Unschool Radical

Discovered: the missing link that solves a mystery of evolution
Interesting article in the Guardian newspaper about new evidence supporting evolution. “Scientists have made one of the most important fossil finds in history: a missing link between fish and land animals, showing how creatures first walked out of the water and on to dry land more than 375m years ago.

Palaeontologists have said that the find, a crocodile-like animal called the Tiktaalik roseae and described today in the journal Nature, could become an icon of evolution in action - like Archaeopteryx, the famous fossil that bridged the gap between reptiles and birds.

As such, it will be a blow to proponents of intelligent design, who claim that the many gaps in the fossil record show evidence of some higher power.

Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist, said: “Our emergence on to the land is one of the more significant rites of passage in our evolutionary history, and Tiktaalik is an important link in the story.”

Read complete article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,1747926,00.html

Tags: Science and Nature by Administrator
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CNN piece on Unschooling
Unschooling Article from CNNBy Traci Tamura and Thelma Gutierrez, CNN

I am always looking for articles on unschooling- feel free to post in comments if you come across some. This one was but wishy-washy, and emphaisis was on how there were no rules, she could stay up late, sleep in , watch tv.. Then of course comments from the school board board “authorities” that need socialization - and not sure what this means- but “interacton with adults in school setting” think this means needs to be a plce where adult can pummel you with theire power and need to learn to submit. Interesting that they did story on unschooling but hate the slant they took on it.

excerpt:

– It’s a child’s dream. Wake up whenever you want, with nobody telling you what to do and when to do it. And here’s the kicker: No school to rush off to.Welcome to the world of “unschooling” — an educational movement where kids, not parents, not teachers, decide what they will learn that day.

“I don’t want to sound pompous, but I think I am learning a little bit more, because I can just do everything at my own pace,” said Nailah Ellis, a 10-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, who has been unschooled for most of her life.

Nailah’s day starts about 11 a.m., her typical wake-up time. She studies Chinese, reading, writing, piano and martial arts. But there’s no set schedule. She works on what she wants, when she wants. She’ll even watch some TV — science documentaries are a favorite — until her day comes to an end about 2 a.m.

Tags: Unschooling Articles in Mainstream Press by Administrator
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Unschooling article:’Unschoolers’ chart their own course
By Chris Kenning
ckenning@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Excerpt:

Mandy Ridiman is 17 years old, but she’s never been in a classroom, taken a test or followed a school schedule.

When it comes to Mandy’s education, her curiosity dictates what she learns. Take, for example, the time she got interested in mummies after seeing one on TV.

Soon she was soaking up the science of mummification, the history of ancient Egypt, comparative religions, hieroglyphics, how rivers flood and mathematical riddles of the pyramids — until she decided to move on.

“I was just amazed at so many things,” she said.

Read rest of article here:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060130/NEWS01/601300384

Tags: Unschooling Articles in Mainstream Press by Administrator
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