Learning - part 2 (Just Because)

So earlier, I went on and on about unschooling and what it is and why we chose to follow that particular path. This time, I really want to talk more about learning as a process and as an endeavor.

A bit of history. I have been taking college classes  off and on since I was 18. That's 22 years for the math-challenged (and those who don't know I'm 40). 22 years. My husband tells me I should be a doctor by now. I got my bachelors in 1999 and I still take classes, but instead of working towards a masters, I take classes I want to take. I look through the course schedule and pick courses that look cool to me. I spend my own money to take classes that will lead to nothing tangible - no degree, no better job. Just because they look interesting and are subjects I want to know. I did become a grad student in Workforce Ed. I found the classes too easy, so I quit taking them. I just meander through PSU's classes, learning about this and that and enjoying the biggest benefit of working at the university. And I love it. I love learning just to learn. I've always loved learning just because.

I want that for my kids. I want them to enjoy learning for the sake of learning, for nothing other than that. Forget that research shows people who stay mentally active are at lower risk for dementia later in life. I want them to take part in one of the greatest things about having a brain - the ability to learn about things. Just because. Learning is not a means to an end. Education might be, but learning isn't. Learning is inevitable if you pay any attention to the world at all. And learning is one of the best things about this world. It's full of so much that I don't know about, or as my mother is fond of saying "They write whole books about things I don't know, big books". I want to read those big books. I want my kids to want to read those big books. Just because. I think it's normal to want to learn, to be curious, to observe the world and find out about it. I think the way we have institutionalized education makes learning less enjoyable and less likely to be spontaneous. From kindergarten through college, education has an aim that is counter to fostering a love of learning - it's a means to an end. It makes me sad. Get the diploma, get the degree, get the job, and you're all done. No, no, no. People should never be done. I don't want my kids to ever be done.

The process of learning is spoon fed to us in schools. We are told what we're going to learn, when we're going to start learning it, stop learning it, how much of it we are going to learn.  We are given the materials. Choice is removed, thinking is unnecessary beyond what one needs to get the desired grade. It's so sterile and impersonal. Learning should be sought by the learner, not dumped on h** head. I want my kids to seek learning opportunities, to seek knowledge. Learning should be an endeavor. It should be something that is valued. Just because.

There will be a part three to this, to discuss how my kids locate and choose appropriate learning materials and how I think this kind of seeking of answers really helps them feel invested in their educations. Plus what they might actually do after high school is over (my oldest son is a senior this year!).