self-directed education

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Teach Your Kids: Website | LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Substack | Facebook | TikTok

Manisha: LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Facebook

Kevin Donahue: LinkedIn | Website

Suren Markosian: LinkedIn | Website

Join our premium community for expert support and advice on homeschooling

Premium members also get access to our Epic! classroom for homeschoolers. 

Teach Your Kids Podcast Episode

• Homeschooling with Naval Ravikant, Nir Eyal, Rachel Thomas, Kerry McDonald, Alycia Wright, Shiren Rattigan, and Lisa Betts-Lacroix: Part 1
• Homeschooling with Naval Ravikant, Nir Eyal, Rachel Thomas, Kerry McDonald, Alycia Wright, Shiren Rattigan, and Lisa Betts-Lacroix: Part 2
• Navigating Math with Curiosity: Jason Batterson & Jasmine Eyal on Beast Academy

Learning Platforms

• Epic!
• BrainPOP | Jr BrainPoP

Books, Articles, Publications, and Videos

• Richard Was a Picker - Carolyn Beck 
• Cat Ninja Children's Book Collection - Matthew Cody
• Scaredy Monster - Meika Hashimoto

Math

• Prodigy Game

Related Resources

• Remind

Time-Codes

00:00:00 — Manisha introduces the episode and her guests

00:02:07 — Suren discusses the inspiration behind Epic!.

00:04:06 — The unique challenge of engaging children in digital reading.

00:07:00 — Kevin explains the shift of Epic! into the education sector.

00:09:20 — Discussion on the challenges of raising funds for EdTech startups.

00:13:41 — Insights into developing a child-friendly user interface.

00:17:46 — Addressing content diversity and inclusivity on Epic!.

00:21:30 — The balance between gamification and educational content.

00:24:52 — Kevin shares his vision for children's holistic development.

00:27:28 — The growing trend of consumerization in education technology.

00:30:18 — Overcoming barriers to universal access to digital education.

00:33:50 — The rewarding experience of making a positive impact through Epic!.

00:37:24 — Advice for entrepreneurs in the educational space.

00:39:57 — Personal learning journeys of the founders.

00:43:21 — The importance of giving children control over their learning.

00:47:46 — The vast reach of digital books compared to physical publishing.

00:52:33 — The episode concludes with a summary of Epic!'s impact on children's digital reading habits and a final reflection on the importance of accessible and engaging educational technology.

This podcast was recorded on Riverside and is made possible through a generous grant from the Vela Education Fund

VELA Education Fund is catalyzing a vibrant alternative education ecosystem. VELA provides trust-based funding to entrepreneurs, fosters community-building and knowledge-sharing, and increases visibility through storytelling that promotes cultural awareness and acceptance of the out-of-system space. Today, VELA serves the largest community of out-of-system education entrepreneurs in the country, with over 2,000 community members. About half of VELA’s community members operate small learning environments, and the other half are ecosystem and community builders offering direct services and support across the out-of-system space. Learn more at velaedfund.org.

This site contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.

Missy Willis invited Ann Hansen to be a guest on her podcast Let 'Em Go Barefoot - and since then, they have been close connected. In sync as they are. Together they have written the book 'Life Unschooled: Living & Learning without School.' We invited both of them to a talk.

Imagine taking the responsibility for your child's life into your own hands, breaking away from the constraints of the traditional education system and nurturing their curiosity to cultivate a love for learning. That's the essence of unschooling and it's exactly what we explore in this episode with Ann Hansen and Missy Willis.

We kick things off by delving deep into Ann and Missy's backgrounds in education and their personal journeys into unschooling. They bust the myth that one must be a teacher to homeschool, emphasizing instead the role of a curious and attuned parent. As we navigate through their experiences, we explore the power of self-directed education and how it fosters growth, curiosity, and a unique learning environment. Their insights into alternative education are truly enlightening, challenging people to reevaluate societal definitions of success and to trust in  children's interests.

We also discuss the challenges and triumphs of committing to an unschooling lifestyle. Ann and Missy share their wisdom on creating a community among homeschoolers, about the hardships of breaking free from conditioned thinking and about the necessity of taking responsibility for our children. We also get an inside look at their collaborative project, the Barefoot Playground guidebook, a practical tool they've developed to help families navigate the world of homeschooling.

Towards the end, we delve into the complexities of parenting during the teenage years and the importance of a strong family bond that outlasts adolescence.

