話題の映画続きで、今日もバービカン・シネマで映画「プレシャス」を見た。原作は、作家で詩人のSapphireが、自身の教師やソーシャルワーカーとしての体験を元に書いた小説「Push」（1996年）。「チョコレート（Monster’s Ball）」「 The Woodsman」（ケビン・ベーコン主演、前科1犯のペドファイル／児童性愛者の心の葛藤を描く秀作。日本未公開）等のプロデューサーであるリー・ダニエルスが監督、そしてアメリカ・トークショーの女王、オプラ・ウィンフリーがエグゼクティブ・プロデューサーを務める。また、マライア・キャリーやレニー・クラヴィッツ等のスターが脇役を固める話題作で、サンダンス映画祭やカンヌ映画祭等数々の映画祭で絶賛を浴び、今年度アカデミー賞の台風の目になると予想されている。

舞台は1987年のニューヨーク・ハーレム。主人公プレシャスは16歳のアフリカ系アメリカ人の女の子で、かなり太っていて友人もいない。生活保護を受け、毎日何もせずテレビを見ている母親は、何かにつけ、プレシャスに肉体的・精神的虐待を加える。プレシャスは、常に不在の実父に2回目の妊娠をさせられるが（一人目の女の子はダウン症を持っている）、ある日、妊娠を知った校長から退学処分を受ける。彼女は9年生まで進学しているにも関わらず、実は読み書きができない。彼女は、オルタナティブ・スクールを紹介され、そこの先生であるMs. Rain（ミズ・レイン）の助けと激励で、読み書きだけでなく、自分を愛し、信じることを学んでいく。そこで友達も初めてできた。ミズ・レインやクラスメイト、第二子を出産した病院の男性看護士（レニー・クラヴィッツ）、そしてソーシャルワーカー（マライア・キャリー）のサポートを受け、プレシャスは、無力で辛い子供時代と虐待的な母を過去のものとし、2人の子供を守るため、そして自分の人生を自分の力で生きるための第一歩を踏み出していく。

映画館は、テーマがテーマだからか、主な出演者を女性が占める映画だからか、女性客が大多数。映画に行く前に読んだ映画批評から、お涙ちょうだいの人気トーク番組・The Oprah Winfrey Show（オプラ・ウィンフリー・ショウ）を彷彿させるメロドラマを念頭に観に行ったのだが、なかなか真実味のある硬派な作品に仕上がっている。ストーリー自体は、これでもか！というぐらい不幸のオンパレードで、目新しいものではないけれど、これがデビュー作となる、主人公を演じたGabourey Sidibe（ガボレイ・シディビー）と、母親役のMo’Nique（モニーク。女優でコメディアン）が、とてもいい。シディビーは、辛い経験の中でも、彼女の想像の中でスターになった自分を思い描くことで、けなげに乗り越えていくプレシャス役を好演。諦めきった表情が何とも陰気なんだけれど、実は芯が強くて、笑うと可愛い。母親役のモニークは、フライパンを手にプレシャスを追いかけ回したり、物を投げつけたり、果てはテレビを階段の上から落として殺しそうになったりと、その迫力と言ったら、観ているこちらも身震いする。でも最後に、ソーシャルワーカーに問いつめられて、プレシャスの実父の行為を黙認、そしてプレシャスを虐待した理由を告白するシーンは、同情を誘い、憎みきれない。だからといって虐待を正当化してはいけないけれど、彼女も結局被害者で、プレシャスをそのはけ口にしていたのだ。いつも体を露出した格好で、ばっちりメークを決めている彼女からは想像できないけれど、すっぴんで熱演したマライア・キャリーも、ハスキーボイスでいい味出してる。先生役のPaula Patton（ポーラ・パットン）は、ハーレムの、しかもオルタナティブ・スクールの先生にしては綺麗すぎて、そしていい人過ぎてちょっと嘘っぽいけれど、生徒やその他の俳優たちは、ぴったりはまり役だった。

この映画は、昔、シディビーも通ったニューヨークのコミュニティー・カレッジで1学期間、週1回のインターンシップをした時のことを思い出させる。そこは、マイノリティーや移民の貧困家庭出身の生徒が大多数の学校で、プレシャスほどひどい状態じゃないにしても、家庭に問題があったり苦労している学生がいっぱいいた。でも彼らやプレシャス、そして彼女クラスメイトたちに共通することだが、皆精神的に強いのだ。弱音を言ったり文句を言ったりはするけれど、どんな状況にあっても、最後はあるがままを受け入れ、その日その日をたくましく生きている。苦労していて打たれ強いから、彼らは多少のことでは鬱とかになったりしない。所詮、自分でコントロールできないや過ぎたことをくよくよ悩むだけ損。前を向いて生きるしかないのだ。

We saw a new movie “Precious” at Barbican Cinema – we’ve been there for three week in a row. Precious is an adaptation of the award-winning 1996 novel Push by Sapphire, an American author and performance poet, based on her experience as a social worker and a teacher. The movie is directed by Lee Daniels, who is a producer of Monster’s Ball and The Woodsman, and Oprah Winfrey joined the team as one of the executive producer. Superstars and singers such as Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz played the supporting roles in the movie. Applauded in numerous film festivals in the world, including 2009 Sundance Film Festival and the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, Precious is one of the frontrunners for upcoming Academy Awards nomination tomorrow.

Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl, who is obese and has no friend. She lives with her physically and emotionally abusive mother (Mo’Nique) who is doing nothing but watching TV and living off social welfare. Precious is expelled from her school because she is pregnant for the second time by her absent father. She has reached the ninth grade but actually she can neither read nor write. Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One, where Precious learns not only to read and write but also to believe in and love herself, with help and encouragement by her literacy teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). She also makes friends at school for the first time. With all the support from Ms. Rain, her class mates, a male nurse (Lenny Kravitz) at the hospital she gave a birth, and her social worker (Mariah Carey), she takes her first step to to be a strong woman and a mother of two children, leaving her malicious mother and her powerless and painful childhood behind.

