It has come to pass. After six years – including personal challenges and a global pandemic (!) – I have successfully completed and defended my PhD at Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada. I’m still in a bit of shock (the good kind) and very grateful to be savouring life on the ‘other side of the […]
I highly recommend The Myth of Normal – CBC ‘Ideas’ podcast – a 2-part series on CBC’s ‘Ideas’ that includes many insights from authors I reference in my ‘Neurobiology and Learning‘ course in Antioch University’s Individual Masters Program (online): Temple Grandin, Gabor Maté, Thomas Armstrong, and others talking about the need for accepting and expanding […]
In crafting a literature review for my PhD dissertation on the subject of learning, certain researchers and authors jumped out at me. I was fascinated to know about Frederick Winslow Taylor and his theory of ‘scientific management’ that girded the automation of modern education. ‘Taylorism’, as it was known, forged the way for standardized curricula, […]
“Each of us has some genius to bring to life and each life is a meaningful story trying to unfold from within.” – Michael Meade, ‘The Genius Myth’ Michael Meade is spot on. The veteran cultural anthropologist and author shows in myriad ways in his 2016 book, The Genius Myth how our birthright is […]
The start of a new year is a good time to consider a new learning path or plan for the coming year. What’s yours? What are you most curious about? What are you committed to exploring or investigating? This decision is yours to covet, just as it is for everyone. After all, each of us […]
“It is of the first importance not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities.” – Sherlock Holmes, ‘The Sign of Four’ With a nod to Benedict Cumberbatch, couch potatoes (guilty as charged) are enjoying a renaissance of the world’s finest detective, the sleuth of sleuths who cracks criminal cases seemingly as tight […]
According to developmental psychologists, the foundation of human imagination emerges in childhood and its lifelong trajectory reflects the nature of the support that nurtures it during this time. Bolster a young child’s budding imagination at home or in school with encouragement and she will sense this and accept more risks in whatever activities and challenges […]
Time and timing is an issue that is often overlooked in education discussions, but it merits closer attention, and especially the very notable differences between school time and personal time. A first and obvious point is that conventional education prioritizes its timing issues over a learner’s personal time. A second point is that, excepting some […]
I’m sure many people will recognize this scenario – someone in your community, maybe a friend, relative, or passing acquaintance – has retired from their 9 to 5 and is experiencing life at a different pace. In talking with them, you discover they have deep expertise in a particular area and they would be pleased […]
Unless you’ve taken up residence in a cave or hermitage, it’s hard to escape a message these days that the future will be, and is being shaped by Big Data. Where yesterday’s data – let’s call it Little Data – was based on sample sizes easily grokked by the average citizen (of n = 1,000 […]
Michael’s book, Learn Your Way! SelfDesigning the Life You Really Want, Starting Now! is an ERAC-approved middle and high school textbook for career planning and health education courses (British Columbia), and it has received numerous endorsements: “Learn Your Way is terrific.” – Dr. Maurice Gibbons, author, The Self-Directed Learning Handbook
