tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80370133892468100672011-12-29T21:35:54.731-08:00A blog on increasing the quality of education through the arts, immersion in nature, play, nutrition, and community, without textbooks, standardized testing or learning difference labels like ADD/ADHD. It is to education what the Slow Food movement is to your dinner!Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.comBlogger1221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-91505390527006211512011-05-23T11:59:00.000-07:002011-05-23T12:00:37.647-07:00

Denver Public Schools (DPS) is currently under contract with TruGreen Chemlawn for pesticide and herbicide application at every school in the district. The pesticides and herbicides are applied twice a year, supposedly when students are not present. However, last fall these chemicals were applied at Edison Elementary while a group of parents and students were congregated outside of the school

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-48962481901955964332011-03-24T13:08:00.000-07:002011-03-24T13:13:43.107-07:00

As my focus grows more on my own daily education and transformation, I have written less and less on the topic of primary education. But I love to write, so I created a new blog for a new topic and an exciting new time in my life. Join me on Mindful Matters, my new blog as I share my life's lessons and observations with the purpose of expanding the understanding and wisdom I glean in one area

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-16490549505387512342011-03-04T06:36:00.000-08:002011-03-04T06:37:21.237-08:00

Ronan's teachers yesterday told me that we should have him tested for giftedness as his vocabulary is outstanding and he has a heightened sense of sensitivity and empathy. I could barely keep it together hearing this, considering the struggles we have endured in getting him to the point of comfortable learning. Now that he is not struggling, they can more easily see where he does excel. Joy!

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-84436096250910566882010-10-20T11:19:00.000-07:002010-10-20T11:20:22.069-07:00

We spent the whole summer and part of this fall doing cognitive training at Learning Rx in order to help bolster some of Ronan's weaker areas as disovered by the Woodcock Johnson III test that they administered 12 weeks ago. To read about the Ronan's preliminary assessment click here and to read about the significant improments we saw at the halfway point of the Learning Rx program, click

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-45179404333394606912010-09-29T16:32:00.000-07:002010-09-29T16:34:40.382-07:00

On October 20th, 2010 Shining Mountain Waldorf School is thrilled to be hosting a lecture for the public, entitled "Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier and More Secure Kids", facilitated by Kim John Payne, M. Ed.. This workshop provided the inspiration for Kim's book by the same name, which has just been released in soft cover by Random House in

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-30462358170359085952010-09-01T09:00:00.000-07:002010-09-01T09:03:46.767-07:00

My son Jude is having a hard time GOING to Kindergarten. Once he is there he is fine but when faced with the prospect of going he starts crying. Yesterday morning we rode our bikes together and he wanted to keep stopping to stall and/or cry on the way (making us a little late). I told him about the prayers I say every morning on my walk during sunrise to make my day better, even when I am

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-146605071482287772010-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:002010-08-28T10:44:13.129-07:00

The test scores from the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) were recently published and one of the schools in my neighborhood had lower scores than expected by many in the community. It sparked a discussion among many groups about test scores, testing, teaching, leadership, expectations, etc.What bothered me about some of the conversations that I heard was how often the talk drifted to

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-60652246688726182112010-08-14T12:48:00.000-07:002010-08-14T13:33:29.472-07:00

A few weeks ago I was reading an article by E.D. Hirsch, who said that reading choices in school should not be "random" and that fiction is "frivolous". His point was that the teacher should choose books based on topics of study, rather than students choosing books of interest to them, thereby strengthening other Core Knowledge subjects while improving literacy. At first glance, taking every

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-65216223339193265442010-07-25T07:44:00.000-07:002010-07-25T07:51:52.873-07:00

Summer is flying by and we are just passing the halfway point of our Learning Rx Think Program. For the last six weeks we have done three hours of one-on-one cognitive training at Learning Rx and three hours of home training each week. The exercises are broken into categories like attention, memory, reasoning, and visualization that are designed to shore up cognitive weaknesses.There are about

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-22777121241729477932010-07-20T13:30:00.000-07:002010-07-20T13:36:39.479-07:00

This is Part 2 of an interview with Venturing Together author, Bill Rossi. You wrote about the specific benefits students receive when they participate in a substantial, in-depth arts program. I think the components of being substantial and in-depth components were key to providing these benefits - can you talk about the benefits and what you mean by the depth of the arts program?No matter how

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-19160099083309164182010-07-14T07:25:00.000-07:002010-07-14T10:12:36.954-07:00

In Venturing Together, Bill Rossi smartly convinces educators, human service providers, and parents, that students’ creative spirit is what drives learning and personal growth. His approach is student-focused and strength-based, guiding facilitating discovery of each student's intrinsic motivation. Although Venturing Together focuses on mentoring through the arts, the principles described easily

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-55104963445343516402010-07-07T07:49:00.000-07:002010-07-07T10:51:08.919-07:00

I was recently invited to attend the annual luncheon of the Public Education and Business Coalition (PE+BC). The keynote speaker was John Medina, who wrote the fascinating book “Brain Rules”. Dr. Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University. He is also a Professor at the University of Washington

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-40909905006851475772010-06-28T11:14:00.000-07:002010-06-28T11:20:15.632-07:00