Probably because of the subject matter and the film’s mainly female cast, the majority of the audiences in the cinema were women. I expected the movie to be tear-jerking The Oprah Winfrey Show-ish melodrama, according to some of the movie reviews, but Precious was better than that. The story line itself, with all kinds of tragic incidents happened to the teenager, is nothing new, but the screen debuted Sidibe and an comedienne and actress Mo’Nique did a excellent job. Sidibe tactfully played the role of Precious who deals with horrible experiences by fantasizing herself as a star, when a bad thing happen to her. Although she looks miserable and quite depressing at the beginning, but as the movie progress, she starts to look more attractive and her smile is quite lovable and cute. Mo’Nique is quite scary and punchy in the scene of abuse, chasing Precious with frying pan on her hand, throwing things, and even dropping TV on Precious from the top of the stairs. But she grabbed my heart when she confesses to a social worker the reason why she didn’t intervene when her boyfriend sexually abused Precious and later she started to abuse Precious herself – although she can’t justify her dreadful acts, she is also a victim on her own eyes. Mariah Carey, who is always in a skimpy dress with perfect make-up, performed impressively with no make-up and a husky voice. Although Paula Hatton is too beautiful to be an alternative school teacher in Harlem, but other casts are all perfectly realistic and fit in their roles.

This movie reminds me of my weekly internship experience for one term at the New York’s community college, where Sidibe used to attend. Majority of the students there were minorities and immigrants from a poor family, and they had more or less troubles, though the problems might not be as bad as Precious’. But they were all tough, as Precious and her classmates – they complained or whined sometimes, but at the end, they accepted the situations without being depressed or gloomy and kept going. I learned from them, which is quite useful to cope with hardships, that it is useless to worry about something you cannot control or something already happened – don’t look back and just move on.

I sometimes read Peter Gray’s Freedom to Learn blog at psychologytoday.com.

I liked this paragraph, from an older post I was reading today, entitled Why Schools Are What They Are II: Forces Against Fundamental Change:

“Another barrier to the kind of change in schooling that I have been talking about is that it cannot be done gradually within a school or school system. The change requires a paradigm shift, from one in which teachers are in charge of the educational process to one in which each student is truly in charge of his or her own education. You can’t do that a little at a time. As long as teachers set a curriculum, no matter how many choices they offer within that curriculum, students will see it as teachers’ jobs, not theirs, to decide what to learn. As long as teachers evaluate students’ progress, no matter how they do so, students will see that their job is to meet teachers’ expectations, not to establish and meet their own expectations.”

At this point prescribed or pre-planned curriculum makes absolutely no sense to me.  As well, I find it such a contradiction in terms to try and implement Reggio strategies in public schools where they also have to follow a curriculum set by the Ministry of Education.

Periodically I re-examine my commitment to homeschooling and I know there are schools and classrooms in the city where the teaching staff are trying to use the Reggio Approach so I mull over the idea of putting her in school.  But then I always come to the conclusion that there are deep problems with sort-of-trying-to-do emergent curriculum, when in actuality the learning territory is pre-defined.  I also see daycares and preschools that advertise that they use the Reggio Emilia approach, but then say they do units on farm animals, the seasons etc.

This week I hung out a bit with two people who went to alternative high schools here in Toronto.   I also went to an alternative school for my last two years of high school.  Our conversation reminded me of how vibrant that experience was compared to regular school (although it wasn’t emergent curriculum, it was just a lot more free). It made me realize that if I could find a public elementary school that had an effective way to actualize a focus on relationships, collaboration and democracy, I’d want her to have the opportunity to experience that.  I guess I have high expectations.

One guy who went to SEED (one of the most unstructured options where you can “hack the system to get credits”) said that every teacher he had was a guru, totally passionate about what they taught.  Made me wish I’d gone there!  But going to alternative school, even one not so free-form, helped me go on to ‘unjobbing’, which has basically saved my life.

Peter Gray’s most recent post is asking for stories of self-directed learning, including how interests developed in play developed into careers.  Maybe I’ll write something about my (unconventional) career path.

Precious — great value, cherished, refined (Merriam Webster)

What if you were abused (verbally, physically, and sexually) by your parents — the people closest to you, your support, your mentor — those who should be looking out for your best interests?

Precious – intelligent, courageous, strong, tenacious, priceless

Life – hard, short, painful, rich, precious!

I’m discovering the world of Reggio blogs (thanks Allie!) and they are awesome!  Here are some I’m adding to my blogroll:

Atelierista

Bakers and Astronauts

Big Voices

Leaves & Branches, Trunk & Roots

Marla McLean, Atelierista

The Living Classroom

There’s a few more, but my rss reader isn’t loading them right now for some reason.  Will add them later.

http://www.weareallprecious.com/

Certificate – 15; 110mins

Released – 29^th January 2010 (UK)

Directed – Lee Daniels

Starring – Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey

Nominated – Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance (Actress); Gabourey Sidibe and Best Performance (Supporting Actress); Mo’Nique for the Golden Globe Awards 2010

Beyond the gritty and harsh truths of an overweight, black, teenage girl in 1980s Harlem, Precious really is just that. Already destined for big things, given today’s announcement of three Golden Globe nominations, so deservedly so, Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique give powerful performances in such a strong contender for next years’ awards season.

Claireece ‘Precious’ Jones (Sidibe) lives with her mother, Mary (Mo’Nique) in a run-down Harlem tenement and has already birthed her first child by her biological father. Routinely let down by failing welfare policy and subject to systematic sexual and physical abuse – continued by her mother, in her father’s absence – Precious ambles on through expulsion from school due to her second pregnancy and floundered societal conform.

