“When children come to school we need to listen to them … there is no assessment that applies to who they are or what they have learned (this year.”
Curiosity primes deep, wide learning; innovation, too
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 […]
9-1-1-Sherlock Holmes: Education needs your help!
“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 […]
If We Want Imaginative & Creative Kids the Education System Must Prioritize This
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 […]
Year-round schooling? No thanks; Year-round learning? Bring it!
It’s mid-June and in North America a gazillion or so kids are counting down the minutes to the end of the school year. To some, summer holidays can’t come soon enough; their bodies and brains are yearning to experience life and learning beyond the school walls. Others are not relishing the break, they’re unsure about […]
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 […]
“Good, meaningful education meets each child where they are”
“Good, meaningful education meets each child where they are” are the words of the late Dr. Stanley Greenspan in his book, The Learning Tree. Stanley Greenspan won numerous awards for his work on developmental psychiatry and he was the author of 40 books (!) and numerous papers on development, learning, parenting and supporting children with […]
Medieval Education Practices Must Evolve, Now!
“Medieval“: pertaining to the Middle or Dark Ages, a period characterized by primitive practices shaped by ill-formed knowledge. Our society has evolved in remarkable ways in my lifetime, inspiring me to believe that human beings just might squeak through to survive another century or millennium. We have extended life expectancies, we have scientifically detailed the […]
Innovation Valued & Revered in Business, MIA in Education
Innovation must wonder why it is as cast as society’s bi-polar child. On the one hand it thrives in business, technology and health-care, domains to which we flock to see the latest gadgetry, invest in start-up opportunities, even volunteer to join beta-testing groups. This past week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was a perfect […]
Michael’s book,