Books, Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

The Learners’ Manifesto from Frank Smith

A six-point manifesto from psycholinguist Frank Smith – another of those items found in the basement. I must have prepared it as a hand-out for some long-forgotten purpose or another. I was happy to be reunited.  Frank Smith – who died last year – was one of those essential giants in the land of learning, literacy, and reading.  I loved…

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Education, Food, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Groceries Get Delivered, Learning Does Not

Knowing that as far as our Federal Government is concerned I am – along with pretty much everyone else –  expendable, I am committed to avoiding contracting COVID-19. So that means not going shopping. And it means arranging for deliveries. Almost a full time occupation in itself. And that means someone else taking the risks on my behalf because they…

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Books, Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Timeless Learning

I like the title of this book about how to do school right: Timeless Learning. The launch date is August 7th but from what is available – and from the published work of the authors on which it’s based – you just know it’s going to be good. Very good.  The focus is on modern learning, innovative practices, change leadership…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Learning by Teaching

Students who teach others learn best The Protégé Effect For thousands of years, people have known that the best way to understand a concept is to explain it to someone else. “While we teach, we learn,” said the Roman philosopher Seneca. Now scientists are bringing this ancient wisdom up to date, documenting exactly why teaching is such a fruitful way…

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Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

Learning in a World of Plasma

 A parent sent me a link to this clip from Ulrike Reinhard‘s blog and specifically her story “Intrinsic motivation will play a major role…” Thank you for introducing me to the ideas and work of Chief of Confusion: Richard Seely Brown. Brown is a visiting scholar at USC and the independent co-chairman of the Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation.…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Turning Learning Right Side Up

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth learning can be taught. — Oscar Wilde Turning Learning Right Side Up: Putting Education Back on Track – is the title of a book Russell L. Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg Read this extract The Objective of Education Is Learning, Not…

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RattleBag and Rhubarb

Learning is messy

There’s an interesting story over at Learning is messy It’s about the truth behind one of those email send arounds that are so easy to forward without thinking. Sometimes they are about dying children or bogus health alerts or product malfunctions. Snopes.com is dedicated to checking urban legends, internet rumors and the validity of such stories but helping students develop…

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Education, RattleBag and Rhubarb

What’s the matter with kids today?*

Why can’t they be like we were? Perfect in every way? What’s the matter with kids today?* BYE BYE BIRDIE (The Musical) (Music by Charles Strouse / Lyrics by Lee Adams) Technology Literacy and the MySpace Generation That’s the title of an article by Susan Mclester in Technology and Education (March 15, 2007) It includes the following: Listening to the…

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