Tags for "Creativity"
The Building Blocks of a Good Education
What ever happened to Kindergarten?
This past weekend I found myself in Western Massachusetts for an old fashioned Timber House Raising. Now I have to be honest, before this weekend I had no idea what a Timber Hose Raising was. Living in Brooklyn it's not so often you come across someone who decides they're going to build their house and then invites the whole neighborhood over to help. It's even less often that you get to watch a house being build with no metal. But that was exactly what happened. Over the last two years pieces of tree were cut, shaved and carved into lumber, each piece measured and chiseled to fit exactly into the... Lost and Out of Control. . . At Last.
Falling in love, finding that perfect line to finish your poem, stepping in to break up a fight -- some of the most valuable and rewarding things in life simply cannot be done by following a plan. And so goes parenting. And so goes democratic education at home. And so, now that I think about it, goes a life worth living.
I envision my life with my wife and 2 sons as an exercise in liberation, for all of us. As my wife and I attempt to liberate ourselves from some of the less-than-helpful cultural habits of parenting (maintaining control and power at all costs, or needing to be “right” all the time), we are hopefully liberating our children. We're allowing them to maintain their... Remembering Hope & Joy
I'll begin with a story. I spent the last four days on a small hostel/ranch/community center/aspiring eco-destination called Rancho Esperanza in the isolated fishing village of Jiquilillo. The owner of the ranch, Nato (Nate), was born in Maine and has been involved with the village for eleven years, living there full time for the last eight.
Six years ago Nate began an after school program for the youth of... A Pair of Fresh Eyes
I have plenty of experience with having those three things and then some crushed by plenty of people who were supposed to educate me, after all. But I'm beginning to notice just how much she learns and sees on her own, and if I or anyone else tried to take that from her, she simply wouldn't be the same person.
Yesterday I was cutting the top of a facial tissue box off so we could use it to hold our growing pile of colored pencils. My daughter promptly asked if she could use... The Importance of Play Dates
The thing is, play dates are an incredibly important part of our lives. In our neighborhood, there are no other kids; when I was growing up, they were always in abundance, so I always had playmates when I wanted them. My daughter isn't so lucky. Yes, she gets to play with kids when we go to story time, the Magic House at the children's museum, the park, and wherever else we go--and we do go somewhere at least weekly--but it's just not the... Improv…with Drama
For the past ten years or so, I have been putting on a stage show with the assistance and collaboration of my colleague, Craig Madison. We have not always had the same grade level, in fact, this year he teaches third grade to my fourth grade. But we still get our kids together and put on a show.
The fact that we put on a play is nice, perhaps even astonishing considering how many students are involved, but I... Goals met?
My official evaluation was a week ago. I have my copy of it around here somewhere.... Anyway, things went wonderfully according to my vice principal. She was very happy with my performance. That is good, because I need to keep my job. She is happy, and my family has health insurance. My goals for the administration were met.
I do recall that I set different goals for myself, than I turned in for the powers that be. I wrote about my goals in my first post for IDEA. Let's see how I did....
1. ... If You Give a Kid a Piece of Paper
Of course, she may stop asking entirely.
She may just take the paper, smile, and start creating. She might fold the paper into different directions, making a brand new-to-her origami shape. Maybe she'll fold a paper airplane, show it to her friends, and then, after showing them how to make one, have a flying contest to see whose plane flies the highest, the fastest, the longest.
Maybe she'll tear it up into confetti and throw an instant party. Maybe she'll cut a continuous spiral in it...
Posted on Nov 18, 2009 - 02:02 PM by Jonah Canner in Got Questions?
This week I'll be asking the question. Here it is:What ever happened to Kindergarten?
This past weekend I found myself in Western Massachusetts for an old fashioned Timber House Raising. Now I have to be honest, before this weekend I had no idea what a Timber Hose Raising was. Living in Brooklyn it's not so often you come across someone who decides they're going to build their house and then invites the whole neighborhood over to help. It's even less often that you get to watch a house being build with no metal. But that was exactly what happened. Over the last two years pieces of tree were cut, shaved and carved into lumber, each piece measured and chiseled to fit exactly into the... Lost and Out of Control. . . At Last.
