JosieHolford 
Fantasy Castle in the Sky This show had it all. A cast of thousands. A three-ring circus with gorillas, clowns, trapeze artists, acrobats, strongmen, sword swallowers, a lion, a lion tamer and miniature ponies. A trip to the zoo, with a tiger, ducks, monkeys, penguins, elephants, rabbits, deer and snakes. And lots of food. But … Read more
Read Peter Gow’s Education Week article The New Progressivism is Here. Commenting on the 2008 NAIS annual conference held in New York City last winter Gow identifies independent schools as being at the forefront of contemporary thinking about education. The elements he identifies in particular include: Assessment against high standards Professional development Real-world connections Multiculturalism … Read more
The pH rises and the bubbles stream out; pop, From the misty stream. The water running and the fish swimming wildly from the broken dam A single river peacefully and calmly Over the rock’s rage Bubbling test tubes Images of science class A beautiful sight! Elements make up Things around the universe They are what … Read more
Some came from New York City and much further – including Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Denmark. Other came from closer to school but all were welcome at the annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day. We gathered in the dining room for breakfast and after brief remarks of welcome our visitors went to classes and … Read more
The Complex Workings of the Human Brain Medical and cognitive sciences, new technologies, and pedagogic research are helping us appreciate how the brain works. The human brain is the most complex living organism on Earth. Coveney and Highfield (1995) call it the “Cathedral of Complexity.” Although it weighs only about three pounds, it contains billions … Read more
We don’t own the words of course, but it was fun to come across these words from the PDS mission statement: Poughkeepsie Day School graduates students who: Possess a rich academic knowledge base and know how to think as creative, flexible, independent, resourceful learners for life Are intellectually curious, active seekers, users and creators of … Read more
It was rainy at recess so the first and second graders in Bill and Rachels’s class visited me instead. Here they are winding up the toys in the office. They returned to class with two cars from my collection so they could be put to test on the block corner raceway. And then today Ariana … Read more
With all the Jim Collins talk of the ‘hedgehog concept”* I thought an image of an actual hedgehog was in order. This particular young hedgehog was minding it’s own business , by a hedge, in the garden of The Three Swallows, in the Glaven Valley, Norfolk, UK. (*See his website for the genesis of the … Read more
It was standing room only at Radio City for Sir Ken Robinson’s keynote speech at the NAIS annual conference last week. I’ve written before (here) about his TEDTalks address on Creativity and Education that went viral in 2006. His book Out of our Minds: Learning to be Creative is a great read. What a treat, … Read more
A day of ice pellets and time to catch up a little. And it’s been a busy season as usual. The annual Peacemaker’s assembly was a really terrific event. Planned by the high school students in Bernadette’s Civil Rights elective it was an inclusive, moving, joyful multi-media event. All grades participated. Here are a few … Read more
“Social Networking: does it bring positive change to education?” This is one of the questions posed by The Economist magazine. Here is a link if you have a view, or if you want to understand more about the issues, or participate in the debate. Their first debate focused on technology and education, the second on … Read more
It happened before the winter break but it would be negligent not to post on the topic of the enthralling Romeo and Juliet on stage in the JEJ Theater in December. And enthralling it was. The excellent cast – who all seemed to be having a wonderful time – had been studying, preparing and rehearsing … Read more
Out with the old, in with the new. Well – not quite so fast. While change and forward momentum are to be welcomed, not everything old needs replacing and not everything new is improved. Take – for example – this vintage wooden potato masher. It stomped its way through the mounds of spuds and root … Read more
“You don’t make a hog fatter by weighing it.” Everyone went to school and that makes everyone an expert on education. And of course, truth is, education must be everyone’s business. Our future depends on it. And apparently the hot education topic on the hustings is the future of the No Child Left Behind Act. … Read more
There’s a good article in the local paper on the inexact science of school weather closing. Our recent spell of sleet, snow, patchy fog, freezing drizzle, rain, freezing rain, rain mixed with sleet, wind, sunny intervals and ice pellets has been a challenge that we can only anticipate will continue. That phrase “wintry mix” brings … Read more