Educación Sudbury

FREE PLAY

I am another alum who is part of a growing movement to bring play back into the lives of children (“Einstein May Never Have Used Flashcards, but He Probably Built Forts,” spring 2007). In response to questions posed by both Howard Gardner and Don Oliver at HGSE, I founded Fairhaven School in Upper Marlboro, Md., in 1998, modeled after Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Mass. As a school with no compulsory curriculum, free play is our bread and butter. Many of them in bare feet, our students explore Fairhaven’s 12 acres every day, often for hours at a time. And yes, they become thoughtful, responsible adults. They just get to spend their days probing our stream, building fairy houses, and chasing five-lined skinks! Thanks for shedding light on the very serious topic of play.

Mark McCaig , Ed.M.’90

Tracy’s Landing, Md.

Published online at Ed.magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education

HOW HAVE THE KIDS WHO WENT TO SCHOOL HERE TURNED OUT AS ADULTS?

A Fortieth Anniversary Celebration

Starring . . .
Chris Cederlund, ‘69 – ‘79
Jeannine Moore, ‘86 – ‘91
Mark Christianson, ‘68 – ‘72
Greg Richard, ‘71 – ‘77
Nicole Beckwith, ‘96 – ‘99

Wait till you hear about their lives! It will blow you away.

Saturday Night, April 5, 2008, 7:30 . . . until we figure out how to end the evening!

–
From the SVS Website
http://www.sudval.org

EINSTEIN MAY NEVER HAVE USED FLASHCARDS, BUT HE PROBABLY BUILT FORTS

Why one alum is part of a growing movement to bring play back into the lives of children
by Lory Hough

In some ways, this headline is almost funny, the idea of a young Einstein, wild hair flying, throwing his mother’s quilt over a couple of chairs and crawling underneath.

But to Elizabeth Goodenough, M.A.T.’71, a headline like this is not a joke. We’re a busy-by-design society that’s become so concerned with turning kids into baby Einsteins that something critical to childhood, something that Goodenough holds sacred, is fast becoming extinct: free play.

She says that all you have to do is drive around American cities and towns to see for yourself; there are very few kids outside.

This is why Goodenough raised money to start a project called Where Do the Children Play? which includes a PBS documentary that will air in the fall, as well as a companion book and website. In addition, with a coalition of national children’s organizations, she hopes to start a national dialogue about the issue. The project, which grew out of her earlier book called Secret Spaces of Childhood, is aimed at raising public awareness about the critical importance of play. Beyond the obvious — play helps kids stay in shape — it also promotes creativity and teaches skills such as negotiating and how to be around others.

“Play takes many forms. It may be best defined from within as a spontaneous human expression that relies on imagination and a sense of freedom,” Goodenough says. “Players invent alternative contexts for conversation, visualization, movement, and interaction with real objects. They discover release and engagement, stimulation, and peace. Although play can arise anywhere, even in a cement cell, children are naturally beckoned by the living world to enjoy perception and the sensations of being alive.”

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WORKSHOP FOR SUDBURY SCHOOLS AND STARTUP GROUPS

On The 40th Anniversary Of Sudbury Education
Sudbury Valley School is Having a Workshop for Sudbury Schools and Startup Groups

Over the last 5 (count ‘em!) Workshops, we have become friends and closer colleagues with the people from other groups and other places who are doing the same work. It has given us immense strength to share our travails and our glories with exactly the people who know what we are talking about. This year seems like the perfect year to have a Workshop; who better to share our 40th anniversary with?
The 2008 Workshop is going to be held at Sudbury Valley School’s campus, from July 12th (Saturday) when we will start with registration, drinks (of a variety suitable at 9AM) and a little something, at 9:00AM; until the end of the evening on July 15th, after a glorious dinner and hopefully not too many tears, but lots of invitations to come and visit each other.

WHO IS INVITED: If you are a staff member of a similar school, or you are working to found a similar school, this invitation is for you. We hope you will be able to join us, and you are very welcome to bring your spouse, significant other, and children.

Our first Workshop, in 1994, was for the handful of schools operating then. It seems almost quaint to look back on a time when we few pioneers (most of whom will be here, we hope, in 2008) were preparing the meals, and washing the dishes, and taking out the trash together. By 1996 those things became harder as the number of attendees climbed over 100, so we got some “outside” help with cooking – Mark Bell made elegant dinners for us. But by then we had pre-empted Mark’s time by adding him to our staff, and had to find other ways to get food on the table, for close to 150 by 1999! The group grew, and we found ways to maximize our time to talk and think, by adding very professional help. By 2005, there were well over 200 people in attendance.
All along, we have been enriched by people from other countries and other continents joining us. All the participants, including the organizers of course, have wrestled with exhaustion after day upon day of talking, talking, talking, refining ideas and practices. We have all even asked ourselves, “Is it worth it?” The answer is a resounding “YES”.