Posted on Nov 18, 2009 - 02:46 PM by Khalif Williams in Uncharted Parenting
Falling in love, finding that perfect line to finish your poem, stepping in to break up a fight -- some of the most valuable and rewarding things in life simply cannot be done by following a plan. And so goes parenting. And so goes democratic education at home. And so, now that I think about it, goes a life worth living.I envision my life with my wife and 2 sons as an exercise in liberation, for all of us. As my wife and I attempt to liberate ourselves from some of the less-than-helpful cultural habits of parenting (maintaining control and power at all costs, or needing to be “right” all the time), we are hopefully liberating our children. We're allowing them to maintain their... Remembering Hope & Joy
Posted on Dec 27, 2009 - 02:41 PM by Jonah Canner in Got Questions?
I am currently on vacation in Nicaragua, and while I have been doing a lot of thinking, I have not been doing very much writing, as is wont to happen from time to time. And with thinking inevitably comes questioning. So what better place to explore some of those questions than here?I'll begin with a story. I spent the last four days on a small hostel/ranch/community center/aspiring eco-destination called Rancho Esperanza in the isolated fishing village of Jiquilillo. The owner of the ranch, Nato (Nate), was born in Maine and has been involved with the village for eleven years, living there full time for the last eight.
Six years ago Nate began an after school program for the youth of... A Pair of Fresh Eyes
Posted on Feb 17, 2010 - 05:02 PM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
If I directed everything my daughter was to ever learn in her life--or if someone else did, for that matter--I would abandon all hope for the survival of her creativity, originality, and sparkling personality itself.I have plenty of experience with having those three things and then some crushed by plenty of people who were supposed to educate me, after all. But I'm beginning to notice just how much she learns and sees on her own, and if I or anyone else tried to take that from her, she simply wouldn't be the same person.
Yesterday I was cutting the top of a facial tissue box off so we could use it to hold our growing pile of colored pencils. My daughter promptly asked if she could use... The Importance of Play Dates
Posted on Mar 12, 2010 - 02:06 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
A lot of people like to scoff when I say something like, "Oh, we can't on Wednesday night; we have a play date." They want to know why I have to schedule time for my daughter to play with other kids and think I'm being a helicopter parent for doing so.The thing is, play dates are an incredibly important part of our lives. In our neighborhood, there are no other kids; when I was growing up, they were always in abundance, so I always had playmates when I wanted them. My daughter isn't so lucky. Yes, she gets to play with kids when we go to story time, the Magic House at the children's museum, the park, and wherever else we go--and we do go somewhere at least weekly--but it's just not the... Improv…with Drama
Posted on May 11, 2010 - 08:41 PM by Tim Curley in ImprovEducation
As we all know, one of the casualties of a standards-based curriculum, where THE TEST is the driving force, is the loss of teaching the arts. Performing arts are particularly hard hit. At El Verano School, we are doing what we can to lessen the hit that drama classes have taken.For the past ten years or so, I have been putting on a stage show with the assistance and collaboration of my colleague, Craig Madison. We have not always had the same grade level, in fact, this year he teaches third grade to my fourth grade. But we still get our kids together and put on a show.
The fact that we put on a play is nice, perhaps even astonishing considering how many students are involved, but I... Goals met?
Posted on Jun 18, 2010 - 11:42 AM by Alison Bagg Brink in ImprovEducation
The last meeting of the year is just winding down, the walls of the classroom are bare, and there is not a single piece of paper on the floor. It is officially time to start summer, at least for me.My official evaluation was a week ago. I have my copy of it around here somewhere.... Anyway, things went wonderfully according to my vice principal. She was very happy with my performance. That is good, because I need to keep my job. She is happy, and my family has health insurance. My goals for the administration were met.
I do recall that I set different goals for myself, than I turned in for the powers that be. I wrote about my goals in my first post for IDEA. Let's see how I did....
1. ... If You Give a Kid a Piece of Paper
Posted on Jul 25, 2010 - 06:02 PM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting
If you give a kid a piece of paper, she's going to ask for a crayon. When you give her the crayon, she'll probably ask you for more crayons, or maybe some stencils, or perhaps some stickers and glitter.Of course, she may stop asking entirely.
She may just take the paper, smile, and start creating. She might fold the paper into different directions, making a brand new-to-her origami shape. Maybe she'll fold a paper airplane, show it to her friends, and then, after showing them how to make one, have a flying contest to see whose plane flies the highest, the fastest, the longest.
Maybe she'll tear it up into confetti and throw an instant party. Maybe she'll cut a continuous spiral in it...