Expect to have your perspectives challenged and your curiosity piqued in this deep dive into a whole new world of learning, fostering growth, and child empowerment.

Remember, learning is not about filling a bucket, but lighting a fire. Let's ignite that fire with some unconventional wisdom on unschooling!

🗓️ Recorded July 26th, 2023. 📍Wigston district, in Leicestershire, UK

Episode Links

• Let 'Em Go Barefoot Podcast: https://letemgobarefoot.podbean.com/ 
• Missy Willis' website: https://letemgobarefoot.com/ 
• Ann Hansen's website: https://www.innerparentcoaching.com/ 
• Buy 'Life Unschooled':

PODCAST INFO
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On this episode of the Classroom Matters podcast, host Kristy Houle talks with Mae Caratachea, former Co-President of the Saint Louis Sudbury School. The school is based on the principle that we are born curious and learn best when we initiate our own learning. They offer entirely Self-Directed Education in a self-governing democracy for students ages 5-18. No required curriculum, no homework, no tests, no grades. 

Website: https://stlsudbury.org/

Today I'm chatting with Angela Harders who lives in Maryland with her two children, who are now 9 and 4. Angela was a public high school teacher for 12 years. And although she took her daughter out of school four years ago when her daughter was five, she continued to work as a public school teacher for three more years, until it felt too at odds with how she was seeing learning naturally take place at home. 

Angela has published a book about this, called Tales of a Toxic Teacher. Today, among many other things we talk about how coercion takes the joy out of learning, allowing our children the space to just be, without needing them to be always productive, and how Angela has created a life she believes in as an unschooling single mother. 

Instagram and TikTok: @peacefulworldschooler
Podcast: Peaceful Worldschooler
https://paxministries.com/pax-academy

You can find my blog, workshop and courses at:
www.esther-jones.com

Or, connect with me on
Instagram: @_esther.jones
Facebook:@theunschoolspace

Bria Bloom (she/her), along with her older brother, grew up in an unschooling family, and now is a parent of a self-directed young person, and a passionate advocate for collective liberation, Self-Directed Education, & young people’s rights.

In this conversation, Bria and Emily discuss the definition of self-directed education, the importance of play in education, what could be possible if we rethink our society’s schooling system, and the true origins of self-directed education wisdom.

You can connect with Bria more on her Twitter, Instagram, or website. You can support and learn more about the Alliance for Self-Directed Education on their website. 

Full transcripts are available on our website as weel as a ton of resources that were recommended by Bria to learn more about SDE and our schooling.

Carl Rust, author, educator and administrator returns back to the traditional school system.  With the support of his administration, he was able to utilize some Self-Directed learning strategies within a traditional classroom that showed incredible outcomes. This is part two of Carl's interview.  Check the podcast list to review part one to learn more on why Carl returned to the classroom setting.  

Intrinsic Motivation with Dr. Gina Riley.  Listen as I interview Dr. Gina Riley as we discuss her research on Intrinsic Motivation and why it is important with Homeschoolers, Unschoolers and Self-Directed Learners.

Listen as Judith and I discuss the Importance of Play.  

Listen as Judith and I discuss the topic of Divine Power, Will Smith and Conscious Education.  As we see the news about Chris Rock and Will Smith, Judith and I discuss how it relates to the current situation in Ukraine and Conscious Education and Parenting.

Listen as Judith and I discuss how conditioning and compulsory education create an unconscious society.

Listen as Judith and I discuss the current situation in Ukraine and how it relates to compulsory education.

Listen as I interview author and 30-year public school teacher/administrator Carl Rust as he discusses how to unschool a public school.  

Listen as I interview Jerry Mintz, cofounder of AERO, as we discuss his impressive background with alternative education as well as understanding the two paradigms of learning.

Listen to Nikki Lardas as she discusses how to empower your students and or children through advocacy.

Listen to Judith Hurst as she describes how her near death experience not only changed her life but her perception of learning and education.  

If you're considering home education, then take a listen to Peggy Parker-Anderies as she describes her journey as she steps into self-directed learning and the awareness it took to pursue creative outcomes.

Basically this:

We talk about reclaiming language, sovereignty, relationship with motherhood, community, culture, intergenerational relationships, childhood, ancestors, and unschooling among other key topics. In this episode you will hear about intentional living and parenting why's and what's in Te Reo Māori (Māori language) and also in English.

The whole story...

