Customized Learning: Exerpt from 2nd Soon-Completed Book

Customized Learning

VISION

Customized Learning aspires to make the opportunity of its unique, effective approach to learning available to the widest possible community of interested families.  In a time of great contention as to how best to teach our kids, many rich alternative approaches to teaching and learning have been developed, most available only to families who invest time, money and take the risk of immersing their children in an environment wholly foreign to conventional notions of how education is run.  Sudbury and Free Schools, Unschooling and similar homeschooling approaches—even Waldorf and Montessori Schools are very different from conventional public and private schools, and require a significant tuition commitment.  Customized Learning has a vision that Freedom to Learn can be made available as an opportunity to all families, even those who have their child(ren) already enrolled in the school of their choice.  It is an after-school mentorship program, distinct from traditional tutoring and after-school programs inasmuch as these programs tend to operate from the same approach and philosophy of learning as conventional schooling.  Customized Learning complements traditional schooling, but gives students an opportunity to invest in a pathway to rich, self-guided learning largely unavailable in schools.  It operates from a philosophy of educational independence, putting students and their own authentic, self-generated interests and pursuits at the center of its focus. 

The role of a mentor in this process is crucial, but totally distinct from the conventional role occupied by teachers in mainstream schooling.  Instead of delivering pre-fabricated content, treating the student's mind as a vessel to be filled with the teacher's prepared material, a mentor meets the student with a love of learning, an engaged interest in myriad topics, an open and curious mind, and whatever skills and knowledge they've garnered in their life thus far.  The unique skill of a Customized Learning Mentor is NOT to come to the mentoring role with a preconception of what students should learn or know, NOT seeking out "teachable moments" in which to begin lecturing...  And not to judge oneself when this intention gives way to the habits of our own upbringing, education, and previous teaching experiences.  It's not that "teaching" in the conventional sense is "bad"-- but students are getting enough of this ubiquitous experience elsewhere in their lives, be certain.  The goal of a Customized Learning Mentorship is to provide a distinct environment, in which students can explore their own interests, work on skills they would like to develop, indulge their natural love of learning, unimpeded and uncoerced.

This might sound like "free time"-- not learning.  Customized Learning operates from the principle that sometimes, these two can appear indistinguishable-- but that the most engaged learning, and a natural love of learning, can be nurtured by intentionally providing an environment of Freedom to Learn.  The difference between this intentionally-created environment, and a youngster simply "hanging
out" on their own time, may sometimes be subtle.  One thing that a  Customized Learning Mentorship strives to acknowledge and foster is an awareness of the degree to which "one's own time" is a time in which authentic learning-- sometimes the most valuable, essential learning-- in fact occurs.

Why would a parent pay money (though Customized Learning strives to be reasonable, and affordable for all interested families) to have their child(ren) engaged in a Mentorship without a stated learning goal, or apparent preordained purpose?  Their child(ren) will not (necessarily) be "preparing for a test," or "learning to play an instrument," or preparing for a particular academic or skills-oriented goal or performance...  Although any of these results may be enhanced by the Customized Learning experience.  If a student LOVES music (many student-aged people do), and wants to learn to play an instrument prominent in the music of their favorite band or style of music... We'll dive in! Similarly with sports; dance; acting; martial arts;  journalism; writing poetry, fiction, screenplays, movie reviews; art of any medium, photography, crafts, sewing, cooking, world travel, world history, politics, current events of any kind...  You name it:  though the cost to equip a given interest must be  a factor, and an individual cannot do everything, much less master anything if attempting to try "everything"-- a Customized Learning Mentor will provide space, encouragement, freedom to try and fail, freedom to try something and then realize that it doesn't hold the student's interest and engagement-- Freedom to Learn.

Life is Boundless.  Learning can be, too.  The structure, boundaries and assessments provided in a conventional learning environment can assist a young mind in learning many things-- but a learning environment in which these boundaries and external controls are intentionally minimized, in which a mentor who does not act as a coercive, but simply as a supportive, encouraging, attentive, assisting presence, giving permission and freedom to the student to try new things, to pursue existing interests, to use their time and intelligence in self-guided, self-actualized ways-- though it doesn't resemble conventional ideas of what learning looks like, this environment can be an exceptionally rich space for the essence of human learning to occur at its most liberated, its most exponentially-unfolding, self-expressed levels.

The fact is-- the human brain is a marvel, and it operates on myriad and subtle levels.  We famously only use about ten percent of its capacity-- and much of its capacity and wonder is expressed and accessed on a subconscious plane, far beyond the reach of those who would try to control, train, program or "discipline" the mind.  There is a place for discipline, for structure, and for learning self-discipline, certainly.  Customized Learning's embrace of Freedom does not imply the opposite of self-discipline.  In fact, when humans are fully engaged, interested in what they are doing, what they are choosing to pursue, learn and (maybe) master-- self-discipline of the most rigorous, internalized kind tends to be naturally fostered, and to be learned in a permanent way.  Customized Learning strives to encourage and empower just such authentic, engaged learning.  What a student gains in self-confidence, self-knowledge, mastery of their own innate ability to learn-- and love of learning-- can be applied in turn to other, more formalized and externally-structured realms of the student's educational experience.

