2015 Retreat is ON!!!

Registration for the Fall Retreat is almost ready!

[update – it’s READY – click here to REGISTER]

We are so excited for our community to gather again November 5th – 9th!  This year we are making some changes to the schedule with the goals of:

  • RadRetreatMaximizing the support attendees receive during the Retreat
  • Helping new folks assimilate into the group more easily and
  • Enabling ALL of our Radiant Community to get the most out of the workshops, activities AND just being together!

As we finalize registration details, we wanted to go ahead and announce prices so everyone can plan their finances accordingly.   In order to make the Retreat happen, we’ve had to raise some of the prices a smidge.  But don’t worry!  There are still plenty of opportunities available to reduce the fees for your family.

Since it’s its inception in 2013, we have tried to keep the Radiant Retreat affordable for as many families as possible.  So the prices started out very low compared to other conferences. We want you to know that we have wrestled with the numbers to keep it as affordable as possible, but due to everything that is involved in putting on the Retreat, we feel that the prices this year are still very fair for everyone.  The organizers make a considerable investment of time, energy, expertise and money to plan and execute the Retreat, and the prices must support that.

We also want to highlight the fact that this event takes a considerable amount of COMMUNITIY EFFORT to make it happen because we don’t have a hotel staff taking care of us and the facilities like many other conferences.  We have to take care of it ALL – and that’s what’s so great about the Radiant Community – the way members step up to help where help is needed!

In 2013, when I was planning our stay at Cleburne State Park, the Rangers said that because our group would be over 50% kids, the park would be littered with trash by the end of the weekend and they were sure that “something would get torn up” because middle school aged kids were included.  I assured them that our group would not be typical in that manner and they just laughed.  Sure enough, the “Radiant Tribe” was very respectful of the grounds and facilities and we proved those Rangers wrong!

The Radiant Tribe IS remarkable and EVERYONE’S contributions make the Retreat GREAT!

So here are the prices so you can plug them into your budget.  If it turns out that you need “Tuition Assistance” you can apply for Radiant Staff jobs here in exchange for Registration Credits to reduce your fees.

{f1} 2015 Registration Prices

Early Bird (until June 30)Regular Price (until Oct 31)Late Registration – Space PermittingAt the Door
First 4 Household Members$50 each$60 each$70 each$80 each
Household Members #5 – 8 (including grandparents)$25 each$30 each$35 each$40 each
Kids 3 and under who will NOT attend Kid Village ChildcareFreeFreeFreeFree
Single Day Pass (per person) $25 each

 

LodgingNightly Price
Private Campsites – Screened Shelter, Tent, RV – (up to 8 people)$25-$35per SITE
Group Campsite – Tent Only$9per TENT
Bunkhouse – Heat & AC – Bathrooms Adjoining$10per PERSON

Click here to learn more about the different Lodging Options.
Click here for MORE lodging options for NON-CAMPERS.

Please contact the Radiant Team if you have questions about the Retreat, and keep an eye out for registration in the next few days so you can take advantage of the Early Bird prices!

Heaps of Love,
Christina and your Radiant Team
TDM-LicenseeBadge-Vertical4$50off Retreat withDM

Digging Deeper into Unschooling with Sue Patterson

sq logo WORKSHOPIf you have begun living a life of freedom in learning, but are having a hard time balancing the “Self-Directed” aspects of Unschooling with your parental instinct to offer guidance to your children, this session might be for you:

Balancing Parental Guidance and Self-Directed Learning

Unschoolers let their children choose when, how and what they learn, what role does parental guidance play? Sometimes parents feel that offering ideas and suggestions will prevent their child from unfolding naturally. It all depends on all the intentions, emotions, and stories wrapped up in those ideas and suggestions. Children need their parents’ experience and knowledge to grow and thrive – how we share it makes all the difference! Sue will share her experience in this area and help parents explore the boundaries of guidance vs. self-directed learning.

For those of you that are finding it hard to let go of curriculum or “schooly” materials for learning, you might like:

Curriculum as a Crutch

Buy this, and your kids will be smarter! Use this, you’ll be more organized! Get this series and you will unleash their inner genius!

Or something like that. Ahh… the lure of curriculum.

Marketing has targeted our community for some time now. Advertisers realize that while we are an independent lot, we still harbor a lot of fears. And isn’t that how marketing works best? Identify the fear or the lack, and then convince people that they need the product to fill their void. It’s as if they’re handing us crutches and telling us to lean on them – when in fact, we have no weakness, no lack of opportunity. The whole world awaits our children and these crutches they offer will simply hold them back.

Pre-planned materials often inhibit learning, keeping the child from all the benefits of discovery and exploration. It keeps parents from continuing to engage and facilitate new interesting opportunities out in the world. Don’t look wistfully at those crutches – embrace freedom!

Come talk with Sue and we can discuss awesome ways kids can learn from whatever interests them!

