Yes, i have first-hand experience.
I was a combination of home/unschooled until college. Unschooling really isn't new, it's something that came about heavily in part due to a man named John Holt in the 60's like the article gets started on.
Learning-by-doing is nothing new, learning by classroom is.
It's hard to levy a wholesale argument against or for unschooling/homeschooling/school-at-home because each case is extremely individual, just like each person's learning strengths.
In my case, i was ahead of almost all of my classmates. I'm nowhere near prodigal or top-of-my-class since graduating, but i have a host of skills i have taught myself, a pretty intimate understanding of how i am best able to learn new skills, and a certain understanding that has been extremely helpful in expanding my abilities to get new jobs, and take on new responsibilities.
The only problem i had with getting into college courses was the archaic way that universities are organized. The major problem is not one's ability to meet the educational requirements which are often not that stringent, but dealing with a system that cannot comprehend any alternative to its own self-importance.
It's rare that i see any really useful or comprehensive reporting on any alternative methods of education. There is a certain point where it's a novelty again and someone does a filler piece that re-ignites a usually thoughtless or already entrenched debate.
I don't think that un/home/schooling at home is an answer to our public education system, but American public education is in need of serious scrutiny and help without the chronic political boilerplate that plagues it and prevents useful reform.
It's hard to share opinions on this as a participator in because as the article reflects, there is a clear minority of people who have undergone this process since mandatory education in the U.S. began. You often set yourself up as a lightning rod for the debate, and especially for someone like myself who is used to a calmer, more rational discourse, that's rarely the response you get.
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Yes, i have first-hand experience. I was a combination of home/unschooled until college. Unschooling really isn't new, it's something that came about heavily in part due to a man named John Holt in the 60's like the article gets started on. Learning-by-doing is nothing new, learning by classroom is. It's hard to levy a wholesale argument against or for unschooling/homeschooling/school-at-home because each case is extremely individual, just like each person's learning strengths. In my case, i was ahead of almost all of my classmates. I'm nowhere near prodigal or top-of-my-class since graduating, but i have a host of skills i have taught myself, a pretty intimate understanding of how i am best able to learn new skills, and a certain understanding that has been extremely helpful in expanding my abilities to get new jobs, and take on new responsibilities. The only problem i had with getting into college courses was the archaic way that universities are organized. The major problem is not one's ability to meet the educational requirements which are often not that stringent, but dealing with a system that cannot comprehend any alternative to its own self-importance. It's rare that i see any really useful or comprehensive reporting on any alternative methods of education. There is a certain point where it's a novelty again and someone does a filler piece that re-ignites a usually thoughtless or already entrenched debate. I don't think that un/home/schooling at home is an answer to our public education system, but American public education is in need of serious scrutiny and help without the chronic political boilerplate that plagues it and prevents useful reform. It's hard to share opinions on this as a participator in because as the article reflects, there is a clear minority of people who have undergone this process since mandatory education in the U.S. began. You often set yourself up as a lightning rod for the debate, and especially for someone like myself who is used to a calmer, more rational discourse, that's rarely the response you get.