Dr. Phil Just Mainstreamed Unschooling 😮
We’re trying out a new format for this weekly digest – hope you like it!
- The Big Idea – combined deep-dive summary of the main insights and trends from the week
- Trends – Links to the articles we’re reading
- Tools – Links to the curricula and other resources we’re trying
Also: last call for Utah families to express your interest in a hands-on aerospace summer camp hosted by OpenEd’s partner Falcon AeroLab.
And now, let’s take a look back at the week that was.
💡 THE BIG IDEA
‘But What About Socialization?’
It’s the question that’s dogged alternative education for decades, deployed like a gotcha moment against anyone brave enough to question traditional schooling. The translation is clear: “You’re challenging what we’ve always done.” But the reality? Open learners engage with diverse age groups, interests, and communities – preparing them for the real world, not just the next grade level.
This week, that skepticism got a prime-time reality check when Dr. Phil featured what he called “the fastest growing trend in American education”: unschooling. The episode showcased a family living on a farm, where children learn through immersive experiences – from building fairy villages (geometry in disguise) to managing fires and caring for livestock.
But the real story wasn’t on the screen – it was in the comments section. “I’m a former public school teacher with a Master’s Degree in Education,” wrote one viewer. “I left teaching in 2021… and I believe without a doubt that unschooling is the future of education.”
Another noted, “We live in a day and age where information is free… It’s up to us as parents to take our children’s education into our own hands.”
When this family first shared their unschooling journey on social media, the trolls came out: “Educational neglect!” “Save these children!” But their fury only proved the point: When you challenge people’s assumptions about learning, you discover how deep those assumptions run.
Showing up ≠ learning.
Take, for instance, our obsession with time in the classroom. Since the 1983 “Nation at Risk” report, American education reform has focused relentlessly on keeping students in seats longer. The math seemed simple: more hours = more learning. Yet Finnish students – who consistently rank among the world’s highest performers – spend 5,500 fewer hours in class between ages 7-14 than American students. That’s nearly two full years less instructional time.
Or, consider Colorado’s Summit School, where students are learning two years of math in a year (while spending less time in traditional instruction). Their secret? Small groups, personalized pathways, and focused attention on what works.
A child deeply absorbed in solving a real problem for 30 minutes can learn more than one passively sitting through a 2-hour lecture.
So how do we transition from a time-based model to one that emphasizes real learning? One possibility is emerging through technology. Microsoft just released an AI reading tutor that might be the most patient teacher in history: it never needs a coffee break, never gets frustrated by repeated questions, and can generate endless personalized stories that match each child’s interests and reading level. As one educator noted this week, “If you are a professorial-style teacher, you will be out of a job. If you are a facilitator, it will enhance your practice.”
But AI is just one piece of a larger transformation. Public schools themselves are evolving, shifting away from endless lecture halls toward what they do best: forums for discussion, peer interaction, laboratories, sports, marching band – all the things that are harder to replicate in a home-based learning environment. In Utah, for example, Canyons School District just announced they’re opening their doors wider for part-time students. Want to take just engineering? Done. Need access to the robotics lab? No problem. Looking for marching band or sports? Come on in. A recent survey found that over 80% of families want this kind of customizable education, but only 38% feel they can currently achieve it.
This brings us back to that perpetual, breathless question: “What about socialization???”
A new answer is coming into focus: Traditional schools can be one venue for social interaction and community engagement – but they’re not the only way, and they never were. The future of education looks less like a set menu and more like a buffet – one where families can mix traditional classes with home learning, combine AI tutoring with human mentorship, and balance structured academics with real-world experiences.
The old either/or thinking is giving way to a both/and future.
📊 TRENDS
VIDEO –
Dr. Phil calls unschooling “the fastest growing trend in American education” (12 minutes)
Will AI Flip the Role of the Classroom Teacher? (Getting Smarter)
Nine hundred school districts have now moved beyond the five-day calendar (up from 650 in 2020) (Education Next)
80% of families want customizable education, but only 38% feel they can achieve it (Yes. Every Kid. Foundation.)
⚒️ TOOLS
Learning Sprints
A new way to structure learning in 1-2 week deep dives. Keep planning sessions short (10 min), add snacks, celebrate both wins and “noble failures.”
Microsoft Reading Coach
Free AI tutor that lets kids become story directors, creating personalized reading adventures while building skills.
Infinite Mind (formerly eyeQ)
This “whole brain” reading enhancement app is free (not $199 as we reported earlier) on both Apple and Android
Read-Aloud Revival
A fresh approach to reading that prioritizes story love over skill drills.
(TWEET) OF THE DAY
(Can we still call it a Tweet? ‘X post’ doesn’t have the same chirp to it.)
That’s all for this week, folks! Have a great weekend.
– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)