My Warning Against Letting Kids Be Too Free
Unschooling or learner-centered education is not good for attaining grade school standards. I think this system works best for naturally creative-gifted kids who have mastered the 3 r's somewhat by grade 7.
If they got grade 7 math, reading and writing down and they're self-motivated, let them go. See where their genius takes them.
Only a few children are intrinsically motivated enough to control their own education without degenerating into wanting to be a pop star or beauty contest queen.
Unschooling is good for naturally intelligent kids whose families have some money and their parents, other relatives or paid caretakers/ tutors have time to guide them along but many kids are not naturally curious beyond what they're brainwashed by on TV and many are poor as well. They can't study archeology on a whim because it would cost money for books, tools, etc.
Take a look at what's going on. I'll bet at least half of all kids want to be either professional athletes, pop stars or movie stars. Kids are massively brainwashed, even the smart ones. Most need structure.
It's not realistic. Personally I think that if you leave kids to their own devices, most will go for frivolous pursuits. Most will not aspire to be computer programmers or inventors. They will turn to the glitter of pop culture entertainment.
By the time I was 15, half of my friends were smoking cigarettes and looking for ways to get drunk and high. I got into working out but I was still experimenting with sex and drugs on the side.
If you want to let a kid explore his life, there is a dark side too. I was 13 the first time I masturbated. Sex is always there. You have to deal with it.
What about a social life? I had a gang of friends growing up. There is something unhealthy about some kid genius doing his own thing all the time. There is plenty of time to be a loner which all adults become by the time they're 35 even though they pretend they're not. Time for fun is childhood.
Everybody has violent thoughts. We have to control them. Some kids explore their lives by torturing animals and committing crimes. It's the old Jekyll and Hyde thing.
Most kids can't handle total freedom. Be careful. You could be creating a monster. Kids need structure.
When I grew up, I was given freedom in school because I was naturally smart and intrinsically motivated. I bought a telescope and a microscope with money I earned. At the same time, I watched spoiled relatives my age with loads of money buy every toy out there. They were still bored and did not have an intrinsic motivation to explore their own lives. It was just about buying the next new thing they saw on TV like a new movie, new toys, a new record, etc. They would never read a book on their own that might help them learn about themselves or what is going on in the world. They never did during the time I spent with them.
Most people are not brilliant or gifted even though they think they are and their parents think they are.
I used to think most people had a quest for wisdom like me until I started talking to them and realized that most are not curious or concerned beyond their own little bubble. Talk to somebody about the problems in the world. Most people have caricature answers. They don't really know what's going on. The biggest non-mainstream intellectual radio shows are democracynow and coasttocoastam. The average person never heard of them. Ask people what does NPR stand for, National Public Radio. See how many of your friends even know what it is. It's intellectual talk radio.
I'm queasy about unschooling for most kids except for the few who are natural learners. It's easy to find those kids. They're the few at the top of the class rankings and the few who go to the library on their own to get books out.
I was the only guy I knew as a kid who went to the library on his own. All my guy friends never went unless they had to do some assignment. I used to go with a few of the girls in the neighborhood. It was about a mile walk. Guys didn't go.
If some kid is average, there is nothing you can do to give him a love of knowledge.
When I was a kid, I had a handful of kindred spirit intellectuals my age. We hung around with the other kids but we knew that we weren't like them.
In grade 8, me and my buddy Tony R. were the smart kids in the class. We talked about almost everything together but our other friends couldn't relate to our discussions. We were into ancient astronauts and how to change the world.
Guys like us are candidates for unschooling. The other kids need a structured program otherwise they degenerate into frivolous pursuits.
Learner-Centered Learning/ Natural Learning/ Holistic Learning
A lot of the learner-centered education movements say let the child go where his interests take him. Provide support and educational materials.
Explore what you like as deeply as you want. When you get tired of it, go where your true nature and inspiration take you.
The student is encouraged to follow their natural creative-intellectual interests. The teacher supports and guides them.
This is idealistic and not practical because we do not have the time to cater to every child's whims plus some kids aren't intrinsically motivated to do positive, worthwhile things. Left to their own devices, they might just play video games or watch TV.
This is good for gifted kids who master the three r's quickly. At about the age of 10 or 11, these kids should be separated, given some books and a computer and told to do a big independent project to see what they do.
Holistic education assumes every child has a unique potential and natural interests. Help them discover who they were born to be then run with it.
