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Here is an update on the documentary movie still in production, "Self-Taught," which raises awareness of the unschooling phenomenon and myriad opportunities to become well-educated and a life-long learner, outside of the traditional formal education system.
While not all gifted persons are auto-didactic, for many individuals self-directed learning opportunities are a valuable means to learn something new everyday, when the formal education system provides one-size-fits-most lockstep programming geared for the achievement of equal outcomes among all pupils.
The documentary "Self-Taught" highlights the movement which may have begun about 20 years ago, with Grace Llewellyn's book, "The Teen-age Liberation Handbook": how to quit school and get a real life and education.
While the title "Self-Taught" may invite push-back that not all gifted are auto-didactic, this documentary, "Self-Taught: Life Stories of Self-Directed Learners", is about the approach to education called unschooling. Unschooling provides a viable educational alternative for many families.
Unschooling was first made widely known by Doug Llewellyn's 1998 book, Teenage Liberation Handbook: how to quit school and get a real life and education.
I have been watching the development of this documentary by Jeremy Stuart, the maker of Class Dismissed, and have high hopes that it may provide broad outreach and help more families understand that they DO have educational options for their children.
Today I'm happy to share this recent update from a Self-Taught movie email subscription:
Originally Posted by e-mail update
Self-Taught Is Here!
Dear friends and supporters,
Last weekend [June 26-30, 2019], Self-Taught premiered to an enthusiastic audience at the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) Conference in Portland, Oregon. Here's what audience members had to say about the film:
"I was really inspired by the stories of these young people! To have a documentary to share with others considering this path or unsure of this path is a valuable tool to enable more of our youth to take that different path..."
"My hope is that Self-Taught can win hearts and minds to show the uninitiated through real stories that there are educational options and the result can be happy, productive adults."
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Self-Taught: Life Stories From Self-Directed Learners is now available on DVD, streaming and digital download.
Right now, during Summer vacation, may be the perfect time for families to become acquainted with the Unschooling concept and consider whether it may better meet their children's needs, rather than resuming classroom education when the school year begins.