A friend told me about LearningRx recently. She had just had both her sons tested and her excitement and relief on sharing their results were palpable. She was so glad to finally be able to pinpoint exactly what their cognitive strengths and weaknesses and how those specifically explained the problems the boys were having in school. She even said that based on one of her son’s Cognitive Skills

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-87697739636866652512010-06-06T06:13:00.000-07:002010-06-06T11:38:54.382-07:00

There is a movement afoot in education to get all school children lined up for college and their motto is "college starts in Kindergarten". I feel uncomfortable with this on so many levels. I realize that the those who tout this notion have wonderful intentions. Their goal is for students from low socio-economic backgrounds to have equal access to college. The thought is that by setting the

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-62289201496809491422010-05-28T06:44:00.000-07:002010-05-28T06:59:18.192-07:00

There is a new school opening in Denver that is sure to be a success. It is a Denver public charter school serving girls in 6th-12th grade with the expeditionary learning framework. I have had the pleasure of speaking with several of the schools leaders, including Liz Wolfson (founder and Head of School) and Nina Safane (Director of New Schools Development) and they were happy to share more

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-36147997175284378622010-05-20T16:45:00.000-07:002010-05-20T16:51:16.742-07:00

In construction there are some formulas used for planning purposes when an owner requests a project to be expedited. There are a couple of different ways to expedite a job. One is to work longer hours, employing a day shift and a night shift. Another is to add more employees to the job. Both of these are effective in a limited way. One formula shows that if you have an 8 hour day shift and

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-31673920238356737312010-05-19T06:40:00.001-07:002010-05-19T06:41:24.788-07:00

In the last year, hundreds of thousands of people have spoken up for America's children and asked for improvements to the National School Lunch Program. As a result, Congress has drafted a Child Nutrition Bill with the deepest investment and strongest standards in the program's sixty-year history.But now our progress is on the line: Senate leaders are thinking about postponing the bill's passage

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-54168292145890090382010-05-15T14:12:00.000-07:002010-05-15T17:08:45.203-07:00

A friend recently recommended I read "The Enneagram of Parenting" by Elizabeth Wagele because I was struggling with the fact that discipline strategies that I use on one kid do not work well with the other kid. The book helps you to identify your child as one of nine different types and gives a little insight their habits and behaviors. The point of the book is not to pigeon-hole your child into

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-42147567102862396332010-05-12T10:27:00.000-07:002010-05-12T10:32:45.899-07:00

The Denver Green School will be opening this fall to a tremendous amount of community support and enthusiasm. This is one school that truly deserves the excitement it is garnering as a new neighborhood school within Denver Public Schools.I talked to two of the Founding Partners and came away more excited about the school than before. Mimi Diaz has been a special educator for 15 years, an

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-18864141905771428522010-05-03T07:54:00.000-07:002010-05-04T06:58:56.939-07:00

Amy Anderson is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Donnell-Kay Foundation. Her career has shown a commitment to promoting and expanding high performing public schools around the nation from the very beginning. Her work at the foundation includes new school development, social science research, and education policy analysis. Amy and I shared breakfast and our passion for education

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-76635785631345676302010-04-26T13:19:00.000-07:002010-04-26T13:26:23.412-07:00

As the Public Education and Business Coalition’s annual business and education luncheon approaches with keynote speaker Dr. John Medina, author of “Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School”, I have been taking a closer look at PEBC and wanted to learn more. Their work is impressive and worthy of more attention. Rosann Ward, the President of PEBC was

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-88560319232316223932010-04-24T13:06:00.000-07:002010-04-24T14:21:09.602-07:00

When choosing a school for your child, it is important to understand your family values and look for a school that will be in alignment with those values. If your values are at odds with the school's, it will be difficult to fully support your child's education. Here are a few of my favorite types of schools and what those schools tend to value.Montessori schools might be for your family if

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-18925138313555981492010-04-17T06:46:00.000-07:002010-04-17T08:58:56.739-07:00

Last night we went out to dinner at an Asian restaurant not far from where we live. My kids had definite opinions about where to go and this wasn't the one they wanted to go to, because it was an unknown to them. Ronan wanted to have sushi and the startlingly sweet Asian soda with the marble in the bottle at our local sushi restaurant. I was also interested in sushi and I promised him there

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-85282935863852353402010-04-09T09:57:00.000-07:002010-05-15T13:50:19.634-07:00

We mothers pride ourselves in knowing our children. We make it a point to know who their best friends are, what their favorite subject is, and the things they like to do. We catalogue their strengths and weaknesses and likes and dislikes and put them in their permanent record. We are naturally interested in our children, so it's easy to remember facts like weight and height percentiles at each

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-43813436016275828322010-03-26T14:14:00.001-07:002010-03-26T14:14:48.924-07:00

When we are driving for more than 15 minutes, Jude, my four year old, will inevitably ask me, "are we here yet?" I always say, "yes, we are right here." After a few seconds more driving, I will say, "Oh, and now we are right....HERE." He gets the joke and then asks me if we are "there" yet instead. But we are never "there"- we are always here.When I was a kid, there were hardly any kids I

