Posted on July 13, 2009 by zoeweil
Note: Zoe’s on vacation this week, so this is a repost that was originally posted 6/30/08.
Artist and changemaker Chris Jordan asks several questions in his fascinating presentation at the TED conference. Through his powerful photographs of human behavior and mass consumption, Jordan attempts to make our unconscious societal choices conscious so that we can change [...]
Filed under: changemakers, consumerism, humane education, systemic change | Tagged: artists, change, changemakers, consumerism, consumption, humane education, photography, positive choices, systemic change | Leave a Comment »
Posted on July 8, 2009 by zoeweil
Since I’ve been writing a lot about what education is for (such as here and here), here’s another perspective, published in May in Educational Leadership.
Author Charles Haynes argues that education’s highest aim should be to “create moral and civic habits of the heart,” and his essay is compelling. Here are some excerpts:
“At a time when [...]
Filed under: education, humane education, integrity, responsibility, systemic change | Tagged: character education, citizenship, civics, educational reform, Holocaust, humane education, integrity, responsibility, systemic change, values | Leave a Comment »
Posted on July 6, 2009 by zoeweil
In an interview in this month’s issue of Ode Magazine, Lester Brown, founder of the WorldWatch Institute refers to Oystein Dahle, a former vice-president of Exxon in Norway, to whom he attributes this quote:
“Socialism collapsed because it did not allow the market to tell the economic truth and capitalism may collapse because it does not [...]
Filed under: economy, education, food and diet, humane education, systemic change | Tagged: capitalism, changemakers, citizen activism, economics, education, environmental protection, food and diet, honesty, socialism, systemic change, truth | Leave a Comment »
Posted on July 3, 2009 by zoeweil
Recently, I’ve been writing essays and speaking about this question: What is education for?. I’ve just read an essay, published almost two years ago, by British educator Susan Bassnett. It seems Britain, like the U.S., faces the same current challenges in schooling, and at least some are questioning the direction and approach of reform.
Bassnett writes:
“Education [...]
Filed under: education, humane education, systemic change | Tagged: Britain, education, educational policy, educational reform, educators, humane education, systemic change, teachers | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 1, 2009 by zoeweil
I write and speak often about how humane education can infuse all core subjects in school. Most of the time I talk about social studies, math and science. In this article about efforts at a Costa Rican university to bring humane issues into the foreign language program (in this case, English), we see a wonderful [...]
Filed under: education, humane education | Tagged: Coasta Rica, curriculum, foreign language programs, higher education, humane education, schooling | Leave a Comment »
Posted on June 26, 2009 by zoeweil
After running up our local mountain, my husband suggested we stop at our co-op to get some cereal. Since I didn’t know when we’d be back in town, I decided to stock up on other things as well, including two bottles of wine. The cashier was eighteen and legally can’t ring up wine so she [...]
Filed under: critical thinking, education, humane education | Tagged: common sense, critical thinking, education, educational policy, judgment, learning, MOGO choices, schooling, systemic change | Leave a Comment »
Posted on June 12, 2009 by zoeweil
Actor Adam Baldwin recently wrote a scathing criticism of education for global citizenship and sustainability.
It’s worth analyzing Baldwin’s arguments because recently the concepts that humane education covers and its general approach have come under fire, even if the authors of the critiques are not specifically using the term humane education. Baldwin calls the preparation [...]
Filed under: critical thinking, education, humane education, systemic change | Tagged: Adam Baldwin, critical thinking, educational policy, environmental education, global citizenship, humane education, multicultural education, politics, social justice, Sustainability, systemic change | Leave a Comment »
Posted on June 10, 2009 by zoeweil
Paul Hawken has given one of the most brilliant speeches I’ve ever read, a commencement address to the graduating class of the University of Portland. You can read it here.
Every once in awhile, a speech is so true and right that there is nothing to do but spread the word about it. I’ve been writing [...]
Filed under: changemakers, humane education, systemic change, third side thinking, youth activism | Tagged: better world, change the world, changemakers, citizen activism, commencement, education, humane education, Paul Hawken, speeches, youth activism | Leave a Comment »
Posted on June 8, 2009 by zoeweil
I had the privilege of mentoring a young friend of mine, Claire Russell, on her 8th grade project. At Claire’s school, all 8th graders complete a project of their choice and present it to the entire school community at the end of the school year. Most of the kids learn a new skill or make [...]
Filed under: animal protection, humane education, youth activism | Tagged: humane education, animal protection, youth activism, pet overpopulation, companion animals, pets, school projects | Leave a Comment »
Posted on May 27, 2009 by zoeweil
The New York Times recently had an article about the growing use of the video The Story of Stuff in schools, and the controversy that sometimes surrounds it. The short, animated film provides an introduction to the impact of our stuff on the environment, and it’s a great way to introduce the effects of consumer [...]
Filed under: Cultural Issues, consumerism, critical thinking, economy, education, humane education, systemic change, videos | Tagged: consumerism, consumption, critical thinking, curriculum, educational policy, films, humane education, name-calling, schools, Story of Stuff, systemic change, videos | Leave a Comment »
The Power and Promise of Humane Education
Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times
Claude and Medea: The Hellburn Dogs
So, You Love Animals: An Action-Packed, Fun-Filled Book to Help Kids Help Animals
