systemic change

Must It Take Media Stunts to Address Global Problems and Create Real Solutions?

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ June 13, 2011 ⋅ 2 Comments

Take a look at the heartwarming and powerful video of 7-year-old Olivia Binfield auditioning on the show Britain’s Got Talent. When I watched this video I got teary. Britain, and now the world, listened to this little girl speak the truth so eloquently and beautifully. Who could not be moved to reconsider buying an alligator … Continue reading »

No Controversy Allowed! On Getting Kicked Out of a Middle School

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ June 6, 2011 ⋅ 7 Comments

I wanted to share a recent post I wrote for Common Dreams, a progressive news site. Here are a couple excerpts: Imagine our surprise when ten minutes after the presentation we found out that the second one was canceled. The principal – who’d come in a few times during my presentation but wasn’t able to … Continue reading »

What’s high school for?

Posted by kima ⋅ May 6, 2011 ⋅ 3 Comments

I don’t always agree with Seth Godin, but I usually find his thoughts valuable beyond the world of marketing and entrepreneurship he usually writes about. I was so glad he decided to venture into the question of “what value could (or should) high school bring?” in today’s blog post, he suggests we should teach the future generations … Continue reading »

A Powerful, Crucial Vision for the Future of Schooling: Teaching 2030

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ April 8, 2011 ⋅ 2 Comments

Teaching 2030: What We Must Do for Our Students and Our Public Schools… Now and in the Future is perhaps the most cogent, reasonable, clear, and yet visionary book about educational reform in the 21st Century. Written through a collaboration of twelve teachers/teacher-leaders and changemakers, Teaching 2030 steers clear of rhetoric, either/ors, political side-taking, and … Continue reading »

What the School Reform Debate Misses About Teachers

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 30, 2011 ⋅ 4 Comments

For my post today, I’m sharing an excellent op-ed by former New York chancellor, Joel Klein. While I don’t always agree with Klein, in this case, I believe that he’s hitting the crux of the issue regarding teachers, and that we need to stop choosing sides and ensure that our children get great teachers and … Continue reading »

Want Better Schools? Exalt Great Teachers

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 28, 2011 ⋅ 8 Comments

For my blog post today, I’m sharing an essay I wrote that was published on Common Dreams.org, a progressive news site. Here’s a short excerpt: “We all have our stories of bad teachers. Most of us have memories of being bored, frustrated, anxious, and often miserable at school. We love our great teachers, and we … Continue reading »

No Independent Thought or Discussion Allowed in AP Class!

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 23, 2011 ⋅ 8 Comments

A friend’s daughter is taking Advanced Placement (AP) World History. During class she and another student got into an engaged discussion about a topic they were studying that both had passionate feelings about and which both were prepared to discuss respectfully and knowledgeably. One had made a statement with which the other had disagreed and … Continue reading »

Educating About Eating Animals

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 14, 2011 ⋅ 4 Comments

Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have chosen Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals as the summer reading book for their incoming freshman for 2011. Rarely would summer reading for a college’s new students be newsworthy, but this one is. For a book that so carefully and comprehensively uncovers animal agriculture … Continue reading »

The World Becomes What We Teach

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ February 21, 2011 ⋅ 1 Comment

I wanted to share an essay I wrote that was published on Common Dreams.org, a progressive news site. Here’s a short excerpt: “Rather than offer unconnected academic disciplines, imagine if each year of high school covered a single overarching issue, such as Sustenance, Energy, Production, or Protection. Teachers with expertise in different subjects could provide … Continue reading »

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 »

When Compromise Means Defending the Indefensible, It’s Time to Embrace Our Idealism

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ February 7, 2011 ⋅ 13 Comments

My friend and colleague, Mary Pat Champeau, brought over a Netflix video for a few of us to watch at the Institute for Humane Education. It was called The Girl in the Café, and I figured she’d just landed upon a really entertaining film and wanted to share it. “Just send it back when you’re … 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 »

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 »

Ken Robinson’s New Talk on Education Paradigms

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ January 12, 2011 ⋅ 6 Comments

Take a look at Ken Robinson’s new talk on education paradigms through RSA Animate: Ken Robinson is so brilliant about identifying the systemic problems in education that perpetuate and escalate ennui, lack of creativity, and the failure of wisdom to take root (that Barry Schwartz discusses in his recent TED talk). What are the solutions … Continue reading »

Barry Schwartz on Practical Wisdom and How We Need This in Schools

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ January 10, 2011 ⋅ 8 Comments

I’m a big fan of Barry Schwartz, and his recent TED talk on our loss of wisdom just adds to my appreciation of him and his work. Take a look: Many of the issues he addresses in his short talk – teaching to tests, imprisoning people for non-violent acts – are ones I’ve written about … Continue reading »

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