Parts of Precious so perfectly cushion the dreary story which we follow with deep-rooted distress for our 16-year-old anti-hero. Fruits of her sustained abuse are her shared daydreams of what she wished she could become; dancing on a brightly-lit stage with a handsome man, walking the red carpet as a worshipped celebrity idol, all what-ifs in what we see as impossibilities given her situation.

Given Oprah Winfrey as an executive producer, you begin to understand how names such as Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey came to feature in Lee Daniels’ only film since 2005’s directorial debut, Shadowboxer. Where most would see washed-up pop stars trying their luck at acting, Kravitz and Carey both bring glimmers of fantastic, unexpected hope to a film that would easily have succeeded without them.

The hope extends a hand to Precious in the form of her alternative school teacher, Blu Rain (Paula Patton) who adds her vernacular truculence to the welfare system and failing of a “normal” high school.

Truly a film to look out for in 2010, Precious has already caught the eye of a few important bodies in the land of film and even though it can be a awkward watch in the throes of Christmas, it will definitely pick up quite a backing in the festive fallout.

we are slow and steady. we changed our name to Be Academy. we almost have a website. we are but days from moving to portland (26 to be exact).

we support the unique academic needs and goals of every student by providing innovative, one-on-one instruction.

we will tell you a little more about us:

All learners’ desire successful outcomes from educational experiences. At Be Academy, we believe success is achieved by offering a completely personalized education for every student. We do this by providing customized, one-on-one instruction 100% of the time so that each student receives the full attention and support of a Be Academy educator.

We never teach to a test or base instruction on a one size fits all model. We believe every student comes to us with valuable knowledge and life experience and that our job is to enrich, to add depth and complexity, and to promote application of that knowledge by providing new opportunities to experiment and grow.

At Be Academy, we believe learning is a natural, lifelong experience, and that students need the freedom to make choices, to put ideas into action, and to learn in their own way. We work with our students to help them navigate their academic challenges, assess their goals, and define what they need to be successful in their pursuits.

Our classroom functions like a small private library, where students come to access resources, generate ideas, and receive the guidance and support necessary to achieve their academic goals.

Much like a college advisor, Be Academy educators co-develop a unique academic plan with each student that outlines course work and plans for specific skill acquisition as well as learning goals and forms of assessment. We design personalized curricula from an interdisciplinary approach, integrated throughout a variety of subjects and content areas. Therefore, studies are never isolated or seemingly without a greater context or purpose.

Assessment is always personalized to the needs and structure of a student’s academic plan. Our goal is to allow each student to show his or her learning in authentic and meaningful ways that are appropriate, rigorous, and creative.
We utilize multiple forms of assessment that promote a multifaceted approach to acquisition and demonstration of knowledge, because we believe the students of today need both the theory and the practice of concepts to participate and contribute fully in our complex world.

By individualizing learning opportunities and promoting hands-on experiences based on each student’s learning gifts, learning differences, or both, we seek to enable the development of skills for a lifetime of independent learning and academic growth, free of the constraints of a traditional regimented system.

We are a nationally accredited satellite school of the Alger Learning Center and Independence High School (www.independent-learning.com), which has provided creative educational alternatives for students since 1981. We issue official high school diplomas and transcripts which are honored in major colleges and universities both in the United States and abroad, in community and technical colleges, as well as vocational and art institutes.

Be Academy is not attendance-based and we have no “school year.” Students may enroll at anytime, year around, and complete their work at a pace determined in their academic plan. Our students meet with an educator as necessary by appointment. After we co-develop a student’s academic plan, the coursework is done in a location and at a time that the student chooses, be it night or day at home, a library, or a coffee shop. We are required to meet a minimum of 4 hours each month but the 4 hours may be averaged to accommodate student’s needs such as travel, jobs, or medical conditions.

Our hours of service are from 10am-5pm, Monday through Friday by appointment.

We offer a variety of services for students k-12, as well as adult learners, which include:

· Individualized one-on-one instruction for all students

· Opportunities to attend and participate in community based hands-on workshops and seminars for credit

· Local home schooling consulting and assistance for families seeking curriculum development and enrichment opportunities

· Tutoring for students in need of support in a specific content areas, classes or courses

· High school completion programs for learners of any age who left public education before reaching graduation

· Diagnostic testing for students interested in targeting specific skill sets or in need of SAT/ACT and/or college preparedness

· Credit analysis which recognizes a student’s life experiences by awarding credit towards high school completion for such activities as work, travel, outdoor and indoor hobbies, etc.

· Credit retrieval for students who failed courses in high school but regularly attended classes

· Dual-schooling opportunities for students who wish to take some classes at a public elementary, middle, or high school, or community college in tandem with their studies at Be Academy

I will certainly make transition information available as I become aware of it, and I will also pass transition concerns on to the appropriate people and push for answers.

I can also tell you a couple of the next things I want to focus on: An alternative school program of some sort, as I mentioned last night; and identifying administrative waste. To that end, I asked Mrs. Dimke (HR director) if she could provide me with a list of administrative job titles as of today, and a list of administrative job titles as of some arbitrary date in the past such as 2000-2001. (But I said if she ran across a 2002 org chart or something, that was fine; I just want a starting point.) I want to see where growth and contraction have occurred, both in the buildings and at Wisconsin Avenue.

I also realize this won’t catch all of the “too many administrators” problems (notably consultants), but it does provide a starting point.

Finally, there are a lot of concerns about the new grading scale and I’d like to get to the bottom of that.

Hanging on to Max

Author: Margaret Bechard

Page Length: 204

Reading Level: 6

Genre: Fiction

PLOT SUMMARY: Sam is a 17 year old senior in high school who lives with his widowed father and son, Max. When Max’s mother decided having a son as a teen ager was too much for her to handle, Sam, got custody of their infant son.  Sam is now attending an alternative school for teen parents.   Overwhelmed by homework, grocery shopping, playtime with an eleven month old, diapers, and doctor’s appointments, Sam sees a job in construction as his future.

