I know that the title to my article is a little long. Sorry for that. However, the message I am trying to convey in this article is important and enlightening at the same time.
I have been conducting some research into unschooling, self directed learning and alternative education for a few years now. I am still continuing with this research. I stand by the title of this article.
The common element which these forms of education consist of is self directed learning. When students are self directed, they learn valuable skills which prepare them for success in their professional lives. They learn things which are of interest to them. Which results in the student retaining more of what they have learned. Students in these environments are not passive learners who have to be told what they should learn or how they should learn it. Researching skills are enhanced through self directed learning. Research skills are invaluable in one's professional and educational life.
Many unschoolers have gone onto start their own businesses.
I have seen unschooling parents who operate their own business. The unschooled children from these families, help their parents with their business. These unschoolers are gaining real world, real life knowledge and experience. Self directed learners can become entrepreneurs, inventors, scientists, artists, leaders and other types of powerful people in the future. I know that these aspirations are not the only thing that self directed learners should focus on. However, I firmly believe that they can become the aforementioned things if they so desire it.
These alternative, self directed learning models are only going to keep becoming more and more popular over time. The internet is an excellent tool for self directed learners.
Getting back to the powerful people I had mentioned up above: When you look at the successful inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists etc, the majority of them were self educated. Thomas Edison comes to mind. Edison failed in over 1,000 attempts to invent the lightbulb. He eventually succeeded. He was incredibly persistent.
I am not saying the self education is the only answer. However, self education is something which needs to be explored. It can be of great value to formally educated and informally educated, self directed, independent learners also. Einstein was known to have used visualization, daydreaming and thought experiments in his work. These methods would seem highly unconventional to most formally educated people. Yet, they worked extremely well for Einstein.
If you are wondering what the large SOTRI logo is, I will elaborate. I have developed my own unique, personal development, alternative and self-directed, online school unlike any other: School of The Remote Influencer - SOTRI.