And for all the questions you don’t get answered during the Retreat, Sue and other parents of grown Unschoolers will make up the panel for:

Veteran Unschoolers’ Q & A

Bring your questions, concerns, fears and doubts to these parents who have the benefit of time and perspective.  Come hear about their journeys as they Unschooled their children who have now left the Unschooling Nest!

Sue has so many great topics prepared for this year’s Radiant Living & Learning Retreat!  Click here and here to read more about who she is and what she has in store for us!

 

Follow these links to learn more about the Retreat and to Register.

 

LOVE YOUR RADIANT LIFE!

Curious about Self-Directed Learning? Sue Patterson can help!

Sue is a veteran Home Educator with 3 grown kids.  All of her children were Unschooled, and Sue is a wealth of information on many aspects of alternative education.

From transitioning away from the curriculum mindset and into a learning partnership with your kids, to Unschooling through the teen years and supporting young adults as they transition into college or work, Sue’s perspective is invaluable.

If you are struggling with an aspect of Home Eduction or Partnership Parenting, Sue’s wisdom and experience can help reassure and guide you through the moments of doubt.

If you are simply curious about what Unschooling family life is like, she can share a comprehensive look based on her own experience and what she’s learned from her extensive network of Home Ed families.

Here are some of the sessions Sue will be leading at the Retreat.  We will hit the ground running on Friday morning with workshop sessions and circle discussions, so getting there Thursday to set up your bunks, tents and campers will ensure you don’t miss any of the action!

Learning All the Time: Unschooling 101
Friday Morning (Oct. 24)

Life Learning, Whole Life Learning, Self-Directed Learning, Organic Learning, Natural Learning, Interest-Led Learning.  There are so many different names for this type of alternative education and almost as many definitions.

Come discover the core principles behind this method of education.
Gain clarity on what Unschooling IS and is NOT.
Is there a “right” or “wrong” way to Unschool?  Is it still Unschooling if we require a few math or phonics worksheets here and there?    What is “Strewing?”  What is “Deschooling?”  What is “Radical Unschooling?” What are the benefits and drawbacks to Unschooling?  How can we be sure our kids will turn out OK educationally and otherwise?  What if I give my children freedom and all they do is play video games all day?  What if my child HAS to or WANTS to return to school in the future?  How do I comply with Homeschooling laws as an Unschooler? Can I do it as a single parent, or when both parents must be earners?
We’ll tackle these questions and help newbies, spouses, grandparents and in-laws understand this complex and rich form of education and help you discover tools to move forward with Unschooling in confidence.
To read more from Sue on this topic click here.

When Your Unschooler Chooses School

After being radically unschooled her whole life, Sue’s youngest daughter decided she wanted to go to the local public high school. While Sue supported her daughter’s choice, they “did high school” on their own terms. After a year and half, Sue’s daughter had enough and returned to the freedom of unschooling.

We will explore the ways that Unschoolers use mainstream schools, alternative schools and “schooly” classes and lessons to achieve their goals.  Can this still be considered “Unschooling?”  How can we support our children when they choose methods of education and institutions that we as parents are ideologically opposed to – or just feel are not the best “place” for our kids?  How can we allow our children to be exposed to the negative aspects of school that we have tried to shield them from all their lives?  Can a school truly be a place of Unschooling freedom?

Unschooling Teens

Are you worried about unschooling your teen? Are you afraid that your choices may close doors instead of opening them? Sue’s three grown unschoolers took completely different paths through the teenage years. Come hear how they navigated these years and rest assured that it does NOT have to be as scary as society makes it sound! Sue also wrote a book, Homeschooled Teens that will be available in October. She interviewed 75 teens and young adults who homeschooled/unschooled as teenagers. She will share their responses to her questions about what life was like for them: finding friends, learning opportunities, hobbies, sports, work, travel, advantages they feel they have now, advice for worried parents, and more!!

Uncover your Highest Values and Life Purpose with Donna Vail

DonnaVailWelcome Donna Vail to our Radiant Tribe!

Donna is the mother of six and has been educating her children at home for almost 20 years.  She empowers families to find and follow their Life Purpose through her writing, speaking, workshops and private coaching.  Donna helps families who are moving from school to home education, as well as those who are moving from a school-at-home approach to one that is led by the Highest Values and Life Purpose of each family member.  Join Donna at the Radiant Living & Learning Retreat for her 2 part workshop:

Unveiling Life Purpose for You and Your Children

Unschooling is an experience to be shared as a family, but it can be greatly enhanced when parents have the vision to facilitate children to their individual greatness.  One of the most stressful areas in unschooling is the inability to understand how your child is communicating their life purpose so you can accurately provide for their needs and not distract them from their purposeful path.  Many parents struggle with knowing their own life purpose and how to manage it productively.  This can make it impossible to facilitate the life purposes of the rest of the family.

