Sitting here listening to the noise from upstairs of my children playing with their various friends online, it has reminded me of why I live the life I do.
Over the last few weeks, there have been various reminders for me but there was also that report on ITV Calendar where the family were taught lessons at home.
I am a radical unschooler a.k.a how families used to live, or I am an autonomous educator a.k.a how all adults learn (if they wanted to keep learning) or some other random label. Basically, my kids learn by living and interacting with the world.
At present my 2 kids (in separate rooms) are talking to each other and at least 5 other people online discussing how (amongst other things) they are going to play an online distributed game of Dungeons and Dragons. They share information, are learning how to cooperate in groups, listen to each other, problem solve, discuss differences of opinion, etc.
This isn't all they do but it is the majority of their lives when in the house. It is beautiful to be a part of it when I can hear how they treat each other kindly and the ideas they come up with between them.
This social interaction is, for me, far more important than reading books (one of the most anti-social activities) or learning subjects out of context.
Computers and online activities are the books and radio of our time (in the past both those media were classed as problematic) but I think that being able to communicate with loads of people discussing all sorts of topics whilst playing minecraft, building stuff together, resolving problems, etc. is fab.
There are many ways to learn. Thank goodness.
Over the last few weeks, there have been various reminders for me but there was also that report on ITV Calendar where the family were taught lessons at home.
I am a radical unschooler a.k.a how families used to live, or I am an autonomous educator a.k.a how all adults learn (if they wanted to keep learning) or some other random label. Basically, my kids learn by living and interacting with the world.
At present my 2 kids (in separate rooms) are talking to each other and at least 5 other people online discussing how (amongst other things) they are going to play an online distributed game of Dungeons and Dragons. They share information, are learning how to cooperate in groups, listen to each other, problem solve, discuss differences of opinion, etc.
This isn't all they do but it is the majority of their lives when in the house. It is beautiful to be a part of it when I can hear how they treat each other kindly and the ideas they come up with between them.
This social interaction is, for me, far more important than reading books (one of the most anti-social activities) or learning subjects out of context.
Computers and online activities are the books and radio of our time (in the past both those media were classed as problematic) but I think that being able to communicate with loads of people discussing all sorts of topics whilst playing minecraft, building stuff together, resolving problems, etc. is fab.
There are many ways to learn. Thank goodness.
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