tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6314881.post5743927917898734733..comments2023-06-07T05:36:30.935-07:00Comments on See www.nurturedbylove.ca for the active version of this blog: Erin's Learning Planmoominmammahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00561834420653149624noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6314881.post-32354144553324949002007-08-30T18:14:00.000-07:002007-08-30T18:14:00.000-07:00Thanks. I didn't realize that the music education...Thanks. I didn't realize that the music education was their choice as well. Thinking about it, I am not sure where I got the impression that music lessons were somehow your choice for them (although I know the practicing was their choice). I hope Erin continues to shine and has a great year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6314881.post-58888539502347099922007-08-30T12:06:00.000-07:002007-08-30T12:06:00.000-07:00momto3boys, I see absolutely no difference on a ph...momto3boys, I see absolutely no difference on a philosophical level between what my children do for music and what they do for their academics. My kids get the structure and direct teaching <I>they</I> want, in all areas. Erin, for example, has been offered all manner of writing instructional opportunities, from on-line courses to mentorships to real-life workshops, writers' clubs and the like. You'll notice that I wrote "does not want any structured learning in this area." She has stalwartly and vehemently opposed any such approach with her writing. Believe me, I've offered / suggested / strewed many many times over the years. <BR/><BR/>By contrast, she is desperate for a real violin teacher. For the past six months she hasn't had one, and I left her alone to practice or not as she saw fit, just as I leave her to do her writing. She knew that she could continue to be involved in violin group classes, orchestra and quartet if she liked simply by working on her own as necessary. But no, she is desperate for real lessons with a real teacher.<BR/><BR/>She has done art classes in the past and loved them (the teacher is no longer offering them). There used to be gymnastics and figure skating offered that we could take advantage of, and she loved those. She's using a variety of structured resources to learn Latin, and is considering using on-line science courses from CyberEd. Last year we did some gently structured Science Club classes; this year it will be cultural geography. In every area she has the choice to partake of unstructured, self-structured or other-structured learning as she prefers. Totally her choice. And the way it's all shaking down this year, her music is mostly other-structured, her science, math and Latin are likely to be self-structured and her other learning is likely to be unstructured. The common thread is that it's all driven by her desires and her choices.moominmammahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561834420653149624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6314881.post-31582566977548143222007-08-30T09:56:00.000-07:002007-08-30T09:56:00.000-07:00I really enjoy your blog and your thoughtful appro...I really enjoy your blog and your thoughtful approach to your children. I wonder, however, about the contrast in your approach to music education and all other education. Not meaning to question your choices (which seem to be working very well) but curious. Why the need for a teacher of music but not for other disciplines? Would Erin's writing blossom in the same way if she went to summer writing wokrshop program with other kids and instructors that are as into writing as she is? Or even an online class that shares writing? Why is music not an unschooled disicpline yet all academics can be? Do you envision a point at which your children will need to have a teacher or mentor or will you wait until they make that choice? Really a philosophical question on unschooling and music, not at all meant as critical.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6314881.post-60306977558969871102007-08-28T09:04:00.000-07:002007-08-28T09:04:00.000-07:00LOL, Danielle, I'd say single-minded more than dis...LOL, Danielle, I'd say single-minded more than disciplined. Like all these learning plans, it sounds more organized than it really is. She has a strongly visual - text-based learning style and so her resources tend to be books. She doesn't work through such things systematically, though, nor does she generally actually put pencil to paper in workbook programs. She browses, skims and ponders, and not systematically at all. I would not be the slightest bit surprised if she didn't touch the music harmony or math at all this year, for instance. We shall see.<BR/><BR/>You're right that some would write us off as unschoolers simply because we own the Teaching Textbooks algebra program (though I think the "no textbook" moratorium is usually relaxed at the high school level). But I agree with you. These are simply resources my kids have asked for that they have access to. Any expectations that they'll actually use them are their own alone.moominmammahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00561834420653149624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6314881.post-78727803141876026352007-08-28T03:01:00.000-07:002007-08-28T03:01:00.000-07:00She sounds very disciplined. It sounds as if she ...She sounds very disciplined. It sounds as if she is doing the same thing I would do if I had been unschooled as a teen- planned everything out like that, and still worked at lessons from books. Have you been on a lot of unschooling things on the internet? They would say that a lot of this is "not really" unschooling. But, in my opinion, if she's choosing it, it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6314881.post-80620349132082518192007-08-26T15:19:00.000-07:002007-08-26T15:19:00.000-07:00Sounds like she is definitely on that edge of of g...Sounds like she is definitely on that edge of of growing up...and she is truly beautiful. Volunteering sounds like a good plan, as does the bus...that solo bus trip and getting to lessons alone really does something for the self-esteem.Shawnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15226629390376056787noreply@blogger.com