They do not want you to buy into the standard curriculum with x number of subjects, constant tests, performance objectives and authoritarian control of the learning process.
They say help students explore their lives, pursue what interests them and find their own way.
Help people live to use whatever power they have to help the world.
The problem is that schools are factories to educate kids. There are so many kids. There is no time to treat everyone like a junior genius.
I believe in my true nature-free spirit theory. Assume you are not from a poor family and you live in a prosperous society. If you're strong, you will become who you are regardless of your schooling.
If you're weak, you'll end up another functional clone, so what. You'll work a job then watch those silly programs on TV every night. That's a pretty good life.
about.com/holistic+education
academia.edu
adulterc.org
assessment.uconn.edu/docs/teachercenteredvslearnercenteredparadigms.pdf
brighthubeducation.com
cathyandersonblog.com/?p=97, learner-centered education
cdl.org/resource-library/articles/learner_centered.php
eiconsortium.org/reprints/self-directed_learning.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/holistic_education
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/student-centred_learning
eric.ed.gov
examiner.com/article/basic-educational-theories-for-the-classroom-instructor
examiner.com/article/wholistic-education-a-vision-of-social-justice
holisticeducator.com
holisticeducator.com
holisticeducator.com/adulteducation.htm
infed.org/biblio/holisticeducation.htm
jesna.org/main/what-is-whole-person-learning
mcdonaldsalesandmarketing.biz
newlearningculture.com/self-directed-learning.html
pathsoflearning.com
scribd.com/doc/75956921/self-directed-learning
slideshare.net/blauridsen/learner-centered-paradigm-in-online-education
studymode.com/essays/self-directed-learning-1090708.html
teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods-and-management/curriculum-planning/4786.html
trainingmag.com
trainingmag.com
unicef.org/maldives/learner_centered_teaching_and_learning.pdf
usciences.edu/teaching/learner-centered/
uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/resources
Democratic Education Websites
Democratic education is about giving students the power to make meaningful decisions about their own education. That usually means that the kid gets some freedom to do what he wants but what if the kid is a frivolous idiot who has no desire to discover the beauty within himself and change the world for the better?
What if he wants to be rap star? That's a crapshoot at best and it's not exactly about doing anything useful for society.
If you want to dedicate one afternoon a week to democratic education where kids do what they want as long as it's productive, tell them it's not just empty free time. They have to do something positive and inspired.
democraticeducation.org, institute for democratic education in america
amazon.com/democratic-education
americanchoices.org
ascd.org/research-a-topic/democratic-education.aspx
bokus.com, democratic-education
books.google.com/books/about/democratic_education.html
davidgribble.co.uk/democratic-education.htm
democracyeducation.eu
democraticeducation.com
democraticeducation.org
digplanet.com/wiki/democratic_education
educationrevolution.org/blog/list-of-democratic-schools/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/category:democratic_education
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/democratic_education
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/european_democratic_education_conference
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/international_democratic_education_conference
eudec.org
goodreads.com/book/show/1199425.democratic_education
groups.yahoo.com/group/democratic-education
idenetwork.org, international democratic education network.
idenetwork.org/schools/democratic-schools-all.htm
ilt.columbia.edu/publications/projects/digitexts/dewey/d_e/chapter07.html
jcsprenger.com/2013/05/18/democratic-education/
learningwithoutlabels.com/category/democratic-education
learningwithoutlabels.com/democratic-education/
manta.com/c/mt1kdjl/foundation-for-democratic-education-inc
muralconservancy.org/murals/democratic-education
pathsoflearning.net/articles_what_is_democratic_education.pdf
patrikschumacher.com/texts/educationforademocraticsociety.htm
questia.com/library/99847764/democratic-education
quora.com/democratic-education/about
resistinc.org/newsletters/articles/democratic-education-action
schome.ac.uk/wiki/democratic_education
scribd.com/doc/137883481/articles-what-is-democratic-education
sites.google.com/site/littlelakefs/democratic-education
slideshare.net/vrijnatuurlijk/ide-democratic-education
stlouisinitiative.com/democratic-education.html
studymode.com/subjects/democratic-education-page2.html
ted.com/conversations/1999/democratic_education.html
thenation.com/article/160850/service-democratic-education
trilliumcharterschool.org/about/democratic-education-2/
tubmanschool.org/about/democratic-education/
users.muohio.edu/wilmsce/dem_education.html
uvm.edu/~dewey/articles/democonc.html
wiki.answers.com/q/democratic_views_on_education
worldcat.org/title/democratic-education
yaacovhecht.com/democratic-education/
yesmagazine.org/happiness/what-is-democratic-education
Humanistic Education Info
Humanistic education refers to an educational philosophy that believes human beings are, by nature, idealistic, noble, strong and good, driven to fulfill whatever they feel is their true natural potential life.
