Unschooling is usually called autonomous Home educatioin in the UK
there's a number of websites you could look atJoyfully Rejoycing being one, Sandra Dodd's is another
For me, the difference is between me delivering a system, where I impose what I want them to learn, and them choosing what they want to do completely.
I suppose it looks a bit like other people's six weeks summer hols, with the children having a wonderful time, doing as they choose.
It's probably how most under five year olds learn-through exploring in every day life, and how adults learn too.
If I'm interested in something, it would be difficult to stop me learning.I'd be reading everything there was on the subject, and everything that surrounds it.
We don't differentiate between life and learning. We didn't make them do a single bit of written work, although they could have done activity sheets etc. Instead they far preferred that they would write when they wanted to.
So my (dyslexic) son left school HATING reading and writing. He most certainly would not read a book-and had never done so, other than the bare amount forced on him by school. But soon became involved in a computer gane called Baldurs Gate. Lots of puzzles and logic there. Then I happened to mention that the game probably had it's origins in 'Lord of the Rings'-so he read it! The first book he's ever read!
He went onto enjoy Warhammer enormously, and read all of the Codex's applicable. Fantasy Games came next and he began to write reams and reams of story lines and charector directions as the Games Master of his own game. Even my doubting mother could see that was 'creative writing' if you looked at it!
We did maths in every day life and history and geography came along the same way-and by talking, talking and talking some more about whatever interested him-for as long as it interested him. It might be something about the Iraq war that he'd discussed with a close Iraqi friend of ours........leading to further discussions and personal research about different religions. Or something he'd noticed on the world map pinned to the bathroom wall lead to an interest in the landscape of the antartic.....
At school, they had predicted he might achieve Grade Ds at GCSE, "if he worked very very hard".
Instead what happened is that we lived life like the rest of you do in your summer holidays......we spent weeks in a tent at different home ed camps around the country, where he played games and had fun talking to all manner of people from different walks of life. If he was interested in something we facilitated that interest so that he could follow it.
He took himself to college when he was ready. We didn't nag him to go/do his homework/get up on time etc. he simply did it all because he had chosen to do so.
He's at University now doing very well indeed.
Sound good? You might also be interested to know that we started (albeit our children were older) with much the same ideas about what an education should look like, as you OP. we soon found out that it didn't suit our family at all. Horses for courses I think.
But well worth exploring further think. Can you find some local home educators to you and go along and chat about what they do? and have a look at some of Alan Thomas' books about autonomus home education in the UK.