Podcasts about liberated learners

Scott Gallagher taught in public schools for 17 years before joining the founding team of Raritan Learning Collaborative, a full-time self-directed learning center for homeschooled teens located in Flemington, New Jersey. Raritan is part of a consortium of self-directed learning centers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and is a member of the Liberated Learners network. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Jenn and Claire of Blazing Star School join Annie Friday this week to talk about the process of opening an alternative to school with a center for self-directed education (SDE) in community. Blazing Star School is located in Chicago and serves children ages 4 to 12. Sharing a background in various roles in the education field led Jenn and Claire to realize that they were looking for something that would better support their own kids' development and growth while serving as a place for other youth needing an alternative to school. Blazing Star aims to provide authentic child-led, interest-based, natural learning that centers the relationships of those in their community. Jenn and Claire share vivid stories about moments of incredible growth and learning happening at Blazing Star without coercion, punishment, and evaluation. They share some of the resources that have been most helpful as they have developed their community and programming including other programs in Chicago like the Chicago Free School and Tallgrass Sudbury School as well as the guidance received from Liberated Learners and Ken Danford. 

Ross Hill has been in education for over 15 years, with most of that time spent working as a high social studies teacher in public schools. He quit his teaching job in 2023 to launch Mariner Learning Collaborative, a self-directed learning center in Florence, South Carolina. Mariner is part of the Liberated Learners network of non-coercive, self-directed learning centers for homeschoolers that was launched in 2013. Mariner is the first faith-focused learning center in the Liberated Learners network. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Alexi Burgess is the co-founder of Alcove Learning, a self-directed learning center for teens and tweens in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. Alcove opened in January 2020 as part of the Liberated Learners network of self-directed learning centers across the U.S.  In Los Angeles, A Tiny School Lets Young People Direct Their Own Education (The74) *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Josh Pickel grew up in Canton, Illinois and returned home to teach at the public schools he had once attended. As time went on, he felt increasingly unsettled about the coercive classroom dynamics characteristic of conventional schooling.  Josh began researching alternative education models and came across Liberated Learners, a network of self-directed learning centers for teenagers modeled after North Star, a learning center in western Massachusetts that was started in 1996 by Ken Danford, who was also a disillusioned public school teacher.  Last summer, Josh quit his teaching job to open Canton Learning Collaborative, a self-directed microschool for homeschoolers. It grew from 5 learners last fall to 15 young people over the course of its first year. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Troy Salazar is the founder of Liberty Self-Directed Learning Center in West Des Moines, Iowa. Troy worked in public schools for 22 years, first as a second grade teacher in a rural community in Iowa and later in the Des Moines public schools where he spent most of his teaching career. He launched Liberty SDLC in Fall 2022 after becoming frustrated by the conventional schooling model. Liberty is part of the Liberated Learners global network of self-directed learning centers.  “I remember saying to colleagues and friends, why are there so many unhappy kids? It just blew my mind,” said Troy in our interview. “There were several times in the last few years where I said I can't do this anymore. Then, in my last year, I called my wife and said the idea of our grandkids being in this classroom scares me. I wasn't exaggerating or being dramatic, and it was nothing that the kids were doing. It was the response that the kids were having to this system. They were so checked out.” Read the recent Forbes.com article featuring Troy and Liberty SDLC: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerrymcdonald/2023/07/21/its-the-year-of-universal-school-choice-but-barriers-remain/ Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Kenneth Danford is one of the true pioneers in alternative education. In 1996, Ken launched North Star, a self-directed learning center for teen homeschoolers in western Massachusetts which was one of the first such spaces to exist. Prior to launching North Star, Ken was a middle school social studies teacher in public schools and wanted to create a new, non-coercive learning option for young people. Fast forward to 2013, Ken and his colleague Joel Hammon created Liberated Learners, a global network of self-directed learning centers modeled after North Star that continues to help aspiring education entrepreneurs launch self-directed learning centers in their own communities. In 2019, Ken published the book Learning is Natural, School is Optional.: The North Star approach to offering teens a head start on life, which I highly recommend.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.  

