The Real Crisis in American Education

Posted on June 30, 2010 by zoeweil

Last fall I came across this quote in Harper’s magazine from Mark Slouk: “Why is every crisis in American education cast as an economic threat and never a civic one?” Great question. The lens through which we look at schooling will determine the kind of schooling we offer our children, and if our goal continues [...]

Filed under: creativity, critical thinking, education, humane education, systemic change | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Pretending in Education

Posted on June 28, 2010 by zoeweil

In the July issue of The Sun magazine, in the “Readers Write” section on pretending, Susannah Mackintosh writes this: “I’m an actor, but for 12 years I held day jobs as a teacher. I taught everyone from homeless preschoolers to union members to teen felony offenders to fifth-graders (by far the most challenging). At some [...]

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Do Kids Know Too Much Too Young?

Posted on June 25, 2010 by zoeweil

As a humane educator, I’m always walking a delicate balance between exposing youth to global problems that are often horrific and igniting their commitment to use their one precious life to make a difference. Recently, after teaching 6th and 7th graders for several mornings, I wondered if our society in general is creating a kind [...]

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Being Right…Or Not

Posted on June 23, 2010 by zoeweil

The other morning I took a walk along the rocky beach by our house. I sat on a rock for awhile watching what I thought was a seal sunning herself on a rock with a crow standing by her. But after a very long time with only the crow moving, and not the seal, I [...]

Filed under: goodness, integrity, MOGO (Most Good) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Education is Not Indoctrination

Posted on June 21, 2010 by zoeweil

There are some who argue that education is virtually always synonymous with indoctrination, and those who hold this position certainly have evidence to support it. The U.S. government removed native children from their homes, put them in boarding schools, forbade them from speaking their own languages, and indoctrinated them with very specific values and beliefs. [...]

Filed under: accurate information, creativity, critical thinking, Cultural Issues, education, propaganda, values | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Detroit Airport Friday vs. Sunday

Posted on June 18, 2010 by zoeweil

Last Friday night I was traveling to Minneapolis for the Their Lives, Our Voices conference. I had a tight connection in Detroit, and the forecast called for thunderstorms in both Detroit and Minneapolis. I was worried. But it was beautiful in Bangor, so I began to feel more confident about everything staying on schedule. Then [...]

Filed under: compassion, goodness, gratitude, Inner Peace, MOGO (Most Good) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Hens in a Cage = Travelers in a Hotel with Room Service?

Posted on June 16, 2010 by zoeweil

This past weekend I had the great privilege of speaking at the Their Lives, Our Voices conference in Minneapolis. I also had the even greater privilege of getting to hear some amazing talks. Paul Shapiro, senior director for factory farming issues at the Humane Society of the United States, gave a talk about rebutting animal [...]

Filed under: accurate information, animal protection, citizen activism, MOGO (Most Good), propaganda, speciesism, values | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Go Outside! For Yourself & the World

Posted on June 14, 2010 by zoeweil

Why do I ever forget to go outside? No, that’s not quite right. How is it that I ever feel too lazy, tired, busy, or stressed to go outside for an hour and take a walk through the woods, climb a small mountain, or stroll by the ocean? There will always be a million things [...]

Filed under: creativity, gratitude, habits, Inner Peace, nature, reverence | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Questioning Assumptions & Searching for Truth

Posted on June 11, 2010 by zoeweil

Over the years, I’ve been surprised by how many people I’ve met believe in various unsubstantiated things, and I’ve written about this subject before here. The following TED talks provide good examples of how and why I believe that we all ought to question our assumptions and search for truth. I welcome your thoughts and [...]

Filed under: accurate information, critical thinking, Cultural Issues, social psychology, videos | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Attending An Outdoor Concert

Posted on June 9, 2010 by zoeweil

The other night I was driving my sensei home from our Aikido practice, and I should have seen it as foreshadowing that a tree frog hopped across his road in front of us. I slammed on the brakes, got out, and moved the tree frog off the road. When I got home, the sound was [...]

Filed under: animal protection, Environmental Preservation, nature | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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