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-44869778827238176462010-03-19T08:31:00.000-07:002010-03-19T09:55:17.624-07:00

I was once asked in a job interview to name a few of my regrets in life. The interviewer was not at all content with my answer: I have no regrets. Everything I have done in my life, even if it was painful or unpleasant got me where I am today and taught me what I needed to know right then. We learn through our mistakes so they are valuable teachers. I still believe that today.Sure, Doug

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-42906703220671637252010-03-16T06:43:00.000-07:002010-03-16T06:44:54.721-07:00

Hi all, I am starting the next phase of my career and am looking for a job, preferably in the education sector since it is my passion. Ideas, introductions, and your positive thoughts are most welcome!Tracy

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-68998599142700844902010-03-15T13:28:00.000-07:002010-03-15T13:34:26.942-07:00

“The Nature and Purpose of Education" by Maurice Holt was originally published by the Center for Ecoliteracy. © Copyright 2004 Center for Ecoliteracy. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. In her celebrated The Classic Italian Cookbook, Marcella Hazan wrote: "What people do with food is an act that reveals how they construe the world."At the time — 30 years ago — it was a sentiment that

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-33969674837791173932010-03-11T10:05:00.001-08:002010-03-16T06:42:41.062-07:00

I have spent a lot of time on this blog talking about the challenges of public education, but in all of my research I have learned that there is no perfect educational setting. I also learned this week that there are plenty of things that are good about public education. Even in Ronan's fourth day back in public school it is clear to see that there are many good things about it, however

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-46916753496159605102010-03-08T11:18:00.000-08:002010-03-08T11:26:53.116-08:00

I recently toured St. Elizabeth's Episcopal School in Denver and asked many questions of Walter McCoy, the charismatic Head of School and the parent representative that graciously guided us around the school and told us all about it. Here is what I learned about the school.I understand that socio-economic integration is a chief goal of the school. Why is that so important and how do you ensure

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-91537834578751021542010-03-03T06:29:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:29:08.150-08:00

The last three months of homeschooling have been very difficult. I tried everything I could think of to make it work but continued to meet resistance all along the way. On Monday, when Ronan started the usual whining and opposition to doing any schoolwork, even work of his choosing, I suddenly and unexpectedly reached my limit. I told him that I saw no reason he could not start in a local

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-7206362824724229052010-02-28T12:15:00.000-08:002010-03-01T12:53:52.848-08:00

Antarctica- Wildlife Experience exhibit - Wonderous Cold - An Antarctica Journey- books and movies about the continent and its inhabitants- Field trip to the zoo - penguins, seals, and polar bears- Sir Edmund Shackleton's Adventures - Lost for 2 yearsIreland - St. Patrick's Day- St. Patrick's Day parade- Crafts- Cooking - corned beef and cabbage + shepherd's pie- "The Troubles" (Catholics and

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-24101786332697583312010-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:002010-02-24T08:06:14.556-08:00

After writing about my struggles with my son, who responds to many learning opportunities with doubt that he will be able to get it ("I Can't, It's Too Hard"), one of my readers recommended that I read the book "Mindset" by Dr. Carol Dweck. I am so glad I did! The book talks about the Fixed Mindset and the Growth Mindset and lays out what how both act and respond in business, athletics, music,

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-69206293462379763192010-02-21T07:23:00.000-08:002010-02-22T05:24:44.529-08:00

I am not much of a purist in many aspects of my life. However, this is not through a sloppy accident but rather intentional. This is true of the way I parent and educate my kids, and how diligently I walk the Buddhist path.I love many elements of Waldorf, Montessori, Open/Democratic, and Expeditionary Learning education modalities. I prefer to take the best of each one and incorporate them

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-15615798340012222812010-02-19T11:00:00.001-08:002010-02-19T11:42:21.430-08:00

I have long admired the student-centered approach to education, but in my own practice, I didn't do it all that much because I wasn't sure how. Sure, I was giving Ronan a choice about what we studied in social studies or science, and I allowed him to pick what he wanted to do and when. But this latitude did not result in the happiness or willingness I expected. So, each time I would examine

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-68343189600986739682010-02-13T07:09:00.000-08:002010-02-13T08:43:29.877-08:00

I had headaches nearly every day for about two months, starting in December. It wasn't a debilitating migraine, but more of an annoying, low-grade pain that got to worry me. Over the course of those two months, I went to an acupuncturist, a chiropractor, a chiropractor/kinesiologist, a dentist, an endodontist, a masseuse, a regular MD, a hypnotist, and even got a CT Scan to try to get to the

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-27446385402819289632010-02-06T08:47:00.000-08:002010-02-06T16:55:03.925-08:00

I went grocery shopping recently and paused for a moment at the checkout when I swiped my King Soopers card that entitles me to some discounts in exchange for sharing information about my buying habits. I wondered what my card might say about me to someone who doesn't know me. Clearly it can show that I prefer to buy organic and local, and I don't buy a lot of junk food. I am sure it helps

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-27805632235183644842010-01-31T07:19:00.000-08:002010-02-01T05:57:51.511-08:00

I have never felt completely comfortable with Black History Month because I think it is a little odd to devote only one (short) month to exploring the history and contributions of one group of people who are an integral part of our American culture. Does that mean, then, that we can ignore them the other eleven months and focus all on white people? I like a more integrated, year-round approach.

