What is Montessori? How is Montessori different than traditional education? Anyone who has ever had a child in a Montessori program has most likely, at some point or another, been asked one or both of these questions. If you have ever tried to explain Montessori education to a friend or family member, then you know [...]
self-directed learning
A solution to the present dominator paradigm
In William Ellis’ book, A Gaian Paradigm: Speculation on the Future, he states that “…there is a deep human desire, if not crying need, for humans to create a better world…” His book illustrates the current “dominator paradigm” in which humans are consuming resources in an unsustainable manner. Mr. Ellis goes through various subjects from [...]
5/6/12 Weekly news round-up
Here are some alternative education links we’ve found over the last week: Stop Racing! Starting Living (It Works!) was published in the Huffington Post by Kenneth Danford, co-founder of the North Star Self-directed Learning for Teens, an AERO member, in Hadley, MA. Will the Common Core Create World-Class Learners? An interview of author and professor [...]
Southwestern high school students create self-teaching school
On Friday, April 27, 2012 at 10:55 a.m., we students of Western International High School will be starting our first day of class at Southwest Detroit Freedom School at Clark Park, across from our beloved school which we were suspended from. After over 300 of us staged a student walkout on Wednesday April 25, 2012, over 150 [...]
May Day and the free university in New York
The Free University offers a public space for the 99% to disengage from an unequal system and imagine a model for alternative education. Those gathered in Madison Square Park, and those meeting in other spaces in solidarity, will create a university that is open to all, without debt or tuition for students, without pre-requisites, age [...]
Coursera jumps into independent education
With the discussion of open-course software, education, and classes. Coursera is one of the many organizations and tech-start ups that are offering opportunities for individuals to learn and even get college credit if they want to.
What motivates individuals and how this impacts education
In this RSA Animate video, Dan Pink discusses what really motivates us as individuals. If we were to take this information and add it to alternative education resources and knowledge how would we see it working? What would be different? What things would change?
Making your voice heard through democratic education
In a quick montage, we see that the time spent in today’s education system – does not equal the creative learning atmosphere that employers and our society needs. Student’s voices must be heard, and democratic education is one of the many forms that this can happen today!
Adora Svitak on “being childish”
Child prodigy, Adora Svitak says that we must learn from students and children. They are the ones with the imagination. She discusses the transformational model of education. It should not just be a teacher in front of the class, but more of a collaborative effort; teachers learning from students and students learning from teachers on [...]
Richard Baraniuk opens up open-source education opportunities
In this TED talk by Richard Baraniuk, the discussion of open-source education and the shift towards this concept is becoming more and more prevalent. From MIT to Stanford to Democratic Schools across the country. Who would benefit most from this resource? What courses would you take?
