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!
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
I was interviewed by Kim Houssenloge. She was in Australia and I was in India.
http://featherandnestkim.blogspot.com/2010/11/unschooling-surprise-sandra-dodd-is-in.html
http://sandradodd.com/spouses
New on "True Tales of Kids Turning Down Sweets":
http://sandradodd.com/eating/sweets
New analogy on "filling up" by Joyce (third item):
http://sandradodd.com/abundance/
Another perfect piece of Joyce-thought, on deschooling, and I'll quote it below, but it's also here:
http://sandradodd.com/deschooling
Don't expect right now to feel smooth. The days spent in school are like living with a broken leg. The days when unschooling runs smoothly are like living with two strong legs. But the deschooling phase between them is like living with a cast while the leg heals. It won't be as bad as school but won't be as smooth as unschooling.—Joyce FetterollI'm in India for a month, visiting unschooling families. Notes and images are starting to be collected here:
Something new by Schuyler about the efficiency of unschooling:
http://sandradodd.com/substance
Old page, refurbished a bit, with links to others you might be glad to see again:
http://sandradodd.com/game/pokemon
something new by Jenny Cyphers, but definitely re-read the others
In case anyone missed the notice last month, the Just Add Light and Stir blog/mailing list is going strong:
http://justaddlightandstir.blogspot.com
A note on using The Big Book of Unschooling as a "ouija book":
http://sandradodd.com/bigbook/random
http://sandradodd.com/sleep/cosleeping
Some of the writings that led to the post noted above (new page):
http://sandradodd.com/sleep/memories
Amy Childs interviewed me recently, and today published short and long versions, set in a very nice page!
http://whateveramen.com/parenting26-interview-with-sandra-dodd/ New home; click here.
Click the photo for its source.
New list on the Priorities page, "Example of priorities than can hamper unschooling"
http://sandradodd.com/priorities
Down a bit on the righthand side, in a box. Can't miss it.
Phil Biegler—Northeast Unschooling Conference, Wakefield, MA, August, 2010
http://sandradodd.com/philbiegler/NEUC2010
(now with photos)
There are also new photos at the dads page, of Ross Bentley and his daughter:
http://sandradodd.com/dads
(upper left)
Two additions to "Phrases to Avoid," one at the top and one near the bottom.
http://sandradodd.com/phrases
Kelly Lovejoy made a great suggestion about responding to critical grandparents. I added it here:
http://sandradodd.com/relatives
http://sandradodd.com/teen/college
New page on Energy (personal, unschooling, learning, living energy):
http://sandradodd.com/energy
New page on Robbie taking The Big Book of Unschooling to read as soon as it arrives. (He's seven years old.)
http://sandradodd.com/bigbook/robbiereads
A quote:
And, he adds, “Tell her my favorite part so far is where someone asks what unschooling costs and she says unschooling is priceless—because she’s right—it sure is!”