I watched this video that has a 13 year old explain his success with “unschooling”. Unschooling is a version, a subset, of homeschooling or schooling at home. Advocates describe it by saying it prepares you for life, for being an entrepreneur, for learning anything, for being autonomous.

What makes unschooling different from other homeschooling methods? Often when people homeschool, they just do school at home — do a curriculum with math, science, reading, history, etc. at home, often with similar teaching methods and books.

But that doesn’t take advantage of the freedom of homeschooling. Unschoolers claim to do whatever they want, because there are no rules, no one to tell them they’re doing it wrong, which means they can be as creative as possible.

I am not sure I support the notion of ‘unschooling’ as a positive step forward but Logan, the child in the video has a very valid point on emphasizing happiness. Education should make students happy and in particular when it comes to Aboriginal student success. I think the lower achievement rates with Aboriginal students could likely be a result of unhappiness with the way their education experience is.

Watch the video below:

Hackschooling Makes Me Happy: Logan LaPlante at TEDxUniversityofNevada