| 24 Hours Until the Early Bird Deadline |
If you are still on the fence about attending this year's AERO conference I suggest that you don't miss this one. Momentum is growing in ways we didn't expect. The early bird rate is about to expire and registration will go to the regular rate tomorrow night at midnight Pacific time. As you know, every year the AERO conference content grows organically as we go along, just like our learner-centered philosophy. This year it is truer than ever, as we have some exciting late additions to our workshop presenters and we will very shortly announce a surprising new keynoter. We can still take a $50 deposit for registration or $100 for a group. This will hold your current early bird rate. People do not have to pay off their balance until the end of May. Also, check out the two package deals for registration and rooms that save you quite a bit. And you can still get 10% off registration if you are or become an AERO member.
|
| Carlo Ricci to Present at AERO Conference |
We're pleased to announce that Professor Carlo Ricci, Co-editor with Jerry Mintz of Turning Points and co-editor of Natural Born Learners with Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko Just agreed to present at the AERO conference. View Carlo's bio and workshop description below along with another featured presenter at this year's conference!
Carlo Ricci Carlo Ricci is a full Professor at the Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University, Graduate Studies. He founded and edits the Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning (JUAL). He has published a number of books and articles. Among the books he has written and edited are, The Willed Curriculum, Unschooling, and Self-Direction: What Do Love, Trust, Respect, Care, and Compassion Have To Do With Learning? (2012); The Legacy of John Holt: A Man Who Genuinely Understood, Trusted, and Respected Children (co-edited with Pat Farenga) (2013); Turning Points: 35 Educational Visionaries in Education Tell Their Own Stories (co-edited with Jerry Mintz) (2010); Natural Born Learners: Unschooling and Autonomy in Education (co-edited with Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko (2014). His research interests include Unschooling; Homeschooling; Holistic Education; Self-determined Learning; Free Schools; Democratic Schools; Online Learning; Technology and Learning; Play; Natural Learning; Curiosity; Willed Learning; and the Willed Curriculum.
Carlo will be presenting the a workshop that addresses the question "How do each of us learn best?" This will be an interactive session. In the spirit of holism, we will begin with ourselves and think about how each of us we learns best. I will briefly share how I see self-determination, personal learning, and the willed curriculum as a way to better understand learning. I will also share what I believe love, trust, respect, care, and compassion have to do with learning and we can then discuss how an understanding of this might help us all learn in a more mindful way. The hope is that we will co-create the session and all come away with a deeper understanding of what learning means to each of us. This presentation will begin with ourselves and focus on how we learn best in our own ways and argue that we should then be empowered and trusted to learn what, where, when, and how we will.Often people interested in self-determined learning say that there is no curriculum. That language makes many people uncomfortable. This work shop will reframe that language and give people a term I coined in my book The Willed Curriculum; namely, that there is a curriculum, it is a willed, self-determined, personal curriculum.
 Gina Riley & Peter Gray
Gina Riley, Ph.D. is an educational psychologist who teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Psychology, School Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education at Hunter College in Manhattan and Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Her master's thesis and doctoral dissertation both focused on measures of self-determination and intrinsic motivation in homeschoolers. Dr. Riley's current research interests include homeschooling and unschooling, intrinsic motivation in education, and the study of learning disabilities. She also holds several certificates in online education, distance learning, and educational technology.
Peter Gray, research professor of psychology at Boston College, has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, animal behavior, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. He is author of Psychology (Worth Publishers), a college textbook now in its 6th edition. Most of his recent research and writing has to do with the value of free, unsupervised play for children's healthy social, emotional, and intellectual development.
|
Important Conference Links
|
NEW Map of This Year's Attendees
Where are this year's attendees coming from so far?
Click the map below to find out. Let us know if you need to be added! Many dots stand for multiple people from the same location.
|
Do you have a news or resource item you think Education Revolution newsletter readers would find useful? Send it to [email protected].
|
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
|
|
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.
|
 |
|
|
|
News, Resources, & Calendar
