Blake Boles is a writer, speaker, adventurer, and advocate for self-directed learning. He has spent more than a decade working with unconventionally educated teenagers through the trip-leading company he founded, Unschool Adventures. Originally from California, Blake has lived and traveled across the world. His previous books include The Art of Self-Directed Learning, Better Than College, and College Without High School, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Psychology Today, Fox Business, USA Today, NPR affiliate radio, and the blogs of Wired and The Wall Street Journal. Visit blakeboles.com to follow Blake’s work and adventures.
Self Directed Teens
Blake Boles was in University, unsure of which major and path to pursue when he discovered John Taylor Gatto. John Taylor Gatto's critique on the school system led Blake into learning more about unschooling, democratic free schools and self directed learning. Really, Blake had entered the alternative learning rabbit hole. He became convinced that this was much more important than what he had planned to pursue before. He ended up designing his own major at Berkeley University. (He called it Alternative schooling and Science). After graduation he eventually found his way to Not Back To School Camp and became a staff member there. Surrounded by self directed teens, Blake was inspired. He is known for being the go-to person on self directed teens.
Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School?
Blake Boles returns to Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids podcast to talk about his fantastic new book, Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School? I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to any parent that is looking at other options than traditional school. This book is not about reforming the public education system. It is a resource for parents that realize that traditional school is no longer working for their child and are ready to try something different.
In This Episode
Even though this book is not about reforming the public education system, we do discuss public education, the importance it plays for society today (it may not be what you are thinking) and how Blake sees it serving our future world. We also talk about the list of different options that parents have outside of the traditional system and aside from homeschooling. We go further to discuss;
- Why there is no one solution that fits all
- When alternative methods in learning and education can become dogmatic
- Why the burden of proof has been on those that have taken the alternative path
- The battle of nature vs nurture and intensive parenting. How much influence do parents really hold over shaping their children's lives?
- Why we invest in building up trust with our kids
- Our current education situation in the time of COVID. Is this really a boom for homeschooling?
- Baby steps to becoming self directed
If you are a self directed teen, a parent of self directed teens or would like to be one of these, I suggest that you check out the fantastic resources that Blake offers. Books, videos, podcast~you can find these on his website. If you would like to listen to another interview of Blake, you can check out his first appearance on Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids here.
Resources
Blake Boles Dot Com
Book: Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School?
Podcast: Off Trail Learning
John Taylor Gatto
Not Back To School Camp
Grace Llewellyn- The Teenage Liberation Handbook
Jane McGonigal
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