Podcasts about Sudbury Valley School

Send us a textWhat would happen if we completely reimagined education? Dr. Peter Gray takes us on a provocative journey through the hidden history and troubling foundations of our modern school system.Gray's path to becoming an educational revolutionary began with his own son's rebellion. "School is prison," his fourth-grader declared, triggering a family crisis that led to a radical decision: enrolling him in Sudbury Valley School, where children direct their own learning without traditional classes, grades, or tests. Skeptical about whether this approach would prepare his son for "real life," Gray launched a research study of Sudbury graduates – and what he discovered transformed his understanding of education forever.The conversation reveals surprising historical truths about our educational model. Far from being merely an industrial-era creation, schools originated during the Protestant Reformation as instruments of religious indoctrination and obedience training. Children were physically punished for failing to memorize and recite lessons properly. While modern schools have abandoned corporal punishment, they maintain the same fundamental structure: rewarding compliance rather than fostering genuine curiosity or critical thinking.Most compelling is Gray's challenge to the "preparation" mindset in education – the notion that each grade prepares students for the next academic level rather than for life itself. Sudbury graduates prove this sequential preparation unnecessary; when motivated by genuine interest, children learn rapidly and efficiently without years of preparatory instruction. Many Sudbury alumni have entered elite colleges and successful careers despite never experiencing traditional schooling.Gray concludes with a powerful observation about what children truly need: time and freedom to explore, play, and discover themselves outside of constant adult direction. Today's children are increasingly "imprisoned around the clock" between rigid school environments and overprotective home settings, deprived of the independence necessary for healthy development. Perhaps true education isn't about curriculum at all – it's about creating space for children to become themselves.

Today's guest is Ben Draper, Executive Director of the Macomber Center, a self-directed education center for homeschoolers in Massachusetts. Ben is a graduate of the Sudbury Valley School, where he spent most of his childhood and adolescence before attending college at Tufts University and later earning a studio art degree from the Boston Museum School. Ben is part of the founding team of a new organization, Sudbury International, which seeks to promote the Sudbury model of education as well as individual Sudbury-inspired schools and centers.  Register for Sudbury International's upcoming free webinar on April 5th, featuring graduates from four different Sudbury-model schools. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Daniel A. Greenberg (28 September 1934 – 2 December 2021), was one of the founders of the Sudbury Valley School, has published several books on the Sudbury model of school organization, and was described by Sudbury Valley School trustee Peter Gray as the "principal philosopher" among its founders. He was a physics professor at Columbia University, and was described by Lois Holzman as the school's "chief 'philosophical writer'". (00:00) Introduction (01:01) Schools of the Future (58:27) Q&A --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theunadulteratedintellect/support

Founded in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968, the Sudbury Valley School has been championing non-coercive, self-directed, democratic education for decades, and has inspired the growth of dozens of Sudbury-model schools around the world. If you're a frequent listener to the podcast, you know that three of my children attend SVS, which is a low-cost, secular, private school located about 45 minutes outside of Boston. My guest today is Mikel Matisoo, who joined the staff at Sudbury Valley School in 1988 after a brief stint as a public school teacher in New York City. His children graduated from SVS and his grandchildren now attend the school, which continues to challenge students, teachers, parents, and policymakers to think differently about education. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Education News Headline Roundup [00:05:22]University of Florida President Ben Sasse announced his resignation from his presidential position effective July 31, 2024, citing the need to focus on his wife's health and family responsibilities. ACT Education Corp has announced changes to the ACT format and length as the company transitions from a non-profit to a for-profit entity and grapples with the effects of COVID and fluctuating interest in test-optional admissions policies.2U, Inc., a prominent, Maryland-based online education company, has announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This decision follows significant financial struggles, including mounting debt of close to $1 billion and declining revenues.Schooling Without School: Free Schools, Democratic Schools, and the Unschooling Movement [00:13:00]Alternative educational models, particularly self-directed learning approaches like free schooling and unschooling, have gained traction post-COVID-19. These models focus on tailored educational experiences, addressing individual student needs and interests, and often stem from diverse counter-cultural ideologies. Historical influences include Socrates, Plato, Rousseau, and Dewey, and significant figures discussed include A.S. Neill, founder of Summerhill School, and John Holt, advocate for homeschooling and unschooling. Both critiqued traditional schooling and promoted student autonomy, though their methods and reception are varied.Free schooling is characterized by significant student autonomy, democratic governance, voluntary class attendance, and a focus on self-directed projects and experiential learning. Notable examples include Summerhill in the UK and Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts. Unschooling posits that children learn best through self-directed education without formal classes or curricula. It emphasizes student-led learning, everyday experiences as educational opportunities, and a non-compulsory structure. Parents act as facilitators rather than teachers.This episode examines criticisms, such as potential academic gaps and socialization challenges, and discusses the suitability of these sometimes-radical student-led models for different learners, including those with disabilities. Socioeconomic factors affecting the feasibility of homeschooling and unschooling are also discussed. Post-COVID-19, remote work opportunities have increased the feasibility of these models, but socioeconomic status remains a significant determinant of access to resources and opportunities for self-directed learning.Sources & Resources:The ACT Test Is EvolvingACT exam: Changes coming to college admissions test, will be significantly shorter and cheaper - ABC13 HoustonThe SAT Has Changed: Here's What to KnowThe ACT's private equity takeover and the future of testingDuring test-optional college admissions, exam-prep companies still thrivedUniversity of Florida President Ben Sasse announces resignationBoard approves Sen. Ben Sasse to lead the University of Florida, despite outcryUniversity of Florida faculty passes symbolic vote against possible selection of Sen. Ben Sasse as president.Ben Sasse, controversial University of Florida president, announces his resignation | PBS News2U files for bankruptcy, but says students won't notice - The Baltimore BannerA look at 2U's path to bankruptcy | Higher Ed DiveOPM Watch: What Happens if Online Giant 2U Goes Under?Unschooling Is the Parenting Trend That's Pissing Everyone OffWhat to Know About Unschooling | K-12 Schools | U.S. NewsDemocratic Schools – Education RevolutionDemocratic and Self-Directed EducationA Typical Summerhill Day16:1 - Episode 14: Montessori SchoolsWhat Is Montessori EducationWhat Is the Reggio Emilia Approach to Education?A.S. Neill | Summerhill School, progressive education, libertarian education | BritannicaJohn Holt GWSDeveloping Self-Directed Learners - PMCSelf-Directed LearningRethinking the globalisation of problem-based learning: how culture challenges self-directed learningSugata Mitra | Speaker | TEDJohn Holt (educator) - WikipediaUnschooling - WikipediaSudbury Valley SchoolA. S. Neill - WikipediaSummerhill alumni: 'What we learnt at the school for scandal' | The IndependentSummerhill school: these days surprisingly strict | Teaching | The GuardianFlavor Flav is soaking up his 1st Olympic experience cheering on the US water polo teams | AP NewsThe newest Olympic sports being played at the 2024 Paris Games - CBS News.MTV News Website Goes Dark, Archives Pulled Offline

In his third appearance on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Dr. Peter Gray joins host Ginny Yurich to explore the benefits of self-directed education. Dr. Gray shares personal anecdotes about his son's and brother's educational journeys, highlighting the success of alternative learning environments like the Sudbury Valley School. They delve into the natural ways children learn, the critical role of play and curiosity, and the challenges parents face when breaking away from societal norms. Dr. Gray emphasizes some of the harmful effects of conventional schooling, including increased anxiety and depression, and advocates for an educational paradigm that fosters true passion and interest. Listen in to discover why children are biologically designed to educate themselves and how parents and teachers can create the ideal environment for childhood play and learning. ** Get your copy of Dr. Peter's book here >> Evidence that Self-Directed Education Works Check out Dr. Peter Gray's Substack here >> Play Makes Us Human ** Download your free 1000 Hours Outside tracker here >> https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/trackers Find everything you need to kick off your 1000 Hours Outside Journey here >> https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/blog/allthethings Order of copy of Ginny's newest book, Until the Streetlights Come On here >> https://amzn.to/3RXjBlN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christen Parker-Yarnal is the cofounder of the Miami Sudbury School in Miami, Florida, a fully self-directed, democratic K-12 private school modeled after the flagship Sudbury Valley School that was founded in Massachusetts in 1968. Christen was a conventional school teacher for several years in St. Louis, then moved back to Miami where she grew up, unschooled her 3 children, and launched Miami Sudbury School in 2018.  *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

This week, Kaity and Adriane chat with Peter Gray, research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College and renowned author of "Free to Learn." This episode is all about the power of play in learning, shedding light on how self-directed exploration can ignite children's natural curiosity and shape their futures. Peter shares his journey into the field of education and his personal experience with his son's struggles in traditional schooling. He discusses the pivotal moment that led him to discover Sudbury Valley School, an alternative school focused on self-directed education. Peter also talks about his study on the graduates of Sudbury Valley School, which found they were successful in various careers, debunking the notion that traditional schooling is necessary for success. Episode 34 also explores: 

The Sudbury Valley School is a self-directed, democratic school located in Framingham, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1968 and has inspired the growth of dozens of Sudbury-model schools around the world over the past half-century. The Sudbury model is based on the belief that children learn best when they have the freedom to explore their interests and take responsibility for their own education. Today's podcast guest is a Sudbury Valley School alumna who now sends her children there and who recently became a staff member.    *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Ever wondered about the transformative power of free play in a child's life? Prepare for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Peter Gray, an evolutionary psychologist and child development expert, as we journey through his research on self-directed learning and the crucial role of play in development and learning. Drawing from his personal experiences and groundbreaking research, Dr. Gray offers insights into the Sudbury Valley School's self-directed learning model and its potential to shape fulfilling lives. We dig deep into how self-directed education morphs the lines between work and play, and its ripple effects on children's lives. The conversation gets crucial as we navigate the alarming ascendance of ADHD and the use of medication. Dr. Gray underscores the importance of play in counterbalancing these concerns and the potential long-term effects of these drugs. Shifting gears, we probe into the decline of play and children's freedom since the 1950s and the societal factors contributing to this disconcerting trend. Bracing ourselves, we venture into the intimidating process of unschooling. Based on a study, we tackle how parents can conquer their fears and the scrutiny of others by finding a supportive community of like-minded individuals. As we wrap up, Dr. Gray leaves us with an inspiring message about the transformative power of free play in children's lives, reminding parents of the significant role they play. This episode is not just a conversation, it's a paradigm shift in understanding learning and play. Tune in and witness this shift. TED Talks with Dr. Peter Gray: The Decline of Play How Our Schools Thwart Passions Substack for Peter Gray Books by Dr. Gray: Free to Learn Mother Nature's Pedagogy: Biological Foundations for Children's Self-Directed Education How Children Acquire "Academic" Skills Without Formal Instruction Evidence that Self-Directed Education Works The Harm of Coercive Schooling *Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. CONNECT with US Join the Private Facebook Group  Connect and follow along with Janae's Journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Learn more about School to Homeschool

A common question about unconventional educational models, and especially about self-directed ones that put young people in charge of their own education, is how do kids turn out? To help answer that question I've invited Evan Hughes, who attended the renowned Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, MA for his childhood and adolescence, and now sends his son there as well.  Sudbury Valley was founded in 1968 and has since inspired the creation of dozens of Sudbury-model schools around the world. It prioritizes non-coercive, self-directed education within a democratically run community where adults and children have equal say in school operations, rule-making and enforcement, hiring and firing decisions, and so on. There are no adult-imposed classes, no grades, no curriculum or top-down evaluative measures. So how exactly does a person learn in this environment? *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Ever wonder how early education can shape the future thinkers of our society? This episode welcomes Connor Boyack, a prolific author, public speaker, TV show producer, and the founder and president of Libertas Institute, who explores this question with us. Connor shares his inspiring journey from web development to establishing Libertas Institute and authoring the Tuttle Twins children's series, which brings complex concepts of economics, politics, and civics down to a level young minds can grasp.  Our conversation takes a deep dive into the importance of fostering learning environments outside the confines of traditional classrooms. Connor emphasizes the role parents play in this process, inspiring them to help their children develop critical thinking skills and learn practical life skills.  We also touch on the perception vs reality of education, highlighting the fallacies in the assumption that schools are teaching children to think rather than dictating what to think. Tune in and empower the next generation of free-thinkers! The Tuttle Twins Website: Use Coupon code: "SMS40" for a limited time 40% discount on the Tuttle Twins Combo Pack (plus free workbooks!) Libertas Institute State Policy Network A Nation at Risk Mediocrity: 40 Ways Government Schools are Failing Today's Students * Please note that some of the links included in this article are Amazon affiliate links. Connect with Us! Join the Private Facebook Group Connect and follow Janae's journey on Instagram @janae.daniels Learn more about School to Homeschool

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODETeach Your Kids: Website | LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Substack | FacebookManisha: LinkedIn | X | Instagram | FacebookLisa Betts-LaCroix: Website | LinkedIn | Super Power U Podcast | FacebookNir Eyal: Website | LinkedIn | X | Facebook | Nir and Far PodcastKerry McDonald: LiberatED Podcast | Website | X | Instagram | FacebookShiren Rattigan: Colossal Academy | LinkedIN | Instagram | XNaval Ravikant: Airchat | LinkedIn | X | Podcast | YouTubeRachel Thomas: Fast.ai | LinkedIn | X | FacebookAlycia Wright: Cultural Roots Homeschool Co-op| LinkedIn | Instagram | FacebookJoin our premium community with expert support and adviceJoin the Conversation on AirchatHomeschooling Room: https://getairchat.com/manisharose/homeschoolingRelated Teach Your Kids Podcast EpisodesHomeschooling with Naval Ravikant, Nir Eyal, Rachel Thomas, Kerry McDonald, Alycia Wright, Shiren Rattigan, and Lisa Betts-Lacroix: Part 1But what about socialization?Raising Indistractable Kids: Nir Eyal's Unconventional Approach to HomeschoolingMicroschooling with Iman Alleyne & Shiren RattiganThe Future of Educational Choice: Kerry McDonald Unpacks it AllTeach Your Kids: Game-Based Learning: The Prodigy Approach with Rohan Mahimker Blog PostsSo, what's the big deal about "Mastery Learning"?