Terry Greene talks about the liberated learners project on episode 417 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast. Quotes from the episode You can learn with style. -Terry Greene If you can advocate for yourself and others, then you can collaborate, network, and build connections. -Terry Greene There are a lot of steps a person can take towards being someone who works well with others. -Terry Greene This is for learners, by learners. It is co-designed with students. -Terry Greene Working with others can be scary, but it is so rewarding in the end. -Terry Greene Resources Liberated Learners: How to Learn with Style Video: What The Heck is The Liberated Learner? Liberated Learners: Acknowledgements Terry's blog post about the Liberated Learners Beats to Study to H5P Pressbooks Liberated Learners: Take Out Menu  Seneca College's Independent Music Production  Seneca College's Independent Songwriting & Performance

For as long as there has been compulsory schooling, students have asked, “Do I really have to go to school through 12th grade? Isn't there some other way?” The conventional answer most parents respond with is, “No, there is no other way. You just have to make the best of it.” That was what they did, and they survived. That answer didn't satisfy Kenneth Danford. In 1996, he left his public school teaching job to help students live, learn, and grow in a different environment. He co-founded what became North Star, an alternative to middle school and high school. It's not a school itself. It's a Self Directed Learning education center for Teens. They help teens create a life that is meaningful and relevant to them. This experience includes a customized academic plan, weekly meetings with a personal advisor, quarterly family meetings, plus a variety of classes, workshops and tutorials. And they have provided this support to hundreds of students over the past two decades. Most North Star teens go on to college afterwards. Now Kenneth is spreading the North Star model across the world through Liberated Learners, a network of learning centers. He's also published a book Learning is Natural, School is Optional, which tells the story of North Star. Yes, there are viable and often superior alternatives to traditional school. Today we'll dive into what North Star is all about to see if that approach is a better fit for you and your family.

This is a very special, non-canonical, episode of Gettin' Air: The Open Pedagogy Podcast. It was originally recorded as a visit by Terry Greene, Christian Metaxas, Dana Jamaleddine, and Asa Reynolds to Stephen Hurley's live morning radio show "Hurley In The Morning". In this chat we describe the Liberated Learner Project, which is in development, and our plans to host a problem-causing design sprint that will feed the creation of this new Ontario Extend project (aka Ontario Extend, But For Learners This Time).

Kenneth Danford is the Co-founder and Executive Director at North Star: Self- Directed Learning for Teens in Sunderland, Massachusetts. He has been working intensively with teenagers and their families since 1991. He is the founding Board Member of Liberated Learners through which he consult with others interested in the North Star model. He was a middle school social studies teacher in Prince George's County, Maryland, then in Amherst, Massachusetts, left to found North Star. He had a Masters in Social Studies from Brown University and lives in Montague, Massachusetts, with family. Lastly, he is the author of “Learning is Natural; School is Optional,” book. Key Takeaways: 00:00:13 The change in Learning Experience and how it all started. 09:01 The Little Clubhouse as an Alternative Way to Live for Learners. 14:58 Recognize the Terror and Hardship as a way to face Frustrated Afraid Parents. 20:06 North Star and Liberated Learners Experience Outside of United States 28:08 Get to Know the Forming Community of the North Star: The Staffs. 31:04 Broader Perspective on Liberated Learners. 40:12 Three Different Stories with One Great Mission of Letting Kids Be. 46:47 Managing Distraction Among Kids. 51:37 Dealing with Parents' Frustration and Disillusioned Lack of Progress on their Kids. 1:03:50 North Star accepting Distance Members. 1:05:34 The Metaphor that represents the learning model of North Star and Liberated Learning Centers. Quotes: “We don't make everybody do a little bit of everything every day.” “The North Star approach offers teens a headstart on life. When I say school is optional, school is optional for learning and school is optional for a credential. “ “Everything I'm saying hinges on the concept that there is an alternative to traditional high school that is functional to go to university or to be included into the, you know, Professional World.” “When I say school is optional, for me, it has all the tension and emotion of like summer camp is optional. “ “Kids could go to school and like it or not like it. It's going to be okay and it's not going to define their lives. “ “ We believe that kids can do okay just fine, without school, the same way they do just fine, after school or during the summers.” “Things have to be resolved and not lived with a lot of times. Some things can be lived with, but a lot of things can't.” “They get to a point where they want to just know that they're doing the thing they're doing for themselves of their own free will and not out of fear or pressure from their parents.” “Don't compare what your kid is doing to some idealized homeschooling life. Let's compare what your kid is doing in their weekly routine right now, to what it would be most likely going on for them.” Social Links: Kenneth Danford LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-danford-38124628/ Website - http://www.kennethdanford.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ken.danford.7 North Star - http://www.northstarteens.org/ Liberated Learner - https://liberatedlearners.net/ Learning is Natural, School is Optional.: The North Star approach to offering teens a head start on life Book