#fofcpod has teamed up with brilliant writer, nomad, and unschooling mama, Ieishah Clelland-Lang to co-produce this 4-part series centering fours Māori unschooling mothers' wisdom and invitation. They are all based in Aeotearoa (Māori name for what we know as New Zealand), in the South Pacific. You'll hear about these women's relationships with reclaiming (when necessary) and sustaining strong connections to their community and culture. Through these narratives we can all expand our perceptions of mothering and honor the different layers of motherwork.

This week, in Part 1, you'll hear from Moana Reihana and Mea Rapata, in addition to hearing from Ieishah and Akilah. Over the next two episodes, you'll also hear from Angella Smith and Tina Talaić, as well as the energies that all 6 of us bring into the space through meaningful inquiry and real commitment to keep much of our culture alive and thriving beyond us.

Three generations to regain a language - Unschooling and tradition

Moana shares her experience and the reason why she learned her native language by herself as an adult. None of her family members were able to speak the language at that time, so they also started to regain this ancestral knowledge years later. This helped Moana to reclaim traditional knowledge that she wanted to share with her children and future generations. They also speak about the importance of language as a liberation tool and as a choice that offers connection and more ways to listen. How do we deal with newer generations and balance our ideas with tradition?

Learning how to be a guest

Ieishah and Akilah talk about the importance of “witnessing” as a way of making space through observation, and being willing to stop and listen to others so that we can be the least intrusive when we are guests in someone else’s space. Moana and Mea allow us to listen to their stories from vulnerable and authentic spaces by sharing their connection with nature, their ancestors, and themselves. They speak to a sense of belonging and invite us to think about what we are being instead of focusing on what we are doing. Ieishah and Akilah also speak to how unschooling can help us with our observation skills so that we can develop trust in our partnership with our children.

More about Ieishah...

Ieishah is a writer, nomad and unschooling mama of two brown girls. She is a New Yorker of Caribbean descent. If you want to hear more from Ieishah you can listen to previous conversations on

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!


The Raising Free People Practice Card Deck
https://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/

Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)
https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifesto

Our Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechild

The Village:
https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/

Gareth speaks with Jerry Mintz, Founder and Director of the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AREO), who has helped found more than 100 alternative schools in 25 countries. 

Akilah Richards shares several great resources that we’ve listed below...here are links for content and references mentioned in the show:

• Michelle talks with Akilah Richards of Raising Free People and the Fare of the Free Child podcast, based in Lawrenceville, Georgia...part of the self-directed education movement!
• Akilah is the author of ten books including her most recent,Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work
•  ...and she hosts the Fare of the Free Child 
• If you become a fan and want to support her work, check out this fresh link and her Patreon.

References then Definitions: 

• Unschooling: “... a child-trusting, anti-oppression, liberatory, love-centered approach to parenting and care giving. It also is about creating and expanding communities of confident, capable people who understand how they learn best and how to work collaboratively to learn and solve things. Because it really is, before you talk about learning, it's about trust, it's about looking at what liberation means intergenerationally, which includes learning, but not only that. And it's about love. What does it mean if love is not just about my intention, but about something that's actually surrounded by this ecology of accountability where I'm actually listening to the people who I'm loving on and what they're saying and what they need, and then my love in action is shaped by that. All of those things are really what I understand unschooling to be.”
   
• Deschooling: ”.....shedding the programming and habits that resulted from other people's agency over your time, body, thoughts or actions. It's also ... Yes. It's also about designing and practicing beliefs that align with your desire to thrive, be happy and succeed. And those are the opposite of what has happened and continues to happen, because it's happening still, colonization.”
   
• Student hood vs Personhood: “Much of what we do is to think about what would it mean if I wasn't thinking about my child just from the perspective of student?.....So, when you start to do that work on your own self, in part by not focusing so much on your child's studenthood, then you start to make the connection between the actual human, the child human, and some of the things that they're advocating for or the things they're pushing back against. You just start to really humanize your relationship intergenerationally in a way that makes it so that you can partner with a young person around their learning journey, which may or may not include school. It still might include it, but it brings in other things that are usually not a part of school, like consent and agency, confident autonomy, the nuances of what it means to collaborate in an environment that tells you that if you help somebody, you're going to get in trouble and they're going to get in trouble. Which is the most anti-humane thing ever.”
  “And what we're talking about now is moving away from young people needing to perform studenthood and their right to be violated as humans, and instead looking at a way that integrates the same stuff we talk about as adults when we're in our 30s and 40s and 50s trying to get to who am I? What are my boundaries? How do I show up in the world in a way that is both affirming for me and welcoming for the sort of energies that I want to be part of? What happens when I'm super uncomfortable with someone or I don't understand or don't like, yet we have a common goal that we need to work through? These are real life situations that we do not get practice with in school.”
   