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODETeach Your Kids: Website | LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Substack | FacebookManisha: LinkedIn | X | Instagram | FacebookLisa Betts-LaCroix: Website | LinkedIn | Super Power U Podcast | FacebookNir Eyal: Website | LinkedIn | X | Facebook | Nir and Far PodcastKerry McDonald: LiberatED Podcast | Website | X | Instagram | FacebookShiren Rattigan: Colossal Academy | LinkedIN | Instagram | XNaval Ravikant: Airchat | LinkedIn | X | Podcast | YouTubeRachel Thomas: Fast.ai | LinkedIn | X | FacebookAlycia Wright: Cultural Roots Homeschool Co-op| LinkedIn | Instagram | FacebookJoin our premium community with expert support and adviceJoin the Conversation on AirchatHomeschooling Room: https://getairchat.com/manisharose/homeschoolingRelated Teach Your Kids Podcast EpisodesBut what about socialization?Raising Indistractable Kids: Nir Eyal's Unconventional Approach to HomeschoolingMicroschooling with Iman Alleyne & Shiren RattiganThe Future of Educational Choice: Kerry McDonald Unpacks it AllTeach Your Kids: Game-Based Learning: The Prodigy Approach with Rohan Mahimker Blog PostsSo, what's the big deal about "Mastery Learning"?

in episode 4 of the community care series, Meghan spoke with two people from Zena Democratic School (formerly Hudson Valley Sudbury School) and the conversation is a MASSIVE 2+ hour episode! they talk all about the Sudbury model as a staff member and student, you get a clear understanding of the model as it was first practiced in the original Sudbury Valley School and the ways the Zena has made shifts.  they discuss several topics deeply, really try to offer balance drop some f bombs and definitely have a lot of fun! they even tackle giving kids the vote! Its a good listen and worth the time, even if you have to break it up in chunks. e-mail Charlie at 22morsec@gmail.com is you wanna have a juicy convo about anything he mentioned find Zena Democratic School here https://www.zenademocraticschool.org information on and from the original Sudbury Valley School  ⁠https://sudburyvalley.org/theory⁠ article Charlie mentioned on Sudbury Schools and Neo Liberal Ideology https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1478210315610256 second article charlie mentioned from Tipping Points https://www.self-directed.org/tp/the-first-prison/ Register to Vote in the US here https://vote.gov Exploring Children's Suffrage- Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Ageless Voting https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-14541-4 Check out the Children's Voting Colloquium https://www.childrenvoting.org Find all of Meghan's work on theunschoolfiles.com! please take a second to head over to Patreon.com/theunschoolfiles to partner with Meghan on all the work she does.

Check out the theatrical trailer for Captain Fantastic. You can watch Captain Fantastic on Amazon Prime Video if you already subscribe. Or you can rent or buy it on iTunes or Google Play. I owe a great debt to Sheila O'Malley. Her review led to so many insights about art. story, politics, the way we think about "raising" children, and the way we think about movies. You can read her review of Captain Fantastic on rogerebert.com.My thinking about how we parent and school our children has been greatly influenced by the Sudbury Valley School and their radical experiments in democratic education as well as my own experiences with democratic education at College of the Atlantic, a place that I am profoundly grateful to have been a part. Do you love Captain Fantastic? Do you NOT love it? Send me a message at ben@iheartthispodcast.com. Tell me about your thoughts on the movie. Don't forget to visit iheartthispodcast.com to find more things to love.

Self-directed education is a tough concept for many people to grasp. It challenges the ways in which many of us were educated, and the ways many of our children continue to be educated, by flipping the entire idea of education as a top-down model of coercive schooling to a bottom-up model of individual agency and self-determination. My 2019 book, Unschooled: Raising Curious Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, details the history and philosophy of non-coercive, self-directed education tied to one's individual interests, goals, and life pursuits.  One place that has become a beacon for parents and educators interested in the philosophy and practice of self-directed education is the Sudbury Valley School, that I write extensively about in Unschooled. Sudbury Valley was founded in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968 and continues to flourish today more than 50 years later. It has also inspired the creation of dozens of democratic, Sudbury-model schools around the world, as well as various unschooling programs. If you remember back to episode 39 in October, I interviewed Sudbury Valley School cofounder, Mimsy Sadofsky, and explained why my husband and I decided to send our children there instead of continuing with homeschooling. But today I thought it would be interesting and insightful to hear from another parent, Nick Warren, who pulled his two children out of public school in 2021 and enrolled them at Sudbury Valley. Like us, Nick and his wife drive a long distance each way every day so that their kids can attend Sudbury Valley, but it's totally worth it. We talk more about why that is in today's show.  Sign up for my free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Nick Lachen is a former high school physics teacher with a Master's degree in teaching who, along with his wife, decided back in 2020 to launch a self-directed Sudbury-model school in the Des Moines, Iowa area. The state told them they couldn't. Iowa has some of the most restrictive private school regulations in the US, constraining the entire private education sector there long before introducing school choice policies. Hear Nick's story, including what's next for his family, in today's episode. Iowa Enacts Universal School Choice, But Regulations Will Limit the Supply of Options for Families (Forbes.com)  Planning Kit for Sudbury Schools Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Peter Gray has spent much of his career demonstrating how children learn through play. His book “Free to Learn” helped fuel the unschooling movement - but will the educational mainstream ever shift in response? This episode explores Peter's hopes that we will reach a tipping point - beyond which self-directed learning becomes the norm - and his fears about what may prevent it. Timings: 01:30 Free to Learn 17:40 The Tipping Point theory of social change 36:14 Peter's education journey 53:02 A personal update from Stan Links: Peter Gray is the author of Free to Learn: https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/peter-gray/free-to-learn/9780465084999/ What happens to graduates of Sudbury Valley School? https://www.self-directed.org/resource/gray-and-chanoff-1986/ Fact check: long-term trends suggests the US home-school rate is around 5%, but a Covid-era survey suggested 10% of parents intended to home-school: https://news.gallup.com/poll/317852/parents-satisfaction-child-education-slips.aspx

Les écoles dites "démocratiques" sont fondées sur la liberté de choix de son enseignement par l'enfant et sur des valeurs d'égalité, notamment entre l'enseignant et l'élève. De telles théories, associées parfois à des expériences concrètes, ne sont pas nouvelles. À la fin du XVIIe siècle, le philosophe anglais John Locke conseillait déjà de ne rien imposer à l'enfant. Un siècle plus tard, l'"Émile" de Rousseau devait choisir, de lui-même, ce qu'il lui paraissait utile d'apprendre. De leur côté, les enfants fréquentant l'école fondée par Tolstoï sur son domaine étaient libres de venir ou de rester chez eux. Quant à la gestion de la célèbre école de Summerhill, fondée en 1921 en Angleterre, elle était fondée sur de véritables principes démocratiques. Citons encore l'exemple de la "Sudbury Valley School", fondée en 1968, aux États-Unis, où l'on ne proposait aux élèves aucun programme d'enseignement préconçu. L'un des principes directeurs de cet enseignement démocratique est de laisser l'enfant libre de ses choix éducatifs. C'est lui qui décide de ses activités, sans qu'aucun cours, ni aucun programme, lui soient imposés. Il choisit, parmi les activités prévues, celles qui lui plaisent, et peut même en proposer d'autres. Ainsi, les élèves de ces écoles peuvent concevoir et mener à bien, du début à la fin, de véritables projets éducatifs. Il s'agit donc de faire confiance en la curiosité naturelle de l'enfant. Même si rien n'est imposé, les élèves ne sont pas laissés à eux-mêmes. Ils sont encadrés par des adultes qualifiés, qui les aident à donner vie à leurs idées. Pour leur permettre d'éclore, et de se matérialiser, des ressources pédagogiques variées sont mises à la disposition des enfants. Un autre principe de ces écoles démocratiques, nous l'avons vu, c'est l'égale importance, dans le choix des activités ou la gestion de l'établissement, entre l'adulte et l'enfant. Le dialogue et la médiation jouent également un grand rôle dans la résolution des conflits. De tels principes démocratiques n'excluent pas la présence de règles, mais celles-ci, la plupart du temps, ne prévoient pas de punitions. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Les écoles dites "démocratiques" sont fondées sur la liberté de choix de son enseignement par l'enfant et sur des valeurs d'égalité, notamment entre l'enseignant et l'élève.   De telles théories, associées parfois à des expériences concrètes, ne sont pas nouvelles. À la fin du XVIIe siècle, le philosophe anglais John Locke conseillait déjà de ne rien imposer à l'enfant.   Un siècle plus tard, l'"Émile" de Rousseau devait choisir, de lui-même, ce qu'il lui paraissait utile d'apprendre. De leur côté, les enfants fréquentant l'école fondée par Tolstoï sur son domaine étaient libres de venir ou de rester chez eux.   Quant à la gestion de la célèbre école de Summerhill, fondée en 1921 en Angleterre, elle était fondée sur de véritables principes démocratiques. Citons encore l'exemple de la "Sudbury Valley School", fondée en 1968, aux États-Unis, où l'on ne proposait aux élèves aucun programme d'enseignement préconçu.   L'un des principes directeurs de cet enseignement démocratique est de laisser l'enfant libre de ses choix éducatifs. C'est lui qui décide de ses activités, sans qu'aucun cours, ni aucun programme, lui soient imposés. Il choisit, parmi les activités prévues, celles qui lui plaisent, et peut même en proposer d'autres.   Ainsi, les élèves de ces écoles peuvent concevoir et mener à bien, du début à la fin, de véritables projets éducatifs. Il s'agit donc de faire confiance en la curiosité naturelle de l'enfant.   Même si rien n'est imposé, les élèves ne sont pas laissés à eux-mêmes. Ils sont encadrés par des adultes qualifiés, qui les aident à donner vie à leurs idées. Pour leur permettre d'éclore, et de se matérialiser, des ressources pédagogiques variées sont mises à la disposition des enfants.   Un autre principe de ces écoles démocratiques, nous l'avons vu, c'est l'égale importance, dans le choix des activités ou la gestion de l'établissement, entre l'adulte et l'enfant.   Le dialogue et la médiation jouent également un grand rôle dans la résolution des conflits. De tels principes démocratiques n'excluent pas la présence de règles, mais celles-ci, la plupart du temps, ne prévoient pas de punitions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gayle Nagle and Maura Duignan founded the Sligo Sudbury School in Sligo, Ireland in 2018. The Sligo Sudbury School is one of dozens of Sudbury-style schools around the world that are modeled after the original Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts that was founded in 1968. Sudbury schools value freedom and autonomy, non-coercive learning, personal responsibility, and democratic self-governance.  In episode 39, I interviewed Sudbury Valley School cofounder Mimsy Sadofsky, and I wrote extensively about Sudbury Valley and the Sudbury model of self-directed education in my Unschooled book. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends and extra podcast content at fee.org/liberated.