What does it mean to educate in freedom? What are the different flavors of “freedom” that appear in the self-directed education world? In this live interview (recorded in January 2020) I speak with Alexander Khost, Editor-in-Chief of Tipping Points, the online magazine of The Alliance for Self-Directed Education, and a facilitator at Brooklyn Apple Academy. We discuss a controversial pair of articles he published in late 2019, addressing the topics of fear- versus trust-based education, the messy overlap between educational beliefs and political beliefs, and how this all plays out in the world of Sudbury schools, Agile Learning Centers, Liberated Learners centers, progressive schools, and unschooling. Links: Original article: https://www.self-directed.org/tp/misuse-of-words/ Follow-up article: https://www.self-directed.org/tp/education-is-a-political-act/ (the chart appears here) Forum discussion: https://www.self-directed.org/topic/sde-and-the-idea-that-education-is-a-political-act/

Ken Danford is the Executive Director of North Star (northstarteens.org), author of the new book "Learning is Natural, School is Optional", and the first guest to ever appear on this podcast. In this episode we discuss the Liberated Learners network through which Ken helps other people start centers similar to his, his advice for starting a new center (hint: talk to everyone in town, and don’t rely on homeschoolers to fill the program), and how L.L. fits into the broader alternative education movement. We conclude by discussing where Ken is headed next and what he would do with a few million dollars. Learn more about Ken and his book at kennethdanford.com, and find his survey of North Star alumni at self-directed.org/tp/north-star-alumni/

North Star (northstarteens.org) is an alternative to middle school and high school in Western Massachusetts, and it's a highly inspiring model of supporting self-directed learning at the teenage level. In Fall 2018, I took a break from my speaking tour to spend 9 days at North Star and immerse myself in the model and its community. In this special episode, you'll get a brief introduction to North Star through the voices of a dozen of its teen members. To find centers similar to North Star — or if you'd like to start your own such center — visit the Liberated Learners network @ liberatedlearners.net.

After a decade of teaching at public and private schools, Joel Hammon quit. Despite being on track to earning a six-figure salary with full benefits, he couldn’t take it anymore. But he still wanted to work with young people, so he co-founded Princeton Learning Cooperative (princetonlearningcooperative.org): a center based on the North Star model. In this episode we talk about how Joel struggled with teaching, what he loved about it, what led him to quit, how he (and others like him) maintain financial security, and how he continues contributing to social change outside of public education. We also discuss the Liberated Learners network (liberatedlearners.net) and Joel’s 2016 book, The Teacher Liberation Handbook. Learn more about Joel at joelhammon.com, and don’t miss his wonderful TEDx talk.

