| Conference Update - New Keynote Speaker |
The AERO conference is filling up, but is not full. If you have not registered yet, you can still register quickly and easily here. The student, child and dorm rates have not increased. But if you are low income, need special arrangements, or have a group, it is best that you write me directly at [email protected] or call the office at 516-621-2195.
Justo Mendez Aramburu, from AERO Member-School Nuestra Escuela, in Puerto Rico has confirmed that he will also do a keynote at the conference.
Who is Justo? I can't tell you the whole story, but a traumatic event caused Justo to start a school for children facing the most difficult circumstances in Puerto Rico--dropouts, gang members, pregnant girls, etc. What he and his wife created is nothing short of revolutionary. For example, when I visited I saw that the staff hugged and kissed all the children as they come to school. When they first arrive they take them on a two-week introspective trip to the woods. The results were so spectacular that the government simply gave them four other schools to run. They also started a school for the children of their girls. Justo organized the 2012 International Democratic Education Conference in Puerto Rico which 800 people attended, including many teachers and superintendents. He will come to the AERO conference to tell his story! Here's a recent TEDx Talk that Justo gave to give you a taste:
Logistics
We've made a special arrangement with Stuart Taxi company of Westbury for a $6 taxi rate to the conference from the train (regular rate is $25).
The food service at Hillwood Cafeteria will help people with special dietary needs. They will have sushi available along with the usual meals.
You should not miss this year's AERO!
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| Free Ebook (through today only) |
 Humans are natural learners. This collection of essays challenges much of mainstream beliefs about how people learn, encouraging the reader to consider deeply the need for learners to be trusted and listened to. Many of the authors in the book begin from a learner-centered, democratic perspective. Divided into three sections, the first part of the book deals with what constitutes a learner-centered approach to education. The second section addresses how some have implemented this approach. In the last section, learners who have lived learner-centred learning share narratives about their experiences.
Get the free ebook for the next six hours only here or buy the print edition on our website here.
Featuring contributions from:
John Taylor Gatto, Pat Farenga, Satish Kumar, Roland Meighan, Susannah Sheffer, Aaron Falbel, Joseph Chilton Pearce, Gordon Neufeld, Naomi Aldort, Wendy Priesnitz, John Vitale, Jerry Mintz, David Albert, Mary Leue, Grace Llewellyn, Matt Hern, Sandra Dodd, Katharine Houk, Monica Wells Kisura, Brent Cameron, Christine Brabant, Seema Ahluwalia, Carl Boneshirt, Dale Stephens, Kate Cayley, Kate Fridkis, Eli Gerzon, Candra Kennedy, Jessica Claire Barker, Peter Kowalke, Idzie Desmarais, Sean Ritchey, Brenna McBroom, and Andrew Gilpin.
Reviews:
"For those who want to restore natural learning-whether for themselves, their children, or all of society-this book is a great resource. We can all learn here from contributors who have helped to explain how natural learning works, from those who have helped to make such learning more possible in today's world, and from those lucky individuals who grew up learning naturally."
-Peter Gray, Research Professor of Psychology at Boston College and Author of Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self- Reliant, and Better Students for Life.
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A Survey of Grown Unschoolers: Overview of the Findings
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Peter Gray
In a study that preceded the one to be described here, my colleague Gina Riley and I surveyed parents in unschooling families-that is, in families where the children did not go to school and were not homeschooled in any curriculum-based way, but instead were allowed to take charge of their own education. The call for participants for that study was posted, in September, 2011, on my blog (here) and on various other websites, and a total of 232 families who met our criteria for participation responded and filled out the questionnaire. Most respondents were mothers, only 9 were fathers. In that study we asked questions about their reasons for unschooling, the pathways by which they came to unschooling, and the major benefits and challenges of unschooling in their experience.
I posted the results of that study as a series of three articles in this blog...
Read the entire post here.
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| Seeking Purpose in a World in Transition: A 10-Week Residential Internship at Indralaya |
View this and all our latest job ads here.
Job seekers and schools with job openings can post ads for free if they are or become AERO members, just email [email protected] or reply to this newsletter with your ad.
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Do you have a news or resource item you think Education Revolution newsletter readers would find useful? Send it to [email protected].
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Thank you for your ongoing support. With your help, we will make learner-centered alternatives available to everyone!
Sincerely,
Jerry Mintz
Executive Director
Alternative Education Resource Organization
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 The Ten Signs You Need to Find a Different Kind of Education for Your Child | |
Many parents don't realize that the education world has changed drastically since they were in school. Schools and class sizes used to be smaller, dropout rates lower, in-school violence almost unheard of, and teachers weren't terrified of showing affection to their students, or of discussing moral values. Of course, even then, school was far from perfect, but at least the teachers-and usually the principal-knew every student by name, something that is increasingly rare today.
Because our public school system has deteriorated considerably, many parents, teachers, and individuals have taken it upon themselves to create public and private alternatives to that system; and it is important for parents to know that they now have choices.
So how do you know that it's time to look for another educational approach for your child? Here are some of the signs:
1. Does your child say he or she hates school?
If so, something is probably wrong with the school. Children are natural learners, and when they're young, you can hardly stop them from learning. If your child says they hate school, listen to them.
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