Not all people can get out of school

[James Comey]

One thing we as a community need to realize is that not every person who visits here is going to be able to get out of school. Sometimes, things like parents, finance, or other factors prevent such from happening. A GED/whatever etc isn't always going to happen.

I think we've made some good content on alternatives to public school, but we need more than that. We've been suggesting this for quite a while now, but we need an actual survival kit. You know, something that's actually useful for people to not just survive, but thrive in their typical American high school. Something that gives them an edge over their environment and that provides beyond school. You know the real world.

I'm not going to get into the "current" (AKA hasn't been updated since 2007, not that I'm giving any flak over that) survival kit, that's something else on its own. We've somewhat been creating a survival kit on SSN that I'd like to link:
http://network.school-survival.org/ssn/survival-kit/

However, the list is so small, and we need legitimate, real input from everyone in the community. Concepts, ideas, etc that could prove useful in trying to make the best out of what are otherwise dull and often mentally painful years. In fact, I suggest anyone feel free to make an article if they'd like as well (post it as Pastebin, GDoc, whatever), and see where it goes from there.

Forum help and IRC only goes so far. We need something that's useful, printer friendly, etc and can be read easily. Something intriguing, something that can actually be marketed. I know I'm thinking big here, but I'd really like to avoid prolonged stages of stagnation. It's something that's plagued the site since its inception.

[GamerGurl]

You're probably not going to like what I have to say but here goes.

Don't you believe you're asking the impossible by not only trying to at least get us who have to keep going through school survive, but thrive as well? How are we supposed to thrive in an environment we despise and disagree with? That's like making a wild horse try and adjust living in a tundra biome.

I'm not saying I disagree with this goal or anything. I just hope you and xcriteria have this handled and I wish you both the best of luck.

I know I could NEVER thrive in school and that's why I went with the next best option: a GED. Which I do realize that this is something that not everyone can get, but I guess my parents thought that this was as close as I could get to a high school diploma without having to be homeschooled.

I don't think I really have any feedback to give as I'm a pretty critical person, but you probably knew that already.

[James Comey]

Relax, not everyone can get through school, and I'm not saying that you should get through it if you can't (given your personality Marty, that's a bad idea). But really, there are people who probably would find this pretty useful. After all, I thought we were School Survival. We might as well live up to the name.

[GamerGurl]

(08-19-2014 04:58 PM)Hansgrohe Wrote:  Relax, not everyone can get through school, and I'm not saying that you should get through it if you can't (given your personality Marty, that's a bad idea). But really, there are people who probably would find this pretty useful. After all, I thought we were School Survival. We might as well live up to the name.

TBH I think School Survival is just a special way of saying I have an undying rage for school.

This might not benefit everyone and anti-schoolers like me, but I think this is worth the shot. Besides, more SS content never hurt anyone right? I think this would help others who may have the endurance and motivation to thrive in an environment they dislike.

[James Comey]

Right.... different people react and adapt differently to different environments.

[GamerGurl]

(08-19-2014 05:15 PM)Hansgrohe Wrote:  Right.... different people react and adapt differently to different environments.

So carry on, my friend! Will this survival kit be shared both with SS and SSN? Ours could sure use some very well needed spring cleaning. 7 years old!

[James Comey]

Definitely both, given that SSN is interlinked with SS. The 2007 kit may be archived just for laughs, curiosity, and giggles.

[SoulRiser]

I'll probably move most of the current survival kit to School Is Prison.

Erm, I made a section on the wiki for writing a new one... nobody's added anything. Hans is the only person besides me to edit anything at all on the wiki so far.

http://forums.school-survival.net/forumd...php?fid=58
We even have an entire forum for planning stuff. I guess most people missed that due to drama. It's OK. We can use it now.

[xcriteria]

Yeah, let's get this going for real.

For those stuck in school, Student Voice is a good ally. Let's reach out to them and see about collaborating.

So much more dialogue, awareness, and even some change can happen within schools, and it's much easier with credible partners.

Connected Learning Alliance is another ally for both change within schools and promoting learning beyond school.

StuVoice has an in-person event in NYC on Sept. 20, and I'm planning a hybrid in-person/hangout event the next day focused on SS/SSN topics, but there's a lot of overlap.

Also, there's a Connected Learning related SXSW Edu panel proposed for next spring on learning beyond school.

And I think these are just the beginning. Meanwhile, producing and distributing.polished content, and getting to know more people who feel the same about school are key goals to.pursue.

So let's do it!

A big question is, who's going to do what?. And.when? Maybe we could establish a plan and schedule, and treat this like a bona fide job / project.

Sadly, school doesn't tend to provide any practice or even modeling for doing that, despite those being vital skills for many routes to income and success beyond the walls of a classroom.

[James Comey]

xcriteria, I'm thinking of writing an e-mail of some sort to Student Voice. Normally before I would have said "build up the content", but we're so far behind I'm just thinking asking straight up of any possible collaboration. We're stagnating.... badly.

[xcriteria]

Yeah, I'm thinking of writing an email, too. I'm back to having flexible use of time. I'm still trying to balance making money, but I'm thinking a lot about promotion and how to bring the story if the archaic nature of much schooling vs. the changes of the 21st century and cognitive refugees in particular into a form more people can connect with.

I encourage everyone who wants to work on this stuff to get active on g+. StuVoice is mostly active on FB and Twitter. Let's see about using all these tools to their fullest.

[Evan92]

What needs to be marketed or rather suggested is using the "system" to work the system. Know all policies and procedures of your school districts and hold those in positions of power accountable for their actions. There are a plethora of options available in regards to alternate methods of education but unfortunately many can not access these due to parental input. The educational methods utilized by the factory model system is only one of many issues which placate a failing system. There is the very real and imminent threat of violence for many in schools. The system fails to properly handle this and only further aggravates an all ready volatile situation.

[Education Reform Movement]

Agreed, parents are an especially frightening factor...

[xcriteria]

So much learning can happen beyond school, too... just being locked up all those hours in the day doesn't have to stop you.

Often, people don't use the time they do have at their disposal as optimally as they could. School-as-usual needs to be questioned and challenged, as well as various aspects of parenting, but there's so much more to learning and doing than those factors, unless you're really in the worst of situations, like behavior-mod camps.

How can we promote people making the most of learning beyond school... and even finding ways to learn within school (by talking to people, bringing reading material, asking questions, learning to notice things in new ways, etc.)?