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This is the perfect example of "Unschooling" ( http://www.holtgws.com/ http://www.holtgws.com/ ) where children are encouraged to follow their interests, inclin

This is the perfect example of "Unschooling" ( http://www.holtgws.com/ http://www.holtgws.com/ ) where children are encouraged to follow their interests, inclinations and energies to their full and natural ends rather than being cowed into performing busy work in one topic after another, until they hate nearly all learning. [EDIT] I just wanted to throw in here a hacker angle on unschooling or homeschooling: I would gladly pay for software that teaches math or grammar and is based on cognitive science. Something like SuperMemo http://www.supermemo.com/ http://www.supermemo.com/ profiled in this Wired article http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-05/ff_wozniak http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-05/ff_woznia...

lsb 17y ago
I think it's just a sublime example of teaching. He made the kids care about the subject matter by making it relevant to them, and there are abundant examples of authors creating first-rate work by riffing off of old themes (Apollonius of Rhodes, for example).
- deleted 17y ago
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JimmyL 17y ago
How? McCourt was teaching a class on Creative Writing - this wasn't in a science or math class. He took what he was supposed to be teaching (how to write stories), and found a theme to write about that his students found interesting. Those children weren't following their "interests, inclinations and energies" - I find it very hard to believe that every single kid in that class would be doing creative writing if they had the ability to do whatever their interests led them to. They were doing what they were supposed to do in that subject-specific class, and just happened to be led by a very good teacher.
- euroclydon 17y ago
  The had already pulled off good creative writing in their excuse notes, notes that could have been written for any class. Writing those fake excuse notes DID come from their natural inclination, and when encouraged to continue to follow it, rather than to get back to the program, they produced even greater work.

lsb 17y ago

I think it's just a sublime example of teaching. He made the kids care about the subject matter by making it relevant to them, and there are abundant examples of authors creating first-rate work by riffing off of old themes (Apollonius of Rhodes, for example).

deleted 17y ago
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JimmyL 17y ago

How? McCourt was teaching a class on Creative Writing - this wasn't in a science or math class. He took what he was supposed to be teaching (how to write stories), and found a theme to write about that his students found interesting. Those children weren't following their "interests, inclinations and energies" - I find it very hard to believe that every single kid in that class would be doing creative writing if they had the ability to do whatever their interests led them to. They were doing what they were supposed to do in that subject-specific class, and just happened to be led by a very good teacher.

euroclydon 17y ago
The had already pulled off good creative writing in their excuse notes, notes that could have been written for any class. Writing those fake excuse notes DID come from their natural inclination, and when encouraged to continue to follow it, rather than to get back to the program, they produced even greater work.