The Sudbury Valley School is legendary in alternative education and unschooling circles. Founded in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968, Sudbury Valley has become a beacon for parents and educators interested in non-coercive, self-directed education, and has inspired the creation of dozens of Sudbury-style schools around the world.  Our guest today is Mimsy Sadofsky, one of the original founders of the Sudbury Valley School who continues to work at the school as a full-time staff member.  This episode is also personally very special because I wanted to share with you our family's journey toward enrolling at Sudbury Valley School. Episode-related links: Sudbury Valley School open house Planning kit for starting a Sudbury model school Award-winning filmmaker and Sudbury Valley School alumna, Laura Poitras American Journal of Education research paper on SVS graduate outcomes Free At Last, by SVS cofounder Daniel Greenberg Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, by Peter Gray Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom, by Kerry McDonald

David D. Friedman, a physicist, economist, and law professor who is the son of the famed Nobel Prize-winning economist, Milton Friedman, is a staunch supporter of unschooling, or the idea of self-directed, non-coercive learning that occurs either as an approach to homeschooling or in “unschooling schools,” such as those schools modeled after the Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts. I wrote extensively about unschooling, Sudbury Valley, and other “unschooling schools” in my 2019 Unschooled book. I had been familiar with David Friedman's libertarian writings and focus on anarcho-capitalism, but I somehow missed his focus on unschooling until recently. The most recent edition of Friedman's well-known book, Machinery of Freedom: Guide to A Radical Capitalism, first published in 1973, includes a chapter on unschooling entitled, "Unschooling: A Libertarian Approach to Children," which also appears on his blog.

Rozenn Harel a co-fondé l'école démocratique Noésis en Bretagne en 2018. Monter une école démocratique aujourd'hui n'est pas une tâche simple, mais pour Rozenn les bienfaits qu'elle a observés sur les enfants méritent un tel engagement. Durant cet épisode, elle est revenue sur les principes de bases d'une école démocratique et surtout sur le quotidien de l'école Noésis qui évolue au fil de l'observation et de l'échange avec les enfants. Vous découvrirez comment cette école place la démocratie et la liberté au centre de sa pratique, redéfinissant complètement les codes de l'éducation traditionnelle. Pour information, vous entendrez Rozenn mentionner la Sudbury Valley School, qui est une école fondée aux Etats-Unis dans les années 1960. Références du podcast : https://ecolenoesis.org/accueil/bienvenue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH3Lh6L87ag&t=3s 

Staff Members at self-directed democratic schools like Alpine Valley School are often asked what sorts of unique challenges students experience at places like this. While our students are free from the tests and grades that are imposed on others in mainstream education, they do encounter a totally different set of struggles.  Not only that, but parents often have to deal with their own difficulties as well. In this episode of the Alpine Valley School podcast staff members Larry, Katy, and Connie talk about what makes life at our school challenging and how they've seen students and parents find strength in their struggles.  Visit the show notes page here: Episode 57 Show Notes To learn more about Alpine Valley School (and come visit!) check out our webpage. We are hosting an Open House this summer and invite you to join us! Find out more on our webpage: Summer Open House.  Want more? Read a blog post about finding strength in struggle on the AVS Blog.  Watch a video interview with one of our graduates talking about how he struggled with boredom.  Listen to a podcast episode about the invitations that boredom offers us.  Read a blog post from Sudbury Valley School about boredom and entertainment.  Send us your questions, suggestions, and feedback at podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com 

Today on the show I speak with research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College and author of Free to Learn - Peter Gray. What I love about Peter is as well as an academic he has also walked his talk. When his son was rebelling against the traditional schooling system and called it a prison (which he agrees it is) they explored other options and ended up at Sudbury Valley School which changed the course of Peter's research and ultimately his life. Peter tells this amazing story of how when his son was 12 years old, he came to his wife and himself with a plan to travel to Europe alone. In the ultimate display of trust of a child (which he says has been lost in our culture), Peter and his wife agreed to the proposal and his son did go to Europe alone year later at age 13. We also cover many topics including the importance of mixed age play, the importance of play in general and moving away from competitiveness to collaboration. I also question how Sudbury which is ultimately based on an unschooling principal goes with government regulations and it seems that America is much more liberal than Australia. We also touch on Tara Westover's book Educated and the irony of her story and message. Peter is a genuine and well researched scholar who I feel is way ahead of the game of schooling or rather unschooling. Peter's work is just what we need right now in this changing world where many people are feeling the calling to move into homeschooling but are still a little uncertain or scared. I hope this interview helps parents realise that they and more importantly their children already have everything they need to learn, thrive and educate themselves. Enjoy this insightful conversation and view of what I see as the future of education. Peter Gray Research Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College. My book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, is available in 18 languages. My four new collections of essays can be purchased now at Tipping Points Press. See also my Psychology Today blog and follow me on Facebook

In this episode, we're chatting with Mimsy Sadofsky from the democratic Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts about what a self-directed learning school looks like, what children do after attending such a school, how they learn to read in a democratic school and, of course, how the school is run by its children.

Priyanka and Alan interview Dr. Peter Gray, author of Free to Learn, one of the classic motivational texts in the world of Homeschooling, and one of the books which launched us on our homeschooling journey. We discuss:• What is the Sudbury Valley School and why do kids thrive there• How kids really learn to read• Why higher level math isn't important for everyone to learn• Why video games might actually be good for the brain• Why the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for families with kids in schoolSo bring your paradigm with you and get ready to have it shifted by Dr. Gray's educational insights!To order Free to Learn, click HERE.To read Dr. Gray's blog on Psychology Today, click HERE.

Show Notes The fifth optimizing condition is free age mixing with children across all ages. Throughout history, children have spent most of their time in the company of other children, not adults. Sudbury Valley School offers this model. Children learn from one another. Kids don't inherently self-segregate if they aren't forced to. Age gaps provide learning opportunities for younger children by way of the older children boosting the younger ones up to an activity level they wouldn't otherwise be at if they were with their same-aged peers. The older children learn how to explain things which cements their own knowledge. They also learn to care for others and lead. Kids even learn to read through games with older kids, because the game demands they learn it. This is a natural motivator for learning to read. It's important for kids to have older children as models, maybe even more so than having adult models.  Jenna adds that for her, it's been challenging to provide age-mixing for her kids during the Covid-19 pandemic due to all the restrictions on social gatherings. As a solution, she provided an online self-directed school alternative which allows for age-mixing and guidance from facilitators. You can learn more about Galileo here, or sign up to try it out with the code “Rogue Learner” and get $100 off your first month's tuition.  The sixth optimizing condition is immersion in a stable, moral, and caring community. Even with the other optimizing conditions in place, if a child doesn't feel a sense of being part of a larger community of people. They learn that the purpose of life is not just to serve their own selfish needs. It helps them become good citizens later on.  Jenna says that American schools can provide this sense of belonging through school spirit and mascots and ultimately provides validation to those raising questions about socialization and the lack of a sense of community for homeschooled children.  Peter Gray talks about the research supporting how school climate is the most important factor in determining how schools would perform academically, and closes the gap between students who do well and not well in school. Feeling comfortable and accepted in a school was critical.  Jenna points out that after interviewing people from all different backgrounds, she was surprised to uncover a trend in which people felt relatively happy in elementary school, but as they began entering secondary school, they lost their motivation and felt like a small fish in a huge pond.  Peter Gray notes that the pressure and stress put on children is however, happening earlier and earlier. His own half sister resigned after years of teaching in middle school because administrators dictated exactly how and what she taught even though she had evidence to support her methods were effective. Although kindergarten used to be a place of play and socializing, it's now become drill and practice with worksheets and messages that children are already behind.  Jenna follows up with a question regarding the 3 R's. If children are given full autonomy over their learning, how do they learn math, reading and writing? Peter Gray asks, “Why are we so concerned about math in the first place?” Most of the math we need in everyday life can be learned in context by cooking, playing board games, and making change when you buy something. Research of the “summer slide” shows that children's ability to solve computational calculations decreased over the summer, yet their ability to solve problems involving reasoning and problem solving increased, and increased at a faster rate than that of which it would have in the course of the school year. You can find some of Peter Gray's blog posts on Psychology Today about math, particularly this article about a survey he did with unschooling families. We live in a numerate world and to the degree the child is being brought up in a numerate world, the child will learn about numbers and will learn to do those calculations that are necessary to do. Any other calculations can be learned at any point in life when the child finds them important to what they want to do in life. There are two times to learn something, when you're so curious about something that you just can't stop yourself from learning it, and the other is when you need to know it. There's no critical period for learning anything other than your native language without an accent. You learn most efficiently when you need to know it. 

Dr. Peter Gray Peter Gray is a research professor of psychology at Boston College who has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. He is author of an internationally acclaimed introductory psychology textbook (Psychology, Worth Publishers, now in its 8th edition), which views all of psychology from an evolutionary perspective. His recent research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves, through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. He has expanded on these ideas in his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books). He also authors a regular blog called Freedom to Learn, for Psychology Today magazine. He is a founding member and former president of the nonprofit Alliance for Self-Directed Education (ASDE), which is aimed at creating a world in which children's natural ways of learning are facilitated rather than suppressed. He is also a founder of the nonprofit Let Grow, the mission of which is to renew children's freedom to play and explore outdoors, independently of adults. He earned his undergraduate degree at Columbia College and Ph.D. in biological sciences at the Rockefeller University many years ago. His own current play includes kayaking, bicycling, cross-country skiing, vegetable gardening, chopping wood for his home's wood-burning stove, and writing occasional sonnets. Facebook   Show Notes Dr. Peter Gray has spent years researching how children naturally learn. He focused on play and what children are doing when they play and the function of play. He's interested in play from an evolutionary perspective, children's nature that comes about by natural selection to serve the function of education.  As Jenna was researching self directed learning, she came upon the six optimizing conditions for self directed education and found it extremely helpful in guiding her toward an environment at home that was ideal for learning.  Dr. Gray developed the six optimizing conditions for self directed learning based on what he studied at The Sudbury Valley School and through surveying ten anthropologists who had studied and lived among 7 different hunter-gatherer communities. He found many similarities between the hunter-gatherer communities and the students at Sudbury Valley School.  The first condition is the social expectation and reality that education is children's responsibility. Dr. Gray observed that children come into the world biologically designed to educate themselves. Right from the beginning, children are curious and figuring things out on their own initiative. If adults believe that children need to be forced to learn, we can talk them out of the idea that they're responsibility. We essentially send them the message that their curiosity doesn't count. The adults in the child's environment are not conveying the view that the adult is responsible for their education.  Jenna asks where does that that idea come from that adults have to educate children? Dr. Gray explains that the original purpose for education was to teach obedience. Autonomy was valued in hunter-gatherer bands, but agriculture changed all of this. An hierarchy arose by way of land ownership. This led to feudalism, whereby everyone was dependent on the land owners. It became imperative that Serf parents teach their children to obey for their own survival in this hierarchical world. The original schools were developed by Protestants in Prussia. There were three purposes for schools at that time; reading (as it was very common at that time for average day families to be literate), indoctrination (save children's souls), teach obedience. Willfulness was sinfulness. Children were meant to memorize content, otherwise they'd be punished. Nobody questioned it. Most teachers don't have this goal in today's modern world, however they are entering into a school system which was never designed for that and is incapable of promoting creativity, critical thinking and a love for learning. The only way you can pass in school  is to do what you're told to do and the only way to fail is to not do what you're told to do. So even today, the goal is still obedience. The second optimized condition for SDE is unlimited freedom to play, explore, and pursue their own interests. Kids need lots of time to do this, essentially all day. Kids from the age of about four on through late teenage years in hunter-gatherer communities had all day to play and explore. This is the same way Sudbury Valley School models their school. It allows children to exercise their nature-given gifts that are for the purpose of education. Dr. Gray recalls in his own education back in the 50's, there were far fewer hours spent in school and on homework and therefore he had time to spend playing and exploring outside the confines of a school setting, unlike how it is today. School was never a great place for learning, but it didn't occupy so much of a child's day.  Adult-directed sports, clubs, and extracurriculars are no replacement for play. It's yet another place where obedience is the primary issue. If it's self selected it's fine, but when that type of activity is occupying so much of a child's time, they are deprived of the opportunity to figure things out on their own.  In highschool, Jenna's day started at 6am, she went to school, came home in time for dinner, did homework and then went to bed. There was no time for play or creative pursuits.  Dr. Gray says we are raising a generation of sleep-deprived kids, and studies conducted during the pandemic have revealed that due to school closures, children are getting more sleep and parents and children are reporting improved moods because of it.  Jenna shares how her son is now getting 3 hours of extra sleep because he's at home learning.  The third optimizing condition for SDE is opportunity to play with tools of the culture. By play, it's meant that children get to use the tool in whichever way they choose. Children want to use tools in meaningful ways, build something, cook something, etc. In any culture, children are naturally drawn to the most important tools of their culture. Playing with those tools is how you develop mastery of the tools. In hunter-gatherer bands, parents and older kids might help facilitate this learning by making small versions of these tools. Computers are the most important tools of our culture, which is why children are drawn to them. Other tools that are important in our culture are kitchen appliances, wood tools, sports equipment, books, etc. One advantage to a self-directed learning center or school is that they might have a more diverse collection of tools in which the children can discover and use.  Jenna shares her experience as a teacher, in which she handed out scientific equipment to students and they were compelled to play with it before the actual lesson began. It was evident to her that her students weren't interested in being directed through the activity using the tools, instead they would have rather discovered its uses on their own.   Dr. Peter Gray points out that kids want to figure out how to use a tool, rather than being shown how to use it. Of course, safety and proper use of tools is important before use of dangerous or delicate tools. Jenna remembers reading in Peter Gray's book, Free To Learn about a study done on babies where researchers observed how two independent groups of babies responded to toys given to them without being shown all the ways in which you can play with it, and toys given to them where the researcher spent a great deal of time showing the baby what you can do with the toy. The babies who weren't given instruction about how the toy worked learned more about the toy and found more ways of playing with the toy. The most interesting toys are ones that have infinite ways of playing with it. Dr. Gray points out how this is akin to math instruction in school because kids are being given the way to do the math problem, which takes away the discovery and curiosity in math problems.  The fourth optimizing condition for SDE is access to a variety of caring adults who are helpers, not judges. Caring adults could be family members, friends, or mentors to the child. They are glad to help but are not evaluating or judging the child in any way. It's important because we can't be fully honest when we are being judged by others. You're not likely to present your problems to someone who is judging you. You're going to be orientated toward, what does this person want me to say and what does this person want me to do? There's an artificiality in your interaction with someone who is judging you. Adults are there to help when children ask for it. It's tough in our society since everything is measured and competitive. In a school setting, it's impossible not to evaluate or judge. Being judged is stressful, which inhibits your performance on anything you're not good at and your creativity. The ideal situation would be where the individual is the only judge of their work or performance. Children need a variety of adults to observe, so they can get a sense of what it's like to be an adult and get a broader sense of what adults are like. Children can also learn from adults with various skills and professions.  Jenna is reminded of the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child.” She jokingly tells her husband they should go live on a commune because the way our culture lives, in our individual houses sometimes isolated from family, is not conducive to how children learn.   Helpful Resources Mentioned in Today's Show Alliance for Self Directed Education Free To Learn  by Peter Gray Psychology Today   Ways to Connect Email me: contact.roguelearner@gmail.com Facebook  Instagram Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rogue-learner/id1543224038 Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/search/rogue%20learner Spotify: https://roguelearner.libsyn.com/spotify YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdCocbWsxxAMSbUObiCQXPg Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/rogue-learner  