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-39886180488570445672010-01-25T18:07:00.000-08:002010-01-25T18:53:44.026-08:00

This weekend we went to Glenwood Springs for some special field trips. To cap off two months of earth science, studying rocks and minerals and natural disasters we took a tour of the Glenwood Caverns Fairy Caves. On the 70-minute guided tour of the 16,000+ feet caves, we got to see huge stalactites and stalagmites that grow about a hair's-width each year. We also learned about soda straws (the

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-33653741258528388942010-01-22T07:55:00.000-08:002010-01-22T07:58:42.148-08:00

Recently I had the pleasure of touring AXL Academy in Aurora, Colorado. The school, which follows an Expeditionary Learning model, is in the middle of its second year and is doing very well. There are already hundreds on applicants on the waiting list for a few prized spots. The Head of School, Dr. Audra Philippon answered my many questions and showed us around, and allowed us to observe each

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-74848496900199295462010-01-15T05:58:00.000-08:002010-01-15T10:50:02.989-08:00

We discovered the Love and Logic discipline program during our first child's toddlerhood and we have attempted to implement that with varying degrees of consistency and success ever since. I think my introduction to Love and Logic may have contained the seeds to my interest in Buddhism. There are plenty of similarities so it seems my leap into Buddhism was not so broad on further

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-40827998354774682102010-01-04T13:54:00.000-08:002010-01-04T14:57:58.814-08:00

I often use holidays and local exhibits as the basis for forming the monthly lesson plans. The Gengis Kahn exhibit at the Denver Museum of Science and Nature and Martin Luther King's birthday provide just the excuse I was looking for to share that history with my kids and build on it. Here is what is planned for January:• Character theme of the month: Perseverance- Reading stories of

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-56284858059403546102009-12-28T07:17:00.000-08:002009-12-28T08:30:55.628-08:00

I have been accused for years of being a Scrooge around the topic of Christmas, but I feel that I have merely been misunderstood all of these years. I have earned this reputation over the many years of requesting family members to not buy quite so many presents for our children. Long ago I requested that there be no gift exchange for adults, or at least remove us from that when others objected

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-91401435710873477982009-12-22T12:06:00.000-08:002009-12-22T12:07:46.798-08:00

This is a repost from a blog entry I wrote earlier in the year. Happy Holidays all!WorkWorld is 200-year old unchanging industrial company dedicated to producing standardized widgets and superior scores on high-stakes reviews, regardless of market demand. The company is proud to offer a rigorous, rigid environment that promotes well-rounded employees who are responsible for work in all

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-53883391632926850772009-12-17T09:36:00.000-08:002009-12-17T11:55:04.527-08:00

Marta left for the airport early this morning. We all truly enjoyed her two-week visit here. Not only did we learn a lot about Kenya and an African's perspective, we learned a lot about ourselves in the process. Marta was here with Critical Mass Leadership Education, who partners with the U.S. State Department Youth Leadership Program. There were 20 students here between the ages of 15-18

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-22715703584595030312009-12-13T05:53:00.000-08:002009-12-14T07:11:43.406-08:00

My husband bought Ronan a video game, despite my objections to the contrary. This is one of the hardest things about parenting - not being in complete agreement all the time on how to raise your offspring. I am sure that it is a phenomenon in our house. John felt this game not only would be fun, but educational too. It is called Spore and it is all about evolution. The player gets to choose

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-26847647296414448882009-12-10T16:32:00.000-08:002009-12-10T17:08:18.786-08:00

The last few weeks of homeschooling have been brutal and it has tested this die-hard optimist to my limits. One evening after a particularly tough day, I found myself crying alone, thinking "I can't do this. This is too hard. I don't want to do this any more." I actually laughed because I sounded just like Ronan! What irony. Maybe I could empathize with him more?I made some changes after

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-75345339359919216992009-12-06T12:17:00.001-08:002009-12-07T08:07:21.038-08:00

On Friday we welcomed the newest (temporary) member of our house - Marta Guyo. She is here accompanying five of her students who were chosen based on applications and interviews for a three-week leadership conference. Marta is a mother of five and a history and government teacher. Each of the students, and the others that were chosen from different areas are staying with different host

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-25156636059362931852009-12-02T12:09:00.000-08:002011-06-10T16:31:26.405-07:00

A friend recently loaned me the movie “The Power of Community – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil”.  It was a documentary telling of how the embargo nearly crippled Cuba, but also on how Cuba became stronger as a result of it.  Out of necessity, Cuba transformed nearly every facet of its society.  It changed the way communities were laid out and fed for power.  The bicycle and mass transportation

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-14119875255808235112009-11-29T18:04:00.000-08:002009-11-29T19:17:57.430-08:00

November was a great month! We are still working out the rest of our human body studies, including a tour of Rocky Vista University, a tour of a school for the blind, and the Denver Science and Nature Museum's Exhibition Health. For December we have so much to look forward to. Here is a sample of what we will learn about:• Character theme of the month: Generosity• Discussion on what generosity

