Unconventional solutions for education.

PRECOCITY DEPT.

BIRD

From The New Yorker, July 24, 2006

This is an excerpt from a wonderful portrait written by David Owen. I hope it will entice you to find and read the complete article.—PF

The Creative Jazz Organization... in Queens [NY], holds jam sessions on Wednesday nights... C.J.O. performers over the years have included Etta Jones, Roy Haynes, and Walter Perkins... The youngest C.J.O. perfomer... is Elijah Shiffer, whose instrument is the alto saxophone. Elijah made his first appearance in the summer of 2005, when he was thirteen. His father, Michael, owns a high-end garage in Mount Vernon, and his mother, Amy Silberkleit, is an artist... the C.J.O.'s president, said the other night, "To look at Elijah, you'd think he should be playhing Nintendo. But then he gets that horn out and he blows everybody away."

Elijah is homeschooled. He writes avidly and well, and loves playing with language... but he doesn't converse easily with other people. Children with similar combinations of talents and apparent emotional distance are often characterized by various clinical terms, which Elijah's parents do not use, feeling that they limit rather than enligthen... Elijah probably came to music by way of his other main passion, which is ornithology..

HOMESCHOOLER WINS FIRST PLACE IN 23RD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF MAGIC IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

From Magic Magazine, September, 2006:

"On the fourth and final day of the close-up contest, competitor 48 - out of 50 - is announced. Rick Merrill (USA) wears a distant expression and is visibily nervous. "Just so you know what to expect," he begins, "I should tell you that in high school I was voted Class President, Most Athletic, and Most Likely to Succeed." He pauses. It's an awkward silence. "Of course, I was home-schooled." The judges begin to chuckle, breaking the silence. The laughter gains momentum as the audience begins to vibe to Rick's shy but calculated character, and soon thunderous applause drowns out the laughter. Rick transitions into the coin-and-pen manipulation act that will later be awarded the Close-up Grand Prix...

"... Rick performed without the use of a table and constructed his whole act with magic that takes place at chest height. This meant his magic was more visible and camera-friendly than anyone else's. His humor was well-written (mostly about being home-schooled), his technique was flawless, and his effects were highly visual...

"...All his steals and productions were clean and unexpected, and he was the only competitor in the final round who seemed unaffected by the pressure. The audience picked up on his comfort level and responded to it; Rick was having fun.

"His confidence was well-earned... All the finalists were good, but Rick's performance for the entire group on the final gala made the decision easy. All the judges scored him Grand Prix, and no deliberation was necessary."

Scarsdale 11-year-old is a national fencing champion    

I found this story, and other ones like it, on Valerie Moon's blog: www.homeedmag.com/blogs/newscomm/?cat=14

It is retieved from The Journal News.com, Westchester, New York, 22 July 2006

Meyers’ achievements came as a welcome surprise, but also led to some changes. As Elizabeth and her brother began fencing across the country, Dembicer not only traveled with them, but began home-schooling (sic—PF) them. Both had originally attended Greenacres Elementary school in Scarsdale. Dembicer, who graduated from Emory University and majored in history, took advantage of the travel by taking her kids to historic sites. Instead of using a textbook, they’ll tour a presidential library or museum in the city hosting the tournament. The home-schooling has also allowed Meyers to study advanced math and science, her two favorite subjects. Without the social aspect of school, Meyers finds friends through fencing and girl scouts.

Sports

Sports Illustrated, October 30, 2006, ran a story about how homeschoolers in New York state are barred from participating in school sports there, and the effort being made to change that situation. At the end of the story was this interesting side-story:

Breaking Away

Homeschooled athletes are making an impact on college teams, and even in the pros. Here are four success stories.

JASON TAYLOR, Miami Dolphins, All-Pro DE In 1992 the University of Akron awarded Taylor, who grew up in Pittsburgh, one of the first Division 1 athletic scholarships given to a homeschooled athlete

TIM TEBOW, University of Florida, QB The freshman sensation is the inspiration for the Tim Tebow bill, an Alabama initiative that would give homeschooled athletes equal access to sports at public schools.

COLLEN SHUMAKER, George Mason, forward The 6' 1" sophomore played for four years at a private religious high school in her hometown of Centreville, VA.

PAT VENDITTE JR. Creighton, pitcher Raised in Omaha, the ambidextrous pitcher walked on as freshman and had a 2.36 ERA as a righty and 2.92 as a left in his sophomore year.

Unschoolers of Note

I don't know about you, but if I hear about another homeschooler winning a spelling bee or a geography bee as evidence that "homeschooling works" I'm going to scream. I don't want to diminish these accomplishments, but must winning school contests be the benchmark for all homeschoolers to reach? Don't homeschoolers do things and perform well in other areas of their lives that we should celebrate?

I want to celebrate some of the other social, scholarly, performing, sports, literary, artistic, and musical accomplishments homeschoolers have, particularly those that are not celebrated in academic settings. Here are my first attempts at this; please send me your thoughts and nominations for others to post here.—PF

Teach Your Own

Learning Centers

Unschoolers of Note

Research About Alternatives TO School