Let’s Talk Education

What’s your preferred kind of schooling: Public, Private, Religious, Charter, Open, Montessori, Waldorf, Home or Unschooling? Hosts Paul Reffell, Raven Gray and Bernie Stephan want to hear your opinions and experiences with different methods and programs this coming Thursday, October 8th, from 11 am to noon.

Is Teacher-centered or Learner-centered the better paradigm for educating our children? Is knowledge best transmitted, discipline-by-discipline, from teacher to students, or do students gain more knowledge, by applying the disciplines, with teacher or parent facilitation, in researching subjects and solving problems, to which they are drawn?

Should we radically rethink public education? We keep focusing on standardized assessment, evaluation and discriminatory funding structures. Alternatively could we focus on cultivating the environment wherein students are given access to tools and opportunities to become full-functioning, invigorated and contributing members of a democratic society?

Is education for getting a good job by studying science and literature or is it about learning to successfully navigate the world with self-confidence and purpose? Homeschooling and Unschooling are about letting go of what others think your child “should” be doing, and instead doing what works and brings joy to the child and her caregivers.