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-34659904315396560342009-11-24T13:25:00.000-08:002009-11-24T15:12:44.118-08:00

I was at the grocery store this morning with my kids and Jude crawled into the bottom section of the cart, laying flat as if he were Superman. A man passed us and said to me, "he is about to get hurt". I smiled at him and said that I had just said the very same thing to Jude. He walked away, shaking his head at me in judgment. I assume the message was that I was too permissive or not

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-25928206121699710112009-11-18T10:06:00.000-08:002009-11-18T10:46:30.836-08:00

For a beautiful character-strengthening message inside a great story, try this book for the 4-8 year old crowd: "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" The premise of the book is that we all have an invisible bucket and when we do kind things for others (helping others, saying something nice, including people, giving a hug) we fill their buckets and we fill ours at the same time. When we are unkind

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-15501417078894353862009-11-16T06:19:00.000-08:002009-11-16T08:04:30.334-08:00

I decided that my son is my Buddhist teacher in many ways. It is often the case that the people who are the most challenging and difficult are those that teach us the most about ourselves and improve us in many ways. Because this is my (unpaid) job, he is essentially one of those difficult a co-workers - the only difference is that I love him deeply and his negativity is not merely annoying, it

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-91102182964082511192009-11-11T10:23:00.000-08:002009-11-11T10:59:48.027-08:00

Some days homeschooling, like any other job is really hard. For me, it's not ever that the work is difficult, but managing my emotions and handling my student's reactions is not always a pleasurable experience. Perhaps it is because I am an optimistic, can-do person that I find that the most trying aspect of teaching (and parenting - it's hard to separate that sometimes) is the self-defeating,

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-23504920519407445112009-11-07T16:13:00.001-08:002009-11-07T17:14:49.155-08:00

In a recent article I highlighted a few of the differences between two alternative education modalities: Waldorf and Montessori, focusing on classroom materials and fantasy versus reality. In this article I will explore the differences between the two in terms of the classroom structure and teaching.In Montessori, transitions are structured in three year cycles. Students typically stay with a

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-17522795414071494192009-11-04T16:32:00.000-08:002009-11-04T16:48:37.457-08:00

My guest blogger today is someone who is making positive changes by kindly questioning authority, educating people and getting involved. Kerry Dickinson writes a blog called East Bay Homework Blog eastbayhomework.blogspot.com and she was part of a task force that successfully rewrote an outdated homework policy in her school district. Last week Kerry wrote:Homework is a hot button topic. Anyone

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-70147763257498641212009-11-01T07:12:00.000-08:002009-11-01T07:30:38.278-08:00

You can easily tell that my favorite part of teaching is the preparation. I love planning out a month, figuring out what books, movies, experiments, cultural events, and other materials will allow us to richly delve into the topics for the month. This time I included book and movie titles in the lesson plan because it helped me to chart out what materials would be part of our specific area of

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-78458564265248599772009-10-28T15:26:00.000-07:002009-10-28T15:30:23.694-07:00

Late night television recently aired a tape of a child who calls 911 for help while doing his math homework. Here is an excerpt of it:Operator: 911 emergencies. Boy: Yeah I need some help. Operator: What’s the matter? Boy: With my math. .....Operator: What kind of math do you have that you need help with? Boy: I have take aways. 16 take away 8 is what? Operator: You tell me. How much do you

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-3488864248446869572009-10-28T13:44:00.000-07:002009-10-28T15:26:27.011-07:00

I am not a terribly political person, but when I did my research for this year's election of our local school board candidates I was impressed by one candidate in particular. She sounded like no one else, which both impressed and worried me. Jacqui Shumway is a teacher and parent who is running for Denver's District 4 Director because she believes that cutting art, music and physical fitness

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-81843319566993332502009-10-25T21:05:00.000-07:002009-10-25T22:04:26.550-07:00

I love children's books that not only entertain but teach in a clever, memorable way. In early childhood, story telling is one of the most effective ways to teach many things, like values, math, history, social studies among others. There are two books on my kids' bookshelf that fit this category and have become family favorites."On a knotty little hill, in a dreary little funk, Mrs. Biddlebox

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-3083990120919508742009-10-21T07:25:00.000-07:002009-10-21T10:24:42.583-07:00

A recent article I wrote on the subject of giftedness caused a rather heated discussion.  The end result of it (understanding and ideas) was very positive, but I wish to apologize all the same to many readers whom I might have offended.  While it did give a great springboard for discussion and learning, my attempt at humor at the beginning of the article obfuscated the message and I felt

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-46945172158554889562009-10-18T15:40:00.000-07:002009-10-19T06:18:37.855-07:00

Many parents are familiar with the Waldorf and Montessori education models but not always clear on the differences between them. My children have been in both types of schools, so we had the pleasure of learning about both models in theory and in practice. I appreciate and respect many things about both modalities and I do understand that there can be a great deal of variation in many Waldorf

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-69323961871714740582009-10-14T21:14:00.000-07:002009-10-14T23:06:28.876-07:00

That great quote by Michael Carr brings to mind a story. One of my children got his first tooth quite early, compared to his peers. We knew he was dentally gifted. We made sure he tested into the top dentists, we surrounded him with other dentally precocious children, and we gave him a special diet that would encourage his gift to grow further and faster. I also got a bumper sticker for my

