Comments on: Perspective: Use it or Lose it http://homeedmag.com/editorial/legal-politics/homeschooling-defined/perspective-use-it-or-lose-it/ From the editors and publishers of Home Education Magazine Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:34:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marsha http://homeedmag.com/editorial/legal-politics/homeschooling-defined/perspective-use-it-or-lose-it/#comment-145 Marsha Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:11:42 +0000 http://www.homeedmag.com/editorial/?p=202#comment-145 Things definitely were very different even when we started homeschooling in 1989. My husband and I met Pat at the first Clonlara Conference we attended, in OH, and he was warm and welcoming. He has done wonderful work with the Holt materials, in keeping them available to homeschoolers. I have learned so much from a variety of materials and from homeschoolers of various philosophical persuasions. It is sad to see the homeschooling community so fragmented with the "homeschoolier-than-thou" and "unschooler-than-thou" attitude cropping up so frequently. Living in a small town in a rural area, we have reached into the public schools for some enrichment which is not available elsewhere. This has been minimal, because obviously that is not our first choice from the "educational opportunities" smorgasbord of life, but two of our boys attended the technology center in our intermediate school district for career-technical training and our daughter has been in orchestra for six years at the public school, as well as taking 4 years of art training at the high school. Because of that, I too have incurred the wrath of the "homeschoolier-than-thou" crowd, and been flamed and mocked on some lists. So be it. It is more important to me that I find the resources that my kids need when they need them, so when Automotive Technology and state certifications became important to my son as a career choice, we did what we had to do. It wouldn't have been our first choice but in actuality, short of waiting for college, it was our only choice. He was able to get some very valuable experience, and later went back to teach there. So it has been key in his career ever since. I, too, really appreciated Pat's wisdom in answering as he did. Things definitely were very different even when we started homeschooling in 1989. My husband and I met Pat at the first Clonlara Conference we attended, in OH, and he was warm and welcoming. He has done wonderful work with the Holt materials, in keeping them available to homeschoolers. I have learned so much from a variety of materials and from homeschoolers of various philosophical persuasions. It is sad to see the homeschooling community so fragmented with the “homeschoolier-than-thou” and “unschooler-than-thou” attitude cropping up so frequently. Living in a small town in a rural area, we have reached into the public schools for some enrichment which is not available elsewhere. This has been minimal, because obviously that is not our first choice from the “educational opportunities” smorgasbord of life, but two of our boys attended the technology center in our intermediate school district for career-technical training and our daughter has been in orchestra for six years at the public school, as well as taking 4 years of art training at the high school. Because of that, I too have incurred the wrath of the “homeschoolier-than-thou” crowd, and been flamed and mocked on some lists. So be it. It is more important to me that I find the resources that my kids need when they need them, so when Automotive Technology and state certifications became important to my son as a career choice, we did what we had to do. It wouldn’t have been our first choice but in actuality, short of waiting for college, it was our only choice. He was able to get some very valuable experience, and later went back to teach there. So it has been key in his career ever since. I, too, really appreciated Pat’s wisdom in answering as he did.

]]> By: Helen http://homeedmag.com/editorial/legal-politics/homeschooling-defined/perspective-use-it-or-lose-it/#comment-144 Helen Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:37:49 +0000 http://www.homeedmag.com/editorial/?p=202#comment-144 You're right of course, Susan. I know many, many families who feel that way - and rightly so. But these days the feeling is generally found only within families, occasionally within extended family members or communites. Imagine a nationwide network of people taking that kind of joy in what was happening - the feeling was so much larger than just our own families that it developed a life of it's own and drew us all together into a huge community of friendship and camaraderie and support. Times were different then. People were different then. You’re right of course, Susan. I know many, many families who feel that way – and rightly so. But these days the feeling is generally found only within families, occasionally within extended family members or communites. Imagine a nationwide network of people taking that kind of joy in what was happening – the feeling was so much larger than just our own families that it developed a life of it’s own and drew us all together into a huge community of friendship and camaraderie and support. Times were different then. People were different then.

]]> By: Susan http://homeedmag.com/editorial/legal-politics/homeschooling-defined/perspective-use-it-or-lose-it/#comment-143 Susan Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:53:03 +0000 http://www.homeedmag.com/editorial/?p=202#comment-143 <i>We were like little kids on the first day of summer, turned loose and joyful in the world, unfettered, free at last - and we knew our children would always be free. It was a heady, exciting, enriching time, and it will never be again.</i> If it heartens you at all, I remember that feeling the very day we took our kids out of school and were on our own schedule with our very own life. I've listened as other new homeschool families still feel that same exhilaration. That heady time is still within the family. Which is fundamental. Which is reflected in Pat Farenga's article concerning his family. Some (too many) take homeschooling autonomy for granted, or twist it into their own agenda of hegemony. Controlling comes in all styles, that's for certain. We were like little kids on the first day of summer, turned loose and joyful in the world, unfettered, free at last – and we knew our children would always be free. It was a heady, exciting, enriching time, and it will never be again.

If it heartens you at all, I remember that feeling the very day we took our kids out of school and were on our own schedule with our very own life. I’ve listened as other new homeschool families still feel that same exhilaration. That heady time is still within the family. Which is fundamental. Which is reflected in Pat Farenga’s article concerning his family.

Some (too many) take homeschooling autonomy for granted, or twist it into their own agenda of hegemony. Controlling comes in all styles, that’s for certain.

]]>