IDEA Visits Nuestra Escuela
A loving school in Puerto Rico educates struggling students and helps them heal.
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Welcome to IDEA!
Find out what IDEA is all about, and how you can help advance learning that matters.
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Feature: What is Democratic Education?
Answer your questions about democratic education, and see examples of innovative learning environments around the country. (CLICK TO READ STORY)
Feature: Ten Things YOU Can Do to Promote Democratic Education
Simple things you can do to strengthen Dem Ed in your own community.
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Video: How JCOS Changes Students' Lives
JCOS is a public Pre-K through 12 school in Lakewood, Colorado, based on student-directed learning and caring relationships.(CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO)
The more catalysts the better
Just posted this over at the Cooperative Catalysts blog. Enjoy!
Wikis are transforming teaching
Last week I had the privilege of listening to celebrated teacher Anthony Armstrong throw down his approach to using wikis to open up the learning process with his middle...
Confronting Parents Who Bully
Recently I wrote about an incident that occurred during my daughter's swim lesson that had me in tears. A mother openly bullied her child--who was perhaps three or four years...
Home at Work
A new year--a new school.
It was never my intent to move around in education as much as I have, but life is funny that way. I officially decided to resign from the public...
The Teacher as Soldier
"Put plain and simple, this country needs an army of great new teachers," Arne Duncan at the University of Virginia, 2009.
"We will recruit an army of new teachers and...
Deed Poll for “Alternative Education”
Herbert Kohl made a comment in his keynote at AERO that we need to stop using the term "alternative education" as it doesn't do the movement any justice. That was in June and...
Finding hope this morning
This morning I went for a jog, stretched, and then opened The Impossible Will Take A Little While: a citizen's guide to hope in a time of fear edited by Paul Loeb.
I don't...
What Ms. K Had to Say
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One woman's message to me about "Why People Don't Understand Schooling."
Entry Date: 2010-08-16 12:48 PM
"There are some assumptions here which are naive at best. Not...
The Apple & the Arrow: Freedom & Schooling Pt. 4
A Note About Peter the Soldier
While William is telling this story to his family, it is said that Peter was “a kind man.” Hedwig, William's wife agrees and said she used to...
The Apple & the Arrow: Freedom & Schooling Pt. 3
Ridicule and Ridiculous Tasks
In the middle of the story, William and Walter leave the inn and are walking through the village when they see a man bow before a hat on a...
Ambiguity about Online Teaching
I missed my July posting due to being buried up with summer teaching along with trying to grab some moments of R&R (I know, excuses, excuses), but as George Costanza on...
Democratic Education: A cure of for the common Ism?
I've been thinking a lot about this recently. Is Democratic Education a cure all for the social ills that plague our society? Is that asking too much from one methodology?...
Race To The Top
I do not mean for this writing to provide a summary, synopsis, or full blown analysis of our nations most recent plan to stimulate the effectiveness of our education system,...
Education Theology
Thesis Statement: The fear-based nature of the traditional education system renders it incapable of effecting the kind of change we need for humanity to realize it's true...
Why People Don’t Understand Schooling
In relatively recent news, a high school valedictorian really criticized the nature of compulsory schools, and advocated a changed system of choice and autonomy. In response,...
Cian: Thanks for reading.
Scott: You’ve actually given me the idea for my next post. Thanks!
I’m loving your joy and totally want to know what you have to say to the students, parents, and system you left behind. They will sorely miss you. What insights does this...
WOW! That’s incredible!!! Thanks for sharing this inspiring post. I want that!!! 
Scott, thanks so much for posting this. Just the excerpt above is a bit of a safe harbour in often turbulent seas.
Like Sara, I will be adding this book to my reading...
Thank you, Scott. I’m afraid that I feel like this much more often these days than I did when I was younger. I think that we still fight to be optimists is at least a good...
Those words are pretty comforting, like a nice hug from someone you thought you wouldn’t see again.
Thanks Scott.
What a great analogy, Jessica!
I’ve always been a fan of my online classes- at community college, I seem to get certain prerequisites out of the way, and through undergrad and grad it’s always been nice...
Thank you wise wombmen!
Cian, this is a beautiful post.
I understand your stance now (the peace vigil thing makes sense) it is one of inclusion and realization that there is more than one way, and for institutionalized education,...
You know, I used to be a very fervent “Us v. Them” supporter of alternative education. And now I think I am learning to accept and “let”. I am caught in a tension of...
I cast my vote for democratic education as well, but not without first realizing that as a supporter of democratic education, I am engaging in “Us vs Them” thought. It’s...
I’ve been doing my share of investigation into these standards and goals, and I felt the same way. While I do admire the desire and willingness to change education, I felt...
October 9, 2010
November 10, 2010
February 28, 2011
Hey Scott, All last year I had a little gig where I taught teachers around Massachusetts about how to use wikis in instruction, along with a wonderful teacher from a local...