Something very encouraging has been added to the page on negativity.
http://sandradodd.com/negativity
It came from a chat, in which a mom said she tried unschooling while still being negative, and it didn't work.
One little news item: I'll be speaking in Palo Alto, California (between San Francisco and San Jose) October 1. More details will follow in January.
In various cross-pollinating ways, I'm helping unschoolers meet other unschoolers. Even in India, some people met who wouldn't have if I hadn't been there, and that was fun for me and useful for them.
My plans for the next several months aren't crystal clear yet, but there are some solidifying details. I will be meeting with and hanging out with unschoolers in these places, and details (times and dates) will be confirmed here as they're more definite:
January 2011: ALBUQUERQUE! My house, January.
Julie Daniel's family, Robin Bentley, and several local families are the only ones I know of for sure. Any others?
If you're planning to be in Albuquerque January 7-10, 2011, please come over!
February 2011:
10 Halfmoon, NY
12 Bryn Athyn, PA (that one's a marriage conference, not unschooling)
13 Bryn Athyn, PA (unschooling)
15-17 other Pennsylvania and NJ, being determined this week, but tentatively: Quakertown, Chadd's Ford, Philadelphia and Princeton
18 or 19, NYC (not speaking, just visiting)
21, 22, CT/NY (still being planned)
March 2011:
4-6 Atlanta, GA [AND SOMEONE (someone I hope will write to me again) wrote about me coming to Alabama afterwards***]
24-26 St. Charles, IL (Holly will be there, too.)
***I had a hard drive die on me, and much saved mail poofed away; *sorry!****
June/July 2011, UK/France
London (maybe a small conference)
Edinburgh (maybe not in this order)
Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Baud, Bretagne, France (others who want to visit my friend Helene... she has room for people to stay or camp)
some other to-be-determined visits in the UK; I've also lost some of those contacts. :-/
September 2011:
8-11 San Diego (Good Vibrations Conference; Holly will be there too)
Anyone here who has not yet met other unschooling families, please consider using me as an excuse if you need to, to get to one of these places if they're near you, or if these are crazy-far from you, find something nearer, and meet some others. They don't need to become your best friends for life or anything, but knowing others in person will help you be more confident and less afraid (if you're afraid). And if you're not afraid, and you ARE confident, maybe some other unschoolers could benefit from hanging out with you some!
ACE festival reminder, for anyone who wants to visit Albuquerque next month and hang out with some unschoolers! Meet Julie Daniel and her husband James and her son Adam, from England. The gathering is free except for museum admissions and meals and a place to stay, and transportation, but otherwise Free! (And if you have relatives or friends to stay with, bonus!)
http://sandradodd.com/ace
Sandra and Joyce on what real learning looks like:
http://sandradodd.com/reallearning
Finish what you start: Good idea or crazy rule?
http://SandraDodd.com/finishwhatyoustart