Reinventing Education

EP 11 : Alternative University Bucharest Romania

On this episode, we speak with Traian, Ana and Corina of the Alternative University in Bucharest Romania.

The Alternative University makes my University experience look like a joke.

We discuss how...
- a school can serve the role of a coach as well as an educator.
- a school or university can be flexible with its systems & communities to meet student needs.
- to think about a student's relationship with learning.
- to foster self-directed learning and self-directed living.
- developing a portfolio of real-life projects serves a person entering the workforce more than a diploma

Article from Medium about the Alternative University

https://medium.com/@reimaginaire/self-directed-learning-at-the-alternative-university-eacc94b823dd

 

Alternative University Website

http://universitateaalternativa.ro/

EP 10 : Armin Sieber from Integrale Tagesschule Switzerland

Today we talk to Armin Sieber, of the Integrale Tagesschule Winterthur in Switzerland.
We discuss:
-the school's application of Sociocracy
-the imagined barrier of school life vs. real life for students
-how structures within a school can be adapted to best meet the needs that students have
-how not trying to have all of the answers helps to find meaningful answers 

Armin has curated a variety of resources to share with listeners that can be found here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/l3ghpru4wpnpjsf/Reinventing%20Education%20materials.zip?dl=0

Integrale Tagesschule Website

http://www.itw-oberstufe.ch/

EP 9 : An Interview with Chris Balme from Millennium School

Chris Balme is the co-founder and head of the Millennium School in San Francisco. 

We discuss the school's unique approach to serve students in adolescence. 

Find out more about Millennium School at: 

https://www.millenniumschool.org/

Read through the insightful blog Chris has created at:

https://www.growingwiser.blog/

 

EP 8 : Start Here - How to Reinvent Education!

Ep8 is a summary of our first seven episodes. We define the 4 values impacting education in 2018: self-discipline, ambition, sensitivity & development.

Each value has very different ideas about what education should look like and this is why education is a mess. This episode is an easy entry point for new listeners & the weaving together of threads for those who have been with us before. 

 

EP 7 : Valuing Development & Integration - Education Reinvented

As a value in education, development attempts to leverage the strengths and weaknesses of the previous 3 values (self-discipline, ambition & sensitivity) to prepare students for life in the VUCA world. 

EP 6 : Valuing Sensitivity & Inclusion - Progressive Schools

The Sensitivity approach to education has had two main goals:

1) address how unfair school has been

2) deconstruct what we have considered a school education to be

It has helped to solve many problems but may end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

EP 5 : Valuing Ambition & Opportunity - Mainstream Schools

The value of ambition has shaped what we think school education must look like. 

School is now a filter.

Students are tested and their achievement dictates what next steps are available to them n school and in the job market.

If you have ambition you can climb the ladder.   

Referenced in the podcast: Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History: Carlos Doesn't Remember 

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-wvvk4-19adc21

EP 4 : Valuing Self-Discipline & Security - Traditional Schools

What does school look like when centered around the value of self-discipline?

How does it impact one's self-development integration into society?

We look at how compulsory education began in Prussia and spread worldwide. 

EP 3 :Why are the Values of a School Important?

Values. They influence what we do in Education. 

The 4 most influential right now are: self-discipline (or security), ambition (or opportunity), sensitivity (or inclusion), development (or integration).

Each of these informs what schools do to influence self-development, citizenship & occupational preparation. 

EP 2 : The Purpose of Education - What is school for?

We begin with a simple question. 

What is school for?

We ask it and then point out the 3 categories of answers.

Citizenship, Self-Development & Occupational Preparation.