Sam is gifted in math skills and his teacher encourages him to take the SAT just to see how he does.  Sam forms a study group with two of the other teen parents.  Claire, who he has had a crush on since junior high, is one of the members of his study group.  As their friendship grows they develop a romantic attraction. One day they attend a party of some of their old house school friends, taking both of their children.  While Sam is not neglectful, Max gets injured at the party and is rushed to the hospital. 

Sam has a love for Max, but finds the responsibilities of teen parenting more than he can handle.

REVIEW:  This is a realistic view of the life a teen parent must live.  The story is told from Sam’s point of view. His experiences both at school and home are not sugar coated, as far as the responsibilities he has.  The book would be excellent for any junior high or high school student to read, so that they may think twice before participating in unprotected premarital sex. 

AREAS FOR TEACHING: Cause/Effect, Sequence of Events, Character, Point of View, and Conflict

TOUCHY AREAS-PAGES: The theme of the book is based on the birth of an illegitimate child.   

RELATED BOOKS: The First Part Last, The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom, A Family Gathering, Girl Talk

MOVIE CONNECTIONS: Juno (2007)

RELATED WEBSITES:

www.teenreads.com/reviews/0689862687.asp

REVIEWED BY: Shirley Wagner

http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/sem/

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ToolsforSchools/sem.html

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/gifted/reading/theory/renzulli_e.php

I’m reading the Renzulli book right now.  Sounds good.  Three different “levels” of enrichment–level one easy (you provide them with lots of info and experiences);  level two more complicated but ought to be doable (group training activities–thinking & feeling processes);  group three is investigations into real problems–they do those on their own for something they are interested in.  He talks about the three interlocking circles of “above average  ability”, “creativity” and “task commitment”.  If you have a smart kid, or even a not so smart kid, they learn more when they are interested in what they are learning!  Shocker, huh?

Some of another of Renzulli’s book can be read online here.

I go through this over and over again. I have smart kids. My husband and I were both smart kids. Even though I like our elementary school, I am not too thrilled about the lack of something being done to STRETCH and challenge my boys. I know that their regular classroom teachers are overburdened as it is, but they need something more. I could do it at home (and I do try), but when they come home from school they don’t much want me to make them do more. If there could be a way for them to be properly differentiated for at school, this would make me happier. They go to a gifted program, but that will really only last during elementary school (they are phasing it, I would say OUT, but the district claims it is going to be different) in another year or so. Plus, I have not found that the gifted program does much to encourage them to think more or more deeply.

The sermon that Pastor Paul gave this morning about things not happening because of a lack of resources but a lack of faith has gotten me all worked up again. About a different type of school. But I see walls and limits everywhere I look. Getting kids, getting teachers, getting space, worrying about scheduling and transportation. I have NOT homeschooled my kids. I think about it all the time. I don’t want them to miss out on some of the socialization they get there. Although, I admit, some of it I could do without, lol.

I am wondering, today (and I can also manage to talk myself out of it while I’m describing it!), if this is something that is doable. If you’ve been around me much over the last three years you know I really want to have a project-learning school for grade 6-12 in my town so I don’t have to send my kids to the big high school which I detest with the 70% graduation rate and very limited AP offerings (what is the point of a big school if it doesn’t offer more than a small school–which is how they convinced the taxpayers to build and consolidate??). But that is such a big thing to undertake. Made worse by the fact that there is no legislation in WV to allow charter schools. It would have to be private. I would not be able, in this economy, with everyone’s health insurance riding on their jobs, and their pensions, etc, to convince the really great public school teachers to come teach at it. Even if I had tons of money and could make it free.

Who would want to move their kids to a brand-new school with no track record? I keep wondering if there was a way to start it smaller. Could we start a one-day-a-week program that was basically a private-pull-out resource? Would we compete too much with the EAGLE school? Should I concentrate on that instead? Legally, parents can take their kids out of school to be homeschooled or tutored or whatever, even for just a few hours a week, and at our school the principal would let us without a big fight.

Could I find some sort of multi-age curriculum to allow kids to come someplace for one day in the week to do projects and thought-invoking and thought-provoking work?? Could we get kids to come? Would their parents be willing to pay a small fee to pay a “real” teacher?

I have tried the TAG program at school. I have tried doing after-school enrichment with a book/science club–which has been possibly worthwhile, but frustrating for me. I have had pipe dreams of schools. I have buildings in my head that will be available in a few months. I have lists of people who might be willing to give grant money.

If a one-day thing was successful, perhaps that could lead to a real school?

I need emotional support, lol!

I need kids & parents who would try it–they would not have to be “gifted” but they would need to be interested in learning and working and behaving well-enough that it wouldn’t be a child-care-prison job…

I am off to do research. Would love to hear from you about it.

Virtual schooling has really come a long way.  It used to be nothing more than distance education through a school like BYU Independent Study ( http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/ ).  Then it moved on to more active approaches like recorded audio and things like that.  Now there are places like Fieldstone Academy  ( http://www.fieldstoneacademy.org/virtual ) that have fully live classes.  The student sits at home and sees the teacher teaching live.  There’s also a lot happening with online tutoring and things like that.

By Chrissy Jungwirth
The Walker Tribune staff

This year at Walker High School I have learned more things than I ever knew I could.

The staff here has helped me in so many more ways than one. They have stood beside me and helped me through this year step by step all the way till the end. They told me I could succeed this year and let me know all the tasks I needed to complete to make that possible. They took the time to work with me one-on-one when I needed it, and always gave me that extra push that I so desperately needed to have the determination to keep going until I accomplished my dream of graduating.

