More choice, more freedom, right? If we’re talking options down the supermarket aisle, choices in peanut butter or spaghetti sauce, yes. I’m creamy for the former, chunky for the latter, and you? Malcolm Gladwell argues there is no perfect sauce, only perfect sauces because it’s a matter of taste, and people vary quite a lot. Choice opens up our world. … Read More
School Reimagined
Very little has changed about how traditional schools* work in the United States since they began almost 200 years ago. Sure, some new technologies and various teaching fads have come and gone, but the main feature common throughout has been that young people must attend and do as they are instructed. Almost all the important decisions about what they do, … Read More
Grades Undermine Motivation and Learning
I know it sounds radical, but I believe grades do more harm than good. This is not the first time this thought has crossed my mind but recently my kid, who attends our local public high school, had a writing assignment due. The assignment was met with annoyance and eye rolls. It was something to “just get done.” As someone … Read More
Maybe It’s the Environment
What should we do when a child doesn’t want to go to school…ever? The standard approach is to assume something is wrong with the child and to use a combination of incentives and disincentives to get them to go. It feels like there is no other choice–go even if it’s distressing and even at great cost to mental health, well-being, … Read More
Devil May Care
The Learning Cooperatives specialize in helping teens discover what intrinsically motivates them and what their natural talents are. The priority is building strengths rather than repairing weaknesses. However, we’re realistic and know that external motivation can be a practical and necessary part of life. Even in the pursuit of our passions, the reality is that we all are met with … Read More
People or Products?
True story: A NJ public library cleared off one of their walls and invited the local elementary school and a homeschool learning co-op to display student artwork for the community. On one side of the wall were the school students’ paintings, which were all slight variations of the exact same picture–obviously given as an assignment in art class. On the … Read More
Libraries, Not Schools
When people first hear about self-directed learning it sounds like a crazy idea–everything is optional; young people have the freedom to follow their interests and decide how to spend their time; no grades, credits, or diplomas, just learning for learning’s sake. It sounds crazy, but it’s not. Self-directed learning is actually quite ordinary, and we have many opportunities and institutions … Read More
It Depends
“It Depends.” I say this alot. I’m the staff member at Princeton Learning Cooperative who initially meets with interested families. They come with lots of questions about PLC and I almost always respond with some variation of, “it depends.” The reactions families have to hearing this over and over again range from mild amusement as they start to understand how … Read More
Underrated
In the world of education, somewhere between “lecture” and “group project” is an overlooked, misunderstood, crudely-practiced, and often-omitted wonderful little learning method called “modeling.” It’s as simple as it sounds. A “model” of the work desired (a piece of writing, a performance, a technique, etc.) is presented and the learner observes, contemplates, and seeks to imitate in some meaningful way. … Read More
Why Learn Anything?
I’ve been teaching English-ish classes for eighteen years…and that statement pretty much sums up the sort of English teacher I am: the type who gets a kick out of adding the suffix “ish” to a word that already ends in “ish,” not the type who corrects your grammar at dinner parties. That’s also probably why I had such a hard … Read More