Home
Self-Directed Learners Unite!
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."
- Albert Einstein
Problem
When asked what they would change about their experience, unschoolers had three wishes:
-
more unschoolers!!
-
ability to find existing unschoolers
-
not to be criticized for being an unschooler
Solution
The Peer Unschooling Network aims to solve all three of these problems by:
-
making unschooling more accessible
-
connecting the currently unschooled teens
-
create a community where unschooling is understood and accepted
What is unschooling?
Wikipedia describes unschooling as "an educational method and philosophy that advocates learner-chosen activities as a primary means for learning."
For more information, visit these valuable resources:
Podcasts
Off-Trail Learning Podcast - Host Blake Boles interviews self-directed learning, innovative educators, and young people blazing their own trail through life.
Fare of the Free Child Podcast - Host Akilah S. Richards discusses the experience of of raising free black and brown children in a world that tends to diminish, dehumanize, and disappear them
Books
The Teenage Liberation Handbook - the legendary book which has changed the lives of thousands of teens who have chosen to take their education into their own hands through self-directed learning.
Free to Learn - Â Developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that our children, if free to pursue their own interests through play, will not only learn all they need to know, but will do so with energy and passion. Children come into this world burning to learn, equipped with the curiosity, playfulness, and sociability to direct their own education.
Blogs
Unschooling Mom2Mom - an incredibly useful blog full of information about unschooling, especially their directory of local unschooling groups and a list of annual conferences.
Learning Centers
Liberated Learners Network - a growing network of self-directed learning centers providing non-coercive learning environment for teens.
 List of Sudbury Schools - while they have the word 'school' in the name, these are not your ordinary schools. Sudbury Schools are democratic schools run by youth!
 Agile Learning Centers - ALCs are an expanding network of micro-schools leveraging agile tools to support self-directed education.
Organizations
Alliance for Self-Directed Education - a not-for-profit organization dedicated to informing people about the benefits of, and methods for, allowing children and adolescents to direct their own education. Be sure to check out their online magazine, Tipping Points, and their community forum.
Alternative Education Resource Organization - a not-for-profit leading the education revolution toward learner-centered approach to education.
About the Author
I'm Jim Flannery and I want to help make the world a better place. I know how cornball that sounds, but my intentions are genuine and I firmly believe that promoting unschooling is a significant way to improve the human condition on a global scale.
You can read more about me by visiting my website or watching this video of me chatting at a camera for 20 minutes about my journey in the education world and the creation of the Peer Unschooling Network.
Any questions, comments, or concerns? Email me: jim@jim-flannery.com.
Want to Support PUN?
We want to keep PUN free and open to all. If you want to contribute your time and effort, contact us. If you can contribute financial resource, please donate through PayPal. If you have a different idea of how you can contribute, please do not hesitate to contact us!