RE: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Re: [Discuss-sudbury-model] from wmvh on 2004-04-03 (discuss-sudbury-model.mbox)

From: wmvh <vivalaarte_at_excite.com>
Date: Sat Apr 3 07:34:00 2004

Being raised in a traditional school, I forgot most of the things presented me in my classes. But somewhere along the way as an adult I learned how to find out how to get the information I need. I agree with Scott: if you're motivated, and can sort out the non-essentials, it is easy to learn new things.

The worst thing that traditional schools do is to de-motivate students to enjoy learning once they become adults. They come to equate math and history and literature, etc with mindless tedium.

To Sam, I would suggest to look at how YOU learn new things as an adult. When I want to do something new or understand something, I read, talk to people that I feel know the subject, and DO, making mistakes and correcting them. When I learn this way, I really take on the skill, it stays with me. Compare that to traditional schools.

William Van Horn
http://inmystudio.net

--- On Wed 03/31, Kelly Reynolds < kellyrey_at_bellsouth.net > wrote:
From: Kelly Reynolds [mailto: kellyrey_at_bellsouth.net]
To: discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 19:37:21 -0500
Subject: RE: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Re: [Discuss-sudbury-model]

There are a million things I didn't learn that I later needed (I was traditionally educated). I needed skills in cooking, cleaning, baby care, gardening, natural medicine, finances, and car repair. I have learned these things lately, but the bad thing about my education is that it didn't prepare me to be an independent learner. It has taken a few years of adulthood to learn how to get info and how to teach myself new skills. I think kids at Sudbury will have many things they need to know that they didn't learn from 6-18 years old (everyone will, surely), but they will know how to go about learning when they realize which skills and information they need. Kelly > -----Original Message----- > From: discuss-sudbury-model-admin_at_sudval.org > [mailto:discuss-sudbury-model-admin_at_sudval.org]On Behalf Of Sam Patton > Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 5:11 PM > To: discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org > Subject: RE: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Re: [Di
scuss-sudbury-model] > > > Have you, or others you know, found that you hadn't learned > something that > was needed later in life? I'm thinking specifically of something like > calculus or algebra. Do a lot of the students (is that the right > term?) at > SVS choose to learn that kind of thing? > > Another question: you are free to just sort of sit around and > hang out. Do > some students choose to spend their entire school experience doing pretty > much nothing? What do you find motivated you? > > sam > > > >From: Scott David Gray <sgray_at_sudval.org> > >Reply-To: discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org > >To: discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org > >Subject: RE: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Re: [Discuss-sudbury-model] > >Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 08:23:39 -0500 (EST) > > > >I have often looked back at my life, certain that it would > >be a less
happy one had I not attended SVS. Of course this > >is subjective -- I can't prove what would / could have been. > >But I know that I am not the only SVS alumnus who looks back > >at the path he was on in traditional school (self-hatred, > >boredom which was blamed on the self rather than the > >restraints around, total disrespect) and thinks that SVS > >almost certainly saved him from a life of crime, > >mind-altering addictions, and bitterness. > > > >On the more positive side... Other alumni who've gone on to > >college and I have talked about that experience. For each of > >us, we clearly found college easier than our contemporaries > >from traditional school (not that college matters, but hey). > >I think that there are two reasons. First, each of us > >watched our peers swimming waiting to be told when/how to > >get their readings / papers / etcetera done -- while ea
ch of > >us were used to being responsible for ourselves and > >therefore not waiting to be handheld. Second, each of us was > >able to take college with a sense of humor -- we all knew > >that the grades and tests were meaningless -- only games to > >be played or ignored, rather than things over which to tear > >ourselves apart. These experiences in college also seem to > >be mirrored by alumni who've gone on to various professions > >-- that they had a better sense of what was / wasn't > >important, and took charge of their needs themselves. > > > >Any disadvantages? Again, there's a problem trying to > >imagine what could have / would have been. But I guess that > >there is one disadvantage. Given the innate disrespect in > >which children are held in our wider culture, I know that I > >am not the only alumnus of the school who has lost friends > >in the wider com
muni
