I just realized something about balance (or lack thereof)...

[Nan in Mass]

As my children get older, it becomes harder to see whether what we are doing is a good balance between all those possible opposing forces - skills/content, traditional/unschooling, basic/advanced, check-off-the-box/in-depth, and so forth. I always feel like we are out of balance, but that is because increasingly, I only see one piece, my piece. The rest I leave to the child. I only schedule the things that they either won't or can't do on their own, and I only do some of those scheduled things with them.

Just a thought. This should probably be on the logic-stage board, since that is about when I began to feel out of kilter. About then my children took over many of the more creative, interesting bits, leaving me with more of the drill and output.

-Nan

ETA - Can you tell I'm writing up the year's progress report? : )

Edited June 26, 2011 by Nan in Mass

[Alphabetika]

This is an excellent insight, Nan. What I've found, though I have only one who is past logic stage, is that this particular one, as she moved through that stage, wanted and needed to establish her *own* balance with all of those things. Her education has not gone at all the way I thought it would, but I'm not sorry about that because she has become very solid in the way she learns and teaches herself. Not inflexible, but very self-aware, so that when she makes decisions about educational goals and direction, I know that her decisions are very well-thought out and she will follow through.

[cathmom]

The rest I leave to the child. I only schedule the things that they either won't or can't do on their own, and I only do some of those scheduled things with them.

 

 

I've had a issue like this with my 3rd child. She felt (and possibly still feels) that she fails miserably at schoolwork because she was considering only the things she does with me as school and everything else as fun stuff she wants to do, like: write several novels, constantly study geography and history, learn Swedish, write poems and songs, work on improving her voice, etc.

 

I also have made sure that we have one fun type thing to do together so it isn't just miserable making-her-do-stuff-she-doesn't-want-to for me!

[JennW in SoCal]

....my children took over many of the more creative, interesting bits, leaving me with more of the drill and output.

 

 

We homeschooled under the umbrella of a public charter for many years and they were wonderful at seeing the big picture. It helped me not feel so unbalanced and not to worry so much that we were missing something, and it helped me appreciate the value in all those creative in and interesting bits.

 

All these conversations on the boards about rigor, balance, breadth versus depth, have come back to me as I've started putting together my son's transcript and preparing all the college application supplements. It is ironically funny that a couple of colleges he is applying for freely use the word "rigorous" in describing the kind of high school prep they want to see. Here I've been striving to describe our homeschool, for years, with every word except rigorous, and now I have to "sell" it as just that.

[Guest]

All these conversations on the boards about rigor, balance, breadth versus depth, have come back to me as I've started putting together my son's transcript and preparing all the college application supplements. It is ironically funny that a couple of colleges he is applying for freely use the word "rigorous" in describing the kind of high school prep they want to see. Here I've been striving to describe our homeschool, for years, with every word except rigorous, and now I have to "sell" it as just that.

 

I think there is a false dichotomy in many people's minds between rigor on the one hand, and creativity or interest-driven learning on the other.

 

A kid who pursues an intellectual interest will often come up with something far more rigorous, although it may look different, than a course of study planned by a parent to challenge the child.

 

A kid who explores an interest over an extended time (or even for a short but intense time) and comes up with ways to learn, finds resources, and in other ways figures out ways to figure out what he wants to know or practices something until he masters it -- seems to me to present a very interesting and appealing package to colleges.

 

You can stress that your son has followed a rigorous program in at least two different ways: one with external requirements and demands, like his math and science at CC; the other internally motivated and independently structured and pursued, like his science reading, his internships, and perhaps his writing. That's a terrific combination.

[8filltheheart]

I think there is a false dichotomy in many people's minds between rigor on the one hand, and creativity or interest-driven learning on the other.

 

A kid who pursues an intellectual interest will often come up with something far more rigorous, although it may look different, than a course of study planned by a parent to challenge the child.

 

A kid who explores an interest over an extended time (or even for a short but intense time) and comes up with ways to learn, finds resources, and in other ways figures out ways to figure out what he wants to know or practices something until he masters it -- seems to me to present a very interesting and appealing package to colleges.

 

 

 

I think that this is also a false dichotomy. Students can study traditional courses in traditional ways and still achieve the above. When schools want to see how students have developed their passions and how do those make them stand out from the crowd, this is where they can shine.

 

In other words, it isn't impossible to do both.

[Guest]

I think that this is also a false dichotomy. Students can study traditional courses in traditional ways and still achieve the above. When schools want to see how students have developed their passions and how do those make them stand out from the crowd, this is where they can shine.

 

In other words, it isn't impossible to do both.

 

That is what I thought I said. I said rigor can ALSO be very much a part of more unconventional approaches to any subject. ALSO -- not this is the only place it can truly be found.

[8filltheheart]

That is what I thought I said. I said rigor can ALSO be very much a part of more unconventional approaches to any subject. ALSO -- not this is the only place it can truly be found.

 

Either you misunderstand me or I misunderstand you. I am saying that they can do it outside of the academic/transcript/course realm and simply do it as their hobby/interest/etc.

 

I read your post as saying that the false dichotomy is that of rigor vs. interest driven in the development of the course and that students can pursue more depth when allowed to design their own course......or speaking within terms of actual course design.

 

My point is that "rigor" vs. "interest driven" coursework and students exploring in intense "depth" is also false. Students can do normally structured courses with typical high school expectations and still pursue the interest-driven depth independently. The two (standard coursework and independent research) do not have to be mutually exclusive.

 

There are more than 2 options here.

Edited June 26, 2011 by 8FillTheHeart

[Guest]

There are more than 2 options here.

 

And I did say in my post responding to Jenn that she could talk about "at least two different ways" her son had pursued a rigorous course of study.

 

"At least" implies the idea that there are more options that those two.