The key ingredient is knowing how to identify your highest values and priorities, and those of your children.  Once you know these highest values, you can begin applying them directly to your everyday life.  Raising your children, providing an inspiring learning environment, doing your own work to provide for the family and relate to others is enriched when you identify with your highest values. This process can make the difference between living a meaningful life or one of quiet desperation. Let’s face it, freedom is never free. It comes with great responsibility and if we’re not tuned in or we’re unsure, we become enslaved by our indecisiveness.

In this workshop Donna will take you through the process of determining your highest values, discovering the key to family dynamics and how your perceptions shape your life.  We will also learn how to determine your children’s highest values and how to customize their learning experience into every day purposeful living and learning.

You will walk away from this workshop not only listening better, but also going through the process to have a clearer breakdown of what’s most important in your and your children’s lives.

  • Discover why you do what you do
  • Let go of pushing
  • Hear what your children are really telling you

You will be empowered with new self-understanding and inspiration to love more, live more and learn more.

This workshop is designed for parents but Part One is also appropriate for teens that are interested in using Donna’s process to discover their Highest Values and Priorities.

Part One:
Values Determination Process for Parents and Teens,
Prioritizing

Lunch Break

Part Two:
Values Determination Process for Children’s Values,
Family Dynamics and Customized Learning
(Pre-req: Must have attended Session One)


To learn more about Donna and her process visit www.AnInspiredEducation.com

Connect with Donna at: www.facebook.com/DonnaVailInternational


Links for
More info on the Radiant Living & Learning Retreat
or
Registration

Early Bird discounts are available through August 15.


Can limiting “screen time” HURT our kids?

Last week I attended the Rethinking Everything Conference and was fortunate to see Dr.Peter Gray speak.  It was a highlight of the conference for me since I have enjoyed his Blog on Psychology Today for a while now.

I also highly recommend his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life.KidsUsingiPad

Ever since the conference, something he said about limiting screen time has stuck in my head.  I wanted to share it since there seems to be such a push in “mainstream” parenting advice to limit children’s time in front of the various screens we now have in our homes.

Dr. Gray talked about hunter-gatherer societies and compared the way children learn in these societies with the way they learn in Sudbury Schools and in Unschooling.  In both environments children are free to play almost all the time.  Gray said that in these environments there is an “extraordinary indulgence” and trust in children ages 4 and up.  Kids choose how to spend their days and often choose to play with the tools that adults in their respective societies use.  They pretend scenarios that they see in the adult culture.  Through their (mostly unsupervised) play in mixed age groups, they are able to practice and learn many of the important skills that they will need in adulthood, from interpersonal and relationship skills to problem solving and technical skills (using the tools of their society).

Dr. Gray said, (and I’m paraphrasing from my notes) “It’s no wonder that the children in our society have a strong drive to ‘play’ on devices with screens.  Screens are tools in our society.  Parents often ask me if I recommend that they limit ‘screen time’ for their children, and I say no – limiting screen time in our culture would be like limiting ‘bow & arrow time’ for a child in a hunter-gatherer society.”

This struck me so deeply.  In the past few years I have embraced (almost fully) unlimited screen time for my 3 children, but occasionally I wonder if I “should” work harder to re-direct their attention or encourage other activities when I’m feeling like they are using screen devices too much.

I fully appreciate all the advantages of trusting our kids to make their own choices, but have worried that there might be some deleterious physical or psychological effects from using the screens.  I can see many ways that activities using screens will prepare kids for the future, but I still had that nagging doubt that resulted from always hearing about the “latest study” on screen time and ADHD or sleep disorders.

Dr. Gray’s point showed me yet another way that imposing my agenda (based on fear or influence from society) could possibly hold my kids back.  I accept without reservation the idea that trusting my children to choose how they spend their time will give my kids the gifts of self-confidence, self-regulation and trusting themselves fully, but I sometimes felt conflicted in putting this theory into practice and always honoring their choices when it came to “screen time”.

I see now that by limiting my kids’ opportunities to fully explore activities they enjoy because screens are involved, I could not only undermine their self-confidence and self-trust, but could be thwarting some learning that is preparing my child for the future.  After all there is no way to know what skills and knowledge will be useful 20 years from now, but if they continue to practice activities that utilize the tools of our society as society and technology changes, they will always be “proficient” in the current technologies and will be well placed to make the leap to the next level of advances.

I will still continue to provide opportunities for my kids to get outside, connect with nature and partake in social and other activities that don’t involve screens.  I do think balance in our activities and connection to nature is VERY important for all human beings.   But I also appreciate deeply Dr. Gray’s perspective which has quieted those nagging doubts and supported my instinct to allow my children to learn freely in the ways they choose.

Invitation to Share:
I believe that there is no ONE correct way to raise or educate children.  We each have to find what works best for our children individually and for our families as a whole.  My experience is likely to be different from yours and I believe that in sharing our experiences we can help each other find the way that fits our families’ needs best.  Please share your own observations and experiences on “screen time” with your children in the comments below.
(Or click the comment bubble at the top if you’re viewing this on the Home page.)