ty because we were unwilling to tolerate > >injustice. This actually tends to extend beyond injustice > >to kids -- SVS alumni tend to look with horror on injustice > >of all sorts, and so are much less prone to shrug and say > >'that's life' -- as such, SVS alumni are prone to have more > >people who deeply like and respect them, but also more > >people who disrespect them and think of them as arrogant or > >foreward because SVS alumni are generally more willing to > >'shake things up.' > > > >On Tue, 30 Mar 2004, Sam Patton wrote: > > > > > I completely agree that badly is in the eye of the beholder. My > >definition > > > would probably include whether they were happy after > graduating. Were > >they > > > able to feel fulfilled and satisified living in the post-SVS > world. In > >SVS, > > > everyone seems to be taken
seriously and has a voice that is heard and > > > respected. Sadly, that is considerably different than most > of society. > > > > > > I'd love to hear how SVS prepared you for post-SVS life. > What have you > >done > > > post-SVS? > > > > > > sam > > > > > > >From: "Tay Arrow Sherman" <spiregrain_at_mad.scientist.com> > > > >Reply-To: discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org > > > >To: discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org > > > >Subject: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Re: [Discuss-sudbury-model] > > > >Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 17:57:38 -0500 > > > > > > > >Hi Sam, > > > > > > > >Turning out badly is very much in the eye of the beholder, isnt it? > >Whats > > > >your definition, can we use that? > > > > > > > >If you'd like t
o ask me about how SVS prepared me for > post-SVS life, I > > > >would be happy to have extended dialogue with you. > > > > > > > >Peace, > > > >Tay Arrow Sherman, SVS graduating class of 1996 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Is there any information about people who went through a government > >type > > > >school or any other type of school and turned out badly? Pick any > > > >definition > > > >of badly you'd like :) > > > > > > > >~ David ;) > > > > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > > >From: "Sam Patton" <sam_patton_at_hotmail.com> > > > >To: <discuss-sudbury-model_at_sudval.org> > > > >Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 3:13 AM > > > >Subject: [Discuss-sudbury-model] Sudbu
ry Valley graduates who fail > > > > > > > > > > > > > Is there any information about people who went through a Sudbury > >Valley > > > >type > > > > > school and turned out badly? Pick any definition of badly you'd > >like :) > > > > > > > > > > Sudbury Valley sounds too good to be true. I don't have > any kids, > >but > > > >I'm > > > > > already arguing with my girlfriend about whether this would be a > >good > > > >way > > > >to > > > > > educate our "potential future" children. One of the > things I'd like > >to > > > >know > > > > > is how the students turn out in later life. Do they miss out on > > > >anything > > > > > that they really needed that a more traditional schoo
l wo
uld have > > > >provided? > > > > > > > > > > sam > > > >-- > > > >___________________________________________________________ > > > >Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com > > > >http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > > >Discuss-sudbury-model mailing list > > > >Discuss-sudbury-model@sudval.org > > > >http://www.sudval.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/discuss-sudbury-model > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar – get it now! > > > http://toolbar.msn.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Discuss-sudbury-model mailing list > > > Di
scuss-sudbury-model@sudval.org > > > http://www.sudval.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/discuss-sudbury-model > > > > > > >-- > > > >--Scott David Gray > >reply to: sgray@sudval.org > >http://www.unseelie.org/ > >============================================================ > >If two men agree on everything, you may be sure that one of > >them is doing the thinking. > > > >-- Lyndon Baines Johnson > >============================================================ > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Discuss-sudbury-model mailing list > >Discuss-sudbury-model@sudval.org > >http://www.sudval.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/discuss-sudbury-model > > _________________________________________________________________ > Check out MSN PC Safety & Security to help ensure your PC is > protected and > safe. ht
tp://specials.msn.com/msn/security.asp > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss-sudbury-model mailing list > Discuss-sudbury-model@sudval.org > http://www.sudval.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/discuss-sudbury-model > _______________________________________________ Discuss-sudbury-model mailing list Discuss-sudbury-model@sudval.org http://www.sudval.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/discuss-sudbury-model

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Received on Sat Apr 03 2004 - 07:33:09 EST

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