Disruptor [noun] - a person or thing that prevents something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/disruptor Yes, this month we are talking about disruption. I think it is a fitting theme for this past year, don't you? There is a lot of disruption happening all around us and it is not necessarily bad. Change comes from disruption and change can be good. I have often wondered when we talk about change in the education system where we need disruption to be. From the inside or out? In this episode I sat down with education disruptor, Heather MacTaggart to talk about how she sees disruption happening within the system. She says, "If now isn’t the time to redesign an education model built for the industrial age, when will it be?" Unschooling School Heather’s obsession is helping to create an education system that actually makes sense for kids, all kids! She is a social entrepreneur, an educator, and a problem solver. She founded Classroom Connections in 1997 because she was worried about the education system and the kids in it. Since then, Classroom Connections has evolved from a grass-roots resource hub for schools to an award-winning producer of innovative education/training materials that are in use across Canada and around the world. Heather is a firm believer in self directed learning and trust. Currently Heather is working on Unschooling School. The premise is this- Not all kids can attend these enlightened (alternative) schools. We already pay for public education. Not all parents are able to unschool at home. So what if we made space for change within schools by choosing not to comply with the age-segregated, curriculum-driven, testing, grading, and homework-laden structures? What if we insisted that our children be allowed to choose what they want to do at school? What if we let them know that there are lots of different avenues to gain acceptance into College or University or start careers?  What if we revealed to them that marks on a transcript are only one of many options? In This Episode In this episode Heather joins me to talk about these possibilities, what Unschooling school means and why she is disrupting education. We explore; The importance of learning things we are interested in Allowing kids to be in charge of their learning Brave parents are disruptors What would it look like to unschool school? The two factors that are paramount in both parents and kids to Unschool school What would society look like if we had consent in our learning and education? The Free Learner program and support for families that are interested in Unschooling School Resources Unschooling School Facebook Classroom Connections Change It Up Peter Gray Sudbury Valley School FHREE.org If you would like to listen to episodes featuring people and places mentioned in this episode, check out my interview with Peter Gray and my interview with Daniel Greenberg of Sudbury Valley School. Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In mainstream education, parents and teachers are continually breaking down children into two separate groups: good students and bad students. In this episode, we hear from Tay Arrow and Marc Gallivan, two Sudbury School graduates who self-identified as bad and good students, respectively. Tay and Marc share their own personal journeys through the school system and how they both ultimately arrived at self-directed education, and what they found when they did. View the show notes page for more details about this episode. To learn more about Alpine Valley School (and come visit!) check out our webpage. Want more? Listen to a podcast episode all about self-directed education and learning disabilities: What Schools Tell Us About Special Needs Hear from another Alpine Valley School graduate who struggled in mainstream education: Play is the Work of Children Listen to a recording from the original Sudbury Valley School about learning disabilities in schools: The Learning Disability Epidemic   You can get in touch with the show at: podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com

Compared to previous generations, today's children have more homework, more adult-led activities and less free time to just play. According to psychologist Dr Peter Gray, this is a worrying trend that is having a negative impact on society. Dr Gray's research shows that free-play is an important part of child development. It's where they learn things like courage, creativity and social skills. In this interview, Dr Gray explains why it's important for parents to step back and let their kids play, even (and sometimes especially) if it involves risk.What you'll learnWhy Dr Gray decided to specialise in free-playHis research into The Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts, where the children design their own curriculumWhat are the key features in the Sudbury education philosophy?Mixing kids of all ages togetherStaff are voted in by the studentsAll decisions need to be approved by a committee of students and staffAbout Dr, Gray's book: Free to learnHow child-led play helps children develop important life skillsWhat are the negative impacts of too much adult-led education and playInternal versus external locus of control More informationShow notes and links to resources mentioned in this interview are available at https://thedadtrain.com/42

Marko Koskinen, 47yo, from Finland is the founder of Phoenix Online School, a K9 elementary homeschooling alternative for students in Finland. During years 2017-2019 Marko was a member of the Council of the European Democratic Education Community (EUDEC) and has been an active member of the Democratic Education community for over two decades. Marko began his revolutionary education career as a student at the Helsinki University by initiating a student movement at the Helsinki University Education department demanding change in the teaching practices. The end result was a formation of a new kind of teacher education line, where the teacher students decide themselves about their curriculum. There are no tests and the evaluation is mostly based on peer evaluation and mentoring. Marko has worked as a teacher in pre-primary, primary, secondary and adult education for 15 years. His experience has led him to affirm the many critiques towards the education system he already had when he moved from ITC to education field in his early twenties. The main critiques include age segregation, hierarchical governing system, evaluation systems based on rewards and punishments, pre-designed curriculum and the focus on academics instead of well-being. In 2001 Marko participated in an internship program at a private K12 democratic alternative school, Sudbury Valley School, in MA, USA. This experience helped him start his own school in Finland in 2005. The Phoenix School was operational for three years. After the school closed down, during years 2009-2010 Marko travelled for four months in India and studied some Indian philosophers like Sri Aurobindo and Krishnamurti. In 2010 Marko started working on the online school. As an ICT professional he was able to combine Information Technology with education and in 2011 the Phoenix Online School was officially released. The aim of the online school was to allow easy access to homeschooling. During his years as a teacher in public education sector, Marko had seen in practice the many problems of the education system. Even though the Finnish education system is considered to be one of the best in the world, it still has most of the same structures as other education systems and suffers the same problems stated above. With the online school Marko wanted to create a system that would put the student in the center of his/her own studies and give the student and the family as much freedom as possible while still fulfilling the mandatory national curriculum. The solution was to abolish all study content and give the student only questions and tasks. The student was free to decide how to study, when to study, with whom to study and due to the flexibility of the system, also in a great degree, what to study. The Phoenix Online School has been now running for ten years and at the moment has about 90 students, which is about 20% of the homeschoolers in Finland. The online platform has also been successfully tested in regular classroom settings inside Finnish and Spanish public schools. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/future-school-leaders/message

  "Children really learn best when they are able to pursue their own interests and follow their own timetable." Alternatives To School Mandy Spiczka has been helping kids learn and grow all of her life. Through mentoring, a summer program counsellor, an after school coordinator, tutor and then as a public school teacher she has always been drawn to work that allows her to support kids. But once Mandy became a parent herself, she decided she wanted her daughter to "have an education that is as unique as she is". She wanted an education that aligned with everything she had learned about in child psychology and development, everything that she had studied as a teacher and as a person that has always been connected to children. The education that aligned with her values was not found in the school. It had to be an alternative to school. It was homeschooling, or more specifically, self directed learning. And once Mandy made the decision to homeschool her daughter, she knew it was the right choice. SHINE Together Mandy has spent the last decade leading groups for parents and children, including the St. Cloud Unschooling Network. The St. Cloud Unschooling Network links over sixty families in central Minnesota who believe learning cannot be separated from life and who value play, exploration, growth, and following their children’s leads.  As Mandy met more families that shared her views on self directed education, she also met families that were not able to put this type of learning into action because of varying obstacles; a spouse that didn't agree or a work schedule that could not support learning from home or a parent that needed a little extra help. Mandy knew she could help these families by offering what they were not able to do. She has now founded SHINE Together, LLC, a holistic learning space that supports families that wish to home educate or unschool full-time, but for individual reasons, cannot.SHINE Together is a flexible space where each child’s interests, needs, and strengths take center stage and where academic learning is fully integrated with real-life experiences. In This Episode In this episode Mandy shares why she is an advocate of self directed learning and holistic learning. She shares her experiences as a teacher and and did not want for her daughter; an environment that is "creating so many kids that are out of alignment with who they are as human beings". She also shares her own struggles as a parent on the self directed learning path and explains why deschooling is such an important part of the self directed learning process. What helps to keep her focused on the self directed path? The challenges of conventional schooling Reading and why so many children have lost the joy to read Why children should be at the centre of education How she approaches testing in a state that requires homeschoolers to test every year What a week in her holistic learning community, SHINE Together looks like The advantages of home education Advice to parents that are new to learning at home with their children Why it's important to help your child establish a rhythm and not a strict schedule Many more families are beginning to question the model of schooling and if it is where their children learn best. If you are a parent that is looking for alternatives to school and how you can best support your children on their life learning path, there's no time like the present to start. Mandy suggests, "Think about the values and educational philosophies that are specific to your family. Find the groups and communities that are out there that can support you." I am sure you will find more alternatives. If you need a little more help on this path, don't be afraid to reach out. Resources SHINE Together Facebook https://www.shinetogethermn.com/ If you would like to learn more about Micro schools, or other alternatives to conventional school, check out my episode on Microschools with Mara Linaberger. I speak with Daniel Greenburg, one of the original founders of the Sudbury Valley School, the longest running Democratic School in North America here. If you would like to be inspired by a parent that saw the importance of nature along with natural learning, listen to my episode with Michelle Goulet, founder of Wild Child Forest and Nature school. If you enjoy the show and it has provided value, you can support the show through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids  By becoming a patron, you will receive a special episode bonus that Mandy and I recorded on the topic of reading and when or if there is a time that a child 'should' begin to read. Look out for more to come!