There were many challenges in which I encountered this year. I left and was out of school for almost a total of two months because of the personal problems I was experiencing. I also allowed others to stand in the way of my future, which I greatly regret now. I have realized that there will always be girls talking smack no matter where you go, and that boys really aren’t as important as you may think.

If I could give any underclassmen some words of advice it would be to never let anyone stand in the way of your future and success. There is so much more out there after high school. It doesn’t matter how popular you are or how many friends you have, in the end, your future will only be secured by the accomplishments your achieve for yourself and those you care about.

Leaving Walker, I hope to take with me all of the many important things that I have learned in these 13 years and the independence I have gained during this time of self discovery. I learned that even under immense pressure I can still pull through and complete the task at hand.

To all those who have taken the time to truly help and encourage me, I am forever grateful to you all. God bless.

The journey might be different for students at Walker H.S., but the value isn't diminished. (Stock Photo/stock.xchng.hu)

By Jessica Hanson
The Walker Tribune staff

Why do people always think alternative schools are bad?

An alternative school fits its name: It’s an alternative to a regular high school. It offers a choice to high school students who may not shine at a regular school. Not everyone wears the same size clothes or enjoys the same type of music; why would there be the assumption that everyone would be successful or “fit” into a regular high school? An alternative school isn’t bad — the outcome is still the same. The requirements to get a diploma are the same, but the journey may be different.

An alternative school is a positive choice because student who may not fit into the regular school or feel comfortable being themselves there have an opportunity to be who they are in a safe and accepted setting. Students can contribute positively in school where they can express their own version of individuality.

For example, a lot of the kids here at Walker were kids that didn’t somehow fit into the norm of the other schools, so in coming here, they meet other kids like them and were able to express their own form of talents and contributions. This, in turn, leads to more success for the student who often does not feel appreciated. As positive self esteem grows for the kids here at Walker, they will be more likely to complete their high school education and even try hard for higher learning opportunities. In a regular school, these students feel out of place and can’t work toward their best because they just don’t fit in. Some of the greatest and most creative people in history were those who did things differently, such as Albert Einstein or Abraham Lincoln.

Some people say that alternative schools are just for the “bad kids,” e.g. the kids that do drugs, skip school, aren’t accepted in the high school scene, or just losers. It’s been my experience that there are just as many of these problems in a regular high school as in the alternative one; it just happens to be a much tighter environment here. Alternative schools are much smaller so these problems tend to stick out more. But don’t fool yourself: These problems exist in large amounts in regular school. In statistics taken by a local high school, more than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their schools. No matter where you go or what you do or don’t do for these kids, the problems of the alternative school are also those of other schools as well.

A high school education is very important. Isn’t it a good thing that there is a choice for students to achieve this goal? Hopefully everyone can soon appreciate the difference in the journey and celebrate everyone’s success.

Molly Ollinger can’t stand perky Cassie Birchmeyer. When they are forced to collaborate on a school project, their bickering escalates into a food fight in the Sunshine Day School cafeteria. But because Sunshine Day isn’t your average high school, the girls’ punishment isn’t detention—it’s to work in the cafeteria as lunch ladies. Ewww. They’ll have to cook up a way to get along in order to get themselves out of the kitchen. Seasoned with hilarious original songs, slams on traditional school-lunch menus, not to mention downright tasty recipes, Hot Lunch is the best thing to hit school lunch since Tater Tots.

I thought this was a really fun book. My sister went to an alternative school and I can just picture this type of thing happening to her. I also really liked the recipes. YUM! – Jessica, Teen Librarian

Today we actually made it to the New Schoolhouse, albeit quite a bit later than planned.  I had a hard time finding it and getting in, but eventually we did.  The meeting I wanted to go to about creating a homeschooling network was already over, but we hung out for a few hours, met people and learned about the place.

It’s in an old school building that isn’t being used anymore, which I find sort of trippy.  The women who spend the most time being facilitators there are cool — I think they are all single moms too?

Sweet Pea liked it a lot — when we first arrived it was through an open door at the back of the gym.  Lots of kid-vehicles (little tykes cars and plasma cars etc.)  Upstairs, she got into the sand pool, and played in the doll/house centre.  I got to overhear a bit of a conflict resolution process, called ‘Justice Committee’.  Reminded me a lot of when I went to alternative school actually!

The last hour we were there, we played with the art supplies that had been part of the mail art workshop in the morning.  So much fun!  The had varieties of paper, little tags, stamps and doodads, many stamps and colourful inks, envelopes, plus a dye cutting machine that did cut-outs and embossing.  One of the faciliators helped SP to make a multi-coloured paper doll and an outfit using stamps someone had carved themselves.   She loved it.

They also have a music room with a drum set and other instruments, but we just saw it and didn’t hang out there because it was the end of the day.

I spent a lot of time in the room that’s the kitchen/lounge/computer room.  I mostly talked with one of the facilitators who has a daughter near Sweet Pea’s age, and found out about how the school functions.  Kids don’t really do anything they don’t want to…they can attend part-time or full-time, you can come with them, or just leave them there.  I found that idea really appealing.  So I’m thinking we’ll go again, maybe on Friday, to get more of a feel for it.

The Beach School was a democratic school based on the Sudbury Valley School model, that closed last year.  The New Schoolhouse is a democratic school that has started up in it’s place.  Homeschoolers were welcomed at the Beach School, but the New Schoolhouse is extending that to try and create a resource/support network for homeschoolers and their parents.  I’ve seen workshops (like drum-making) and cool activities that you can pay for and go to as a homeschooler, without being a student there.

I’m so into that idea,  the only issue is that it’s far from us, totally on the other side of town!  Many times I question why I don’t live on the Danforth…

It’s March break and they are having a kind of open-house week.  I saw this posted on the local homeschooling list.  It looks like fun.  We are thinking about going on Tuesday, partially because Sweet Pea is learning about mail right now, and also I’d like to be there for the meeting about the resource network for self-directed learners.  Friday would be good too.

