Global Village Voice

IHE often publishes interesting stuff on their blog. This piece uses food examples but the concepts about how we act out tradition, habit, and culture are applicable across many areas of life.  Examining the assumptions that underlie these habits is an essential part of progressive homeschooling.

http://humaneconnectionblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-humane-world-looks-like-rethinking.html

Posted under Culture, Current Events, Education, Homeschooling

We read an interesting letter to the editor of the Indianapolis Star today, arguing that we must model democracy in our schools in addition to teaching it as an academic exercise in order for students to truly learn the value of the principles.  Here is an excerpt:

In contrast, England enacted the Citizenship Order. Research showed when schools “take into account students’ ideas and opinions in ways that are transparent, regular, and accessible,” school climate and grades improve. Schools are mandated to have a viable student council where students share real-world responsibilities. It appears the British believe learning about democratic citizenship must be more than an academic exercise.

The Institute for Democracy in Education believes an authentic civic education will remove the contradictions in our culture — which embrace democratic ends for schools but resist the actual practice in schools of the democratic means from which the ends cannot be separated.

Read the full text here: http://www.indystar.com/article/201009260245/OPINION01/9260335

Posted under Culture, Current Events, Education, Politics

There was an interesting article in the Harvard Education Letter recently about the increasing diversity of the student body and the cultural gap that often exists between these students and their teachers. An excerpt:

Despite initiatives to increase the diversity of teachers in the United States, many do not share the same racial, ethnic, or cultural background as their students. According to the most recent figures available from the National Center for Education Statistics, 83 percent of teachers in U.S. public schools were white as of 2007–2008; while 56 percent of students were white, 21 percent were Hispanic, and 17 percent were black. Charter school teachers were only slightly more diverse: 73 percent were white, 12 percent were black, and 9 percent were Hispanic.

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Posted under Culture, Current Events, Education

This topic has been in the news a lot lately, catapulted into the mainstream most recently in the New York Times.   Now Ode Magazine tackles the issue:

“Scientists are discovering an unexpected side effect: The higher digital input we receive, the less time our brains get to process information, learn and become creative. In other words: We need downtime to get new insights and new ideas.”

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Posted under Culture, Current Events, Education

It wouldn’t be so bad if the current education debate just involved different ways to achieve the same goals for children. But the reality is much more dangerous.

We are talking about two completely different paradigms: One, the traditional one that is failing, assumes that children are naturally lazy and need to be forced to learn. If you believe that then you need competition for grades, passing and failing, tons of homework, long school days, long school years, No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top.

But modern brain research doesn’t confirm that assumption. Rather, it confirms a second paradigm, that children are natural learners, that the brain is naturally inquisitive. If you operate on that paradigm, as many progressive educators and homeschoolers do, almost none of the approaches mentioned above should be used. The teacher’s role is to actively help the student find resources to explore and learn about everything they are interested in.
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Posted under Culture, Current Events, Education, Homeschooling, Politics