It is loosely based on the ideas of two psychologists plus a third idea based on the humanities:
1.) Abraham Maslow created a hierarchy of human needs with the highest need being self-actualization. The problem with this idea is that he didn't define exactly what it is in daily life. How do you self-actualize day after day? It was a vague theory when I learned it in the 1980s. He identified self-actualized people from famous people in history but he didn't say how you live like that or be like that which is why I didn't like his theory. He didn't clarify anything about life for me.
2.) Carl Rogers equated the highest order of humanity as goodness. He figured people strive to be good and do good to great things for humanity and the human race which is wrong because many people go from selfish to greedy to evil way before they think about helping their fellow man. If we are so good then why do so many of us live in extreme material excess while so many people live in poverty.
3.) The term humanities refers to the Social Sciences and the liberal education which is about having a well-rounded knowledge of the world and life. They also say liberally-educated people care about life, their fellow man and the planet, the assumption being that well-rounded educated people naturally use their power for good.
A humanistically-educated person would be a philosopher-king type who would always do the right thing to help people.
This is funny to me because I just read a poll that said 86% of American citizens don't trust politicians. They think they steal from their expense accounts.
It's nice to educate children to love their fellow man and the planet but you had better also teach them why rich people don't share their wealth with poor people too.
If you want to be real, you have to go further than just teaching children that big corporations are bad because they pollute the planet or that we're all pretty good people.
Nobody taught me anything about the Jews kicking the Palestinians out of their homeland. I remember cute geography books make it seem like everything was fine over there.
It's morally wrong to teach children a naïve humanistic view of the world like I was taught. I was sheltered. I didn't know what apartheid meant until I was 20 years old.
I was naïve about reality until I learned what people are really like at a Machiavallean military college. I thought people were basically good but they're really selfish and will easily stoop to evil if they think the pay-off is worth it.
You must not teach people that human nature is naturally good because people are self-centered. Many can go totally evil in a very short period of time and sell-out whatever moral values they think they have all the while thinking they're good people. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
You have to teach self-accountability. Teach people they have a conscience by nature. Listen to it over the noise of the world telling you to be greedy, cool, trendy and successful as defined by capitalism.
When I was 12 years old at a Catholic public school, we had two new kids in class from the poor side of town. I had no problems with them. I thought they were fine until about a month in when the rest of the class ganged up on them saying they smelled, they had lice in their hair and stuff like that.
I had to learn that the people I was friends with in our Catholic middle-class type of neighborhood were a bunch of hypocrites like most people in the world are. It's the way it is.
We like to think we're good people but there is ugliness and evil in all of us. How many of us can rise above it? We have to teach the truth in schools about the dark side of human nature and how to deal with the anger, hate and jealousy inside of us.
I hate what they call humanistic education because I was brought up in this hippie-type brotherhood of man liberal atmosphere at school then I had to go out into the world and see all the phonies, hypocrites, liars and evil people firsthand before I finally understood the truth, that people are more like the scheming actors in a Shakespearean play than wholesome, good-hearted people out to improve the world.
Do not teach your children a rosy view of the world in your sheltered community without teaching them about poverty and greed.
Do not teach children a cute, naïve view of life because if you do, they will have to learn about the real world the hard way by being used and betrayed.