March Break Playdate @ The New Schoolhouse

tHe nEw ScHoOlHoUsE is inviting homeschoolers and families interested in
alternativeordemocraticeducation to join us for March Break Playdates, every day, 10 AM to 4 PM from Monday, March 16th to Friday, March 20th.

Come join us for a series of scheduled workshops & playshops, or just wander in & hang out.

Our democratic school is located at 42 Edgewood Avenue, in the Beaches.
Our facilities include a computer centre, a lounge for quiet chats, the Big
Room, a large gym, and playing field.

All events are pay-what-you-can and donations will be gratefully accepted. We are suggesting $5 for 1/2 day drop-in, $10 for full-day drop-in or for any of our scheduled Playshops. Proceeds will be used to provide materials, pay
facillitators and support our Democratic Learning Co-operative, including our democratic school and our homeschoolers resource and support initiatives.

Parents are welcome to stay and visit, to join us for one of our Workshops, or
to register and drop off their 4 & up kids.

Bring your own snacks or lunch.

Schedule

DAY: Every Day
EVENT: Un-Scheduled DIY Playshops
TIME: 10 am – 4 pm

DETAILS: Drop into our democratic school and plan your own fun with our students & staff. Possible Activities include: LEGO, scooter racing, fort-building, basketball in our gym, video-gaming, and are limited only by our collective imaginations!

DAY: Monday

1. EVENT: Video-Gaming Tournament
TIME: 10 am – 4 pm

DETAILS: One of our students, Tadan, is organising a video-gaming tournament all day Monday. You are welcome to join us at any time during the day. Gaming systems: XBox 360, Playstation 2, Nintendo 64 & Gamecube, computers for some online play. Participants are welcome to bring games from home to share.

2. EVENT: Creative Movement Playshop (Ages 18 months-6 years)
TIME: 1 – 2 pm

DETAILS: Dana Flaherty, cutting-edge performance and conceptual artist from the UK has planned this fun “playshop“ in which we`ll be exploring creative movement techniques and improvisation through dream material, arbitrary rules and nonsense. All parents will be welcome to join us in the workshop.

3. EVENT: Jam with the Band (all ages)
TIME: 2:45 – 4 pm

DETAILS: Come join our schoolhouse band for a jam session. Bring your own
instruments or share ours.

DAY: Tuesday

1. EVENT: Random Mailings: A Mail Art Playshop
TIME: 10 am – 12 pm

DETAILS: Conceptual artist, Dana Flaherty & mail artist, Lorraine Hussey, aka “Myrth Mahem” will be facillitating a creative, visual arts playshop in which participants will make postcards, envelopes, and other fanciful mailable art pieces using a variety of materials. Participants may choose to take their own art home, colaboratively co-create and exchange art-cards with others or take part in “random mailings“ to unsuspecting, lucky recipients.

2. EVENT: *NEW* Self-Directed Learning Support and Resource Network
TIME: Starting 1 pm

DETAILS: Unschoolers, Life Learners and people committed to Democratic Schooling are invited to join with us to create a *NEW* support and resource network for parents, family and friends of self-directed learners. We believe self-directed learning is a responsible and courageous, though often misunderstood, educational choice. We are hoping that this group will draw like-minded families together to share resources, information and encouragement with one another. At this first meeting we`ll be discussing what form this group might take, how often we`d like to meet and, most importantly, getting to know one another in a setting where our kids will be free to play and learn and join in the discussion as they wish.

DAY: Wednesday

EVENT: All Day Unscheduled DIY Playdate
Time: 10 am – 4 pm

*see above for details

DAY: Thursday

EVENT: Dungeons and Dragons Playshop
Time: Creating Characters 10 am – 12 pm
lunch break 12 – 1 pm
DnD Adventure 1 – 4 pm

Details: Dungeon Master, Matthew Chow will be hosting this all day DnD Playshop for Beginners to Experienced players. In the morning, we`ll be generating characters for the afternoon`s campaign. Beginners will be supported by more experienced players & the DM. In the afternoon we`ll be adventuring, in one group or more, depending on numbers. Advanced players may opt to join us with pre-generated characters (level 1-5) at 1 pm.

DAY: Friday

1. EVENT: Creative Movement & Improv Playshop (Ages 7 & up)
Time: 10 am – 12 pm

DETAILS: Dana Flaherty, cutting-edge performance and conceptual artist from the UK has planned this fun playshop in which we`ll be exploring creative movement techniques and improvisation through dream material, arbitrary rules and nonsense. All parents will be welcome to join us in the workshop.

2. EVENT: Homeschooler Resource Initiative: What can we do for you
Time: Starting at 1 pm

DETAILS: For years, first as the Beach School, more recently as The New
Schoolhouse, we`ve invited homeschoolers to join us on field trips or to enroll as part-timers at the school. Since December, our Cooperative Assembly has been re-visioning our school and pondering how we could better support like-minded homeschoolers in our community.

We are inviting all homeschoolers to join us on Friday afternoon for a
brainstorming session; we are inviting you to tell us what kind of support your would benefit your family. We hope to use your input to provide expanded options for homeschoolers in the coming years. Information regarding upcoming workshops and playshops, including Drum-Building with David Berger & Creative Dramatic Workshops with Dana Flaherty–already planned for spring–will also be available..

Hope to see you next week!
tHe nEw ScHoOlHoUsE
A Democratic Learning Co-operative
42 Edgewood Avenue
416-461-6006

I am inspired and excited after speaking with a group of moms in Ojai last night. A friend of mine, Stephanie DeRosier, founder of The Love Project, hosted a meeting to introduce SelfDesign to her friends. Eight women gathered together in a living room to explore schooling options for our children. It was a diverse group – women in their early twenties to early forties, with their children in Montessori, homeschool, and in public school. 

