Entschulung? / 2: Thema Schule > Why you should unschool your children
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Why you should unschool your children

"I didn't see the regular schools doing the things I thought should be done," Musk said.

According to Wikipedia:
UNSCHOOLING IS AN EDUCATIONAL METHOD AND PHILOSOPHY THAT ADVOCATES LEARNER-CHOSEN ACTIVITIES AS A PRIMARY MEANS FOR LEARNING. UNSCHOOLING STUDENTS LEARN THROUGH THEIR NATURAL LIFE EXPERIENCES INCLUDING PLAY, HOUSEHOLD RESPONSIBILITIES, PERSONAL INTERESTS AND CURIOSITY, INTERNSHIPS AND WORK EXPERIENCE, TRAVEL, BOOKS, ELECTIVE CLASSES, FAMILY, MENTORS, AND SOCIAL INTERACTION. UNSCHOOLING ENCOURAGES EXPLORATION OF ACTIVITIES INITIATED BY THE CHILDREN THEMSELVES, BELIEVING THAT THE MOST PERSONAL LEARNING IS, THE MORE MEANINGFUL, WELL-UNDERSTOOD AND, THEREFORE, USEFUL IT IS TO THE CHILD. WHILE COURSES MAY OCCASIONALLY BE TAKEN, UNSCHOOLING QUESTIONS THE USEFULNESS OF STANDARD CURRICULA, CONVENTIONAL GRADING METHODS, AND OTHER FEATURES OF TRADITIONAL SCHOOLING IN THE EDUCATION OF EACH UNIQUE CHILD.

THE TERM "UNSCHOOLING" WAS COINED IN THE 1970S AND USED BY EDUCATOR JOHN HOLT, WIDELY REGARDED AS THE "FATHER" OF UNSCHOOLING. WHILE OFTEN CONSIDERED A SUBSET OF HOMESCHOOLING, UNSCHOOLERS MAY BE AS PHILOSOPHICALLY SEPARATE FROM OTHER HOMESCHOOLERS AS THEY ARE FROM ADVOCATES OF CONVENTIONAL SCHOOLING. WHILE HOMESCHOOLING HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO WIDESPREAD PUBLIC DEBATE, LITTLE MEDIA ATTENTION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO UNSCHOOLING IN PARTICULAR. CRITICS OF UNSCHOOLING SEE IT AS AN EXTREME EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY, WITH CONCERNS THAT UNSCHOOLED CHILDREN WILL LACK THE SOCIAL SKILLS, STRUCTURE, AND MOTIVATION OF THEIR SCHOOLED PEERS, WHILE PROPONENTS OF UNSCHOOLING SAY EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE: SELF-DIRECTED EDUCATION IN A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT BETTER EQUIPS A CHILD TO HANDLE THE "REAL WORLD".

He went on to explain how hands-on experience is more important than making children memorize and regurgitate answers to questions.
"It's important to teach problem-solving, or teach to the problem and not the tools. Let's say you're trying to teach people about how engines work. A more traditional approach would be saying, 'we're going to teach all about screwdrivers and wrenches.' This is a very difficult way to do it," he said.
Musk then explained that it is better to actually let them take apart an engine, in real life, and figure it out for themselves.
"How are we going to take it apart? You need a screwdriver. That's what the screwdriver is for. And then a very important thing happens: The relevance of the tools becomes apparent," he said.
If one of the most brilliant inventors and entrepreneurs in the world doesn't trust his children's brains in the hands of the government, maybe you should reconsider you choices if you currently have children in public school.

This article originally appeared on TrueActivist.com