Comments for Robin Stevenson

Comment on School. Prison. Can you tell the difference? by Robin Stevenson

Robin Stevenson — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:42:57 +0000

I don’t think the other kids particularly noticed us… We weren’t really in the classrooms much and maybe it isn’t unusual for potential new students to visit schools. And no pajamas, sadly! That would have been funny… PJs used to be our uniform but he stopped wearing them quite awhile ago. I still spend a lot of time in my flannel pants but he prefers all black- except for his red Crocs

Comment on School. Prison. Can you tell the difference? by Carrie Mac

Carrie Mac — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 05:41:35 +0000

I’m so curious what the other students must’ve thought, or if any of them knew why he was there. Please tell me wore his pajamas!

Comment on School. Prison. Can you tell the difference? by Robin Stevenson

Robin Stevenson — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:47:51 +0000

Well, he actually made a pro and con list. Pros: people were friendly, kids seemed to have fun, nice facilities (private school), recognition of individual learning styles etc. Cons: Too much structure, not enough free time, too much emphasis on art, uniforms and fees (private school), homework etc. The contrast between the two schools led to some good discussions about socio-economic factors, privilege, marginalization etc. Overall, I think it satisfied some of his curiosity. He has no interest in actually attending school at this point- I think he really just wanted to see what it was like.

Comment on School. Prison. Can you tell the difference? by Lori

Lori — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:15:50 +0000

so what was his take on the tours?

Comment on Record Breaker!!! by In the CWILLosphere | The CWILL BC Society blog

In the CWILLosphere | The CWILL BC Society blog — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:10:16 +0000

[...] Robin Stevenson revealed the cover for her new book, Record Breaker! [...]

Comment on Learning to Read and Write Without Going to School by Robin

Robin — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 18:02:35 +0000

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your comment! I loved Sophie’s World too– funny, I was just thinking about that book a couple of days ago and wondering if my son would enjoy it yet. I actually did an undergraduate degree in philosophy and, like you, very much enjoy learning about the history of human ideas. We have a house full of books (I’ve always been an avid reader) and I try to make sure that my son has access to resources (online, print, people, etc) to pursue his interests. At 8, much of my son’s learning comes through conversation– we talk about history, world events, ethics, feminism, religion etc– and while his passions so far lie more in science, engineering and tech, he is curious about everything. The great thing about unschooling is the freedom– and the free time– to delve into one’s interests in depth. Do you live in Senegal, Daniel?
Best wishes- Robin

Comment on Learning to Read and Write Without Going to School by Daniel

Daniel — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 01:45:11 +0000

Ever tried teaching your child mental-mapping, speed-reading, or multiple languages through simple exposure?

Comment on Learning to Read and Write Without Going to School by Daniel

Daniel — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 01:42:52 +0000

Hello Robin,

I went to traditional school k-12 and, like your son, found myself constantly bored. Both my parents worked, so I can’t quite fault them for leaving me in school. In college, I lacked math skills because of all the tedious boring years of going over what I’d learned pre-k from informal talks with my father. I LOVED math in elementary school! but we didn’t learn anything new and went so slowly…
anyways, for me really discovering the accessibility of information on the internet opened the doors for me to learn things at a different pace and in self-meaningful order. After less than a decade of auto-didactery, I feel like I’m way beyond where my peers are at in almost every skill besides cramming, but for me the most important skill is philosophy/critical thinking.
For me, self-study of philosophy formed the gateway to tremendous personal success and incredible lateral thinking skills which I must humanely wish every other person to possess.

I would like to know if and how your children are exposed to the great thinkers of history?
It is not because I want to criticize you, but rather my main life mission is to open a boarding school in Senegal where all the children can grow up with the best possible education, bearing the strength of their currently dispossessed culture against social & economic oppression. I’m always looking to accumulate wisdom toward that end.

The book Sophie’s World is a great start, btw, if I might recommend to your child an approachable book on the history of human thought (I think the audiobook is delightful on a long walk, personally).
The natural philosophers, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Jesus, Christian & Muslim philosophers, studying the British Empiricists, Kant, Nietzsche, Darwin, Marx, Freud, Sartre, Wittgenstein, feminism & multiculturalism: this contributes to an understanding of the breadth and depth of our incredible human history!
(And most are covered in Sophie’s World! At 21, I still love that book!)

But there’s my lengthy story! I would be interested to hear whatever your reaction may be.

Comment on Why I Don’t Send My Kid to School: Socialization by Eve @ Inchworm Chronicles

Eve @ Inchworm Chronicles — Sun, 20 May 2012 08:36:29 +0000

Hi! Found your blog thru your link on MDC Laurette Lynn talks about socialization the same way you did here: that’s one reason why NOT to send a child to school! I feel the same way.

Fun coinky-dink–my boys have been asking to do a lemonade stand for a while, and we did one last month. (I blogged it, too)

Comment on Why I Don’t Send My Kid to School: Socialization by Robin

Robin — Sun, 20 May 2012 05:54:52 +0000

Yes, BC is a great place to live for lots of reasons… And it is a great place for home learning families. We are lucky. And yes, my little guy loves his bike! He was out cycling with his grandparents a couple days ago… They both just bought new bikes so that they could go for rides with him. How awesome is that?