Saw this on a home ed forum, excellent!....

 

Subject	Traditional Learning	Natural Learning
Child viewed as...	an empty vessel waiting to be filled, or to be trained like an animal	a sprouting seed on its way to becoming a tree
Adult viewed as...	a fount of knowledge, or an authority figure on which the child must depend	a model to imitate, a resource and helper
Learning is...	a result of teaching, or being shown or told	a process of satisfying the desire to know and be able to do, discovery
Learning occurs...	in a logical, orderly way, in graded increments	in subtle and complex recognition of patterns, unplanned and unordered
Everyday life and learning...	are separate in time and space	are integrated and interdependent
Ideal amount of learning...	is 13 years plus 4 or more optional years	begins at birth and lasts a lifetime
Focus of learning is...	on the learner's weaknesses, to bring them up to the level of strong areas (which tend to weaken through disuse)	on the learner's strong points, while weak areas tend to gradually improve as a matter of course
Curriculum is...	Pre-determined by the teacher or the school system, is limited in scope and expensive	determined by student and available experiences, broad or narrow depending on the interest and energy of the moment
Subjects to learn...	are separate and distinct from one another	are integrated and fluid
Textbooks & workbooks...	are the primary source of information, and generally no other questions are entertained	are seldom used, except as references (or for props in playing 'school'...)
The schedule is...	inflexible, by the clock	based on individual and family needs, subject to serendipity, as in the "learning moment"
Success is defined...	as conforming to society's expectations, or as completing 11,970 hours of sitting at a desk	as being able to transition into the adult world as a self-assured productive citizen
Failure to succeed is...	noted, punished, and can become a life sentence	accepted as part of life, and an opportunity to try again
Learning disabilities are...	special 'advantages' that provide entitlements, or flaws to be corrected or glossed over	recognized as different learning styles that require uncommon approaches to common skills
Authority is vested in...	the teacher, the institution, the society, or anyone who is bigger or stronger (through control and manipulation)	the individual, to be delegated to others as appropriate, through respect, consensus, and representation
Reading...	must be mastered at age 6 or 7, otherwise learning cannot progress	begins anytime between 3 and 13, and late readers have advantages such as the chance to experience the world more directly
Math is...	a series of facts and formulas to be learned for use in abstract problem solving	a way of relating patterns and relationships to the problems of everyday life so as to find useful and appropriate solutions