LOGISTICS: The fee structure for the 2008 Workshop is as follows: $300 for staff/founders; $150 for every other member of that person’s family who is three years old or over.
We will help arrange housing for people who would like us to. Such housing will probably be in the homes of families associated with the school, but none of them live within walking distance of SVS. Housing that the school arranges will be only that: a roof, a place to sleep, and a shower, and will not include any meals. If you want us to help with arranging your housing, you must be resigned to a commute, like most of the families who come to school here.
All transportation is the responsibility of the visitors. The host families with whom housing is arranged will not be providing any transportation, nor will the school.
All meals, from the starting snack on Saturday morning, through dinner and dessert on Tuesday evening, will be served at Sudbury Valley. There will also be limited childcare available here: we cannot be responsible for children under 3, but we will have a few Sudbury Valley teens on hand to help keep things smooth among the children who are visiting. The campus will be open to them, as will most of the facilities within the main building.

CONTENT: The Workshop program will evolve over the next many months. Let us know any topics you would like to see discussed, discussions you would like to lead, or presentations you would like to make. Everyone’s wishes will be considered as we design the program.

DEADLINES: First of all, we would like you to let us know whether or not you are probably coming; that you can do by email anytime.
Then, in the beginning of 2008, we will post a registration form on our web page. It can be emailed back or printed and mailed, and there will be directions on it for paying by credit card or with a check. (Don’t look for it til we tell you; it isn’t there yet.) If you would like us to arrange housing, you must fill out the form and return it with the entire fee for your family/self by May 15, 2008. If you just want to come and enjoy the Workshop with us, and will take care of your own lodging, the deadline for returning the form and the fee is June 15, 2008.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us – email is easiest (office@sudval.org).

We hope we will see you next summer, and meanwhile have a great year – a lot of us have big anniversaries for our schools this (and last) year!

Mimsy Sadofsky and Dan Greenberg
Public Relations Clerks
–
From the SVS office
http://www.sudval.org

SCARY SCHOOL NIGHTMARE

El video publicado por PinkyShow.org nos muestra a la gatita Pinky que intenta conciliar el sueño pero la mantiene despierta los visuales de bizarros edificios escolares junto a las palabras de Ivan Illich sobre la institucionalización de la vida moderna, tema presentado en su libro La Sociedad Desescolarizada (1971).

La Sociedad Desescolarizada de Ivan Illich, libro disponible en formato digital gratuito – www.ivanillich.org

Conoce a PinkyShow.org visitando www.pinkyshow.org

Video disponible en YouTube.com – http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZUoYAj7Nosg

VIRUS DE LA INSTITUCIONALIZACIÓN

Al inicio hicimos notar el surgimiento de la educación institucionalizada; de ahí a nuestra actual situación encontramos no solo a la escuela sino a la mayoría de los organismos de la sociedad con el virus de la institucionalización. Toda actividad humana está amenazada por una ley que rige el deber ser de cada uno de nosotros; nacimos para desempeñar una función que nos han de asignar a través del proceso de la escolarización. La planificación (la definición) se ha vuelto la esquizofrenia de la sociedad. La justificación más grande que ha usado la escuela para adoctrinar al niño desde temprana edad aparece con el pensamiento burgués (Locke). El niño es considerado un ser irresponsable, incapaz de la conciencia y por ende de la madurez que posteriormente le dará su libertad. El sometimiento (desplazando el aprendizaje extraescolar donde se da el conocimiento de mayor contenido) se presenta como necesario y forzoso.

Los niños se convierten en ineptos desde el principio, dependientes de las instituciones. La transferencia de responsabilidad desde sí mismo hacia una institución garantizará el estancamiento social.

Si no existiese una institución de aprendizaje obligatorio y para una edad determinada, la “niñez” dejaría de fabricarse. En el presente, la democracia cayó sobre los desposeídos, y con la ley de que todos deben tener acceso a los cuarteles escolares de gobierno, se les ha aplicado el sello de ignorantes igual que a la niñez privilegiada, ahora todos están iguales.

~Ivan Ilich. La Sociedad Desescolarizada.

Ivan Illich, pensador austríaco polifacético y polémico. (1926-2002).

Fue el autor de una serie de críticas a las instituciones de la cultura moderna.
Su libro más aclamado fue La Sociedad Desescolarizada (1971), una crítica a la educación tal y como se lleva a cabo en las economías “modernas”. Lleno de detalles sobre los planes de estudios actuales, el libro puede parecer desfasado, pero sus afirmaciones y propuestas básicas siguen siendo tan radicales hoy como lo fueron en su momento. A través de ejemplos reales sobre la naturaleza ineficaz de la educación institucionalizada, Illich se mostraba favorable al autoaprendizaje, apoyado en en relaciones sociales intencionadas, en disposiciones fluidas e informales.

Referencias: www.wikipedia.org, www.ivanillich.org

¿POR QUÉ CREAR UNA ESCUELA DIFERENTE?
Autor: Mari Luce Fernández

La escuela tiene que evolucionar y preparar seres con las cualidades necesarias para triunfar ante una nueva realidad. La nueva realidad, la realidad de la Era de la Información, requiere seres creativos más que autómatas, con su creatividad e imaginación crearán modelos que serán bien remunerados; serán dueños de información que paga. Requiere además seres con la capacidad de adaptarse rápidamente a los cambios, dado por su capacidad a resolver problemas, más que seres pesados por la cantidad de conocimiento estático inyectado en sus mentes… (más)