You probably know some families who choose to home-school their children. Home-schooling parents report that they educate their kids at home for many reasons - some of the common ones are: so that children learn important life-skills, so that children enjoy the learning process more, so that the family can spend more time together, and so that the kids have more time to explore their other interests.
World-schooling is an increasingly popular form of home-schooling where families learn while traveling together. The idea is that most of the education takes place outside of formal lessons. Also called road-schooling, this form of learning taps the wealth of resources found in the environments and cultures of destinations the traveling families visit.
The World Is Your Classroom
It’s not just a saying! Experiential learning is proven to be very effective. Being immersed in an experience opens us up to deeper levels of comprehension. Parents who expand the classroom to encompass more of the world know that they’re providing their young ones with a wider range of experiences and information than the kids might receive if they were living and learning in one place.
The parents believe that these experiences will benefit their children in both the short and long-term. World-schoolers profit from incidental learning - learning without a specific goal or aim in mind. Students gain knowledge about whatever inspires them along their journeys instead of sticking to a pre-determined lesson plan.
Practical Application
Kids feel empowered when they can immediately apply the new lessons they’re learning. They know that what they’re spending their time mastering is valuable and can be used in real life - versus the common refrain of “when am I ever going to use this?” that can be heard echoing through public school hallways.
Students can learn math skills while helping to plan a food budget or coordinate travel times. They’ll likely feel very connected to their history lessons when they’re literally standing in the sites that they’re also reading about. A world classroom provides all sorts of amazing learning opportunities.
Take An “Edventure”
Let’s face it - most children don’t feel excited about sitting at a desk for a majority of the day listening to adults talk at them. Parents know that receiving an education is so important to the future success of their children. World-schooling is a solution that meets kids’ needs for stimulation and activity and parents’ needs for ensuring that their young ones learn valuable skills and information.
“Edventures” are adventures that families embark upon that emphasize both exploration and education. For example a family might visit a park or natural area where they trek and camp but also spend time focusing on learning about ecology of various biomes or on expanding literary skills by reading literature written about the area.
Outside The Box, Into The World
World-schooling is a lifestyle that works for families who are excited to step away from the norm. It emphasizes being present in your surroundings, taking advantage of the learning opportunities that surround you each day, and creating time in your family’s schedule for adventure.
How does your family learn from the world as its classroom? Share some of your most memorable world-schooling experiences (formal or informal) with us in the comments below.
Image Credit: World-schooling family photo from http://worldschooladventures.com/ where you can follow the edventures of an unschooling family.
Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, writer, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.