Unschooling is more about self-directed learning, finding out what you’re interested in, and going really deep into something. In this episode of Nat Chat, I’m joined by Blake Boles. While in college, Blake stumbled upon a book that really opened his eyes to the world of unschooling, alternative education, and how students could be learning better outside of the traditional systems. Shortly after graduating, he worked in California doing outdoor education and then ran off to South America for three months, where he decided he wanted to work within the alternative education field while also traveling. He then started Unschool Adventures, where he takes students on two-month trips to interesting places around the world. Blake is an excellent guy to follow if you’re into the alternative education and unschooling movement, as well as the digital nomad space. We covered a wide range of topics, including: Alternative educational systems The unschooling movement and its goals Finding the motivation to leave the traditional school system Fixing the existing school systems The importance of self-directed learning Turning your passions into a career And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Blake on his website! If you enjoyed this episode and the bits on turning your passion into a career, you’ll like my episode with Tasha Meys, where we talk about that and more. If you want more on the schooling system, be sure to listen to my episode with William Deresiewicz, where we discuss that in-depth.   Find Blake Online: Website Unschool Adventures How to Live Nowhere Mentioned in the show: Unschool Adventures [0:55] Lonely Planet [3:27] Summerhill School [9:05] Astro Camp [9:41] Not Back to School Camp [13:41] Couchsurfing [34:16] Minerva [34:37] (Nat Chat episode with the founder) Liberated Learners [36:49] North Star [36:54] Lord of the Flies [37:53] Arthur Morgan school [40:20] Mooc [43:12] Blakes website [51:44] Blake’s newsletter [51:44] How to Live Nowhere [52:47] Books mentioned: Dumbing Us Down [11:11] A Different Kind of Teacher [11:13] Excellent Sheep [30:15] (Nat’s Notes) (Nat Chat episode) The Art of Self-directed Learning [51:44] (Blake’s other books) People mentioned: John Taylor Gatto [8:04] William Deresiewicz [30:15] (Nat Chat episode) 1:50 - Intro to Blake, some background on what he does, and some information on his business Unschool Adventures, where he takes unschooled teenagers on international trips. Also, how he figures out which places to take his students and some details on what they learn. 5:50 - Why Blake chose to do these trips for a younger crowd and who these students are. 7:06 - How Blake got involved in the unschooling movement, some of his experiences growing up with it, and his education. 11:23 - What Blake did before he started getting into the unschool movement and his transformational travel experience to South America. Also, how he started his lifestyle business and its beginnings. 16:32 - What made Blake choose to get into unschooling compared to other alternative schooling methods and him discussing some of the homeschooling laws in Germany and in the US. 20:11 - Blake’s thoughts on social integration with unschooling and some in-depth information on the social aspect of unschooling. Also, how it can be really beneficial for sociability. 25:11 - Blake's thoughts on whether it requires a certain type of person for unschooling and on whether it could work for every kid. 28:41 - Wealthy students sometimes having it the worst with going to these top schools and the negative aspects of the social pressure that they face with those schools. Blake’s thoughts on changing the existing school systems or whether it’s okay for a certain type of person. Also, the lack of self-efficacy with these traditional compared to unschooled students. 33:00 - Whether or not Blake was always comfortable figuring things out on his own and some of the things that helped him out the most with self-directed learning. 34:29 - Blake's thoughts on other alternative schooling programs and his thoughts on the practical issue that families interested in unschooling face, which is that the parents working often or that there’s only one parent. Also, which alternative school models Blake recommends the most. 39:19 - Whether or not Blake has thought about starting a center modeled after these other effective self-directed learning centers. Also, some of his future plans within the unschooling space. 42:16 - Blake’s ideas for fixing the education problem at the parental level, some more thoughts on how Blake’s parents helped him out regarding education, how parents can help their children more in regards to education, and where he started when he began questioning the education system. 46:37 - Blake detailing the de-schooling process and talking about the transition phases between mentally demanding periods of life. 49:10 - Some last thoughts from Blake and some thoughts on the extreme social comparison that can be made between unschooled students and regular students. 51:44 - Wrap-up and where to find Blake online. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast Unrestricted travel, in general, is such a great corollary for self-directed learning for having to figure out who you are and what you want to do, because no one’s going to hold your hand or make it easy for you or if they do, they’re going to charge you a bunch of money.

Joel Hammon is the co-founder of The Learning Cooperatives, a group of self-directed learning centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He is also the co-founder and president of Liberated Learners, an organization that supports educators around the world to create self-directed learning centers in their communities. Joel is the author of The Teacher Liberation Handbook that details how he left teaching in public and private schools after 11 years to create an educational alternative for young people.

Nothstar Teens Princeton Learning Cooperative Bucks Learning Cooperative