Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Slow Food, Slow School: John Cleese and the Promise of the Tortoise Brain

There’s a slow food movement so why not a slow mind movement? Some years ago Guy Claxton wrote Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind: How Intelligence Increases When You Think Less. It made a compelling argument that the mind works best when we trust the unconscious – our “undermind” tortoise mind. The hare brain is the deliberative, logical, conscious thinking we all…

Continue Reading

RattleBag and Rhubarb

Keep Calm and Carry On

In a time of crisis and turmoil it is sometimes valuable to turn to the past for reassurance. So: – worse things happen at sea – we’re in it together – nobody died – we all have to do our bit – if it’s got your number on it – keep smiling through – and – that great bromide and…

Continue Reading

RattleBag and Rhubarb

An Amazing New Periodic Table

Take a look at this fantastic tool. How many of these skills do you have at your mousetip? Since 1996 I’ve worked in schools where laptops are ubiquitous for older students. Back in that day we had lots of conversations about visual literacy. I think we may have had in mind an illustration here, a graph there and lots of…

Continue Reading

RattleBag and Rhubarb

PDS for Peace

It was International Day of Peace last Sunday and today the middle school assembled on the soccer pitch and formed a human peace symbol The idea for this event came from a 5th grader who wanted to send a symbolic message about the school’s support for International Peace Day. After assembling as a peace symbol, students and their teachers enjoyed…

Continue Reading

Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

What Counts?

From the colorful and personalized counting books of the pre-k to the calculations of trigonometry via an intriguing problem on the SmartBoard in the 5th grade classroom. (There’s more than one answer.)

Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Kind Words

When you write a blog for the world to see you can never be sure who reads it nor what they think. Keeping site statistics is one thing. Stats tell me how often, and how long and where from but not whether it mattered. Comments are always appreciated and thank-you to everyone who has taken the time to write. This…

Continue Reading

Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Sanctuary

There’s an animal sanctuary in Saugerties and today students from the high school were there giving a helping hand. There was a barn to be painted, muck to be raked and animals to care for. Here is a collage of pictures from today’s service learning trip. Thanks Tanya for making the connection, organizing the trip and for the photos. And…

Continue Reading

Education, Politics, RattleBag and Rhubarb

An Education President for the 21st Century

The next president needs to be multi-dimensional, addressing issues that extend far beyond the classroom, but which are critically connected to a strong education framework. It’s election season and the new issue of Independent School magazine is out. Here is NAIS president Pat Bassett’s on The Politics of Learning – an open letter to the next president. …to equip children…

Continue Reading

RattleBag and Rhubarb

We Are Under Construction But There’s Still Plenty of Room for Recess

With the main playground currently out of bounds due to construction those swings are still, the tire swing empty, the playhouse deserted and the slide unslid. But all is not lost. There is still recess – a time to go outside, be with friends, meet new people, run around, hula-hoop, play ball, climb mountains, learn to fly, invent new games,…

Continue Reading

Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Failing at Fairness (again)

A decade or so ago the focus was all on girls and how schools were failing to give them the attention and support they need to compete in school and to get a fair shake in the classroom. In recent years the focus has turned to boys and, if the media are to be believed, there is a crisis of…

Continue Reading

Education, Politics, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Donald “Trump” Duck, Goldilocks and the Three Bear Markets

More humor. This time from Fast Company magazine where Tom Stern wonders whether the over achievement of some adults has resulted in achievement obsession for their kids? From kindergarten to the boardroom considers whether we’re preparing our kids to take over the world far too early in their lives. It’s funny stuff but also provokes serious thinking. What do you…

Continue Reading

Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Greetings, Parents

Did you see this Op-Art piece by Bruce Handy in yesterday’s NYTimes? Hilarious. It’s a spoof of back-to-school registration forms. This one to be sent in to Elm Street school together with your fully inoculated, adequately medicated, lice-free son/daughter. Of course, nothing like this could ever happen at PDS. And I took great personal offense to item 3.a. What’s wrong…

Continue Reading

Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Perturbation, Paradox and the Welcome Back Picnic: The Virtue of Necessary Change

Balance is a wonderful thing. We want it in our lives and in our school curriculum. But sometimes we need just a little disequilibrium to move forward. Take for example the PDS picnic – traditionally held on the first Friday and close to the Gilkeson playground. With that area fenced off for construction we had to come up with another…

Continue Reading