Peter Gray, Ph.D., a research professor at Boston College, has conducted and published research in comparative, evolutionary, developmental, and educational psychology. His current research and writing focus primarily on children's natural ways of learning and the life-long value of play, concepts discussed in his book, Free to Learn. Dr. Gray is also president of the nonprofit Alliance for Self-Directed Education and a founding board member of the nonprofit Let Grow.  On this podcast, Dr. Gray draws evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history to argue that we must entrust children to steer their own learning and development. He shares the story of his own son’s behavioural difficulties, which led the family to explore alternatives to traditional education. He also describes his own research on the long-term outcomes of children who are unschooled and addresses some of the main concerns parents have about informal education. Here’s the outline of this interview with Peter Gray: [00:00:10] Book: Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, by Peter Gray. [00:00:44] The story of Peter’s son, Scott. [00:04:40] Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, MA.  [00:12:42] Podcast: How to Support Childhood Cognitive Development, with Josh Turknett, MD. [00:13:13] Education in hunter gatherer populations. [00:19:42] Biological theory of education. [00:21:45] Book: The Art of Tracking, the Origin of Science, by Louis Liebenberg. [00:25:11] Agriculture as catalyst for change. [00:31:06] Book: Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States, by James C Scott. [00:32:48] The importance of play. [00:33:52] Curiosity and playfulness. [00:37:07] Books: The Play of Animals and The Play of Man, by Karl Groos. [00:41:51] Book: The Moral Judgement of the Child, by Jean Piaget. [00:43:37] Unschooling. [00:44:14] Agile Learning Centers. [00:45:03] The Alliance for Self-Directed Education. [00:46:38] Unschooling rising in popularity among homeschoolers. [00:49:19] Study of 232 unschooling families: Gray, Peter, and Gina Riley. "The challenges and benefits of unschooling, according to 232 families who have chosen that route." Journal of Unschooling & Alternative Learning 7.14 (2013). [00:49:42] Study of 75 adults who were unschooled: Gray, Peter, and Gina Riley. "The challenges and benefits of unschooling, according to 232 families who have chosen that route." Journal of Unschooling & Alternative Learning 7.14 (2013). [00:51:21] Getting into college. [00:55:24] Age mixing and scaffolding. [01:01:00] "Please Trespass" sign. [01:01:30] Book: Playborhood: Turn Your Neighborhood Into a Place for Play, by Mike Lanza. [01:06:36] Peters Blog: Freedom to Learn. [01:07:13] Find Peter on Facebook.  [01:08:40] The hole in the wall project.

Monica Truong, unschooling mom and self directed learning advocate. In this episode Monica "schools" me on child-led democratic education, self directed learning and creating a culture of respect, trust and sovereignty. Democratic and Self Directed Monica Truong was born in Vietnam and came to Canada with her family as a refugee at the age of 6. She has a BSc in Chemistry and likes to joke that she works with the "chemistry" of people, as she has never worked in her field of study. Monica taught English in Asia for 12 years and travelled to as many countries. When her oldest started school, Monica also decided to go back to school and received her diploma in Architectural Technology. In another twist of fate, she never worked in that field either and started homeschooling instead. Monica is learning and living with her husband and two daughters. Two years ago, she and two other moms, Sheri Daley and Sarah Atkinson, started the Chinook Free Learners Community Coop. Chinook Free Learners is a child-led, democratic learning centre inspired by Sudbury School and Agile Learning Centres. What To Listen For In This Episode The three reasons that led Monica to unschooling The beliefs that she had to let go of around what it means to be a good or "smart" student Why she is an advocate for self directed learning and democratic schooling What she tells her traditionally minded parents about unschooling and their democratic learning centre Self directed learning and how it works How a democratic, agile learning centre works Will kids learn if you don't teach them? What about math and reading? Won't kids make bad choices if they are given freedom? The biggest challenges for Chinook Free Learners and unschooling? Letting go of mom guilt Monica's hope for education and children? What advice would she give to a parent that's interested in unschooling or a democratic learning centre? Monica's hope for children is that they know they are powerful, that they are free and sovereign people and that they can make a difference in the world. I think that she is well on her way to making this a reality. Notable Quotes and Resources "I read a book called 'A Child Called It'....After reading it I came to the realization that our children will love us, no matter how awful we can be as parents and it made me want to do the best I can. Well actually, better than I can. Because I want to feel that I really deserve the love of my children." Monica Truong "I homeschool because the type of education that I think is best for my kids are not available in public school, not because schools are inherently evil. They, like any man-made innovation can be used for good or evil. Public schools serve a very practical, useful purpose-to take care of our children while we adults go about our work." Monica Truong "If unschooling was a religion, it would be Tao. "Trust Your Children. Nothing could be more simple, or more difficult because to trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves, and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted." John Holt "We worry about what our children will become tomorrow. We forget that they are someone today." Stacy Tauscher Contact Monica or Chinook Free Learners Chinook Free Learners website Chinook Free Learners Facebook Resources Sandra Dodd Joyce Fetteroll Pam Sarooshian Pam Laricchia Exploring Unschooling Mortensen Math Alliance For Self Directed Education Thrive Calgary Books Deschooling Society A Child Called It Free To Learn Everywhere All The Time: A New Deschooling Reader Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling Free At Last: The Sudbury Valley School Punished By Rewards If you want to learn more about Democratic Education, check out my episode on Sudbury Valley School with Daniel Greenberg

Episode 50: Favorite Stories From Around the USA To celebrate the milestone of our 50th episode, the Alpine Valley School podcast collected favorite stories from Sudbury Schools all over the USA. These stories - funny, insightful, and thought-provoking - provide an inside look at self-directed learning environments across the country. Want more?  Learn more about the schools that shared stories on this episode: The Circle School - Harrisburg, PA Sego Lily School - Salt Lake City, UT Miami Sudbury School - Miami, FL Three Rivers Village School - Pittsburgh, PA Read about one author’s first experience with Sudbury schooling Read an excerpt from Sudbury Valley School’s book “Kingdom of Childhood”. Watch a video from Tallgrass Sudbury School about a typical day. Send us your questions, suggestions, and feedback at podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com  This episode is also available in video format on YouTube. 

After teaching 6th grade reading at a tough school in Mississippi, Matthew Gioia discovered the Sudbury Valley School literature and quickly became enamored. Like many people (myself included) Sudbury represents an idyllic philosophy that leaves behind the baggage of conventional education. But how do the ideals match up with actual Sudbury schools? Matthew joins me to discuss the day-to-day realities of school governance, the justice system, motivation, staff-student relations, adult non-intervention, and preparing for life beyond school at the Hudson Valley Sudbury School (sudburyschool.com) where he has worked for seven years. [Apologies for the background noise on Matthew's end, it was due to a hyperactive laptop fan!]

Sudbury Valley School "For us it made no sense at all to think that you could create citizens of the United States of America - adults who understand the country and respect what it's about - if you place them for the first 12, 16 or 20 years of their lives in a completely autocratic setting. Schools are run like a monarchy...The monarchy decides the rules, the monarchy meets out punishments, the monarchy decides whatever it says is right and you have to conform to it. If you are going to make a school that is appropriate for children to grow into (American) society, it has to give every single child the same rights as adults. It cannot distinguish between children and adults." Daniel Greenberg, Sudbury Valley School No Classes, Curriculum or Grades? Picture this: Your child has started a new school and you're excited because you have found a school that isn't like the others. A school that offers the freedom for your child to pursue their passions. To make mistakes. A place to mix with various ages and ask questions. A school that your child is excited to be at everyday. There are no end of the year exams to be anxious about, no essays to write or grades to tirelessly maintain. No curriculum to follow, classes to attend or subjects required. And no teachers or principals imposing rules or punishment. Does a school like this actually exist?  If there are no classes, teachers, curriculum or grades, what do kids do all day? What would be the purpose of this school? How would they learn to read and write with out classes, curriculum and teachers? Would they ever have a chance at finding a job or getting into college? How would they survive in society if they spent their childhood doing what they wanted all day long? At times I have heard these concerns raised about unschooling. But this is not unschooling. In fact, this is not even a school for unschoolers. Democratic School What if I told you that there are schools whose sole purpose is to provide a place for kids to be truly free and flourish, uninterrupted. Where kids are free to do as they wish the entire day. This means playing in puddles outside, climbing or building forts. Painting, reading, playing music or even playing video games all day long. What would happen if a school ran as a democracy? Where every child and staff member at the school has an equal role managing the school. Where everything is done at the school meeting;  the school budget, rules of behaviour, facilities, and hiring of staff. And it's at the school meeting that every member of the school has an equal role and vote. As well, every member of the school community, from the 4 year old students to 70 year old staff members, play an equal part in the school's judicial system. This all sounds so idealized but can it actually work? Daniel Greenberg says YES, it can work and it has been for over 51 years. Sudbury Valley School Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts has been in existence since 1968. The school began with about 60 students and around 20 founding members, of which Daniel Greenberg was one of. He remains a staff member to this day. Dan says that although each founding member came with their own reason for starting the school, they all shared the same belief; that "human creatures are unique, diverse and have the insatiable desire to figure out the world and what they want to be. Kids are fully formed people...and there is no reason to treat them differently." Sudbury Valley is framed on this belief and the founding principals of the United States. That each individual has the undeniable rights to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The right to pursue a meaningful existence.  That is why students at Sudbury Valley School are free to explore the world. Why there are no grades, subjects or curriculum. Why the student decides mastery. Sudbury Valley School~Kids Are People In this episode Dan shares; The history of Sudbury Valley School and the essential reasons why it exists What has accounted for the school's success How it's democratic structure supports self directed learning What kind of kids fair best at Sudbury Valley School How students learn the "basic skills" Why Sudbury Valley School can not be replicated outside of the United States (even though much effort has been put toward spreading it worldwide) I also asked Dan to address a common misconception that unschoolers seem to have about Sudbury Valley School; that it is the perfect school for unschoolers. We discuss why Sudbury Valley School and Unschooling have NOTHING in common. (Yes, sorry to burst any bubbles) And why Sudbury Valley School creates the most natural way to help a child become fully independent. I would love to hear what you think of this episode. Are you familiar with democratic schools? Do you agree that every child must be given the same rights and freedoms as adults? In order to be part of a true democracy we must be an active part of one growing up? Let the thirst for independence and self expression continue. If you would like to hear from a parent of Sudbury Valley School, listen to my episode with Dr. Peter Gray: https://imhomeschooling.com/free-to-learn-peter-gray/ Resources Essay:Let's Be Clear: Sudbury Valley School and "Un-schooling" Have NOTHING in Common  Sudbury Valley School Website   

Peter Gray, the first psychologist to write an introductory psychology textbook from an evolutionary perspective, experienced a family crisis when his son started to rebel against public school. Finding alternative schooling for his son led Peter to champion a new paradigm for child development and education from an evolutionary perspective.   He joins David to discuss this journey and more, including how children learn by imitating “real” people, how graduate school is like hunter-gatherer education, and whether we need creativity more than ever.   Links from the Show 00:52- Peter's blog on Psychology Today 00:58- Peter's book, Free To Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life 11:57- The Sudbury Valley School (website)   Also see these related TVOL articles: "Mismatch Between Our Biologically Evolved Educative Instincts and Culturally Evolved Schools" by Peter Gray "Free To Learn: Does The Hunter-Gatherer Style Of Education Work?" by Gabrielle Principe   And explore the Evolution Institute's East Tampa Academy project, where we are taking the best of what science tells us about how young minds learn to create a high-quality, tuition-free school for children at risk of academic failure.   ---   Become a member of the TVOL1000 and join the Darwinian revolution   Follow This View of Life on Twitter and Facebook   Order the This View of Life book    

Episode 42: I Can Do What I Want Students at self-directed democratic schools like Alpine Valley School and others, have significant freedom. In many ways they can “do what they want” all day long. However, that freedom must be balanced with responsibility - a concept that founder and staff member Larry Welshon discusses in this engaging talk. This speech was originally given at a sister school, Glacier Lake in Montana, as part of their recent fundraising efforts, and it covers a lot of ground. Find out by what age most kids have dropped out of school, how Larry first discovered the alternative schooling movement, and more on this episode of the Alpine Valley School podcast. Want more?  Support our friends at Glacier Lake School in Montana. Watch the original video this talk came from. Read a related blog post: Freedom Does Not Mean Doing Whatever You Want Watch a video interview with Sudbury Valley School co-founder Mimsy Sadofsky (who is mentioned in Larry’s talk) Listen to a former student talk about how freedom shaped her life as a young person. Send us your questions, suggestions, and feedback at podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com  This episode is also available in video format on YouTube. 

