In late June, at this year’s AERO (Alternative Education Resource Organization), I gave a presentation on my late colleague, friend and mentor, Brent Cameron, who passed in 2012. Yes, it’s been ten years since Brent passed, but I continue to admire his many contributions to education – especially alternative education – and I think he’s […]
I am in disbelief – this month marks ten years since my friend and mentor of many years, Brent Cameron, died in Nelson British Columbia after a lengthy fight with cancer. I wish to honour Brent with some thoughts on this anniversary. If you are associated in some way with Wondertree, Virtual High, SelfDesign Learning […]
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 […]
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 […]
Students returning to classes in coming weeks may well experience more Personalized Learning opportunities than ever before in what has blossomed into one of the most important new education trends. In schools across North America, from Kindergarten through post-secondary, educators are re-vamping their approaches to better meet students ‘where they’re at’ in their learning needs […]
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 […]
This past week Canadians celebrated and recognized their top musicians at the annual Juno awards ceremony. The talents of the artists and performers, from Justin Bieber to ‘The Weeknd’ to Alessia Cara was extraordinary, as it is every year. Last month we celebrated film achievements with the Academy Awards, in February it was the US […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 many endorsements. Contact Michael directly to obtain a pdf copy of the book.
