Richard Branson Article: You'll Never Again Be so Unburdened; Do Something Bold

Check out this advice from Richard Branson, directed at kids graduating from college/high school:

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130521111713-204068115-class-of-2013-you-ll-never-again-be-so-unburdened-do-something-bold

Freedom to Learn

I just finished reading "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. In this excellent book the author describes how almost all of children's freedoms have been striped away. Think about how little time kids have to be by themselves or with other kids without adult supervision. School, Organized sports and activities, and even recess is monitored by playground aids. Kids don't even walk to school together or meet at centralized bus stops anymore.

All this time I've been trying to have my kids enjoy a childhood similar to my own and yet ironically all I've done is smoother them. At 4 years old once I learned to ride a bike I was able to disappear from home with my friends. My parents only restriction was that I came home at meal time. That's it. No limits, I was free to discover things on my own. I became self-reliant, learned how to socialize with other kids from all different age groups, figured out how to get out of tricky situations and how to make good choices. I never felt like my parents didn't care about me, but rather I thought my parents did care because they were giving me freedom over my own life.

The other day I let my nine year old walk to his friends house without me. Granted it's only 3 blocks away but I'll never forget the look on his face when I told him he could go on his own. It was so obvious that he felt liberated and good about himself and that for once his father trusted him to be safe and to do the right thing. So much to learn as a parent and so little time to do it in.

Let me know if anyone else has  ideas on how I can set my kids free.

Big Picture Learning

"If our students don't learn the way we teach, then perhaps we should teach the way they learn"
Dennis Littky (co-founder of Big Picture Learning)

http://www.bigpicture.org/

It's More About Attitude Than Aptitude

Check out this brief article from LinkedIn by James Caan:

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130501104129-32175171-it-s-your-attitude-not-your-aptitude-that-determines-your-altitude

Words to Live By

"In dwelling, live close to the ground.
  In thinking, keep to the simple.
  In conflict, be fair and generous.
  In governing, don't try to control.
  In work, do what you enjoy.
  In family life, be completely present."
                                                              Lao Tzu

What the World Needs Now

"The whole project of formal education has been based on the idea of society transmitting its ideas, values, and technologies from one generation to the next, and from dominant civilizations and cultures to backward or primitive ones. In the modern era we added the task of making and incorporating new discoveries into the curriculum year after year. As our society got more complex, we developed bigger and bigger institutions to teach more and more people more and more things.

Well, now the world is changing too fast, and the need is growing too much, for institutions to keep up. Scientists say we have less than ten years to reinvent how we get energy, how we get around, and how we make things if we don’t want our civilization to collapse from the effects of global warming. And to do that, we as a species also have to find better ways of communicating, making decisions, and understanding and weighing each others’ needs.

No one person knows how to do this; it requires a new synthesis of the wisdom of the ancients and cutting-edge discoveries. Our best hope is to get better at empowering individuals to find answers for themselves. In other words, forget about giving the guy a fish, or teaching him how to fish, either. Teach him how to teach himself, and he’ll always be able to acquire the skills he needs to find food, skills, you haven’t even thought of yet for things you didn’t know you could eat. Fishing itself, it happens, is a great example of this. Today, 90 percent of fish species are over-exploited. Fish farming is people’s fastest-growing source of food and will probably remain so through 2025. The world needs people who can figure out new ways to repair the oceans and to find or grow renewable sources of food."

Quote from the book "DIY U - Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education"

 by Anya Kamenetz

 

Teen's Perspective on Education

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=412794365483540

2013 Tech Valley Summer Camp

Join high school students from around the region for a few intense days that just might change your life.

All tuition costs for students enrolled in Career Pathways Summer Camp is covered by scholarships. Meals and transportation are not included. Students must be entering grades 9-12 in September 2013, and be recommended by a school counselor or teacher in order to be considered for enrollment. Space is limited and preference will be given to students who will be entering 9th grade, reside within the 12 county region served by the consortium and did not participated in Career Pathways Camps in the past. 

My two kids did this camp last year and got a lot out of it. The businesses they visited last year were, Albany NanoTech, GE Global Research, Vicarious Visions (maker of Guitar Hero and Skylanders), RPI Lighting, and the Albany Airport.

More information will be forthcoming.

NYS Standarized Tests

I came across this article last night and thought I should share.

http://atthechalkface.com/2013/04/17/new-york-ela-day-2-disaster-fail-pearson-nysed/

The article has some pretty strong arguments for parents to contemplate opting their kids out from taking the standardized tests? 

Productivity

      Getting things done is not the same as making things happen.

      You can...
           ...reply to email,
           ...pay the bills,
           ...cross off to-do's,
           ...fulfill your obligations,
           ...repeat what you heard,
           ...go with the flow,
           ...anticipate roadblocks,
           ...aim for good enough.

     Or you can...
           ...organize a community,
           ...take a risk,
           ...set ambitious goals,
           ...give more than you take,
           ...change perceptions,
           ...forge a new path,
           ...create possibility,
           ...demand excellence.

    Don't worry too much about getting things done.

    Make things happen instead!


Quote by Gina Trapani who blogs about software and productivity at Smarterware. Her new book, The Complete Guide to Google Wave, is available to read online for free.

TEC-SMART Early College High School Program Information Session

INFORMATION NIGHT - MARCH 19, 2013 - SAVE THE DATE

http://www.bscsd.org/district.cfm?subpage=10323