Educational Challenge: next new thing

When I read an IBMer saying "The 'next big thing' no longer exists" my thoughts are: are you crazy? No one knows when the next innovation will take place. That's why you want to continuously challenge the next generation to go further and think outside the norm.

Precisely the kind of things school system does not promote and in fact actively discourage. I mean, think about it: grading is all about meeting the teachers expectations. Standard tests are to make every one conform to the norm. Even [inter]national "championships" (be it science fairs or music competitions), everyone follows the same rules. How can innovation come when everyone has to follow the same dreary rules? [Regarding moral issues, you can find my blogging on it at dannysmensstudies]

Which is the beauty of home education and especially us unschoolers: we break the mold and raise our children to challenge the norm and overcome obstacles -- "no" is not a rejection but a challenge! [OK, I guess it can be taken in a wrong way but I'm not talking about the classic "no means yes" in dating situation here. I mean "no" as in "it can't be done" or "you can't do it -- because you don't have the degrees or credentials."] Unfortunately for me, by going through the school system I have turned into a good conformists and a good employee -- all of which are slowly changing as I understand how brainwashed I was in the school system. This unschooling thing is just as much my own mental retraining as we are trying to educate our children!