My friend started our discussion by asking everyone to share their experience in school (focusing on the K-12 years). The conversation became quite emotional as woman after woman shared their school experience. “I learned to play the game, stay out of the teachers’ red zones, and take the tests. But, I didn’t figure out who I was and what I wanted to do until I was 28 years old.” “I was so bored in school. I don’t want my children to experience the same thing. I am still trying to figure out what my passions are.” “School was about driving the right car, wearing the right clothes. It wasn’t about learning.” “I love art class, but slept through the other classes. They didn’t seem relevant to my life.” 

Tears were shed. Hugs exchanged. How could such a diverse group of women, from several different countries, experience the same pain and suffering? It’s hard to fathom that all eight women are dysfunctional learners – after all, we are functioning quite well as adults outside of the school system. 

The fantastic truth revealed to me again that night is that school doesn’t work for most children. It never has. It wasn’t designed to work for children.

We then explore our associations with the word “education”. Without exception, all of the associations were negative: “prison”, “school bells”, “tests”, “competition”. Then we asked these women to share their associations with the word “learning”. This brought forth a different energy in all of the women. “Curiosity”, “fun”, “open”, “invention”, “growth” all came to mind.

Why the disconnect between education and learning? How can we possibly work together to design different experiences for our precious children? 

I invite us to forget about finding the best “school” or “education” for our children. Let’s forget about “alternative schools” which are often a milder, kinder version of what doesn’t work. Let’s focus on creating the best learning environments for our children. Let’s look for alternatives to school.

Each child learns differently. Each child has unique gifts and abilities. Each child is a unique gift to this world. 

SelfDesign is the only learning model that I have discovered that supports children as they learn at their own pace, following their unique interests and abilities. SelfDesign-ing children don’t need to wait until a mid-life crisis to discover who they are and what they love. They are discovering their passions and purpose every day of their lives. 

Join me on this unique learning experience with this amazing global learning community. I invite you to enroll in SelfDesign’s K-8 and High School distance learning programs – award-winning programs based upon self-directed, enthusiasm based learning. 

Caprice Pitcher
SelfDesign Mom and Director
SelfDesign.com 

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If you live in Cabell County and are homeschooling, please run, don’t walk, to the EAGLE website to read up about their classes.  The deadline to sign up is next week!!

They would have been heavy metal kids back in my day. 

And not just run of the mill heavy metal kids.  They would have looked down their noses at the hair band that MTV plays.  They would have been into Canibal Corpse or old Metalica.

An interesting thing about high school kids today is that they have their identities tied less into specific genre of music than we did a couple decades ago.  But I digress.

These two kids. 

They are desperately in love.  (Or they think they are.  When you’re 16 it comes down to the same thing, I suspect.)

I’m quite specific and intentional in choosing that word: desperate.

They hang on each other all the time.  They’ve even gotten in some trouble for that.  But it’s interesting.   It’s not really lust that rises up between them.  It’s something else: longing, maybe, but not a sexual kind-of longing.

His mom does not drive.  I don’t think she is able to be employed.  His brother dropped out of school.  He is a Freshman for the second year in a row.   He is on probation for a variety of issues.  He drinks.  He probably uses drugs.  I suspect he does these only occasionally because it’s hard to imagine him being resourcesful enough to get these substances very frequently.

Her family has significant DSS involvement.   She probably drinks and does the drugs with him.

Niether of them have a father in the picture.

They both have significant learning and school related problems.  They are several years behind.  She appears to have a reading disabality.  His processing speed is in the lowest percentile.  (That means that 99% of kids his age can think faster than him.)

They aren’t stupid.  Or bad kids.  He in particular has this brain for math.  When he gets stuff, his whole face lights up.  It’s awesome.

Niether of them has met with much school success.  Both of them treat the rules like they were made for somebody else.  Both of them really have no particular motivation to learn or earn good grades.  Nobody at home much cares.   Very few people in their lives have modeled delayed gratification or the value of hard work.  Most of the people in their lives consider them nuisances.

This is probably why there is this sense between them that they have each other and nobody else.  Why there is this sense of kindred spirit between them.  Why it is sparks of connection and homecoming that occur in the places where they touch.

Last year, they began a process of kicking him out.  He wanted to be moved to a special day school.  There wasn’t room in the school at the time.  He swore at teachers.  He slept in nearly all his classes.  He showed up to school drunk.

This year he’s given up on his desire to get out.  He’s doing better.

So far from perfect.  But better.

He’s passing over half his classes, which for him is a big deal.  He’s often wandering around where he shouldn’t be.  He’s been caught smoking a couple times this year.

In many schools, his behavior wouldn’t even earn him a spot in a class like many, which is designed for emotionally and behaviorally challenged students.  But the school I teach at is a prety wealthy upper class one.  Many of the students benefit by the fact that it’s quite a tight ship.  Some, however, do not.

And there is now room in the alternative school.

The one he doesn’t want to go to, anymore.

He was told the other day that he’d be going there.

This tough kid, this angry kid, this kid who seems to care about nothing, he cried in my class.

Later, one of his classmates said, “You and ___ don’t even have cell phones.”  (Just for the record, neither does their teacher.  But many of these kids are pretty wealthy and consider it an act of virtual child neglect to not have a cell phone.)  “How will you ever see each other?”

He looked at his classmate.  He said “I’m trying hard not to think about that.”

I’m VERY excited about this… On Oct. 15th, we’re launching a promo for the DVD where people get 20% off AND special bonus gifts. Some gifts are for the rebel education crowd like: a free annual subscription to The Alternative Education Newsletter (edited by notable education author Ron Miller), and a 10% discount to the “Re-Thinking Education Conference,” and there’s also 20% off membership to the “European Democratic Education Community” (EUDEC). For the show biz people, there’s the new e-book by renown Hollywood Coaching founder David Brownstein. And for everybody there’s unreleased new music from musicians involved in the film, and even more!

