Monday, November 5, 2012

Another AP Lang bit

DISCLAIMER: To any unschoolers out there I apologize if I offend, I'm just an ignorant kid who needed something to write about and pick on.
Thinking Outside of the Pencil Box
by Cailin Rogers
    I was taught from a very young age one important fact. It was common sense, something that seemed to just be part of life. Homeschoolers are smarter than public school kids. I was too little to read it from a media source, how did I know this fact so innately?
    One could infer that my tiny ears picked it up at 'co-op,' an organization created by moms for homeschooled kids. Or from my friends. Or from my parents.
You see, I was homeschooled until fifth grade.
   I am very familiar with homeschooling and public school. And I think in scenarios with good variables, both work.Then I heard of unschooling, which I was unaware of it's existence. It's proper definition is a "lack of schooling" and that definition is frightfully unhelpful in depicting what it actually is. Basically, unschooling is when mothers allow their kids to learn what they wish. Children decide what they do for the day, and children decide exactly what they learn. These kids have never touched a textbook or taken a test; they act as if school systems don't exist. Many of these parents don't set rules for their kids.
   When I first heard of this, I thought, my God, these kids are living the dream. Then I thought about the future of these unschooled kids. Their parents give them no boundaries, so they will have a harder time understanding that no, you can't go as fast as you want on the road, and other rules set by the government. They've never taken a test or studied a textbook, so how will they get into a good college, if they are even literate enough to fill the application. And say they get into college, they will be competing against kids that have been using textbooks and taking tests since they could stand up...I wonder how they will succeed in life?
   My opinion? Homeschooling=Smiley face. Unschooling=? Well, don't ask them, no one taught them math.

No comments:

Post a Comment