Learning in the Absence of Education

Essays on Homeschooling

© Beverley Paine

Movies As Curriculum

Last night we saw Armageddon, a science fiction movie where Bruce Willis saves the world from a disastrous impact with an asteroid. On our way out of the cinema and in the car on the way home the following aspects of the movie were explored:

• Comparing how some of us are becoming desensitised to disaster scenes in disaster movies - that is, they are having less of an impact - as we watch more and more of this genre;
• Noticing that when disaster scenes are preceded by scenes where individual victims are portrayed going about their normal lives they have more impact on the viewer, and the scenes where whole cities are obliterated make you think of not just the city, but the occupants;
• Comparing the credibility of the plot to Independence Day (ID4);
• Talking about the special effects; the improvement in special effects; how effective they were; comparing them to other movies, like Star Wars (1970s);
• Talking about the actors, comparing the work they did in this movie with other movies they have been in;
• Noticing Bruce Willis has noticeably crooked teeth and noting that it is possible to make it to the top of the acting profession without absolutely straight pearly whites! (Despite what the hype and advertising says!);
• Talking about the realism - what scenes and ideas were realistic and why;
• Imagining ourselves in the situation of an asteroid heading for the earth like that and talking about what could be done, especially on a personal level;
• Discussing weaknesses in the movie which make it less credible;
• Discussing the impact movies such as Armageddon and Deep Impact have had on budgets for science communities to look for near earth orbits;

This is quite a conversation, especially at that time of night! I don't know what National
Educational Curriculum Outcomes it covers, or at what level... but it certainly shows that my
children are not passive viewers of film media!

This is home education - real learning - conversational learning. It may not be recorded on
paper, a term essay, a project, a comprehension exercise, etc. There is no one to satisfy, to give
grades, only the participants are involved in the learning process.

Just how do you convey the depth of learning that occurs when a family engages in 'natural
learning'. How do you convince the educational authorities, or anyone else, the people that
continually question and seek to judge such a learning program?

The answer is, you can't, you don't, and you shouldn't!

previous page

Page 24

next page

buy this book

More than 60 essays covering a wide range of home schooling concerns and issues, such as late readers, value of play, socialisation, learning maths, part time school, and thoughts on testing. Learning in the Absence of Education is an intimate and honest look at day-to-day homeschooling life spanning several years. Includes articles on learning maths, reading and writing, spelling, socialisation, part time schooling, fathers and homeschooling, value of play, grading and testing, coping with stress and illness, and much more.

"These essays are the real life experiences of a long term home educator and activist and make inspiring reading... a valuable resource for all those interested in home education.... What I particularly appreciate are the personal day-to-day stories that are so specific in the incident or outcome These are essays written over time that reflect natural learning (read life) as it really happens.

I really enjoy Beverley's writing style in this book. It is very direct, sometimes even challenging the reader. She tries to be scrupulously honest always so we read of advantages and disadvantages of whatever topic she is discussing. She will also point out the ideal situation and how she thinks she falls short. Sometimes she is self-deprecating; sometimes she glows with enthusiasm for their successful lifestyle. There are touches of humour and sometimes wry cynicism.

Hopefully this book will answer many people's questions and fears about natural learning. It is all in here: how right it feels when natural learning is working well, what happens when we have insecurities ourselves, and the results so far. By presenting the natural learning case in this essay style, Beverley has been able to reflect the different moods, the ups and downs, that make the book a valuable resource for all those interested in home education, whatever their current style."
Janine Banks, home educator, Qld

ISBN 1876651016, 128 pages... $22.95

available from
ALWAYS LEARNING BOOKS

Homeschool Australia SA HE Network Unschool~Kidz! About Beverley Paine

Disclaimer: The information on this page is opinion,
written by someone without legal qualifications.
Always seek qualified legal advice if in any doubt as to your legal position.