Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Diligence


What is diligence? And why am I pondering it?

I was reading a blog today about homeschooling and how homeschooling consists of one part scholarship and five parts love. *

I was thinking about the scholarship bit.

How does this term "scholarship" fit with unschooling? I know radical unschoolers would say that children will learn diligence and scholarship via application to their interests and so in real life.

But what about learning diligence through something you don't particularly want to do - and then, through the application of diligence, finding out that you do enjoy the activity and find it worthwhile.

How important is this diligence, this one part scholarship?

* http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2005/08/morning-meditation-what-i-live-for.html

2 comments:

Cindy said...

I am enjoying your ponderings on this Leonie. Please keep sharing.

I think about what I have heard about children learning and how most of what they do in their childhood really just plants seeds for future growth. Learning is done in the child years, but when they are mature is when they can really dig in.

Cm says to lay out a feast. Introduce ideas. But how much do we require them to diligence?

In unschooling we see the dc apply diligence to themselves. Set goals, plan projects through self-led interests. I think that is a primo value of unschooling, to recognize that they are really doing that and give it value. Like you said in your entry, they are learning it there.

But what is the role of asknig them to make those steps they would not have on their own? I ponder this, too.

I have seen that in our house I need to help 'start' them with new ideas they would not have chosen. Passive strewing is not enough, but it may be in some families.

Maybe this also applies to diligence? Some dc will pick up a scholarly study and need no promtping. But others never would.

In the 'never-would' cases, we could help jump start it. But offer it like an 'idea' part of the feast, but not the crux of their edcuation and in a pass/fail mode?

I think a taste of it might be nice in the younger years. I did the usual ps projects (mindlessly) but when I got to college I knew how to attack a class and project. Maybe a taste of diligence in an area not of thier choosing (along with them following interests in their areas of choosing) would give them the confidence to continue it later?

Just throwoing out ideas. Looking forward to your posts here and there on this. Enjoyed your thoughts.

Cindy

Leonie said...

Thanks, guys for the comments. I am still pondering! lol!