A different kind of education

A friend shared this talk with me a few days after I decided to make a major shift in our home-school curriculum, to focus on the kids' social/emotional/spiritual/physical preparedness instead of the academics.  I just felt like there was a window and for this period, academic learning just wasn't important.  Anyway, watching this talk was like a confirmation about the importance of an education that has nothing to do with academics.  I really appreciated it.

http://www.upworthy.com/the-earth-shatteringly-amazing-speech-that-ll-change-the-way-you-think-about-adulthood-4?g=2&c=o98

TED talks on Education

I love TED talks, and I listened to this one, by Sugata Mitra this morning.  I thought it was definitely worth sharing.  Springing from that talk, this challenge/contest is also going on, that I think might be fun to do (individually.)  Here are some other great talks on education.

Enjoy, and I look forward to meeting you all on Tuesday!

Julia Bernards

Here is another one . . .

Why French Kids Don't Have ADHD

French children don't need medications to control their behavior.

Published on March 8, 2012 by Marilyn Wedge, Ph.D. in Suffer the Children

In the United States, at least 9% of school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and are taking pharmaceutical medications. In France, the percentage of kids diagnosed and medicated for ADHD is less than .5%. How come the epidemic of ADHD—which has become firmly established in the United States—has almost completely passed over children in France?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/suffer-the-children/201203/why-french-kids-dont-have-adhd

Another tidbit to add to the discussion this month . . .

Psychiatrist Leon Eisenberg, the “scientific father of ADHD,” stated seven months before his death (in his final interview) that “ADHD is a prime example of a fictitious disease."

Here is the article:

http://www.currentconcerns.ch/index.php?id=1608

"The task of psychologists, educators and doctors is not to put children on the 'chemical lead' because the entire society cannot handle the products of its misguided theories of man and raising children, and instead hands over our children to the free pharmaceutical market. Let us return to the basic matter of personal psychology and education: The child is to acquire personal responsibility and emphatic behavior under expert guidance – and that takes the family and the school: In these fields, the child should be able to lead off mentally. This constitutes the core of the human person."

The Sixth Factor . . .

I'd like to add another "factor" to Leonard Sax's list: Helicopter Parenting.  This article, taken from a psychology publication, explains.

"A Nation of Wimps" By Hara Estroff Marano

Parents are going to ludicrous lengths to take the bumps out of life for their children. However, parental hyperconcern has the net effect of making kids more fragile; that may be why they're breaking down in record numbers.  [or failing to launch in general]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200411/nation-wimps