So this morning, re-reading our 10 pillars and recognizing also the need for space and freedom to learn on one's own, I feel like we are still on the right path. Definitely a challenging path, to say the least, but then we should be used to that by now. Going against the grain is almost always harder but almost always incredibly rewarding in the end. OK here goes...
Future Path: Homeschooling from First Principles Instead of a Curriculum
It's 2037. Your child is your age, more or less. Cars drive themselves. You can access the entire Internet directly from your own brain. And most of the world's knowledge workers live in India and China. Everything is very fluid, time and space oozing between virtual reality and meatspace. Some fundamental principles of living remain the same, but everyone is having increasing difficulty adapting to the rapidly accelerating rate of change. It's a brave new world.Flash back to 2007. Schools are still teaching for the industrial age. Schedules, standardized tests, students sitting in rows waiting for the bell to ring. But a growing number of dissidents are pulling their kids out to self-educate them. According to the US Census Bureau, more than 2 million children in the US were homeschooled in 2001. That number is growing at 15 to 20 percent per year, making homeschooling the fastest-growing educational movement in America. And, since our first daughter was born, we knew we would join the ranks.
As we began our foray into homeschooling, various curricula were recommended to us: prescribed, step-by-step approaches to learning at home based on diverse philosophies from Waldorf and Montessori to classical education. We found ourselves turning more towards the freedom and self-directed nature of unschooling. But something still didn't feel right. We were traveling without a compass.
So we asked ourselves the question: what are the fundamental first principles of education? If we take a step back, what do we want our children to learn? 10 pillars jumped out at us, building a Parthenon of education before our eyes. And these principles are also what we seek to improve in ourselves, so it will be a family journey. The wise parenting counselor Naomi Aldort says, "We are all sometimes convinced that we know what is best for the child, yet it is more likely to represent our own needs." We are all, after all, learning all the time. So here goes.
Pillar 1: Understanding
Actions: Observe and Analyze
We all do this every day. Understanding is the foundation of the scientific method and the basis of living in the world around us. Observing everything from the universe via telescope to the human-scale world to the world of bacteria via microscope. Making predictions and hypotheses, then going out to gather data to test them, and adjusting our model of the world based on our results. Understanding also applies to different cultures; learning how people around the world see and do and live. And our understanding of the world shapes who we become. But understanding is so much more powerful when combined with...
Pillar 2: Creativity
Actions: Design and Build
Creativity - the buzzword on every "educational" child's activity kit these days. But really how creative is it to follow the instructions for how to put together all the pre-cut, pre-designed materials into the picture on the front of the package? This seems to be the antithesis of creativity. Try starting from scratch, from raw ideas and raw materials, and see what emerges. This kind of scrappy, fresh creativity will be a major differentiator in the economy of the future, and will be a key way to add true value to the world. Throw away all the colorful plastic toys and get out a bunch of random materials lying around instead. Or better yet, start with an idea and seek out the materials you need. There's nothing like working with limited resources to unleash the creative spark. And when your magnificent creation is done, you'll want to tell the world about it. Read on...
Pillar 3: Communication
Actions: Write and Speak
Our society today is so input-focused that few of us take the time to write and develop our ideas to share with the world. Hours of TV, mass consumption, and email bombardment give us little free time for active output. And yet we need to make the time. Turn off the inputs and start writing. Get your ideas out there. Learn to talk about ideas with the same facility that you talk about everyday matters like what your kids are up to. We need to model this ability to our children, and help them find opportunities to practice as well - communicating with others about real world issues. It's the only way to effect positive change. But it's not all work and no play...
Pillar 4: Play
Actions: Art, Dance, Music
Sometimes we feel like we've forgotten how to play. This is where our children can teach us. They work and play seamlessly, as though there were no difference between the two. Laughing, creating, enjoying life. Play lets us express ourselves freely, gives us mental rest and creative energy, and just feels good. Slow down, be present, and see what unfolds before you. Most of all, step back and let your children play. It's a great chance to watch and learn. A playful attitude towards life will serve you well. And speaking of service...
