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​CLASSCAST
Podcast

Ep.034 -- Catina Franklin Sweedy -- Unschooling, Self-Directed Education, & Progress

7/16/2020

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ClassCast Podcast Ep.034 features Catina Franklin Sweedy, an unschooling advocate and leader at the Embark Center for Self-Directed Education in Leesburg, Virginia, discussing unschooling, student choice, mentorship, intellectual freedom, and innovation in public education with host Ryan Tibbens.  As COVID-19 pressures mount on public schools, students, parents, teachers, and other institutions, many families are unsure of what schooling decisions to make this fall and beyond; this discussion will not only present them with innovative options in the short term but with visions of change and progress to carry our students and schools into a new educational paradigm. 

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Clip 034.1 -- Unschooling & Educational Options

In this highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.034, self-directed education expert Catina Franklin Sweedy explains the concept of unschooling and how it (and other alternatives) provide families with educational options, both during the pandemic and beyond. In addition to unschooling her own children, Catina has worked at the Embark Center for Self-Directed Education, an unschooling center in Leesburg, Virginia, for over a decade. Her insights into the benefits of freedom, choice, and student efficacy are essential listening for anyone involved in education -- schooling, unschooling, or otherwise.

Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, share, and leave a comment wherever you listen to podcasts! 

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)!

Clip 034.2 -- Educational Choice 

In this highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.034, self-directed education leader Catina Franklin Sweedy and host Ryan Tibbens discuss the value of choice in education -- from homeschooling, unschooling, and traditional schooling to class and content choice, from libertarianism to curiosity.  Increasing students "voice and choice" has been trendy in formal education for the last few years, but education leaders always frame it as a surface-level choice, not as a choice between school formats, content areas, and specializations.  In this clip, we explore what real choice looks like. 

​Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, share, and leave a comment wherever you listen to podcasts!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)!

Clip 034.3 -- Catina Franklin Sweedy -- Mentorship & Schooling

In this highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.034, Catina Franklin Sweedy describes her own schooling; she and host Ryan Tibbens then discuss the value of mentorship and making personal connections with teachers and advisors. Catina's career has been two-fold -- a highly sought-after clarinetist and teacher AND a self-directed education leader -- and this clip illuminates the path that led her to both musical success and educational innovation. Host Ryan Tibbens also shares his experiences working with students and offering mentorship to young people in public schools. 

Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, share, and leave a comment wherever you listen to podcasts!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)!

Clip 034.4 -- Catina Franklin Sweedy -- Ideal School/College for Kids

In this clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.034, unschooling expert Catina Franklin Sweedy shares her ideas about improving schools (and "unschools") in great detail -- ending compulsory attendance, moving to an interdisciplinary model, enhancing student choice, creating more labs and open facilities, improving the architecture, and more. Host Ryan Tibbens shares many of her visions and adds in one of his own goals -- using vacant commercial real estate for future school facilities. If you are interested in changing and improving the public school model, you can't miss this clip.

Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, share, and leave a comment wherever you listen to podcasts! 

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)!

Clip 034.5 -- Catina Franklin Sweedy -- Literacy, Numeracy, & Cultural Values 

In this highlight clip from ClassCast Podcast Ep.034, unschooling advocate Catina Franklin Sweedy and host Ryan Tibbens discuss the importance of literacy and numeracy but disagree somewhat over how to support young people in developing those skills. Still friendly and productive, this is one of the only disagreements in the entire discussion -- Catina advocates full self-direction, and Ryan prefers compulsory direct instruction for literacy and numeracy skills.  This leads to discussions of how to implement more choice in schools, how to scale a hybrid plan, and how culture shapes our ideas about what skills are essential.  Though it comes from the end of the episode, almost an afterthought, this is one of the most entertaining sections of the discussion.

Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, share, and leave a comment wherever you listen to podcasts!

Support the show (http://paypal.me/TibbensEST)!

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  • Home
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