You Just Got 'Unschooled' with Kerry McDonald Artwork

Raising Wildlings

Welcome to Raising Wildlings, a podcast about parenting, alternative education and stepping into the wilderness, however that looks, with your family. Each week, we’ll be interviewing experts that truly inspire us, to answer your parenting and education questions. We’ll also be sharing stories from some incredible families that took the leap, and are taking the road less travelled. Whether you’re a parent looking for tips on how to better handle those sibling squabbles and tantrums, a couple searching for ways to create more freedom within your family’s lifestyle, an educator keen to explore alternative schooling models and how children learn, a father keen to delve into respectful parenting philosophies, or a mother wanting to learn more about why play is so important and how to get children outdoors safely, then this is the podcast for you. Each week you’ll get tried and tested tactics from parenting, play and education experts to help you on your journey towards creating the happiest, healthiest lifestyle you can for your family. We’ll also chat to real life families who have created freedom within their lives and are living life on their own terms. They’ll teach you how they did it and how you can too. And of course, you’ll hear from us about all things nature play and alternative education. We’ll answer all your questions on how children learn, the importance of play in all its forms, children’s rights and autonomy, and how to get your children outside safely, more often. This podcast hopes to empower parents and educators to raise kinder, more resilient, more adaptable children by helping them maintain happy connections and healthy lifestyles. So, what are you waiting for?! Let's dive in! Hit subscribe now to be notified when new episodes go live. To download our free Respectful Language Printable Cheat Sheet, head to: www.wildlingsforestschool.com/shop/respectful-language

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Raising Wildlings

You Just Got 'Unschooled' with Kerry McDonald

August 02, 2021 • Vicci Oliver and Nicki Farrell • Season 2 • Episode 30

0:00 | 1:02:22

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In this episode, we’re chatting with Kerry McDonald, author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, about different models of education around the world, the developmental bell curve of when children read, how Unschooling benefits teenagers and how the school system can harm children.

👉 Guest Details

Kerry McDonald is an education policy writer, self-directed learning expert and author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom. She is a board member at the Alliance of Self-Directed Education and mother of four never-been-schooled children.

👉 Kerry Shares

What she has been up to
Research coming out about how the pandemic affected opinions on homeschooling
The difference between education and schooling
The qualities we value in the ‘imagination age’ and how school stifles creativity
How the industrial education system can make children’s lives worse
That unschooling is treating children with basic human respect
How the 19th century industrial model education system lacks the ability to build the skills required for the most in demand jobs
That knowing yourself and what you want are largely neglected in conventional structured schooling
About empowering parents
The developmental bell curve for reading age in children
Examples of different unschooling programs and self-directed learning models in the states
Why bullying is nearly non-existent in these alternative models of education

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👉 Resources & References

Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, Kerry McDonald

Foundation for Economic Education

BOOKS

Learning is Natural, School is Optional, Ken Danford

The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life, Grace Llewellyn

Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop, Neil Gershenfeld

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, Adam Grant

Outliers M,alcolm Gladwell

Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand Audiobook Read by Scott Brick

ALTERNATIVE UNSCHOOLING PROGRAMS

North Star, founded by Ken Danford

Not Back To School Camp

NFP’s

Liberated Learners

Alliance of Self-Directed Education

Wildlings Forest School Contact Details

Website

Welcome back to Raising Wildlings — where we explore raising brave, resilient, curious kids who feel at home outdoors.

If you're an educator ready to bring more nature play and child-led learning into your Early Years program, our Bush Kindy Professional Development Workshops are for you. You'll walk away with practical tools, risk-benefit strategies, and the confidence to take learning outside in a way that's safe, meaningful, and genuinely exciting for

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