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Vanessa Bertozzi 2006 (vanbertozzi@gmail.com)1

Unschooling Media:Participatory Practices among Progressive Homeschoolers

ByVanessa BertozziMaster’s of Science Thesis in Comparative Media StudiesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMay 12, 2006

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Vanessa Bertozzi 2006 (vanbertozzi@gmail.com)2

Table of Contents

p.3—Thanksp.4—Introduction:The Road Not Often Takenp.16—History/Historiography:The Cultural Construction of Media & Technology in a Grassroots Subculturep.53—Five Unschooling Case Studies:p.54—Introduction to Five Unschooling Case Studiesp.67—Case Study #1Peter’s Opera Record

: Haphazardly Accessing the Cabinet of Curiosity

p.80—Case Study #2Eli’s Coop

: A Civil War Role-play

p.98—Case Study #3Carsie’s Network:

Connecting a Geographically Dispersed Population

p.124—Case Study #4Sandra Unschools the Researcher:

Legitimizing IM & TV

p.146—Case Study #5DIY Subculture

: Zines & Collective Participation

p.171—My Methodology:Unschooling the Thesisp.187—Conclusion:Learning with Participatory Practicesin Self-Making & Subcultural Transformationp.196—Appendix:Del.icio.us tagsImage Listp.199—BibliographyWebsites & Community ResourcesMedia ReferencesInterviews & Fieldwork

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Vanessa Bertozzi 2006 (vanbertozzi@gmail.com)3

Thanks to:

My thesis committee: Henry Jenkins, thesis advisor (Comparative Media Studies);Kirsten Olson, thesis reader (Wheaton College); and David Cavallo, thesis reader (MITMedia Lab, Future of Learning Group).Catalina Laserna, my anthropology mentor at Harvard.Kurt Fendt, William Uricchio and Andrea Taylor for their help early on. Also JanetSonenberg, Fred Turner, Mitchell Stevens, Patricia Graham, Judy Norsigian, HelenHaste, Amy Richards, Joyce and Mel King.All CMSers: ’05, ’06, ‘07.My roommates: Mara Dowdall and Dave Barbaree.My family: Ed, Judy, Nick, Kim, and Sabina, Allegra and Jeff, and Julia.All the Informants: Eva Kendrick; Pat Farenga; Carsie Blanton; Rob & Lizette Greco;Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko & Randy Kay; Sage, Garrett, Bella, & Emily Adderley; Matt Hern,Selena, Sadie, Daisy Couture, Ashley Doman, & The Purple Thistle punks; SusannahSheffer & Aaron Falbel; Sue, Marc, Eli & their Jamaica Plain coop; Mary, Mike, Peter, &Richard X; Sandra, Kirby, Marty, & Holly Dodd; Ken Danford, Vlad Blanton,Sphennings Stephens, & North Star; Jason Marsh; Clayton & Vernon Dewey, Danilo X;David Friedman & his family; Denise Perri; Derek Davis; Dan Roy & his mom; GabrielleAnderson; Heather Cushman-Dowdee & her family; Jeremy Merritt & his family; JonShemitz; Joyce & Kathryn Fetteroll; Katie Shuflin-Febuary & Evyn; Katrina Cornell;Loretta Heuer; Nika & Ed Boyce; Roland Legiardi-Laura; Tiara Shafiq; Doug Healy;Billy Upski Wimsatt; & Grace Llewellyn.