learning

Think Outside the Book

Posted by kima ⋅ February 11, 2011 ⋅ 19 Comments

“I have never let school interfere with my education.” -Mark Twain This is a guest post written by Dale J. Stephens, an unschooler and founder of UnCollege – a self-directed learning higher education alternative.I had an opportunity to meet Dale through Twitter and since then had got to know him better through our email and Skype … Continue reading »

Learning is transformational, can schooling come close?

Posted by kima ⋅ February 6, 2011 ⋅ 7 Comments

After reading Gatto, I make a distinction between education and schooling. Schooling is, at least in its current form, a way to govern education, but more often than not, education can happen without it — as millions of home-schoolers in US and many other countries and numerous important people through history that didn’t go to school can … Continue reading »

10 Ways to build resilience…

Posted by whatedsaid ⋅ February 2, 2011 ⋅ 1 Comment

Also posted at What Ed Said. Jay McTighe struggled to learn to surf in his 50′s and almost gave up. He talks about the experience in this clip and reminds us that it’s important for teachers to remember how frustrating it can be trying to learn something new. He says we need to model persistence … Continue reading »

Why Should Students Collaborate?

Posted by peter skillen ⋅ January 26, 2011 ⋅ 9 Comments

Introduction So I just started taking the Connectivism and Connected Learning course – and I shall struggle to see how it differentiates itself as a ‘learning theory’. George Siemens is developing this theory along with Stephen Downes. George outlines it here in Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. The first analysis I wish … Continue reading »

The future of big box schooling

Posted by kima ⋅ January 24, 2011 ⋅ 5 Comments

I recently posted my thoughts on Schooling the World, an important film that takes a look at the value of bringing Western-style education to sustainable indigenous cultures and beyond. I personally — and as I mentioned in my post, it seems Sir Ken Robinson too — believe the film raises many important questions which are … Continue reading »

While US waits for Superman, kids in the world are drafted as failures

Posted by kima ⋅ January 19, 2011 ⋅ 14 Comments

I posted this 3 months ago on my personal blog — My bin of thoughts. In a discussion with this group it came up that while quite a few posts have been written on the Cooperative Catalyst for Waiting for Superman, no one have yet posted anything about Schooling the World. I believe that this … Continue reading »

Learning is (supposed to be) fun, no?

Posted by kima ⋅ January 16, 2011 ⋅ 10 Comments

My older daughter is a grade 1 student in a French Immersion school and this year the school emphasizes reading and writing basic sight words as one of the goals for the kids. While the first four months she brought no homework, starting this month, her class will do a regular dictation exercise at the … Continue reading »

What Would Motivate Our Kids?

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ January 14, 2011 ⋅ 3 Comments

In another great RSA Animate YouTube film, Daniel Pink shares what really motivates us. It’s not what we think. After watching this video, I wondered what schools might do with this information. Currently, our schools use grades and privileges to both motivate and punish students. High grades and special privileges are supposed motivators, and poor … Continue reading »

Please don’t take my blanket away!

Posted by kima ⋅ January 11, 2011 ⋅ 13 Comments

As I was taking my younger daughter to her daycare this morning, making sure I don’t forget her favorite stuffed toy — Piglet, of Winnie the Pooh fame — a sequence of pictures flashed in front of my eyes: The warmth of our home, causing my brain to recall familiar smells from the baking in … Continue reading »

Scream when someone takes your spoon!

Posted by kima ⋅ January 5, 2011 ⋅ 18 Comments

When I was invited to join this blog, I had lots of ideas what should my first post be about — death to subject silos, put a stop to age segregation, pull parents and even the community into the learning, etc. While I would still like to bring a parent perspective on these important topics, … Continue reading »

Equity, Opportunity, and Real Learning

Posted by Paula White ⋅ December 17, 2010 ⋅ 7 Comments

I was recently asked in an application what my interest in K-12 STEM education was. Here’s my response, along with an additional paragraph with some questions I am considering right now: I remember the fascination I had in high school when I took physics and chemistry. I remember watching and being absorbed in the first … Continue reading »

#Blog4Reform Media Links

Posted by Paula White ⋅ November 21, 2010 ⋅ 4 Comments

Please add a link to your own post or to a favorite post that describes the Real Grassroots Education Reform that you believe America needs in the comments at this site. http://coopcatalyst.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/ideas/ Next, please share one or more links with politicians and America’s media and use #blog4reform. Our voices only matter if others hear us. … Continue reading »

My Inner Pollyanna’s Ed Reform Blue Sky

Posted by Jason Flom ⋅ October 16, 2010 ⋅ 10 Comments

Even amid the heated education debates & discourse, my inner Pollyanna still dream’s big. Here’s my blue sky, if I had my way: 1. United Teachers They become a force to be reckoned with. Politicians, news outlets, and policy makers take notice and make room at the table. They ask teachers questions like, “What can … Continue reading »

This teacher reacts to seeing “Waiting for Superman”

Posted by teacherken ⋅ October 16, 2010 ⋅ 24 Comments

crossposted from Daily Kos for which it was first written Friday schools across Maryland were closed, so I went to the first show at Noon. On the way home I thought long and hard about what I would say. No matter how I parse it, my reaction has two key points. 1. Davis Guggenheim feels … Continue reading »

Thinking in School?

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ October 11, 2010 ⋅ 16 Comments

In a recent Huffington Post essay, Eric Maisel presents an argument for adding thinking to school . His idea is simple. Carve out 45 minutes each day for students to ponder big (age-appropriate) questions, write down their thoughts, and present them if they wish. I like this idea, and I would take it further. Readers … Continue reading »

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