AI’s Definition of Unschooling
I’m curious: can AI give an adequate definition of unschooling? I decide to find out. I type the following words into an AI assistant: write a definition of unschooling, and AI responds instantly:
Unschooling is a unique and alternative approach to education that emphasizes the importance of learner-led and self-directed activities. It is a philosophy that prioritizes the individual learner, their interests, and passions, over a preset curriculum. This approach is based on the belief that people learn best when they are given the freedom to explore topics that matter to them. In unschooling, children and adults are encouraged to pursue learning opportunities that are relevant and meaningful to them, rather than following a predetermined set of topics or skills.
Unschooling is not just an educational approach, but a lifestyle choice that values creativity, critical thinking, and self-discipline. It is a holistic approach that recognizes that learning can happen anywhere and at any time, not just in a classroom setting. Unschooling families often prioritize real-life experiences, such as travel, community service, and apprenticeships, as valuable learning opportunities.
Unschooling is not a one-size-fits-all approach and can look different for each family and individual. Some unschoolers may choose to follow a more structured curriculum for certain subjects, while others may opt for a completely unstructured approach. The focus is always on the learner and their unique needs, interests, and passions.
Overall, unschooling provides an alternative to traditional education, empowering learners to take control of their own learning journey and pursue their passions in a way that works best for them.
That’s not a bad definition, is it? Obviously, AI hasn’t got any personal experience and so can’t understand this way of life fully – it will never understand about love – but it did okay.
What Is Unschooling? Curious Unschoolers
Here’s how I described unschooling – without AI’s help – in my first book, Curious Unschoolers:
Maybe you’ve heard that unschooling is a method of homeschooling where a child doesn’t use a curriculum or a plan put together by a parent. Instead, parents allow their children to learn, in their own way, what interests them. Parents believe that their kids will learn all that they need to know at a time when they need to know it.
That’s all true. And that’s how I understood unschooling when we first started out many years ago. But since then, I’ve learnt that unschooling has many layers. Peel off one, and there’s another underneath waiting to reveal something else. It’s as rich as life itself. Maybe that’s because unschooling is about learning from everything we do and experience in life. Life is deep and complicated. So is unschooling.
Here are some other things I’ve discovered about unschooling:
Unschooling is about fulfilling our missions in life. We’re all born with talents. Everyone has passions and interests. They are part of who we are. Unschooling is about having the freedom to develop those talents and follow our interests so that we can contribute to the world.
Unschooling is the way a family lives together. We all learn as we follow our interests and passions. We use and develop our talents. We accept and respect and help each other. We make mistakes, and we forgive. We’re growing and developing under the influence of unconditional love into the people we are designed to be. Of course, we’re not going to become those people in just a few years. It’s a lifelong process.
While we’re learning and accepting and helping and forgiving and loving unconditionally, the bonds between us grow strong. Parents and children become closely connected. And this is important because trust is a fruit of connection. We know and trust our kids. They trust us. Trust is essential. It’s the foundation of unschooling.
And here are a few posts I’ve written that answer this question too:
What Is Unschooling?
Why Unschooling Isn’t Just Another Method of Homeschooling
What is Unschooling? A Transcript
Is Unschooling More Than a Method of Homeschooling?
What Other Unschoolers Are Saying
Many unschoolers have also answered the question, what is unschooling? Here are a few of those posts:
Definitions of Unschooling from Sandra Dodd’s website
What Is Unschooling? from the Unschooling Mom2Mom website
What is Unschooling? A transcript of episode 1 of the Exploring Unschooling podcast by Pam Laricchia
What Is Unschooling? An audiobook by Pam Laricchia
What Is Unschooling? from the Happiness is Here website
What Is Unschooling? from the Natural Child Project website
A Fancy Term for Life
When you get down to it, unschooling is really just a fancy term for ‘life’ or ‘growing up uninstitutionalized.
~ Grace Llewellyn, Guerilla Learning
The Podcast Version of this Post
Photos
My husband, Andy, and I did some wonderful unschool learning recently at Parliament House in Canberra. We enjoyed looking at the portraits of the prime ministers. We compared the artistic styles and compositions and talked about what the paintings say about the prime ministers. We weren’t familiar with some of Australia’s past prime ministers, so we did some googling as we strolled around the gallery.
So, what do you think?
How do you describe unschooling? For you, is it a method of homeschooling or a way of life? And which aspects of unschooling are the most important for you and your family?
If you arrived on my blog looking for a definition of unschooling, I hope you now have some answers!
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