Episode 41: Starting a School “How do I start a self-directed democratic school in my area?” On this episode, staff and founder Larry Welshon lends his twenty-plus years of experience to tackling this question and provides concrete guidance for individuals who are looking to begin the founding journey. Want more?  Visit Alpine Valley School and begin your founding journey with our help and support. Read a blog post about the founding of a Self-Directed Democratic School from Sudbury Valley School Look over the Planning Kit from Sudbury Valley School (used by many founding groups) Check out this blog post from Alternatives To School: Options for Families Without Democratic Schools Watch a video from Circle School staff member & founder Jim Rietmulder Help the diverse Alpine Valley School community continue to thrive by making a pledge to our annual fundraising campaign! Send us your questions, suggestions, and feedback at podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com  This episode is also available in video format on YouTube.  Read a transcript of the episode and find out more on the Show Notes page. 

In this episode Lars talks with Blake Boles, founder and director of Unschool Adventures, and an author, lecturer and podcaster focusing on self-directed learning and alternatives to school. He has written three books, The Art of Self-Directed Learning (2014), Better than College (2012) and College without High School (2009), and produces the podcast Off-Trail Learning. We met up in Eugene, Oregon for a talk about common and uncommon conceptions about school and learning, what makes kids thrive, homeschooling and unschooling and other alternatives to school, and the importance of nature and what you can learn by going to summer camps as a kid, to mention a few things we get into. Blake has an extensive experience in talking with teenagers and young adults who have gone through alternative routes to higher learning and adult working life, and lectures on this topic regularly across the US (and sometimes elsewhere in the world). Though the ideas and ideal that we discuss here might not be of the kind most commonly held in the US or in Norway, we hope that it might contribute to broadening the perspective on learning and schooling.   Blake’s webpage is https://www.blakeboles.com/ The summer camp that Blake mentions at the beginning of the episode can be found at: https://www.deercrossingcamp.com/ Some book recommendations mentioned in the episode: Grace Llewellyn - The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education (1991) (ps. Blake is working with the author to publish a third edition of this book) Kenneth Danford – Learning is Natural, School is Optional. The North Star Approach to Offering Teens a Head Start on Life (2019) John Holt – How Children Learn (1964), How Children Fail (1967) John Taylor Gatto – Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling (1992) Daniel Greenberg –  Free at last: The Sudbury Valley School (1991) The film mentioned is «Captain Fantastic» (2016), directed by Matt Ross ---------------------------- Logoen vår er laget av Sveinung Sudbø, se hans arbeider på originalkopi.com Musikken er av Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, se facebooksiden Nygrenda Vev og Dur for mer info. ---------------------------- Takk for at du hører på. Ta kontakt med oss på vår facebookside eller på larsogpaal@gmail.com Det finnes ingen bedre måte å få spredt podkasten vår til flere enn via dere lyttere, så takk om du deler eller forteller andre om oss. Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

Episode 40: Favorite Stories Funny, insightful, and unexpected, this episode of the Alpine Valley School podcast features our graduate’s favorite stories. Hear about surprising adventures to the mall, the Asteroid Game, becoming School Meeting Chair, and much more as our alumni take a trip down memory lane. Want more?  Watch a video featuring an alumni panel at Alpine Valley School: Ready for Anything  Check out this documentary all about self-directed education: Self-Taught  Watch an interview with alumni from other schools about going to college.  Listen to another podcast focused on self-directed education: The Education Revolution Read a blog post from Sudbury Valley School about the lives of alumni.  Read an article about bullying (or, more accurately, its absence) at Sudbury Schools.  This episode is also available in video format on YouTube.    Send us your questions, suggestions, and feedback at podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com    Support Alpine Valley School when you shop online by using Amazon Smile! 

Just like the grown ups who love them, children are hungry for meaningful work. They want to take on jobs that have real meaning and make a significant contribution. Learn how self-directed democratic education, like we practice at Alpine Valley School in Colorado, allows all students to try on elected positions with actual responsibility. Hear how one graduate went from banging erasers together to running the most important meeting in the school - and more - on this episode of the Alpine Valley School podcast. Check out the show notes page for more information.    This episode is also available in video format on YouTube.    Want more?  Support Alpine Valley School by using Amazon Smile when you shop online!  Check out our Facebook page for details on all upcoming events.  Read the original blog post from this episode: Give Kids Real Jobs Send in a question or comment for our upcoming Q&A episode: podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com  Listen to another “real life” episode: Judicial Committee in the Real World.  Watch a video about how School Meeting operates at Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts.    Get in touch with the show! Send us an email or a voice memo to: podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com    We’ll be back again soon with more stories of real learning for real life.    Alpine Valley School www.alpinevalleyschool.com Wheat Ridge, CO USA 

What sorts of careers do the students of self-directed democratic education have? How do they stand out in a competitive job market without grades or transcripts? These are the questions we tackle on episode 37 of the Alpine Valley School podcast. With the help of a panel of Alpine Valley School graduates, host Marc Gallivan explores the career options available to Sudbury school students as well as the outstanding contributions our graduates make once they enter the workforce. Also available on YouTube.  Want more?  Read more about the lives of alumni directly from Sudbury Valley School (the original) Watch a video interview with a group of Alpine Valley School graduates and parents Hear more Frequently Asked Questions answered by a panel of AVS graduates Read a blog post about how our graduates go out into the workforce: An Alpine Valley School Resume Watch a TED Talk about how happiness makes everything in our work lives better   Get in touch with the show! Send us an email at: podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com Don’t miss a single episode! Subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you always get the latest and greatest self-directed educational resources delivered right to your inbox!

We’re continuing our “core skills” series (which we started with Learning to Read) by discussing how students at a self-directed democratic school learn the essential skill of writing. We’re joined on this episode by AVS graduates Jesse and Vanessa who talk about how the extensive communication they engaged in at school translated into their adult lives as interesting communication careers. We all know written communication is foundational, and you can find out how our students engage with, and find their passion for, the written word on this episode of the Alpine Valley School podcast!  Also available on YouTube.  Want more?  Hear Jesse and Vanessa share more of their personal journeys on their individual podcast episodes.  Watch a video about the 3 R’s (reading, writing, arithmetic) in Sudbury Schooling.  Read a blog post about how the skills learned at self-directed democratic schools translate into real-world job experience.  Hear from another set of Alpine Valley School graduates about how they learned to read at our school.  Read an article from Sudbury Valley School about how students at Sudbury schools go on to college.  Get in touch with the show! Send us an email at: podcast@alpinevalleyschool.com

Free To Learn Peter Gray's book, Free To Learn is about the human nature of education. This book caused a shift in my own life. It had me reflect on my beliefs on childhood. My beliefs around free play, screen time, schooling, how kids learn and parenting. On this episode Peter Gray shares his ideas, research and insights on those subjects. He addresses the fears and doubts that surround self directed learning and unschooling.The Shift To Democratic School Years ago Peter Gray found himself in a situation that may sound familiar to some. His son was being destroyed by the traditional school structure. He was fighting it every step of the way. Peter came to a point where he needed to be on his son's side and support him, not fight against him. They decided to leave the school and look for other options. What they found was Sudbury Valley democratic school. Sudbury Valley was completely unlike any other school around. No subjects, no bells, no curriculum, no classrooms. Unstructured, unhindered free play. The school was not divided by grade or age segregated. It was a democratic community where everyone at the school, no matter what age, had a vote. The philosophy: Adult's do not control children's education; children educate themselves. His son flourished. But Peter had concerns. Will this environment actually work? How will the children become educated? Will his son learn the skills needed to be an independent person? What about college?Free To Learn Those fears are what lead Dr. Gray to dive into the study of self directed learning and unrestricted play. He studied graduates from Sudbury Valley School as well as other unschoolers. The evidence, he says, was compelling. The graduates were doing well. They had successful careers. Many went on to College and excelled there. They all credited the self directed learning environment they grew up in. In this episode we talked about how kids in a self directed learning environment acquire their education and go on to lead a successful life. How can you become educated through such a different method? What are key parts of the self directed learning environment? Are there benefits to age mixing? What happens when you follow your passions from a young age? The Importance of Free Play and what happens in its Absence The 'Schoolish Mentality" Parents Irrational Fears Do Kids Need Structure? Democracy and Democratic Schools I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this interview. Do you share any similar fears? How much free play do you support in your home? You can contact me here. If you would like to hear other episodes on the importance of play check out my interview with Lenore Skenazy.Research studies: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/experts/peter-gray-phdObservational study Jay Feldman https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED453128 Study of Grown Unschoolers https://www.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/Published%20Grown%20Unschoolers%20I.pdf https://www.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/Published%20Grown%20Unschooles%20II.pdfBrian Sutton Smith Play Scholar Play TheoryDemocratic Schools Sudbury Valley SchoolPeter Gray's Book Free To Learn: Why Unleashing The Instinct To Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students For Life Alliance For Self Directed Education    

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Dr. David C. Geary is a cognitive developmental and evolutionary psychologist. He is currently a Curators' Professor and Thomas Jefferson Fellow in the Department of Psychological Sciences and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He's the author of several books including Children's Mathematical Development, Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences, and Evolution of vulnerability: Implications For Sex Differences in Health and Development. Here, we talk about the cognitive modules of folk psychology, folk biology and folk physics; the book Evolution of Vulnerability, and how the study of vulnerability gives strength to the research on human sex differences; the differences between biologically primary and secondary information; in what ways is the knowledge about these modules important for us to devise better ways for children to learn and to be educated; the difficulty in learning Mathematics; the role play plays in children's development and the acquisition of social and academic knowledge; how sex differences affect the acquisition of academic knowledge for boys and girls, and the possibility of segregated schooling; Peter Gray and the Sudbury Valley School experiment. -- O Dr. David C. Geary é um psicólogo cognitivo do desenvolvimento e evolutivo. É atualmente o Curators' Professor e Thomas Jefferson Fellow do Department of Psychological Sciences and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program na Universidade de Missouri. É o autor de vários livros, incluindo Children's Mathematical Development, Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences, e Evolution of vulnerability: Implications For Sex Differences in Health and Development. Aqui, falamos sobre os módulos cognitivos de “folk psychology”, “folk biology”, e “folk physics”; o livro Evolution of Vulnerability e como o estudo da vulnerabilidade dá força à investigação em redor de diferenças entre os sexos; as diferenças entre informação biológica primária e secundária; de que maneiras o conhecimento sobre estes módulos é importante para concebermos melhores formas para as crianças aprenderem e serem educadas; a dificuldades em aprender matemática; o papel que a brincadeira tem no desenvolvimento da criança e na aquisição de conhecimento social e académico; como as diferenças entre os sexos afetam a aquisição de conhecimento académico para meninos e meninas, e a possibilidade de ensino segregado; Peter Gray e a experiência na Sudbury Valley School. -- Follow Dr. Geary's work: Faculty page: http://web.missouri.edu/~gearyd/ -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, JUNOS, SCIMED, PER HELGE HAAKSTD LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, RUI BELEZA, MIGUEL ESTRADA, ANTÓNIO CUNHA, CHANTEL GELINAS, JIM FRANK, JERRY MULLER, FRANCIS FORD, AND HANS FREDRIK SUNDE! I also leave you with the link to a recent montage video I did with the interviews I have released until the end of June 2018: https://youtu.be/efdb18WdZUo And check out my playlists on: PSYCHOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/ybalf8km PHILOSOPHY: https://tinyurl.com/yb6a7d3p ANTHROPOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/y8b42r7g

While Nikole's being a celebrated director and writer is a great reason to feature her and listen to her, I approached her because she graduated from Sudbury Valley School. I hope you've heard of Sudbury. If not, it's likely a different school than any you've heard of.Learning about in inspired me to learn as much as I could about it. Here are many of the links I read on it. As an educator I am as fascinated by its success and how it overturns my view of childhood, education, and humanity, as well as my own childhood.What better background could I find and feature on it than a student who loved her experience there and shares it.Nikole shares openly about herself, her childhood, her education before Sudbury and at Sudbury. This episode is longer than most, in part because I believe you'll find self-directed learning as fascinating as I do. I recommend learning about self-directed learning as part of learning about yourself, democracy, systems, . . . many important things in life.This conversation was beautiful to me. I relived trials and things about my childhood I couldn't stand. I don't know if self-directed learning would work for me, but I would love to have tried it.Her describing democracy in action made me think about the authoritarian-based schooling I experienced. Don't get me wrong, I loved it. I reached the pinnacle of education and did well.I teach now, but not rooted in authority. Not self-directed, though, either, since for college students who are making their way in the world based on their interests, I prefer project-based learning.By the way, speaking of the environment, walking around Silver Lake after this conversation, I kept passing taco stands and asked if I could get a taco without disposable anything, but not one could. So I missed out on Silver Lake tacos.Here's the link for a teachers' experiences following students for a day, Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns.Short answer: it's torture. We give students less break than prisoners. We give them more more than adults. In service of test scores that don't help them live better lives. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dans son tout dernier entretien, Eryka Desrosiers a eu la possibilité de s’entretenir avec Peter Gray, professeur de psychologie à Boston College. Il est également l’auteur du livre Free to Learn. Ses enfants ont fréquenté Sudbury Valley School. Il est aussi un contributeur pour la revue Psychology Today. (Disponible sur Itunes) Tweet The post Entrevue avec Peter Gray appeared first on REDAQ.

