Book: Life Learning. Lessons from the Educational Frontier.

While education and learning continues to struggle to meet personal, family and societal need its so refreshing to read some solid common sense. The world has and is being run by the so called educated. They continue to create conflict and enslave populations. Their greed and bankrupt values bring economies and lives to their knees and the planet to near destruction. If you want an antidote to this nightmare we can’t recommend this book too highly. You will note from the contributors they includes our very own Dr Roland Meighan!

Life Learning: Lessons from the Educational Frontier edited by Wendy Priesnitz http://www.lifemedia.ca/altpress/LL.htm

This passionate collection of essays from the leading edge of educational theory and practice demonstrates how families around the world are embracing the philosophy of life learning.

Academics, parents and young people describe why non-compulsory, non-coercive, active, respectful, interest-led, family- and community-based learning from life is growing in popularity and will displace prescribed curriculum, standardized testing and the other regurgitation-based relics of our outmoded school system. This innovative way of learning through living not only fosters intellectual development and academic achievement, it allows children and young people to develop an understanding of themselves and their place in modern society so they can create a better world.

Life Learning is the story of how children can personalize and control their own learning . . . and what adults can do (and stop doing) to help them.

These essays from the last six years of Life Learning magazine provide a great introduction to this progressive style of education, written by those who have experienced it first hand. Includes learning to read and do math without being taught, the importance of unstructured play, learning when you’re ready, what’s wrong with curriculum, trusting children to do their best naturally, a grandparent’s reaction to unstructured homeschooling, learning in the real world, parents as role models, self-reliance in life and learning, and much more

The Essays and the Authors:

Introduction: Learning in the Real World by Wendy Priesnitz

The Educator’s Dilemma and the Two Big Lies by Daniel Grego

Self Reliance in Life and in Learning by Gea D’Marea Bassett

What is Education? by Sarabeth Matilsky

Taking Risks & Breaking Rules by Wendy Priesnitz

What We Should Know by Nathanael Schildbach

Restructuring Education by Roland Meighan

The Flow of Self-Directed Learning by Amy Spang

Play is Self-Directed Learning by Marty Layne

Doing Their Best, Naturally by Rachel Gathercole

What You See May Not Be What You Get by Jan Fortune-Wood

Whose Goal is it, Anyway? by Pam Laricchia

Principles, Not Rules by Robyn L. Coburn

Did Einstein’s Mommy Worry? by M. Jeanne Yardley

Reading When You’re Ready by Ruthe Friedner Matilsky

Zen and the Art of Unschooling Math by Rachel Gathercole

Always Learning by Carlo Ricci

Culture & Community by Eva Swidler

Children and Power by Lael Whitehead

Re-choosing Life Learning by J. Ann Lloyd and Erica Gotow

Learning Love of the Natural World by Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko

Letting Go by Renata Rooney

Birthing Our Selves, Our Children and Our World by Amy Childs

The Hardest Thing is the Unknown by Karen Ridd

Learning is Children’s Work by Wendy Priesnitz

Learning and Prospering in the Real World by Gaye Chicoine

The House That Heather Built by Deb Baker

Teachable Moments by Suzanne Malakoff

The Case Against Teaching by Naomi Aldort

Becoming Self-Directed Teachers by Natalie Zur Nedden

The Labyrinth of Life Learning by Dayna Martin

ISBN 978-0-920118-17-7, 192 pages

http://www.lifemedia.ca/altpress/LL.htm