ahpweb.org/aboutahp/hum_edu.html
americanhumanist.org
artofteachingscience.org/?tag=humanistic-education
artofteachingscience.org/2008/03/18/humanistic-science-education/
behaviour2learn.co.uk/directory_record/48/humanistic_approaches
britannica.com/ebchecked/topic/179408/education/47544/the-humanistic-tradition-of-northern-and-western-europe
deepdyve.com/lp/sage/humanistic-education-two-articles-by-abraham-maslow
depression-guide.com/humanistic-psychology-therapy.htm
dictionary.reference.com/browse/humanistic
dir.yahoo.com/social_science/psychology/branches/educational_psychology/learning_theories/humanistic_education/
edpsycinteractive.org/topics/affect/humed.html
education-portal.com/academy/lesson/humanistic-psychology.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/humanistic_education
essaytown.com/topic/humanistic-education-essays-papers.html
factbites.com/topics/humanistic-education
fact-index.com/h/hu/humanistic_education.html
ffst.hr/encyclopaedia/doku.php?id=humanistic_education
garysturt.free-online.co.uk/human.htm
hef.yam.org.tw/english/whatishumanisticeducation.htm
humanisticceus.org
humanisticeducation.com
humanistsofutah.org
infed.org/mobi/humanistic-orientations-to-learning/
learningandteaching.info/learning/humanist.htm
learning-theories.com/humanism.html
lifecircles-inc.com/learningtheories/humanist/maslow.html
newpaltz.edu/edstudies/humanistic.html
pathsoflearning.net/articles_educating_childs_inner_power.php
pdfcast.org/pdf/carl-rogers-and-humanistic-education
psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/a/hist_humanistic.htm
psychotherapy.net/ce/articles-and-interviews/approach/existential-humanistic
publishyourarticles.net/knowledge-hub/education/what-is-the-aim-of-humanistic-education.html
questia.com/library/954626/a-humanistic-psychology-of-education-making-the-school
researchgate.net/journal/0735-6846_the_journal_of_humanistic_education_and_development
sageofasheville.com/pub_downloads/carl_rogers_and_humanistic_education.pdf
scholarworks.iupui.edu
scribd.com/doc/33021590/humanism-in-education
scribd.com/doc/86663280/pathways-of-a-humanistic-approach-to-science-education-a-review-of-the-literature
shj.org/educationforchildren.html
simplypsychology.org/humanistic.html
slideshare.net/halafawzi/the-humanistic-approach-9627717
slideshare.net/james.atherton/humanistic-education-3335368
thefreedictionary.com/humanistic
thehumanist.org
thenewamerican.com/reviews/opinion/item/12301-humanistic-psychology-in-the-schools-part-2
ukessays.com/essays/education/humanistic-theory-according-to-abraham-maslow-education-essay.php
voices.yahoo.com, humanistic-approach
windowtotheword.com/qanda/humanisticlearningtheory.asp
worldcat.org/title/journal-of-humanistic-counseling-education-and-development
Integrated Learning/ Integrated Studies/ Interdisciplinary Studies
Integrated learning is just another term for holistic learning. Instead of learning several subjects, the school or curriculum ties all life together as a big learning adventure.
Some colleges offer an major called Integrated Studies or Interdisciplinary Studies which combine courses from two or more disciplines, allowing students to see how ideas are connected.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bachelor_of_integrated_studies
integratedstudies.ucdavis.edu
edutopia.org/integratedstudies
draper.as.nyu.edu, earn a masters in humanities & social thought.
catalog.csumb.edu/undergradeducation/majors/integratedstudies
catalog.ferris.edu
catalog.utm.edu
centerforintegratedstudies.com
education.fcps.org/wms/integratedstudies
integrativestudies.edgewood.edu
integrativestudies.edgewood.edu/programs.html
issm.csumb.edu
ncc.gmu.edu/about/integrativestudies
newcollege.asu.edu/harcs/degrees/majors/integrativestudiesprogram
nkuonline.nku.edu/smartcatalog/integrativestudies.htm
online.brescia.edu/onlinedegrees/bachelorofartsorscienceinintegratedstudies
bvsd.org/bcsis
upenn.edu/integrated_studies
talk.collegeconfidential.com/colbycollege/716075integratedstudies.html
antiochseattle.edu/academics/psychology/mpsychology/integrativestudiesinpsychology/
aoma.edu/academics/integralstudies/
brown.edu/academics/gradschool/programs/integrativestudies
capella.edu/onlinedegrees/mastersintegrativestudies
central.edu/academics/majors/integratedstudies
champlain.edu/business/onlineintegratedstudiesprogram
ciis.edu
cisss.msu.edu
cnm.edu/programsofstudy/allprogramsaz/intstud
college.upenn.edu/integratedstudies
csuci.edu/cis
daviswiki.org/integrated_studies
dixie.edu/integrated
edutopia.org/integratedstudieshistory
edutopia.org/integratedstudiesintroduction
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/integrated_studies