Alternatives, Alternatives-- Which Most
Don't Choose

There are many alternatives to mainstream public and established private schools.  Charter Schools are on the rise, and their approaches and specialization vary wildly, making it difficult to identify any cohesive approach or distinguishing characteristic other than the new "business model" of public schooling which they represent.  Their popularity seems a distinct indicator, though, of a general trend of dissatisfaction with prevalent norms in education, and a desire among parents to find something new, better, distinct.

The rise in rates of homeschooling is also significant.  This phenomenon is
associated with Christian households hoping to raise their children in a religious learning environment-- but a significant number of families choosing homeschooling do not pursue it for primarily religious reasons, but out of frustration with the conventional methods and perceived shortcomings of available schooling in their region.  Among these, many choose an approach sometimes called "Unschooling" or "LifeLearning," which puts a great deal of trust, and the opportunity of self-directed learning, in the hands of the students.  Unschooling parents frequently choose not to purchase or pursue a preconceived curriculum, but instead attempt to create a home environment in which opportunities for exploration and creativity abound.  Such parents are likely to buy materials and equipment their kids request, allowing them to pursue and gain mastery of the skills and interests authentic to them.  This approach to learning is similar to Customized Learning, and in ways to Sudbury and Free Schools.  In homeschooling, though, students are relatively isolated to their homes-- social opportunities with other kids must be intentionally created within the community. 
Fortunately, the internet can connect people of similar bent within a region, and make opportunities available which may have been a struggle to establish in previous times.  Homeschooling families can also register their children in group
lessons, camps, and other services which put them into regular contact with groups of other kids who share their interests.  Homeschooling students needn't experience an isolated existence-- but because they do not regularly attend a school with many kids their own age right in their midst throughout the school year, this effort must be made by homeschooling parents and students to connect with others, frequently involving payment for classes in which the student can meet others.

For this reason, among others, many families do not even consider homeschooling-- or if they do, they either don't choose it, or eventually abandon it as their children grow older, and social opportunities become an important priority.  Maybe they find a school in their area-- whether a Montessori or Waldorf
School, or a Sudbury or so-called Free School if one exists within their community, and they can afford tuition at a private school-- or maybe they feel compelled to choose a local public school, if paying tuition is beyond their means.  In any case, they hope the school is a good one, do what they can to facilitate their child's education, and make the best of their options and means.

All parents do their utmost to find the best educational opportunities their community and finances allow.  Some wish for an alternative, but can't afford their community's private/ alternative schools, and neither parent can stay home to homeschool the child(ren).  Many communities don't have much in the way of "alternative" educational options, or the options available don't feel like a "fit"
to a given family-- or maybe the family has found a great school, whether public or private, which they can afford and their child(ren) love...  But they always have their eyes out for new, unique learning opportunities for their young ones.

Whatever your family's choices, Customized Learning is designed to facilitate the choice-- and to provide the kind of unique, thought-out educational philosophy which is unavailable in most conventional/ public schools, and expensive and/ or risky to pursue independently through full homeschooling or enrollment in the most unique educational alternatives such as Sudbury and Free Schools, which are available in a limited number of communities nationwide.  Customized Learning, as an after-school/ weekend mentoring service, or pursued by parents with their own children, allows the unique approach of the most innovative alternatives available to be accessible to any family, at an affordable rate (mentorship is available at a rate lower than many conventional tutors), with a flexible schedule and location.  It is also available to facilitate families already homeschooling, or pursuing other alternatives to the  various mainstream schooling options.

Whatever your vantage, or reason for choosing Customized Learning for your child(ren), the approach and opportunity are the same.  The space it provides is
open, spacious, allowing maximum choice and initiative to the student.  The opportunity to choose and pursue precisely what interests them, with an experienced Mentor available to assist, to collaborate, to join in activities, crafts, athletics, brainstorming, experimenting-- all of the components of the most authentic, self-generated learning-- distinct from schooling, distinct from their homelife, from their social friendships-- this is the opportunity afforded by Customized Learning.  It is an affordable, effective supplement to any other chosen avenue(s) of education.

The Vision of Customized Learning is to be available to families in communities across the land, as well as internationally, providing individual Mentors aligned with the educational philosophy described herein.  Customized Learning plans to make its alternative, effective approach to learning available to anyone-- to students everywhere who would like the opportunity to engage in authentic, self-guided learning, free of externally-imposed expectations, pressurized high-stakes testing, and product-oriented educational systems which can lead students to feel alienated, bored, unfulfilled and unexpressed.  Whatever educational avenues these students already travel, Customized Learning hopes to complement their existing education with its opportunity of Freedom to Learn.