Global Village Voice

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

In addition to core subjects, an innovative distance learning school teaches children to respect and care for the environment while encouraging nonviolence, peace and justice.

Ojai, CA April 20, 2010 — In celebration of Earth Day (April 22), Global Village School, a leader in distance learning through homeschooling, is proud to announce its new K-8 Whole Child, Healthy Planet curriculum. This innovative approach in education features a learning styles-centered program, focusing on engaging the whole child with an emphasis on diversity and developmental stages.

The school’s new K-8 curriculum guides are centered on the four core principles of the Earth Charter: (1) Respect and Care for the Community of Life (2) Ecological Integrity (3) Social & Economic Justice (4) Democracy, Nonviolence, Peace and Diversity.

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Posted under Announcements, Culture, Current Events, Education, Homeschooling

The Global Village curriculum guides contain a multitude of resources, instructions on how to use them for a full year’s curriculum, and articles guiding parents through the Whole Child, Healthy Planet homeschooling process. Each grade level contains core resources plus many extras – most likely much more than you will be able to get through in a year.

The K8 curriculum guides are centered on the four core principles of the Earth Charter:

(1) Respect and Care for the Community of Life
(2) Ecological Integrity
(3) Social and Economic Justice
(4) Democracy, Nonviolence, Peace and Diversity

K-8 curriculum guides cover all of the core academic subjects in a way that engages students through a sense of enchantment, awe, and wonder as well as through incorporation of art, music, nature, imagination, and story.

An early review of the curriculum:

We received our “Whole Child, Healthy Planet” curriculum guide last week. We are so excited that we found Global Village School. I feel as though the curriculum was written for our family. I truly never thought I’d find a curriculum… that “fit” us, but now we have! Thank you for helping us navigate an even more meaningful path of homeschooling with our kids. The resource list in “Whole Child, Healthy Planet” allows me to spend a little less time hunting for the right materials and more time enjoying learning with my kids! What a gift. – Beth C-R

To learn more, see http://www.globalvillageschool.org/k8-curriculum.html

Posted under Announcements, Education, Homeschooling

Imagine how the world would be different if children received the type of education that nurtured their individual gifts and empowered them to be capable, confident, and wise stewards of the planet. Imagine the kind of adults these youth would become if they were provided with learning experiences that value peace, compassion, justice, sustainability, appreciation of diversity, and the living of an authentic and meaningful life.  Imagine what kinds of decisions they would make as voters, consumers, and parents if they knew the truth about the impact of their governments’ policies and actions around the world, if they understood the real costs (human and environmental) of the “cheap” items they buy, if they knew where to go to get news that isn’t filtered by the corporate media. Imagine the kind of world they could create if, from a very early age, they were exposed to historical and modern day examples of people who are changing the world through nonviolent means.   Read More…

Posted under Activism, Education, Homeschooling

A beautifully written and inspiring essay by Global Village homeschool 9^th grader Maryanna Newton:

When I found out I was going to get to go to the 2009 presidential inauguration, I freaked, and I couldn’t wait! Then I found out that two of my very best friends were going to go with me and it made it even better. I couldn’t believe I was going to get to see Obama get sworn into office! Everyone knew it was going to be one of the biggest moments in America’s history. Read More…

Posted under Politics, Students and Alumni