Tag Archives: learning

Nature points the way to powerful learning

In early January most of the natural world – in the northern hemisphere – is relatively dormant. In response to a lack of sunlight and colder temperatures, living organisms conserve energy in order to survive through winter. But not so long from now, as the days lengthen and temperatures rise, we will see a change […]

‘The Science of Learning’ report is hardly that …

In late September, Deans for Impact a US-based organization “committed to improving student-learning outcomes by transforming the field of educator preparation” released The Science of Learning, a report aimed at teachers-in-training. Ostensibly summarizing insights about student learning from cognitive science, SoL reifies these into six mission-critical strategies for novice teachers to apply in the service […]

Imagine the look and feel of learning!

In SelfDesign Learning Community – the innovative school I helped co-found in British Columbia in 2002 – our praxis is to support learning in all its shapes, forms and guises. And since we started we have come to recognize that learning is as varied as each learner. To educators and parents perhaps it comes as […]

‘Learning Anywhere Any Way’ era is here – Let’s Seize the Day!

As we turn a page into a new school year, it’s worth considering just how remarkable this time is for nurturing formal and informal learning in children, youth and, well, anyone. Think of it: in community centres, clubs, studios, workshops, the internet, living rooms, parks and classrooms, learning opportunities have never been more plentiful. Whether someone […]

Bring on the “Summer Slide”!

Arising as regular as the whine of summer mosquitos are now annualized calls by school administrators and educators warning parents of the “summer slide“. The “summer slide” isn’t a fixture in the local playground but an imaginary bogey man that, allegedly, causes students to forget what they learned the previous spring in school. Believers in […]

Summer is the season of Epic Learning!

The start of summer, when the sun urges us into shorts, t-shirts and bare feet and warm days glide into twilight, marks the start of a season unlike any other. Summer is when parents and children both sense a freedom to be and grow in new ways unencumbered by the conventions of autumn, winter and […]

‘Cool School’ dials it in …

In January I began volunteering in ‘Cool School’, an after-school program in a local highschool that opens up the wood, metal and auto shops to kids of all ages and abilities, one day a week, 3 – 8 pm. Cool School  has simple guidelines for kids: be safe and have fun, and correspondingly simple guidelines […]