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What is Intelligence, and Can You Teach It?

Posted on Dec 04, 2009 - 09:42 PM by Kris Sage in Sage Wonderings

So, before I say anything, disclaimer: this is opinion. I have not read psychology texts on intelligence, and do not know how it is currently defined by the American government. This is my own study and analysis.

I believe that intelligence is three things: thoughtfulness, education, and experience. It is possible to be very strong in one category and be very intelligent because of that strength, but have room for improvement and further intellectual growth in another. I believe that I have a great deal of thoughtfulness, but could seriously grow in terms of experience and education by attending more events and programs and spending more time reading nonfiction and participating in events...

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On Motivation, Schools, and Post-Its: New Books for 2010

Posted on Jan 05, 2010 - 08:33 AM by Dana Bennis in The Landscape

Happy New Year! It's 2010.

What better way to embrace the optimism and hope of the beginning of a new year than reading inspiring books?

I recently picked up two new books that speak to heart of why and how education ought to be more democratic. They carry a great deal of wisdom and practical ideas for schools and learning, and they both connect the value of greater voice in learning to the creation of a more vibrant society.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink (2009: Riverhead Books), throws out the underlying assumption of most businesses and schools: that people need to be controlled by rewards and punishments in order for work to get done or...

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Nobody Told Me I Was Unschooling

Posted on Jan 21, 2010 - 01:31 AM by Sara Schmidt in Uncharted Parenting

Have I really been doing it all along?

I first heard about unschooling when I was doing research on homeschooling my daughter. I received The Unschooling Handbook for Christmas (yes, I ordered it myself) and as I make my way through it, I'm quickly realizing that I've been pretty much unschooling my little girl since...well, birth.

Don't we all use our kids' cues to play what they want to play with, talk about what they want to talk about, and that sort of thing? How many times have you switched a toy when your ten-month-old refused to play with the one you've given her? How many times have you let your child pick out his or her own books, or craft projects to work on, or games to play,...

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My Personal Understanding of Democratic Education

Posted on Feb 04, 2010 - 02:08 AM by Shawn Strader in Op-Education

The concept of democratic education was not introduced to me until summer of 2004. I was aware of homeschooling, and slightly familiar with unschooling, but had never really pushed to find an understanding of either approach. But in 2004, The Village Free School, of Portland, OR, was undergoing its first stages of creation, and I was fortunate to be around for it. It is something I took a deep interest in.

The idea of children having the freedom to do what they feel inclined to, all under the premise that they are receiving their education during that time....boy, that was a bizarre concept for me.

As strange a concept as it was, though, I was very intrigued by it, and in theory found it...

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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...

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Is Chaos a Bad Thing?

Posted on Jun 10, 2010 - 09:06 AM by Kristan Morrison in democracy.edu

I am teaching two summer classes this year (my "summer vacation, ahhhh" was actually just for one week!) and in one of them we have been talking a lot lately about free schools. Of the 18 students in my class, I would say that about 75 percent of them reacted extremely negatively to the idea that kids should have freedom to learn what they wish, how they wish, and when they wish. Now, my students are definitely not in favor of our current conventional, very constrained system of education, but they seemed pretty appalled by the level of freedom that kids have at places like Summerhill, the Albany Free School, and the Sudbury Valley School. The most oft-cited opposition to these schools...

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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...

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Self-Determination Theory

Posted on Dec 17, 2010 - 12:37 PM by Shawn Strader in Resources

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Why and How to Let Students Decide

Posted on Dec 22, 2010 - 04:52 PM by Shawn Strader in Resources

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Can Teachers Run Their Own Schools?

Posted on Jan 30, 2011 - 03:34 PM by Shawn Strader in Resources

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Reschool Yourself

Posted on Feb 01, 2011 - 12:50 PM by Shawn Strader in Resources

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Freedom to Learn Blog - Psychology Today

Posted on Feb 03, 2011 - 09:29 PM by Shawn Strader in Resources

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Big Picture Schools

Posted on Feb 04, 2011 - 12:29 PM by Dana Bennis in Resources

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Seacoast Charter School

Posted on Feb 08, 2011 - 01:59 PM by admin in Resources

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Prescott College’s Teacher Education Programs

Posted on Feb 09, 2011 - 10:05 AM by Dana Bennis in Resources

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Students discuss: self-directed, project-based learning

Posted on Feb 09, 2011 - 10:46 AM by Dana Bennis in Resources

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Cooperative Catalyst

Posted on Feb 09, 2011 - 03:24 PM by admin in Resources

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Windsor House School

Posted on Feb 09, 2011 - 03:45 PM by Dana Bennis in Resources

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Howard Gardner: The Multiple Intelligence Theory

Posted on Aug 13, 2011 - 03:13 PM by lmeier in Resources

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Lehman Alternative Community School

Posted on Nov 28, 2011 - 03:58 PM by Dana Bennis in Resources

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