Bird Droppings June 29, 2016 Learning and teaching are inevitable – if we try “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you.” Dr. Mortimer J. Adler Dr. Adler founded the Center for the Study of…

Bird Droppings June 28, 2016 Constructivism Montessori, Piaget, Vygotsky, Dewey and others With the bulk of education in the early 1900’s following closely the Industrial Revolution and mass production, a few great thinkers took the concept of the individual child in psychology and education in new directions as to its relationship to children. How children…

Bird Droppings June 27, 2016 Life is making a quilt It was nearly nine years ago today my wife walked in and told me that my mother said this was to be a happy time, a joyous occasion, as we celebrated my father’s life on Sunday. She said I think we are even having a…

Bird Droppings June 25, 2016 Why are we not seeking peace? “In this week of great destruction, we must each choose what road we are to walk and live. The road of destruction is war, it has always been so. The road of creation is deeper and more complicated; it has always involved forgiveness, love,…

Bird Droppings June 24, 2016 Teaching can be successful This morning I am waking up in a Bed and Breakfast nestled off the road in Rabun Gap Ga. My sunset last night was set against the mountains of north Georgia. So as I do on many mornings when I get the time I walk out…

Bird Droppings June 23, 2016 Why do we fail? Many times, I have wondered why people stop learning. I see it in high school students, in college and graduate students. Almost as if a switch is thrown and poof no more learning, I have reached my limit. I had a teacher approach me before school…

Bird Droppings June20, 2016 A spiritual side to teaching “Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it’s never living apart from one’s self. Not about absence of other people – it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others.” Parker Palmer Dr. Parker Palmer is an…

Bird Droppings June 18, 2016 The head of education in the US should not be an idiot It was six years ago I was reading an article actually an interview with Arne Duncan, the former Secretary of Education. I selected a few choice quotes from his interview to savor and ponder for a few days.…

Bird Droppings June 16, 2016 Trying to teach an unteachable child “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.” John F. Kennedy As…

Bird Droppings June 15, 2016 I am always thinking about where I am going It has been a hectic few days starting last Friday. I drove down to Savannah to present my portion of a new book coming out soon edited by Dr. Bill Reynolds. Rural Places: Cartography of the forgotten, is based on critical…