By Peter Gray Ph.D. Before one develops anything, one should have a pretty clear idea of its purpose. What is the thing you are building supposed to do? It makes no sense to talk about the structure of something without having in mind, first, a clear idea of its function, […]
By GenDIY Updated Feb 16, 2017 Tyler Nakatsu There is a growing reality that young people don’t need school. Students don’t need “school” that isn’t learner-led, that forces students through a pipeline that isn’t built on the passions and skills of each unique student. In a recent episode of the […]
This is a very dangerous book. It contradicts all the conventional wisdom about dropouts and the importance of a formal education. It is funny and inspiring. Do not under any circumstances share this book with a bright, frustrated high~schooler being ground into mind fudge by the school system. This writer […]
This Nov. 1, 2016 photo provided by Drew Wharton shows a female black bear wearing GPS collar in Yosemite National Park. (Drew Wharton via AP) FRESNO, Calif. — Wildlife enthusiasts around the world can now follow the daily journey of Yosemite National Park’s black bears from their laptops and smartphones, […]
WE ARE ALL CONFORMISTS, WHETHER WE ADMIT IT OR NOT. IT’S PART OF OUR HUMAN NATURE. WE COULDN’T FORM AND LIVE IN HUMAN SOCIETIES IF WE WEREN’T CONFORMISTS. TO A CONSIDERABLE DEGREE, CONFORMITY IS A GOOD THING.
By Idzie Desmarais Something I see sometimes that makes me scratch my head: “We use a curriculum that’s really unschooling friendly!” …Which seems to be missing the point more than a little. If a child chooses to do a curriculum of their own free will (as in, there wasn’t strong […]
Students are more reluctant to seek help from teachers than from friends or parents. from www.shutterstock.com In Australia approximately one student in five is bullied at school every few weeks or more often. Many of these students suffer serious emotional and psychological harm, such as persistent anxiety, depression and suicidal […]
When asked what education is supposed to do, what it’s supposed to instill in the minds of growing humans, one of the most common answers is “critical thinking.” After browsing through definitions from various dictionaries, all of which amount to essentially the same thing, I found Google’s version to be […]
by Robin Grille Excerpted from Heart to Heart Parenting A child’s right to receive attention One of the most commonly heard parental laments is about how children try to get attention. So many behaviors that adults don’t like are brushed off as “merely” attention-seeking devices. “Don’t worry about him,” we say, […]
A common, or Harbor, porpoise. / Credit: Jan Zoetekouw / Shutterstock.com Porpoises and dolphins, as well as whales, are members of the scientific order Cetacea. Dolphins and porpoises are often confused. Both have sleek bodies and large flippers. However, porpoises don’t have beaks like dolphins. Also, porpoises have triangular dorsal fins, […]