No Boredom Allowed!

Here are a few ideas if your kids are "bored" over the Christmas break:

Find History in Greensboro, NC

Make Finger Puppets

Watch a great science movie

Practice drawing in a sketchbook

How to Keep Learning Every Day

Most people equate "education" with "school," i.e. a brick edifice filled with teachers dispensing knowledge. A true education, however, consists of acquiring what Dorothy Sayers called the "tools of learning" and then using those tools for the rest of one's life as an independent learner. Thus a true education is a lifetime of learning through reading, networking, and experience.

Learn by Reading
First, read! As a lifelong learner, I have always been a voracious reader. When I want to know something new, I seek out a variety of print and internet resources in order to engage in what Mortimer Adler called "syntopical reading" or the wise use of many books to serve one's purpose. Without sitting in a classroom, I have learned about historical costuming, the history of housework in America, how to teach reading to children with different learning styles, and how to compare various strategies for dealing with depression. I enjoy searching for old, obscure resources and utilizing the latest in technology. All the while, of course, I am separating the wheat from the chaff, as not all information is equally credible!

Learn through Networking
Network! I have a reputation as a "go to" person among my friends. I was one of the first in my circle to home school, so I became the person who helped others find curriculum and do annual standardized testing. When I discovered food co-ops and bulk cooking techniques, I shared those resources with my friends. When a friend has a problem, my first impulse is to find a person or resource that will be useful to them. I gain tremendous pleasure from seeing people learning new things because I helped them with the information they needed. As I help my friends, I meet new friends and all of us teach each other. Teach a friend to bake and they may teach you about investing or woodworking or even potty training.

Learn by Doing
Do it! For topics like knitting, foreign language, or sports, this active learning method can and should be used. I believe I enjoy learning more than many people because I am not afraid to jump in and try things; in other words, I am not afraid to look like an idiot on the way to learning a new skill. I have knitted ugly hats, said embarrassing things in foreign languages, and baked horrible bread, but those experiences helped me become a proficient knitter and a better linguist (who still bakes horrible bread.) Obviously, this trial and error method will not be practical if you are studying nuclear weapons or contagious diseases.

Reading or networking without a formal classroom is still education. Formal classrooms, if they do not facilitate reading, networking, or practical application, may be an expensive waste. Start today by deciding on something you always wanted to learn, finding a pile of reading material, and seeking people who know what you want to know.

Sources:
1. Sayers, Dorothy, "The Lost Tools of Learning," 1947 essay
2. Adler, Mortimer, How to Read a Book, 1940, chapter 20

Separation of School and State

Here is a challenge to anyone willing to take it up:  What if we kept government out of education with as much energy as is currently expended keeping religion out of education?  Would children learn to read and compute without a government-certified teacher using a government-adopted textbook during government-mandated hours?  I personally know they could.

Check out the Alliance for the Separation of School and State for an example of people who dare to imagine schools without meddlesome government.

Found: Great Independent Learning Information

Oxford Brookes University has this page devoted to independent learning.  This presents a brief outline of the gains and losses, successes and failures associated with independent learning.  Scholarly links are provided for those who want to do more in-depth reading.

Accelerated Learning Works for This Young Man

Congratulations to Ty Hobson-Powell for his continuing success as an accelerated learner.  Law school at age sixteen is a great start!  North Carolina Central University is blessed to have such an eager student. Read more about Ty in the Raleigh News and Observer

Independent Learning Article Links

Independent Learning Methods include reading, networking and hands-on learning.

Who are distance learners?

Tips for practicing foreign language vocabulary

Excelsior College—an Interesting Option for Accelerated or Nontraditional Education

Josh Kaufman’s articles on Hacking Higher Education are a good place to begin your quest for a college degree.  No, he does not mean hacking into a college computer and giving yourself a forged credential; he means using legitimate means to turn your work experience, personal reading, and non-accredited coursework into college credits.

One popular route to a degree is the CLEP test.  For example, you can get 6 credits in English Literature by taking two semester-long college courses (and paying the tuition) or by paying about $80 to take a CLEP test validating the fact that you were reading the Canterbury Tales in junior high and Tolkein in grade school.  Excelsior College offers a means of consolidating all your CLEP exams and taking whatever online courses you need to finish an accredited Associates or Bachelors degree.  They are friendly towards students who do not fit the four-year-college mold.  Excelsior also offers exams in many Excelsior College classes, accepts UExcel  and DANTES exams, and offers college credit for working students who have passed the Certified Pharmacy Technician exam, achieved industry credentials in computer networking, studied at the Defense Language Institute, and much more.

Before writing a fat tuition check, putting your career on hold, or taking out a huge student loan, spend an hour exploring the Excelsior website and reading Kaufman’s articles.  You may be closer to a college degree than you think!