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-27127733299878697592009-10-11T10:12:00.000-07:002009-10-11T14:19:16.126-07:00

Ronan got his first bike with training wheels on his third birthday, though he didn't want anything to do with it for a few months. Eventually he rode around on it until he had a minor biking accident that hurt and scared him and he stopped riding it again for awhile. Over the course of almost four more years we tried a few times to take the training wheels off so that he could ride a big boy

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-84535670788291049762009-10-07T18:35:00.000-07:002009-10-11T08:24:52.975-07:00

One of the greatest gifts and the hardest thing to adjust to homeschooling is the pace of life. People in my office used to hear me coming by the sound of my hasty footsteps approaching them. I used to drive over the speed limit even if I was going to be early. I love to get things done and I have often stacked a lot on my plate just to savor the goofy happiness of crossing it off my to-do

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-89430174451129255252009-10-05T12:12:00.000-07:002009-10-05T13:05:34.233-07:00

It is not unusual to encounter those that doubt the whole idea of homeschooling. Many think that all homeschoolers will be churning out a generation of socially graceless, academically primitive, brainwashed young adults who are destined for a life of wierdness, failure, and poverty. Sometimes these prejudices are even in one's family. There are some in our larger family who have voiced their

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-81029060960341582592009-09-30T16:28:00.000-07:002009-10-01T07:43:54.595-07:00

When I got started this week in earnest with my kids, I did a lot of reviewing. Although I believe in the Waldorf philosophy of teaching kids to read in a much more gradual, art-based way than a conventional school does, I noticed that my first reaction was to cram and drill on letters and numbers! Instead of my goal of making this gradual, meaningful, and enjoyable, I panicked and thought, "he

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-71080459605891240772009-09-30T15:14:00.000-07:002009-09-30T16:28:42.975-07:00

Larry Scripp, Ed.D is a musician, educator, research, program developer, and administrator. He is the Chair of the Music Education department (and its Music-In-Education program) at New England Conservatory. As Founding Director of Center for Music-In-Education, he designs and implements Music Plus Music Integration programs in public schools through a coalition of schools of music and education

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-16671771780494927752009-09-28T15:42:00.000-07:002009-09-28T16:19:08.123-07:00

Today was the first day we did the home-bound version of homeschooling. It was a very busy day, though I didn't help matters any by choosing the activities the way I did. In addition to the school work, I also did laundry, made two dinners (one to share for a friend who just had a baby), general tidying, and painting a wall in the living room. OK, so I am driven! I am hoping that days with

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-4152175849909127182009-09-24T07:27:00.000-07:002009-09-24T08:30:07.113-07:00

I am HOME! We arrived last night around 6:00 to a spotlessly shiny house and a homemade dinner that included champaign and flowers on the table. After one month, many adventures and more than 4000 miles of driving, we were thrilled to see John and sleep in our own beds. The next few days will be devoted to getting things back in order, which I relish. It is the physical work that matches my

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-45074317940866382252009-09-21T14:29:00.000-07:002009-09-21T14:35:05.167-07:00

Despite wanting to be home already, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit at the cottage in Caseville with my old college roommate. There is nothing like sand, sun, and water to renew you! We loved the food and conversation as well.We have already started our descent on Denver. The first leg began yesterday when we arrived in Chicago for one more visit with our cousins. We went to a fantastic

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-57396211360034436012009-09-16T19:10:00.000-07:002009-09-16T19:41:52.871-07:00

“The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship.” - Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), aviator, author We have seen and done a lot over the last three and a half weeks and I can tell you just how much we are appreciating home, love and understanding companionship

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-55873133885588300002009-09-13T05:26:00.000-07:002009-09-13T07:25:45.382-07:00

Revolution Foods is making its mark in school cafeterias across the country. School lunches have had a well-earned, legendary reputation for barely being edible and barely resembling actual food. Revolution Foods is changing the way our schools do hot lunches, by making them tasty, nutritious, and easy.How did Revolution Foods begin? Revolution Foods began with a founding team who believed that

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-64108002841590053952009-09-10T06:04:00.000-07:002009-09-10T06:18:59.180-07:00

I am in Michigan for a few weeks with my children and recently stood at the curb with others from my home town to watch the Labor Day parade, which, incidentally turned out to be more lucrative than Halloween for my children, leading Ronan to declare that he would never again resist going to a parade. Afterwards I ran into a few old classmates and stopped to chat. I noticed a pattern to the

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-44447206391708504792009-09-06T05:49:00.000-07:002010-06-10T06:32:06.138-07:00

The Dalai Lama was once asked in front of a live audience what was the cheapest, fastest, easiest way to enlightenment. His reaction was to put his face in his hands and weep. After a few moments, he said that this was not a question a practitioner (of meditation) would ask, and that if he knew what enlightenment was, there would be no hesitation to do what it takes to attain it.In this same

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-40632861452500810992009-09-02T17:42:00.000-07:002009-09-02T18:18:42.370-07:00

“There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life — happiness, freedom, and peace of mind — are always attained by giving them to someone else.” —Peyton C. March (1864-1955); General, US Army How true this is! It is interesting the way life works out sometimes. My job as a salesperson was drying up and getting less and less satisfying, making me wish I

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-30730688622232471862009-08-30T14:05:00.000-07:002009-08-30T15:48:51.174-07:00

We did it - 1423 miles and 6 days of travel! It honestly went by incredibly fast because we have done and seen so much.At Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby, Illinois we hiked around, reading about the Native American history. We discovered one of the many canyons, caves, and waterfalls there and were in awe. My kids groused a little about hiking but when they got to the waterfall they didn't

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-60264064848845134772009-08-26T19:00:00.000-07:002009-08-27T08:51:44.476-07:00

The road trip is off to a great start! The kids have been marvelous with all of the driving, without a single fight or issue so far. About 200 miles into the trip I saw a sign for Lake McConaughy. Although it was unplanned, we decided to stop there and were so glad we did! We had the beach nearly to ourselves. There is no joy quite like kids jumping in waves, building sand castles, and

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-31707821344855198692009-08-23T10:26:00.001-07:002009-08-24T06:59:06.581-07:00

I am taking my kids on a 2400 mile road trip. I have planned to drive from Denver to Michigan with many stops along the way. On the way there we will camp, hike, maybe ride some horses, go to the zoo, visit museums, go to a skate park or two, climb some sand dunes, play at the beach, and work on a farm. We plan on taking a week to get there, a few weeks in Michigan, and then several days to

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-20192629546945799352009-08-19T07:04:00.000-07:002009-08-19T07:08:09.530-07:00

Nationally recognized for her solo choreography and performances by age 18, Mary Lynn Lewark's passion for dance, creativity and education fueled her desire to build a dance school. Since founding Between the Bones in 1996, she has produced and directed 11 original productions. Today, Mary Lynn continues to generate new and innovative dance experiences for her students and faculty. Her life

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-19347161222135021702009-08-19T06:41:00.000-07:002009-08-19T07:10:34.605-07:00

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine needs your help to revolutionize school lunches across America! All students have a right to have healthful plant-based options in their schools. But unfortunately, most schools don’t offer these healthful options. Now is the time for action. Congress is revising the Child Nutrition Act, which determines what foods are served in school lunches.

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-16693550979879054722009-08-16T07:01:00.000-07:002009-08-16T07:08:04.148-07:00

How does the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education assist people and communities? The Alliance for Public Waldorf Education is a member organization, supporting established schools, developing schools and initiatives in the planning and start up phase. The Alliance provides resources and free consultation from experienced administrators to its member schools. In addition, the Alliance provides

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-17130623732483004752009-08-12T06:49:00.000-07:002009-08-12T07:59:41.603-07:00

Daniel Bigler, previously a guest blogger here has graciously returned to explain Reggio Emilia. Daniel is a former Reggio Emilia-inspired teacher and eloquently explains more on this education modality or philosophy.What is the Reggio Emilia philosophy?It might be best to understand the philosophy within the context of its birthplace: Reggio Emilia, Italy. Reggio Emilia is a small region in

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-78601012942853352702009-08-10T06:51:00.000-07:002009-08-10T07:04:03.294-07:00

Lisa Bennett is the communications director for the Center for Ecoliteracy. She is also a former fellow at Harvard University's Center on Press, Politics, and Public Policy in the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and is currently writing a book about parents and global warming. What is the mission of the Center for Ecoliteracy?Our mission is education for sustainable living. We provide

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-30064153536324296832009-08-04T17:35:00.000-07:002009-08-04T18:28:36.752-07:00

Sam Chaltain is the National Director of the Forum for Education and Democracy, a DC-based education “action tank” devoted to restoring the public purpose of public education. He is also the founding director of the Five Freedoms Project, a national program that helps K-12 principals create more equitable, high-functioning learning environments. Previously, Sam spent five years at the First

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-20008499881629148072009-08-01T09:51:00.000-07:002009-08-01T10:08:24.378-07:00

Amy Rasmussen is the Executive Director of Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (CAPE) and is responsible for financial management, marketing, and organizational planning. Amy joined CAPE in October 2000 CAPE after working with The Chicago Chamber Musicians for six years. Amy holds an M. A. in Arts Entertainment and Media Management from Columbia College and a B. A. in Music from DePaul

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-15313616984973051732009-07-29T13:33:00.000-07:002009-07-29T13:36:01.529-07:00

Chef Ann Cooper calls herself the renegade lunch lady. She works to transform school cafeterias into culinary classrooms for students and change school districts’ policies on food spending in favor of foods that are fresh, regional, organic, seasonal and sustainable. Ann has revamped and reformed public school cafeterias in New York, California and now Boulder, Colorado, where I caught up with

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-74016080035502856502009-07-27T07:31:00.000-07:002009-07-27T07:48:05.958-07:00

Daniel Bigler is my guest blogger today. Daniel's blog can be found at http://www.danielsaurus.com/I don't think ever before in our history as America have we rested so much or asked for so much from a single system. It's as if education, if only we could unravel its mysteries and at last get it right, will solve all of the problems of the future, problems whose prospects so horrify us today. We

