| Watch and listen to the entire AERO conference! DVDs and CDs now available. |
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Chris Mercogliano Workshop
To help guide you in selecting keynotes and workshops to order, these are unedited excerpts from the first evaluations to arrive in our office. - AERO is the only conference I never miss!
- This was a first AERO conference for my wife and me, and it went well beyond our expectations. Thank you Jerry for bringing together such wonderful people. We have left well fueled for growth.
- To read dozens of more reactions to the keynotes and workshops, click here (scroll to the bottom).
Please reserve either a whole set of 27 workshop CDs at $79 (about $3 each), $40 for 10, or $5 each for the ones you select here. The complete workshop descriptions can be read on our website here. The keynotes include the talks by:- Lenore Skenazy
- Zo� Neill Readhead / Summerhill
- Justo M�ndez Ar�mburu
- Jerry Mintz
- Ramchandra Das
- Ron Miller
- Lily Mercogliano/Brooklyn Free School
Click here to read bios of the keynoters.
 Brooklyn Free School Keynote
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Bruce Zeines
There are moments in life, where a series of events converge, to put one in a position that questions the core of our very existence. This may be one of those moments for me. It is one of those times I have to ask, why I am where I am, without the wish for a ready explanation. It is this kind of questioning, which needs to go deep, that there is a flash of great wisdom-one in which a vision on how everything is connected. If I were a better mathematician, I would be able to write an algorithm that would explain not only all of nature, the stars and the galaxies, but how those realities are connected to my struggles with money, the illnesses of loved ones, the seemingly chance encounters with new strangers and the opportunity to express myself in front of different groups of people.
It was with a sense of abandon that I agreed to spend a day at the Alternative Education Resource Organization Conference (AERO) which has been going on for the last few days at Long Island University's CW Post campus. I will justify my first paragraph in a bit, but I wanted to give a brief recap of the day and why my sense of universal connectedness is especially strong this morning. Read the entire review here.
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| Stephen Gaskin, Hippie Who Founded an Enduring Commune, Dies at 79 |
Steven Gaskin, founder of the Farm in Tennessee, has died. I knew him, his wife Ina May, and his children from when I lived on the Farm when I was directing the NCACS, before I started AERO.
Gaskin was a one-of-a-kind, a revolutionary leader, read his NY Times obituary online here.
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An Interview with Dena Simmons
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 The latest interview in this ongoing series about the relationship between community and education features educator Dena Simmons. Read an excerpt from the interview below and the entire interview here.
"For me, an ideal education empowers all involved-the student, the teacher, the parents/guardians, the administrator, and the community. It is democratic, engaging, fun, liberating, culturally responsive, and allows all to feel safe, loved, and a part of a community. It is not confined to the walls of a classroom or school, and it allows individuals to learn by doing." -Dena Simmons
Watch Dena's two TEDx talks below too!
 | | What to do if your student comes at you with scissors?: Dena Simmons at TEDxYouth@BFS |
 | | It's 10pm. Do you know where your children are? Dena Simmons at TEDxTeachersCollege |
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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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