NEW THINKING BROUGHT ON BY COVID

POSSIBLE SILVER LINING OF COVID

Have you noticed that, other than missing friends, your kids seem happier without the pressures of school and the school schedule? Have you noticed that with more free time your kids have become creative and taken on their own, self-initiated, projects? Have you considered how much of your child’s time (life) is spent on busy school work when they could be exploring their unique interests and ideas? Have you started to wonder why ‘covering the curriculum’ and memorizing content is still such a big deal when we all have instantaneous access to all of this same content 24/7?

Can we use the disruption of education to step back and think about what is important? Can we use this unique opportunity to do things differently and to do them better? Can we consider that ‘covering the curriculum’ is not the same as learning? Could we use this in-between time for transformation? ​

Advice for parents, teachers and administrators for this school year

Come up with a plan that focuses, as best you can, on the following:

• Keeping kids (and you) safe and sustaining your well-being
• Providing loving supportive home and school environments
• Creating an environment that nurtures learning through a combination of school, pods, virtual, parks, Free Learning

Let’s alleviate the stress of the curriculum. We have enough worries. Let’s focus on making sure our kids feel safe, loved and connected.  Learning ‘how to learn’ is what kids need more than curriculum, and they do that by being engaged in activities that interest them.

• STOP WORRYING YOUR CHILD MIGHT FALL BEHIND— Even if your child did not submit a single online assignment this year (or any year) they will not be held back. It is very rare (some would say impossible) for the system to hold a child back, without parent agreement.
• If your child is in high school, completion is about credits and not years. There are many ways to get high school credits on-line (those offered by your school and a host of other options). There are also many ways to gain admission to post-secondary institutions (and have a happy life) without a high school diploma.
• If your child is in a special school for drama or the arts, with limited placements, they may ‘lose their place’ but check and see what can be negotiated.
• If your child is in grade 11 or 12 maybe ditch the high school credits and take Open University credits instead, then your child could come out of this ‘ahead’.
• If your child is a Free Learner, they are taking responsibility for their own learning, this means grades and grade levels are likely irrelevant.  Learn more about options to a traditional high school diploma and the benefits of Free Learner Diploma.  

Think of schools as resource centers not as something kids must attend every day.

• For kids and parents, use the online and in-person school resources that you are comfortable using but also use the freedom.  Enjoy being a Free Learner family for a year. If children are at home and want to do the virtual learning from the school, let them. Don’t force them, don’t police them, our relationships with our children are vastly more important. 
• For teachers and administrators, support the different learning scenarios that families are choosing. Be flexible with kids and families and let kids take the lead with their learning and development.  For older students requiring credits or in special programs, help them find new ways to complete their credits and stay in their special programs.

Stop worrying about screen time. Kid’s options are limited right now and screens help them connect and stay occupied. Watch how quickly kids find screens less interesting when they are given more freedom to pursue their own interests.  But yes, research how to reduce potential damage from social media and develop positive practices, i.e., no devices at meals, screens off at 7:00 p.m., screen-free-Sunday.

Pandemic Pivot by Alfie Kohn

"few people trust that students working on projects of their choosing will attain a good education they say there will be holes in their education without the standard curriculum that covers the fundamental foundations of knowledge." That view shows a lack of experience with and faith in the power of student directed schooling and brain compatible learning. One might point out that there are big holes in knowledge and skills for most students, despite covering the present system of carefully sequenced subjects and topics."
-Wayne Jennings, School Transformation

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If some of this makes sense to you; if you have known for a while that our education system needs a serious shake up; if your kids have been miserable or bored at school, we invite you to:
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1. Spend a few hours on this website and the links provided
2. Take the Crash Course in Unschooling
3. Have a family meeting and decide how you want to implement these new ideas
4. Discuss what being a Free Learner looks like in your family; what the new roles and responsibilities  will be
5. Get in touch with us for conversations, real experiences and support

Covid Proof Learning