Fascinating video of Noam Chomsky, Howard Gardner, and Bruno della Chiesa discussing Paulo Freire‘s, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” at Askwith Forum – Harvard Graduate School of Education in May, 2013.
Classrooms that Inspire
•January 8, 2014 • Leave a Comment
Recently, I presented a webinar for the Islamic Teacher Education Program on the importance of developing Islamic school classrooms into places of inspiration by becoming “Classrooms that Inspire Curiosity and Creativity”. I did this based on the recognition that many schools, even secular, and those of other faiths, seem to forget how much we need the skills and ideas that are innate in our youngest humans. And yet, schools seem to do everything to squelch that natural skill. Instead of developing it, we applaud conformity, dependence, and streaming. We encourage not creativity, but thinking inside the box.
I would love to hear your feedback on this presentation. Many of the ideas presented in the webinar were a synopsis of what is so eloquently laid out in Dr Ken Robinson’s book, The Element. There is so much to say about creativity, and so many options for us to choose from; all we need to do as educators is make the intention and take the first step.
History of Homeschooling
•January 7, 2014 • 2 CommentsThis awesome infographic shows the history of homeschooling and how it has developed as a legitimate alternative to structured schooling.
“For centuries, homeschooling was the only option for most people. Today, it’s viewed with mixed opinions as some question homeschooling’s legitimacy. However, statistics show that homeschooled students outperform students who go to structured schools in a number of areas.”
Comment and infographic source found here.
Never stop learning
•January 2, 2014 • 1 Comment
Image source and poster for purchase can be found here.
Rhymes & Reasons
•December 31, 2013 • Leave a Comment“Children love rhymes, and because they have not yet reached the age where they think in constructs such as ideologies, formal dogma, or other abstract notions, the narrative context in which the rhymes take place is irrelevant. The significance lies in what a classic rhyme offers to a child.
“Children’s classics are priceless for several reasons: they introduce children to a rich vocabulary of wonderful words which the authors deploy with razor-like precision; the sentences contain captivating constructions and striking turns of phrase; and they teach children moral lessons of temperance, humility and kindness.”
Editor’s Preface, Montmorency’s Book of Rhymes
Montmorency’s Book of Rhymes can be found at Kinza Academy & Press.
The Challenge of Our Time
•December 16, 2013 • Leave a Comment“Every time has a challenge
and the challenge of this time is maintaining good character.”
Learning to love
•December 5, 2013 • Leave a Comment
Image source can be found here.
May his legacy live on in the lives of those who seek justice, truth and compassion through patience, perseverance and prayer.
black board, white chalk 