Download: The Free School The Free School, Dead Medium Productions’ new documentary about Ireland’s first ‘Sudbury Valley School’, broadcast this morning on Newstalk. Wicklow Sudbury is an experiment in alternative education, bringing ‘free schooling’ and ‘unschooling’ to Ireland. You can stream the programme above, or download at our podcast link below. It will also be … Continue reading ‘The Free School’ Documentary →

In this episode, Tennessee-based edupreneur, Sonia LeBlanc, brings us personal insights along with solid statistics about the southern United State’s school classifications and exemptions. She talks about how to Start a School in Nashville, Tennessee, specifically a Sudbury Valley School (a democracy-focused Self-Directed Education center) in Nashville. We learn how in Maryland, for example, people looking to start their own schools begin by forming their own church, then opening up a school under that church’s legal umbrella. In Tennessee, it’s much more than that. Sonia explains the process and how it differs from other states. Sonia, a White woman who was born and raised in Dominican Republic, and her husband—a Black man from Puerto Rico (who was raised in St. Croix and in Dominica where his family is from) are raising two brown girls in the American South, and wants to be part of the change in relationships among people in the world by raising more self-aware, socially just, liberation-minded children. #POCinSDESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/akilah)

Professor Peter Gray was primarily interested in the motivations and emotions of animals before his son Scott started struggling in school, at which point Professor Gray’s interests shifted to developing our understanding of self-directed learning and how play helps us to learn.  He has extensively studied the learning that occurs at the Sudbury Valley School in Sudbury Valley, MA – where children are free to associate with whomever they like, don’t have to take any classes at all, and yet go on college and to satisfying lives as adults.  How can this possibly be?  We’ll find out. Reference Gray, P (2013). Free to learn: Why unleashing the instinct to play will make our children happier, more self-reliant, and better students for life (http://amzn.to/2Fkg8sR) . New York, NY: Basic Books. (Affiliate link) Also see Professor Gray’s extensive posts on learning and education on the Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn) blog.   (#)   Transcript Jen:                                      (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/-gZMLd1_NxlN_SFKvrRjOIXK_9qyzSpZo_WFuAXeH6QQaMPK0uenWHGmXJJQ4kgCw7vHDNVwplw1E2H0wVWHMRKzNOg?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=39.78)              Hello and welcome to the Your Parenting Mojo podcast. Before we get going with our awesome guest Professor Peter Gray, who’s going to talk with us about self-directed learning, I wanted to let you know that if what Peter says resonates with you, then I’m on the verge of launching a course to help parents decide whether homeschooling might be right for their family. I first started to think about homeschooling after I realized that I’d been doing everything I could to help my job to pursue learning for its own sake and engage in self-directed learning. But the more I read about school, the more I realized that at schooled, there really is no such thing as self-directed learning. Children learn what they’re told to learn when they’re told to learn it because that’s just how schools work. I mentioned in the episode on Betsy DeVos that I actually wrote my master’s thesis on what motivates children to learn in the absence of being told to do it and I was shocked to find that the system used in schools is pretty much the opposite of one that would really nurture children’s own love of learning. Jen:                                      (https://www.temi.com/editor/t/-gZMLd1_NxlN_SFKvrRjOIXK_9qyzSpZo_WFuAXeH6QQaMPK0uenWHGmXJJQ4kgCw7vHDNVwplw1E2H0wVWHMRKzNOg?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=96.93)              I did a lot of reading about learning and also about homeschooling and I developed the course because I realized that nobody had really collected all that information up in one place in a way that helps parents to understand the universe of information that needs to be considered to make this decision and also to support them through that process. Right now I’m recruiting people who’d be interested in helping me to pilot test the course. You get full access to all the research I’ve done on homeschooling based on over 50 books and 150 scientific research papers as well as interviews with more than 20 families who are already homeschooling and seven experts in the field. If you’d like to learn more, then please drop me an email at jen@yourparentingmojo.com And I’ll send you some information about it with no obligation to sign up. The cost to participate in the pilot will be $99, which will be half the cost of the course once it’s released to the general public and all I’d ask you to do in exchange is to share your honest thoughts of how the course worked for you, so please let me know if you’re interested. Again, that email address is jen@yourparentingmojo.com. Jen:...

Today we're back at it and things get a little weird at first. We cover lots of stuff, and end with a deep dive on deep dives. Also we unveil a cool new totally free resource by Praxis! Philosophy in 30 Days - https://discoverpraxis.teachable.com/p/praxis-philosophy-course Mentioned in the episode: Subway, 'as if it's true', Brian Brenberg, Stanislavsky, barber shops, baristas, labels, Jewish meditation, Dallas Willard, social justice warriors, Sudbury Valley School, soccer, Why Haven't You Read this Book? Whitney Houston would have failed to mae it on American Idol, deep learning, philosophy in 30 days, Gregory Cokle, balance is boring. Recommendations: Punished by Reward, and Insult to Intelligence. If you are a fan of the show, make sure to leave a review on iTunes. All episodes of the Isaac Morehouse Podcast are available on SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher.

If you've ever wanted your children to be happier, healthier and more successful in all that they do, then do we have the playful show for you. Today I'll be talking with Peter Gray, research professor of psychology at Boston College, the author of the college textbook Psychology, and the author of what I consider a must-read for parents, and those considering parenting…Free to Learn. And that's what we'll talk about today, about helping our kids steer their own learning and development to help them problem solve, get along with peers, gain control over their lives, and become emotionally resilient. That plus we'll talk about playing with matches and machetes, the secret weapon of teaching, diabetes, 'shmiabetes', the competition for the world's worst parent…and traveling to the UK, what's the big fat elephant in the school room, and why all we really need to know, we could learn from Ruby Lou. Parenting & Education Self-Improvement and Self-Help Topics Include: Why children's creativity is so important What's happening with children's ‘education' today What learning should be about for children Why 20% of boys in the US are considered mentally disordered What's the Sudbury Valley School? Who was Ruby Lou? What it means ‘there's no running on the playground?' Why academics is a much weightier part of children's lives now. How the educational experience has changed, particularly for elementary school children Why children need to be able to roam free and play What are hunter, gatherer children and the importance of play What Darwinian psychology has to do with evolution and play How hunter gatherer families raised children and how children were empowered What is trustful parenting? What it means that children grow up playing with machetes and matches How to turn your neighborhood into a play-berhood Why current education may be a violation of a student's human rights Are there more schools around that are like Sudbury Valley School? Valuable resource and homeschooling and unschooling website: alternativestoschool.com Has a Freedom to Learn blog at psychologytoday.com Peter Gray Shares How Unleashing the Instinct to Play Makes Children Happier, More Resilient, and Better Students! Education | Inspiration | Inspirational | Spiritual | Spirituality | Meditation | Motivation | Motivational | Self-Improvement | Self-Help | Inspire For More Info Visit: www.InspireNationShow.com

I was a guest on http://cultureofempathy.com with host Edwin Rutsch. Edwin has been seeking to build a culture of empathy, one that encompasses all human systems, starting with oneself and one's family.Wesley Bertrand and Edwin Rutsch: How to Build a Culture of Empathyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFkcZCB09h0Our conversation with other notes: http://j.mp/1366vQShttp://cultureofempathy.com/Projects/Empathy-Tent/index.htmhttp://cultureofempathy.com/Projects/Empathy-Movement/Restorative-Empathy-Circle/Index.htmhttp://www.youtube.com/user/EdwinRutsch/videosThe Six Pillars of Self-Esteemhttp://www.nathanielbranden.com/product-category/self-esteem/Breaking Free by Nathaniel Brandenhttp://books.google.com/books/about/Breaking_free.html?id=2U8dAQAAMAAJPunished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribeshttp://www.alfiekohn.org/books/pbr.htmUnconditional Parenting: Moving From Rewards And Punishments To Love And Reason by Alfie Kohnhttp://www.unconditionalparenting.com/up/Nonviolent Communication: A Language Of Life by Marshall Rosenberghttp://www.amazon.com/Nonviolent-Communication-Language-Marshall-Rosenberg/dp/1892005034/http://en.nvcwiki.com/index.php/Restorative_justicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VoluntaryismFundamentals of Voluntaryism (nod to Carl Watner)http://voluntaryist.com/fundamentals/Sudbury Valley School that fosters intrinsic motivationhttp://www.sudval.org/http://www.guywinch.com/the-book/http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheelHuman Centered Designhttp://dschool.stanford.edu/http://abc.go.com/watch/wife-swap/SH5539547/VDKA0_lgk9v6h5/avery-lamb--martinhttp://schoolsucksproject.com/208-whole-parents-with-dayna-martin/Dayna Martin: What is Radical Unschooling?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiHyzS26N0YUnschooling: What is Deschooling? (Dayna Martin)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9meP3a64MzYDayna Martin: Common Unschooling Questions Answeredhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NheCjqDMMhttp://dirtywars.org/jeremy-scahillhttp://reason.com/reasontv/2013/06/13/jeremy-scahill-dirty-wars[154] Dirty Wars: Terror Begets Terror | Jeremy Scahill Breaks the Sethttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_fq-20h5SwThe Stream : Uncovering America's 'dirty wars'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCRMDBk13PINVC teleconference - http://a-path-with-heart.net/level1/Dominic Barter's site - http://www.restorativecircles.org/Google Personal Growth Series The New Science of Mindsight by Dan Siegelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr4Od7kqDT8bumper music "Empathy" by Jayswayshttp://jayswaysmusic.com/

In the first part of our interview, Brooke Newman, a former Sudbury Valley School student, told us about her time in this democratic school, about what she has become since graduating from the school and whether she would send her kids to this school. Podcast: Interview with a former democratic school student       […] The post Interview with a former democratic school student appeared first on REDAQ.

In his book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books, 2013), Peter Gray proposes the following big idea: we shouldn’t force children to learn, rather we should allow them to play and learn by themselves. This, of course, is a radical proposal. But Peter points out that the play-and-learn-along-the-way style of education was practiced by humans for over 99% our history: hunter-gatherers did not have schools, but children in them somehow managed to learn everything they needed to be good members of their bands. Peter says we should take a page out of their book and points to a school that has done just that: The Sudbury Valley School. (BTW: Peter has some very thoughtful things to say about the way standard schools actually promote bullying and are powerless to prevent it or remedy it once it’s happened. Listen in.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books, 2013), Peter Gray proposes the following big idea: we shouldn’t force children to learn, rather we should allow them to play and learn by themselves. This, of course, is a radical proposal. But Peter points out that the play-and-learn-along-the-way style of education was practiced by humans for over 99% our history: hunter-gatherers did not have schools, but children in them somehow managed to learn everything they needed to be good members of their bands. Peter says we should take a page out of their book and points to a school that has done just that: The Sudbury Valley School. (BTW: Peter has some very thoughtful things to say about the way standard schools actually promote bullying and are powerless to prevent it or remedy it once it’s happened. Listen in.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books, 2013), Peter Gray proposes the following big idea: we shouldn’t force children to learn, rather we should allow them to play and learn by themselves. This, of course, is a radical proposal. But Peter points out that the play-and-learn-along-the-way style of education was practiced by humans for over 99% our history: hunter-gatherers did not have schools, but children in them somehow managed to learn everything they needed to be good members of their bands. Peter says we should take a page out of their book and points to a school that has done just that: The Sudbury Valley School. (BTW: Peter has some very thoughtful things to say about the way standard schools actually promote bullying and are powerless to prevent it or remedy it once it’s happened. Listen in.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books, 2013), Peter Gray proposes the following big idea: we shouldn't force children to learn, rather we should allow them to play and learn by themselves. This, of course, is a radical proposal. But Peter points out that the play-and-learn-along-the-way style of education was practiced by humans for over 99% our history: hunter-gatherers did not have schools, but children in them somehow managed to learn everything they needed to be good members of their bands. Peter says we should take a page out of their book and points to a school that has done just that: The Sudbury Valley School. (BTW: Peter has some very thoughtful things to say about the way standard schools actually promote bullying and are powerless to prevent it or remedy it once it's happened. Listen in.)