excellenceinitiative.com
franklinpierce.edu/academics/ugrad_adult/programs_of_study/integrated_studies.htm
growingseason.net
guilford.edu/academics/academicprograms/academicdepartments/integrativestudies/
houghton.edu/academics/majorsprograms/integrativestudies
iids.org.np
integratedlistening.com
integrativestudies.com
itunes.apple.com/itunesu/integratedstudies
knox.edu/academics/coursesofstudy/integratedinternationalstudies.html
lipscomb.edu/adultdegree/integratedstudies
memphis.edu/ugcatalog/collegeprog/education/integrative.php
monmouthcollege.edu/academics/intgstudies
murraystate.edu/academics/continuingeducation/integratedstudies/aboutbis.aspx
murraystate.edu/integratedstudies.aspx
nku.edu/majors/integrativestudies.html
northseattle.edu/programs/integratedstudies
oakland.edu/bis
universityprograms/universityprograms/
pc.ctc.edu/academics/artssciences/english/integrated.asp
pct.edu/schools/is/
prod.northseattle.edu/programs/integratedstudies
regionals.miamioh.edu/is
sduis.edu
seattlecentral.edu/users/crc/course/ce_is.htm
shimer.edu/academicprograms/curriculum/integrativestudiessciencecourses.cfm
spanishstudies.org/integratedstudiesid605.html
spu.edu
thelearningweb.net/integratedstudies.html
und.edu/admissions/undergraduate/includes/pdf/integratedstudies.pdf
units.muohio.edu/aisorg/about/about.shtml
upei.ca/programsandcourses/integratedstudies
upenn.edu/spotlights/integratedstudiespenn
uvu.edu/is
youtube.com
Intrinsic Education/ Extrinsic Motivation
When children have a natural love of learning, they are motivated by their own curiosity.
Learning for intrinsic reasons is learning something because you're interested in it. It does something for you. It may inspire or entertain you. It may be a deep calling you feel within yourself like you feel you must cure a serious disease like Alzheimer's or cancer.
Extrinsic learning is when students learn because there is some tangible reward at the end like:
1.) Pass the course or get a good mark, it goes on your transcript to impress parents, college admissions people and employers.
2.) Your parents give you money for a good report card.
3.) You pass the year and move to the next grade.
4.) You get admitted to college.
5.) You get a good job.
6.) There are academic contests that offer scholarships and cash prizes.
antshe.org, the association for nontraditional students in higher education.
giftedkids.about.com/od/glossary/g/extrinsic.htm
giftedkids.about.com/od/glossary/g/intrinsic.htm
holisticeducator.com
academia.edu
k6educators.about.com/od/educationglossary/g/gextrinsic.htm
k6educators.about.com/od/educationglossary/g/gintrinsic.htm
peggyloveu.wikispaces.com/file/view/intrinsic+motivation+in+education.ppt
plato.stanford.edu/entries/value-intrinsic-extrinsic/
positivesharing.com
teachers.net
voices.yahoo.com/intrinsic-motivation-classroom-3934594.html
voices.yahoo.com/rewarding-systems-intrinsic-vs-extrinsic-models-10569.html
arteducators.org/learning/learning-in-a-visual-age/critical-topics/the-intrinsic-and-extrinsic-values-for-the-arts
articlegarden.com/article/extrinsic-and-intrinsic-motivation-in-education
campusdemocracy.org/articles/online-educations-intrinsic-value.html
chacha.com/question/what-is-intrinsic-education
chroniclecareers.com/article/the-intrinsic-value-of/7170/
collegetermpapers.com/termpapers/education/intrinsic_motivation_is_ideal.html
differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/career-education/difference-between-intrinsic-and-extrinsic-motivation/
earlychildhoodeducation.com/intrinsic-motivation-and-early-childhood-education/
education.com/question/extrinsic-motivation-effective-intrinsic/
education.com/reference/article/intrinsic-and-extrinsic-motivation/
education.com/reference/article/intrinsic-motivation-children-education/
education-portal.com/academy/lesson/intrinsic-and-extrinsic-motivation-in-education-definition-examples.h tml
education-portal.com/academy/lesson/reward-systems-employee-behavior-intrinsic-extrinsic-rewards.html
emotional-intelligence-education.com/intrinsic-motivation-children.html
emotional-literacy-education.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/motivation
eric.ed.gov
ericdigests.org/pre-921/motivating.htm
etc.edu.cn/eet/eet/articles/motivatphysed/
financial-freedom-education.com/a-look-at-intrinsic-motivation/
holisticeducator.com/intrinsic.htm
intrinsic.net/tag/education/
intrinsicmotivators.com
kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/student_motivatation.html
learnnc.org/reference/extrinsicmotivation
livestrong.com/article/174305-the-difference-between-intrinsic-motivation-extrinsic-motivation/
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