So it’s an awesome bundle of extras, on top of the discounted DVD and I’m pumped up about getting the offer to as many people in the target audience as possible.

If you’re a member of message boards, e-mail lists, or have your own newsletter or blogs that serve people who’d want to know about this offer: teachers, therapists, homeschoolers, rebel parents, personal growth geeks (like me!) and, of course, indie film fans ——- then hook them up by sharing this offer on LAUNCH DAY, Wed. Oct. 15. Just let me know you’re interested in spreading the word and I’ll send an e-mail reminder to you with the link to the special offer on the morning of Launch Day.

In the meantime, if you personally know any large traffic bloggers or websites that seem to serve this audience (again it’s: teachers, therapists, homeschoolers, rebel parents, indie film fans, and personal growth geeks) please send me an e-mail so I can connect with them: Brooks@BrooksElms.com

If we do serve an overlapping audience, they’ll be excited to extend this offer to their community because it adds value to their content, makes them look good, and at no cost to them.

Yeah!

–Brooks

I would LOVE comments on this, as well as people telling me if they would want to send THEIR children to this type of school.

Today our sermon at church was about sacrifices that we have to make to do the right thing.  I was thinking AGAIN that this school is really something I would like to get off the ground, even though I keep hitting brick walls and do not know how to get past those problems.

So, it occurs to me that since I cannot seem to get the public school people involved, it might have to be private.  And since I can’t know yet about getting the building I would really like, it might have to start someplace else.  I think perhaps I will try to get together a “board” and do the nonprofit thing.  And start writing to foundations to get money.  I started wondering how we could start small.  I will approach the pastor (although it would probably have to also involve the Trustees, as Methodist pastors don’t stay around for years and years, especially with the new bishop) again about whether we could perhaps do a school at the church.  He said before that it would be okay for us to do a homeschool coop in the building, as long as we checked that we were following any laws.

We would need a Principal Teacher, I think.   Someone who has experience as a professional educator, who could be the last word for discipline and tuition collection.  So, if we could just get enough money to pay ONE full time person a decent salary.  Someone who wants to help implement a project-based curriculum.

Doing the homeschool coalition WITH a principal teacher and meeting at the church might be enough to get started.  With some grant money we could keep the tuition low.

It would be handy to have more computers and other science equipment, like microscopes.  If the church would let us use space, they might also let us use a few computers–there is a small computer lab with 5-6 PCs.  But more would be good.  If we couldn’t get the money for more, maybe we could require students come with a laptop.  I just got an older Mac laptop with wireless internet for under $200 and I am guessing people can find older microsoft-running laptops for less.  They would just need to do internet and wordprocessing.

Private schools in Huntington seem to be $2-$4k per year for tuition.  I would still prefer a tuition-free school, but am thinking perhaps we could have a sliding scale with “sweat equity” from parents to decrease tuition from those who have more time than money.

We would need an application process, with at least a small fee to apply for admission (could be waived as necessary).  We would need to make it clear we could not, at this time, serve physically challenged nor much in the way of mentally challenged students.  We will NOT keep students who are discipline problems.  Parents who do not pay tuition and/or sweat equity will have their children removed from the school.

I’m starting to bang my head about how to provide all of the coursework needed, but I’ll get to that.  Maybe if we start small and get some grants and do well, we could attract more grants and more teachers, more students, a bigger facility.  Maybe we could figure out how to get ahold of a real school building.  I will ask Suzanne Oxley again about what she thinks about the Miller school building and if it has already been “promised” to another organization.

Please comment or contact me off-blog!  I would love to hear what you think!!

We cannot serve the needs of today’s children with 19th Century mindsets. A new breed of educator is required. The educators of the future must be individuals free of the desire to intrude, impose or interfere in children’s learning. Adults who trust themselves enough to trust children to be responsible for directing their own education. Adults who embody unconditional love for each child. Honest people, unafraid to admit when they do not know the answer to a question posed by a child, and always willing to set about discovering the answer in partnership with the child. Adults who treat children as equals and ‘co-learners’ on the lifelong journey that is education. ‘Teacher’ is not an appropriate term to describe these individuals. They will be variously known as learning consultants, educational facilitators, coaches and mentors.

We are all teachers. Each and every one of us is a teacher because we are all role models; we are all setting an example for others by the way we choose to lead our lives. Children learn so much from observing and imitating the behaviours of their role models; thus all adults have a crucially important role to play in the education of children. The teaching function belongs to the whole community; it is a collective responsibility.

“You cannot teach a person anything; you can only help him find it within himself” — Galileo

No child has ever been, is, or ever will be, ‘taught’ by anyone outside of himself. Teaching is role-modelling, example setting or the presentation of an individual’s perspective. It is a mistake to confuse teaching with learning. An ounce of teaching does not equate to an ounce of learning. Learning is a process that the learner does, not a process done to him. The learner always has the choice to take or leave the teaching, depending on whether or not he cares about it.

The ‘professional teacher’, trained and qualified to deliver knowledge in one or two subject areas, is a completely redundant concept in the context of the post-industrial age in which we now live. The notion that there exists a set body of content or information that must be imparted to every child in order that they are prepared for adulthood is a fallacy. Children must be free to pursue their own interests and passions for only they know what they need to learn in order to fulfil their particular missions and destinies. The teaching profession are thus the hapless crew on a sinking ship. It is time for them to abandon their decrepit vessel and to renounce their allegiance to the short-sighted and self-serving captain called government.

Each of us is our own best teacher and authority. The role of the new educator is to assist the child in removing any obstacles blocking the path to accessing his own inner teacher and the inherent genius that resides within. In most cases, this will involve the educator doing…… absolutely nothing.