In his book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books, 2013), Peter Gray proposes the following big idea: we shouldn’t force children to learn, rather we should allow them to play and learn by themselves. This, of course, is a radical proposal. But Peter points out that the play-and-learn-along-the-way style of education was practiced by humans for over 99% our history: hunter-gatherers did not have schools, but children in them somehow managed to learn everything they needed to be good members of their bands. Peter says we should take a page out of their book and points to a school that has done just that: The Sudbury Valley School. (BTW: Peter has some very thoughtful things to say about the way standard schools actually promote bullying and are powerless to prevent it or remedy it once it’s happened. Listen in.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books, 2013), Peter Gray proposes the following big idea: we shouldn’t force children to learn, rather we should allow them to play and learn by themselves. This, of course, is a radical proposal. But Peter points out that the play-and-learn-along-the-way style of education was practiced by humans for over 99% our history: hunter-gatherers did not have schools, but children in them somehow managed to learn everything they needed to be good members of their bands. Peter says we should take a page out of their book and points to a school that has done just that: The Sudbury Valley School. (BTW: Peter has some very thoughtful things to say about the way standard schools actually promote bullying and are powerless to prevent it or remedy it once it’s happened. Listen in.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books, 2013), Peter Gray proposes the following big idea: we shouldn’t force children to learn, rather we should allow them to play and learn by themselves. This, of course, is a radical proposal. But Peter points out that the play-and-learn-along-the-way style of education was practiced by humans for over 99% our history: hunter-gatherers did not have schools, but children in them somehow managed to learn everything they needed to be good members of their bands. Peter says we should take a page out of their book and points to a school that has done just that: The Sudbury Valley School. (BTW: Peter has some very thoughtful things to say about the way standard schools actually promote bullying and are powerless to prevent it or remedy it once it’s happened. Listen in.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his book Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books, 2013), Peter Gray proposes the following big idea: we shouldn't force children to learn, rather we should allow them to play and learn by themselves. This, of course, is a radical proposal. But Peter points out that the play-and-learn-along-the-way style of education was practiced by humans for over 99% our history: hunter-gatherers did not have schools, but children in them somehow managed to learn everything they needed to be good members of their bands. Peter says we should take a page out of their book and points to a school that has done just that: The Sudbury Valley School. (BTW: Peter has some very thoughtful things to say about the way standard schools actually promote bullying and are powerless to prevent it or remedy it once it's happened. Listen in.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/psychology

Jason Osborne and I review the Sudbury Valley School, based on our experiences at a recent open house, conversations with students and staff, and some additional research. Wes Bertrand joins us to share his insights. Covered: -The physical plant and amenities of the Framingham school -Judicial Review and the school meeting -Maria Montessori -Political connections and implications Look Closer: Complete Liberty Podcast http://completeliberty.com/ Happiness Counseling http://happinesscounseling.com/ Education: Class Dismissed It's every modern parent's worst nightmare—a school where kids can play all day. But no one takes the easy way out, and graduates seem to have a head start on the information age. Welcome to Sudbury Valley. By Hara Estroff Marano, published on May 01, 2006 http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200604/education-class-dismissed Sudbury Valley School Website http://www.sudval.org/ And Now for Something Completely Different... An Introduction to Sudbury Valley School $6.00/Month - Join the A/V Club and Receive Bonus Content We need 150 monthly subscribers! If you listen to the show and enjoy the videos, please consider making a commitment of $6.00 per month, or about $.20 per day. When we launch the new site, you'll have access to a bonus content section that will be updated weekly. Please sign up right here.

Topic: An introduction to the Sudbury Valley School, which has provided a model for alternatives schools all over the world. I read from the school's publication, And Now for Something Completely Different... An Introduction to Sudbury Valley School Covered: -An overview of the original school in Framingham, MA -Sudbury Principles and Foundations -Back To Basics - Intellectual, Vocational, Moral, Social, Political Look Closer: Education: Class Dismissed It's every modern parent's worst nightmare—a school where kids can play all day. But no one takes the easy way out, and graduates seem to have a head start on the information age. Welcome to Sudbury Valley. By Hara Estroff Marano, published on May 01, 2006 http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200604/education-class-dismissed Sudbury Valley School Website http://www.sudval.org/ $6.00/Month - Join the A/V Club and Receive Bonus Content We need 150 monthly subscribers! If you listen to the show and enjoy the videos, please consider making a commitment of $6.00 per month, or about $.20 per day. When we launch the new site, you'll have access to a bonus content section that will be updated weekly. Please sign up right here.

Have you ever wondered if there was a way for your child to have another alternative from the main stream schools and still have a social environment and a plethora of learning opportunities without having to home educate? Tune into this interview with Mimsy Sadofsky who has her B.A. in English Literature and was one of the group that founded Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968. She has been deeply involved in the establishment of several dozen other schools throughout the world based on a similar educational philosophy. She has served in a wide variety of capacities at the school -- teaching algebra, bookkeeping, management, writing, English literature, French, cooking; helping produce plays; occupying administrative positions in admissions, as registrar, and bookkeeping; and overseeing the school's public relations program. She has spoken extensively in public forums about education, has written several articles, and is co-author of the books Legacy of Trust, Kingdom of Childhood, Starting a Sudbury School, and The Pursuit of Happiness, published by Sudbury Valley School Press. -- Becky Wheelock who has a Masters degree in Applied Mathamatics and has been teaching Math at local colleges and universities for nine years. She has taught in charter schools and has also worked with students with disabilities for a couple of years. She has three kids 7, 9, and 16 years old. She is a founder with the Sudbury School Start-Up in San Diego which is planning to open in 2011. So Becky has been dowsed in the school system for many years and has known that there has to be another way. Kathleen Pleasants, a home educating mother, Mimsy who had her children attend the Sudbury School and Becky will cover many topics on education alternatives, pros & cons. You should be able to find plenty of answers here.Sudbury Valley School Framingham Massachusetts - www.sudval.com - - - San Diego - Facebook - 'Leeway Sudbury School in San Diego'

The purpose of talking about the negativity of politics is to create a better world for everyone The moral double standard of government must be challenged People comply all the time for all kinds of reasons "Agents of the State" do not work for us; they work for those "in charge" Cops: America's one and only--by force! A legalized monopoly on police force will always use that force against you Public property leads to making victims out of all of us, by "agents of the State" Impounding equals theft equals extortion racket Many "businesses" collude with those in government and use the force of the State to make money The goal of government is to maintain obedience (in order to "make" money and keep control) In traditional education, kids are managed, watched, and told what to do by those who presume to be "authorities" over them, which leads directly to statism Arbitrary enforcement of unjust laws makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Typical "news" stories don't have truth and freedom in mind Government as Jabba the Hut... Episode 3: A Young Person's Guide to the American Political System http://schoolsucks.podOmatic.com/entry/eg/2009-08-24T09_20_02-07_00 The illusion of freedom is fostered on multiple fronts in multiple ways The "authority" of the family--i.e., the head of household--has always held sway and generated the fear mechanism By what right, standard, and code do you presume to rule over me? It's incumbent on parents to see their kids as equally deserving of respect Unschooling principles are based on a mutually respectful code of morality And kids who are unschooled according to rational moral principles won't tolerate tyranny as adults Each generation is within reach of complete liberty; it's just a matter of how much of your life you want to take back that has been stolen from you "Public property" is a contradiction in terms, and a sure-fire way for authoritarian sociopaths to treat others unjustly Our distinct lack of freedom is the issue and idea of our age... The common denominator of socio-economic problems is government, and the irrational/unjust memes fostering it Hernando de Soto's misguided ideas about property rights http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitextlo/int_hernandodesoto.html The illusion of property rights serves the interests of those in power to essentially harvest the products of the free-range slaves Lack of understanding in economics and human motivation leads to fears about exploitation by property owners Re-educate thyself in the nature of freedom: http://tolfa.us Feel free to rate and review CLP... http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=254220370 The fundamental difference between Marxism and Objectivism (property understood and applied) is logic http://wiki.objectivismonline.net/wiki/Introduction_to_Objectivist_Epistemology http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/epistemology.html http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/objectivism.html Most philosophers throughout history have denied the validity of the senses and thus forward illogical epistemology Do you think that freedom should be the highest value for human beings? Reason, purpose, and self-esteem all require freedom Both personal and political freedom are necessary to live a life proper to a human being Rationalizations for statist memes serve as sick substitutes for genuine choices in a free marketplace The founders of Sudbury Valley School unfortunately incorporated "democratic" statism into an unschooling school (free school) environment - http://tinyurl.com/leukmc Being told that you have "a voice" in a democracy is basically saying that you don't exist as a respectable person The obedience meme is widespread, even among the liberty movement Some have decided NOT to obey - Lauren Canario Eminent Domain Arrest (in 2005) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-ElrlwnMrA Is the lack of freedom in your life preferable to experiencing the consequences of living freely? With the moral code of altruism, there is no end to the sacrifices and thus rationalizations Only a tireless disobedient minority (of agorist intellectuals) can accelerate the process of achieving complete liberty If you're not doing anything to protest the injustices of those in government, and if you're not demanding better behavior, nothing is going to change Lots of wealthy businesspersons "legally" try to pay as little taxes as possible, which concedes the immoral premise of statism and emboldens statist oppressors Civil disobedience--based on the principle of self-ownership and property rights--is the moral thing to do, because individuals should be respected "Under a government which imprisons unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison." H.D.T. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Disobedience_(Thoreau) Reacting violently to political oppressors not only plays into the hands (fists and guns) of the authoritarian sociopaths, but it also leaves the authoritarian/obedience memes intact Nothing trumps your mind, volition, and life The greatest motivation and benefit of defying unjust demands is internal Those who believe that they are moral must come to terms with enslaving and incarcerating rights-respecting individuals Supporters, video cameras and the Internet are the primary methods of showing the immoral and unjust behavior of governmental "officials" (and shaming them) Complying--remaining libertarian talkers--makes it seem as if injustice isn't happening Stefan Molyneux's contrary messages: http://www.freedomainradio.com/Traffic_Jams/FDR_1448_working_for_the_state.mp3 http://www.freedomainradio.com/Traffic_Jams/FDR_1369_Tricky_Trollz.mp3 If we believe that it's moral and practical to obey, then neither those in government (nor bullies) will change their behavior as a consequence You're never going to get a significant fraction of people on board the liberty movement unless you do disobey, and incur the consequences of the code of immorality that's being foisted on people Violent resistance to governmental "officials" unjust demands basically would lead to your death and their death, and perhaps death of the liberty movement The authoritarian/obedience meme has existed for centuries--but it's time to evolve, and it would be a shame if we didn't Check out the activism in Keene, NH - http://freekeene.com Freedom Roundtable - 2009 Liberty Forum - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUAoeQ-6Q2o In America, we have the rhetoric and pretense of freedom The next-step challenge is to get rid of the behavioral contradictions, to walk the talk All those in governmental schools need to listen to Brett's School Sucks Podcast - http://edu-lu-tion.com The horrible injustice perpetrated on Irwin Schiff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irwin_Schiff#Convictions_for_1997_through_2002_tax_years Peter Schiff on his father, Irwin Schiff - http://motorhomediaries.com/schiff/ The immoral man whose job Schiff wants - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_history_of_Christopher_Dodd The IRS is an institution that is evil to the core--they aggress against rights-respecting persons and their property Even if you're fully educated about complete liberty, as long as you comply with tyrannical attitudes, nothing really changes for the better For the convenience of the government, and on account of his heroic efforts, Daniel is no longer part of the Navy: http://immoralityofwar.blogspot.com/2009/09/day-131-end-of-my-military-enslavement.html War is the health of the State, and the State promotes war, first and foremost on "it's citizens" via taxation and regulation http://warisimmoral.com bumper music "Rise Above" by Black Flag (and Intro: "Richard Feynman: Disrepect for Authority" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhD0MxacnIE ) http://www.myspace.com/blackflag80shardcore  http://www.sstsuperstore.com/product.asp?showproduct=SST007-CD to comment, please go to http://completeliberty.com/magazine/category/91697