• Schoolishness: “The ways that we together are so colonized. We want a leader, we want somebody needs to be right, one person's talking, the other people are listening. We do a lot of inhumane things that have become so normalized. And they didn't just appear in adulthood, they didn't just happen when you got that job with that one person. These are things that happen throughout our schooled lives. I call these things schoolishness. Not because they are rooted in school, but oftentimes school is where they are perpetuated.”
   
• Ecology of accountability:  “...we find that in the self-directed spaces that's often one of the things that's missing. It's like your intentions are there and then you have some resources and you see a need the way that you define it, so you go do something. Okay, but you need to be involved. So, we talked about this a little bit at the top of our conversation. Whoever it is that you feel like you want to impact, how can you get into community with them? Right now. How can you get in community with them?” 
   
• Here is Akilah Richards’ Ted Talk
• Lane Santa Cruz https://www.tucward1.com/about
• Developing the Disrupters Ears https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/learningtolisten
• Crystal Bird farmer https://crystalbyrdfarmer.com/   
• Free joy experience https://www.thefreejoyexperience.com/
• Mighty Networks https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/  
• Chemay Morales James https://www.linkedin.com/in/chemay-morales-james-5707764a/
• Thea Monyee https://www.theamonyee.com/
• Shawna Murray-Brown https://www.shawnamurraybrowne.com/
• Gratitude to Trick Candles for our theme song, called “I’m Gold"

The thing about this podcast is that it is self-funded! So if you love it, consider joining us on Patreon, and passing along to your friends and colleagues. Of course, it is super helpful to us too, when you subscribe on your fav pod player, and rate us! Write us any time at hello@theethicalrainmaker.com or visit us at theethicalrainmaker.com

This week on Fare Of The Free Child Podcast we’ll have a mix of resources and liberation talk!

Ieishah Clelland-Lange, writer, nomad and mother of Freeda (7 years old) and Toni (4 years old), will be talking with us about how to redefine power in our parent-child relationships. Thea @theamonyee of Shaping the Shift Podcast talks to us about The Blacker the Brain, the Free Joy Experience, and more opportunities to decolonize, reimagine, and heal. And we close out with a reminder to come see and share with us at  RaisingFreePeople.com/book.

WHAT WE DISCUSS

Akilah and Ieishah chat about movement, location independence and community. Ieishah shares her traveling experience and how she sees it as a vehicle to learn how to be more engaged with earth and places in a different way. She also talks about how this dynamic changed in our current context and became an opportunity for her to settle into more fluid and meditative ways.

Then they shift the conversation into partnership skills, observation and learning. Ieishah shares her experience before unschooling with Freeda and Toni. They talk about the burdens that we put on children, the expectations on how they’re supposed to manage boundaries and express themselves, and that when this happens, we are using tools of oppression (scholishness and colonization), trying to control their processes. By being aware of our limited knowledge of their process we can open our gaze towards a more observative attitude to look for alternatives. Ieishah experienced this with her daughters and started paying more attention to how they learn and the elements that facilitate the development of that knowledge, the space they needed. By doing so, Toni and Freeda started a process of self-awareness on how to manage their boundaries and understanding that they are allowed to make their own choices. Then they go deep and talk about redefining power in our relationships, what do you do with that power.

They conclude by putting earth and childhood at the center of the discussion recognizing the importance of those two key things, parenting and protecting our children and the earth. What change can we be part of?

LIBERATION WALK

• Check on Ieishah Clelland-Lange travel blog, TRAVELKIN. She also wrote an insightful piece: Dying to be seen: The only time white mom groups care about Black lives. Why does it take a Black person’s death to acknowledge Black lives?
• Ieishah also wrote a piece for Tipping Points, the online magazine from the Alliance for Self-Directed Education (ASDE)
• Akilah’s book, Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work is available! Go to rfp.com/book

Dig this show? Join our make-it-happen family at patreon.com/akilah to make sure we can keep this thang going strong. Thank you!


The Raising Free People Practice Card Deck
https://schoolishness.com/market/rfp-a-practice-deck/

Peek at the details of Personal Manifesto Path (will be available exclusively through our make-it-happen family on Patreon)
https://www.rfpunschool.com/p/manifesto

Our Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@fareofthefreechild

The Village:
https://my-reflection-matters.mn.co/