Pillar 5: Service
Actions: Give and Help
Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." The biggest change we want to see in the world is people helping each other. But not in a let's-all-go-and-do-manual-labor way, sorting food or building houses. While these are noble and worthy causes, there is so much more value to be added if people give in ways unique to them. Do your highest value work for the world. Contribute your special talents, whatever they may be. Take what you love, or what your kids love, and find a way to apply it to making the world a better place. Turn it into a whole family project, encompassing different areas of study and different interests. If we unite our diverse, collective forces for a common good, we will have a formidable force ready to weather the changes in store. But while helping others is a fundamental building block of education, so too is helping yourself...
Pillar 6: Influence
Actions: Market and Sell
Here's something they don't teach at school. Or at least not until you're in the MBA program at an elite university. And yet what a valuable skill. The ability to change the behavior of other people - to get them to hire you, or buy something you produce, or join your cause. Yet for most people the fear of public speaking is greater than the fear of death! Why? We never learned this stuff. Well, now's our chance to learn it together with our kids. Practice stretching your comfort zones together. Negotiate for the next item you buy. Look for ways to add value to yourself, like a newspaper article or your own website. You may feel uncomfortable or even guilty at first, because we've been trained to be followers rather than leaders. Let's reverse that. And if you're worried about getting too self-absorbed, the next section is for you...
Pillar 7: Perspective
Actions: Expose and Travel
This is one of our favorite parts of homeschooling. The freedom to travel without the constraints of school holidays. The flexibility to choose activities and events that interest and enrich us. And the spontaneity of throwing in unexpected experiences for exposure to something new. All of these things broaden our perspective on the world and fuel our minds and spirits. So try something different today. Shake up the box a bit and see where it leads you. Every homeschooler has a different life experience, which is a wonderful contrast to the bleak uniformity of conventional education and brings a refreshing diversity of outlooks to the table of the future. How interesting to share perspectives, learn about other people's world models, and ask questions. Which brings us to the 8th pillar...
Pillar 8: Critical Thinking
Actions: Question and Challenge
Inherent in American culture is a bizarre dichotomy. Freedom and individuality are highly prized as ideals, but on the other hand, conformity is essential. It's cool to be different, as long as you're different in the same way everyone else is. Advertisers capitalize on this by telling people they will be cool and unique if they buy this mass-marketed product. We want our children to question this, to challenge models that don't agree with their understanding and perspective, to have the courage to be honest with themselves and others instead of following the flock. Look at school again. Masses of children educated to be subservient and agreeable, following the rules and pleasing the teacher, turning down the volume of their inner voice of reason. This is more factory thinking - destructive to the individual and to the future economy. We need people who can think for themselves. And people whose sense of self is intact enough to master the next pillar...
Pillar 9: Love
Actions: Self and Others
Author Marianne Williamson says, "Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learn here." Love is really the foundational pillar underlying all the others we're talking about here. Everything we think, do, and believe is either out of love or fear. Many of us have forgotten how to love ourselves and others, and operate from a basis of fear. Fear of failure, fear of success - you name it, we fear it. Yet if we can cultivate a profound sense of love and gratitude, we can manifest so much joy and richness in our lives. This is truly the greatest gift we can give to future generations. Give yourself a big, fuzzy hug, and give your kids one too. We'll need a solid foundation of love for what is coming next...
Pillar 10: Change
Actions: Evolve and Improve
Change is not only constant, but accelerating. Exponential growth is happening before our eyes across the board. If our ancestors saw us walking down the street with our Bluetooth headsets, talking to no visible person, they would think we had all lost our minds. And this is only the very beginning. With the technological singularity approaching, where artificial intelligences will increase the rate of progress beyond what we humans can comprehend, the ability to evolve and adapt will be a critical skill. A sense of continual improvement of self and circumstances also leads to a feeling of well-being and self-esteem. So if love is the foundation of all the other pillars, change is the direction where they are all going. Keeping our wits about us in the face of this change will help to guide humanity towards a constructive, positive future instead of total annihilation. The faster we can adapt, the better.
It's 2037 again. Your child has followed this Future Path and found her place in the new world. She is thriving, and using her talents to make a positive contribution to the future of humanity. If only the others were so lucky.
It's time to change.
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