Weekly Medley: Learning From India

I love hearing the stories of teachers who start out with the usual model but realize how learning happens (naturally, every day, everywhere—not in a single building between bells!) and adjust their lives accordingly. Some teach at free schools, some unschool their own children and some turn into John Taylor Gatto types, working against the system from within it. I admire all of these stories, and encourage you to read this new one that I ran across this weekend.

There has been a huge ADHD drug campaign in effect for about two decades now, and it has convinced the parents and teachers of 15% of kids to drug them. I can’t make this crap up; in the same schools kids are being instructed to not do drugs by DARE programs (which don’t work), three kids in every group of 20 are being drugged anyway. This irony isn’t funny; it makes me want to cry. Although more doctors are speaking out against this “manufactured disease,” as they call it, the money behind the drugs is talking much more loudly, and doctors like Keith Conners are calling it a national disaster of dangerous proportions.

Looking forward to the agriculture industry meeting Big Data head to head? Yeah, me neither.

In 2014, how about trying to shake the dust?

If your kids are suffering from post-holiday withdrawal (Wood Sprite sure is!), try exploring various winter holidays from different cultures.

Don’t forget that the Girl Scouts will begin cookie sales next weekend! If you’re in our area and you want to buy cookies next weekend, let us know; Wood Sprite has her eye on a Build-a-Bear party!

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia