One step closer to "Ow My Balls!" -or- LARP in the news

[essentialsaltes]

GMA had a story this morning on 'unschooling'. Beyond homeschooling, unschooling is where the kids get no formal instruction, and the responsibility for whatever they may or may not learn is on them. Sort of Montessori method, but without any obligation for the teacher/parent to provide any support. Apparently, this is perfectly legal in some states.
Anyway, the first sight we have of the kids they profile is them having a boffer fight in the front yard with mom. The son is wearing a 'Heroes Wanted' t-shirt, with a definite LARPy look. Google-stalking mom is more productive; she's associated with a LARP-based day and summer camp for kids, also plugged near the bottom of a website of workshop activities for unschoolers. Her unschooling blog hasn't been updated much recently, apparently because Facebook is taking more of her time nowadays, but this is my favorite entry.

Comments

[nephthys510.livejournal.com]

In a perfect world...

• Where parents are really active, curious, and motivated
  
• Where parents have the money, time, and resources to immerse their children in "educational" activities
  
• Where children are curious and precocious (I'm thinking a Newton)
  
• Where the subjects live in an area where cultural and educational activities are available
  
• Where the children can grow up to find job opportunities that do not demand routine, deadlines, obedience, or discipline.

That's a pretty privileged life that hinges on so many variables.

I could, perhaps, see it if the parents were to immerse the children in various activities, say, go to the space museum and then guiding the children in doing self-research on the bits that are interesting, thereby making the math and science portion less of a rote learning exercise and more of an exploration. But it sounds like most of the parents are completely hands-off and not even guiding any learning. If the children aren't exposed to things, how could they find them interesting enough to "learn" them.

My mind reels when I think of the time, expense, and planning it would take to give a child a really well-rounded classical education based on exploration.

I fear for their first faltering steps into The Real World where there are rules and you don't get to do only what you want to do.

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