This passionate collection of essays from the leading
edge of educational theory and practice demonstrates how families around
the world are embracing the philosophy of life learning.
Academics,
parents and young people describe why non-compulsory, non-coercive,
active, respectful, interest-led, family- and community-based learning
from life is growing in popularity and will displace prescribed
curriculum, standardized testing and the other regurgitation-based
relics of our outmoded school system. This innovative way of learning
through living not only fosters intellectual development and academic
achievement, it allows children and young people to develop an
understanding of themselves and their place in modern society so they
can create a better world.
Life Learning is the story of how children
can personalize and control their own learning . . . and what adults can
do (and stop doing) to help them.
These essays from some of the contributors to
Life
Learning magazine provide a great introduction to this
progressive style of education, written by those who have experienced it
first hand. Includes learning to read and do math without being taught,
the importance of unstructured play, learning when you’re ready, what’s
wrong with curriculum, trusting children to do their best naturally, a
grandparent’s reaction to unstructured homeschooling, learning in the
real world, parents as role models, self-reliance in life and learning,
and much more.
The Essays and the Authors: (Check out our
authors page for details about these
contributors.)
- Introduction: Learning in the Real World by Wendy
Priesnitz
- The Educator’s Dilemma and the Two Big Lies by Daniel
Grego
- Self Reliance in Life and in Learning by Gea D’Marea
Bassett
- What is Education? by Sarabeth Matilsky
- Taking Risks & Breaking Rules by Wendy Priesnitz
- What We Should Know by Nathanael Schildbach
- Restructuring Education by Roland Meighan
- The Flow of Self-Directed Learning by Amy Spang
- Play is Self-Directed Learning by Marty Layne
- Doing Their Best, Naturally by Rachel Gathercole
- What You See May Not Be What You Get by Jan Fortune-Wood
- Whose Goal is it, Anyway? by Pam Laricchia
- Principles, Not Rules by Robyn L. Coburn
- Did Einstein’s Mommy Worry? by M. Jeanne Yardley
- Reading When You’re Ready by Ruthe Friedner Matilsky
- Zen and the Art of Unschooling Math by Rachel Gathercole
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- Always Learning by Carlo Ricci
- Culture & Community by Eva Swidler
- Children and Power by Lael Whitehead
- Re-choosing Life Learning by J. Ann Lloyd and Erica
Gotow
- Learning Love of the Natural World by Beatrice Ekwa
Ekoko
- Letting Go by Renata Rooney
- Birthing Our Selves, Our Children and Our World by Amy
Childs
- The Hardest Thing is the Unknown by Karen Ridd
- Learning is Children's Work by Wendy Priesnitz
- Learning and Prospering in the Real World by Gaye
Chicoine
- The House That Heather Built by Deb Baker
- Teachable Moments by Suzanne Malakoff
- The Case Against Teaching by Naomi Aldort
- Becoming Self-Directed Teachers by Natalie Zur Nedden
- The Labyrinth of Life Learning by Dayna Martin
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About the Editor:
Wendy
Priesnitz is a North American homeschooling and self-directed
learning pioneer. She and
her husband helped their two daughters learn at home when it was almost
unheard of, beginning in the mid-1970s. In 1979, she founded the
Canadian Alliance of Homeschoolers and continues to share her
experience and long-term and progressive perspective internationally.
She has also authored nine other books, including School Free
and Challenging Assumptions in Education. She is a former
broadcaster and an award winning journalist, is the founding editor of
Life Learning Magazine and has edited
Natural Life Magazine since her husband Rolf founded it in 1976. Read her blog
here.
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