and you want it back, let me know and I can mail it; otherwise, I'll take it back to the conference site.

Read at the tabs above (or at the top of the blog page, if you're reading this by e-mail; click the title of the blog post in the e-mail to be transported to the blog) for information and if there are questions unaswered there, let me know.

Registration is open for December 2012

http://sandradodd.com/all/registration

Notification of two things

If you attended last year, you should receive an e-mail from me soon. If you haven't heard from me by Monday the 27 of February, please e-mail me.

If you live in the northeastern U.S., or would like to visit briefly, here's something completely new:ALL in May
May 18-20, 2012
Always Learning Live Unschooling Symposium,
a short session in Massachusetts!
YMCA Harrington Outdoor Center (near Worcester — map)
320 Sewall Street
Boylston, MA 01505

With twelve pre-registrations in 24 hours (plus organizers and speakers), it's hoppin' already!