Parents ‘n Schools

In the bargain bin at Chapters I came across a book by the unlikely author Danica McKellar, the actress who starred in “The Wonder Years”, and who happens to have a degree in Mathematics. When www.youtheducationservices.ca was created by Essentialtalk here in Calgary a few years ago, its graphics and formatting was designed to capture […]

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(GLO — March 2010 — This is an early essay from our first month on the job here at good ol’ PnS two years ago now, but it captures quickly the essence of the “partnership” that is parents ‘n schools. Law school teaches that the foundation of any partnership is the contract. Coincidentally, there are […]

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If you have not been there already, go to www.ted.com.
Click on “Most Favorited All Time”.
Then select Ken Robinson’s talk on schools and creativity.
Or go straight to it by clicking here.
Enjoy. He has a fine wit and charm, and tells great stories.
And if you want to read those stories (and many more), they are captured in […]

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(GLO — At that “Inspiring Education” gathering I was at recently, I heard related a story that concerned me. Apparently at a gathering of trustees a speaker told a tale of blueberries, and that tale was intended to rationalize for government schoolers that theirs is not a business. Simply put, a baker is asked what […]

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(GLO — May 2009 — I still think this is a good idea. I don’t get many good ideas, but I think this is a good one.)
Have you had occasion to ride in a school bus recently?
A field trip, maybe?
I suppose kids don’t really notice this, and I expect few mention it if they […]

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In the new book “Work Hard. Be Nice.” by Jay Mathews (that Bill Gates promoted at the recent TED Conference — www.ted.com — and gave everyone in attendance a copy of), a river that runs through it is the notion that “parents matter”.
The Knowledge is Power Program whose evolution and growth is described in the […]

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If learning came in pill form, what would schooling look like?
If you could prescribe, hand out and swallow… what would the rest be?
Technology is increasingly distilling learning into such “pill form”. It is increasingly being packaged and produced in ways that can be prescribed, handed out… and swallowed. By a generation of students with an […]

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In the world of energy analysis and debate, the concept of “peak oil” has emerged, whereby some views are that the capacity of the world to find and produce oil has reached or may soon reach the world’s demand for oil… and alternatives to oil should/must be considered and encouraged.
Arguably, a similar “peak” has been […]

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(GLO — January 2009 — I was very pleased with this entry when I wrote it, and remain so still. I like it. I like what it says, and I like what it prompts. I am still waiting for your comments about the things YOU wonder about. I’m sure we could make a nice list.)
In […]

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Perhaps you ask yourself…
… how do I tell my friends and neighbours what I know to be true about schooling?
How about you tell me.
Then I’ll tell them.
(And we’ll pretend it came from someone… important.)
Please tell me “one true thing”.
I’ll put them together into a handy collection of true things about schooling.
Then we’ll all share.
Here’s my […]

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