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-77578653175925520962009-07-22T18:00:00.000-07:002009-07-22T18:37:55.913-07:00

Nichole Holtvluwer has a way with children. Her gift has benefitted many families at the Montessori Academy of Colorado where she is a Directress. I asked Nichole to share her thoughts on the theory and practice of the Montessori model of education.How did you come to be a Montessori Educator? What led you down that path?I discovered Montessori in the winter of 2001 when I was 20 years old and

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-12423813802198056272009-07-20T06:54:00.000-07:002009-07-20T07:39:26.758-07:00

In the signature block of Scott Bain's email is a quote by John Dewey: "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." This quote is very much congruent with the methods and mission of Jefferson County Open School, where Scott is the Assistant Principal. Located in Lakewood, Colorado, the school is based on the Open or Democratic model, yet is a public school. Scott has

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-43212422486488951942009-07-16T06:18:00.000-07:002009-07-17T06:27:43.908-07:00

Dawn Taylor Owens began her tenure as Executive Director of College In Colorado for the Colorado Department of Higher Education in February of 2006. In this role, she leads a statewide initiative, including outreach, marketing and advertising, partnership cultivation and Website services, to help Colorado students pursue higher education opportunities. Taylor Owens is regularly asked to speak on

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-42539621575434602932009-07-13T06:20:00.000-07:002009-07-13T06:31:01.088-07:00

Maggie Jackson is the Boston Globe “Balancing Acts” Columnist and the author, most recently of and “Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age” (Prometheus, 2008). Distracted explores our constantly hurried, multi-tasking world and its impact on our ability to pay attention, focus, cultivate human contact, and reflect. I asked Maggie to share more about her work on this

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-91578000619987529242009-07-09T09:53:00.000-07:002009-07-09T10:26:18.728-07:00

Tracey Buchanan received her Waldorf Teaching Certification through Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, CA, where she was chosen by her class as Graduate Representative. She has been a Class Teacher since 2005, and has assisted in Waldorf classrooms and early childhood programs since 2003. Before her involvement in Waldorf Education, Tracey spent over ten years in individual and formal study of

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-52282887961210865222009-07-06T09:53:00.000-07:002009-07-06T09:55:04.251-07:00

Laura Barr is the driving force behind e.Merging, formerly Denver School Solutions. She helps parents find the best school fit for their children by identifying the values and goals of the parents, and the learning styles and interests of the child. Anyone who has considered the myriad school options for their family knows that this is a huge challenge. I recently shared coffee and questions

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-85423447932097056252009-07-01T17:36:00.000-07:002009-07-01T17:39:47.056-07:00

WorkWorld is 200-year old unchanging industrial company dedicated to producing standardized widgets and superior scores on high-stakes reviews, regardless of market demand. The company is proud to offer a rigorous, rigid environment that promotes well-rounded employees who are responsible for work in all departments, which are structured as unconnected silos. Due to heavy turnover, WorkWorld is

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-32806578871245441862009-06-25T05:51:00.000-07:002009-06-25T05:55:36.772-07:00

Cindy Baumert is the Executive Director of Dyslexia Solutions, Inc., a not-for-profit 501c3 corporation that supplies RAD Prism glasses to people who struggle with dyslexia. I talked to Cindy after she read an article on my blog about vision therapy.Dyslexia is often misunderstood and most people assume that it refers to transposing some letters in a word. According to the National Center for

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-65160427821840963822009-06-22T07:38:00.000-07:002009-06-22T07:44:48.331-07:00

Jenifer Fox is the author of “Your Child’s Strengths: Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them”, a book that radically proposes a change from our current focus on improving weaknesses as a means for academic achievement to a strengths-based paradigm. She passionately makes the case that not only will children feel more empowered, confident, and self-aware with this paradigm, it helps them to

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-87267557320566812582009-06-19T08:29:00.000-07:002009-06-19T08:31:55.277-07:00

When my son was in first grade at a public school he had a difficult time conforming to the reading pace they prescribed. Their way of helping him was to give him more of the same work to catch him up, keeping him in for recess and providing even more homework to do during free time. They did not have the knowledge or the resources to help him and it proved to be a very damaging year to his

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-17034253115985883092009-06-15T17:49:00.000-07:002009-06-15T17:55:31.520-07:00

I had heard about a film called “Race to Nowhere” that was in the works and I was lucky to catch a few moments of Vicki Abeles’ time to ask her about the film. Vicki founded Reel Link Films in 2007 and “Race to Nowhere”, their first film will premier this year. The documentary is a look into the stressful, activity-packed lives of students who are feeling the pressure to achieve. What is the

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8037013389246810067.post-26419086713950833862009-06-11T07:22:00.000-07:002009-06-11T07:30:28.947-07:00

Kristie Burns is an earthschooling mother of three children, ages 10, 12 and 14. Kristie works from home as a healer, artist and teacher. She ran a Waldorf Enrichment school from 2000-2004 and now provides curriculum, lesson plans and tips for other parents wanting to start their own co-ops, enrich their child's education, or embark on the earthschooling journey. A recent report by the U.S.

Tracy Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13955928532137913330noreply@blogger.com2