The Path To Learning Podcast

What are parents and teachers going to do about school this year? Many are talking about starting pods or micro schools. After decades in the Pittsburgh public schools, from the classroom to upper administration, Mara Linaberger of https://microschoolbuilders.com has experience to share.

Mara is the author of two books:

The Micro School Builder's Handbook: https://amzn.to/2Die1Xj

My Kid Hates School: https://amzn.to/312IT6j

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What can we do to empower those working in early childhood to ensure all children get a quality education?

Our guest today is Rhian Evans Allvin, CEO of NAEYC https://naeyc.org, the largest organization of early childhood professionals in the US. She has a new initiative to do just that.

Power to the Profession was established as a national collaboration to define the early childhood education profession (birth through age 8) across states and settings, and establish a framework for career pathways knowledge and competencies, qualifications, standards, accountability, and compensation.

Rhian Evans Allvin has been guiding the strategic direction of NAEYC and overseeing daily operations since 2013. Before joining NAEYC, Allvin was a guiding force in Arizona's early childhood movement for more than 15 years, including serving as CEO of Arizona's "First Things First."

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Powerful learning happens through creative hands-on activities. How can schools better promote learning beyond eyes and ears? Doug Stowe, an expert in both Sloyd and Froebel methods, shows us how.

Doug, master woodworker, developed the Wisdom of the Hands program at Clear Spring School, a small independent school in Eureka Springs, AR. He's written over a dozen books on woodworking, including a Guide to Woodworking with Kids, and advocates for environmental stewardship. Check out his Wisdom of the Hands blog.

Visit us at: http://www.pathtolearning.us

Support us at: http://patreon.com/pathtolearning/

In the first of several "behind the scenes" episodes, John, Jay and Scott discuss the history and motivation behind the Garden of Children documentary series and Path to Learning podcast. With all the talk about Froebel (and Scott's involvement in making/selling Froebel Gifts) this session addresses questions about the end goal for the projects.

Paul Andersen, an educational consultant and YouTube creator based in Bozeman, MT, reflects on the differences in good and bad teaching. He explains how parents and educators can move away from dumping information onto children, and instead foster wonder and inquiry so children lead their own learning.

Paul's classroom experience, numerous video lessons, and worldwide consulting make him a popular resource for teaching science. The disruption from the global pandemic make his experience and commentary on the state of education now even more valuable. He's on the front lines with a unique perspective on what's working now and what pitfalls to avoid.

Paul taught classroom science for over 20 years, and through his website https://thewonderofscience.com/ and on-site consulting, he now provides training for students, teachers, and administrators on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), educational technology, effective classroom design, and more.

Voted 2011 Montana Teacher of the Year, he was one of four finalists for the 2011 National Teacher of the Year. A top ten YouTube Edu Gurus in 2012, Paul has several hundred YouTube science videos online and a following of nearly a million subscribers around the world.

Stacey Wellman, a speech/language pathologist with Winnetka public schools, describes how the Froebel method helps her identify and assess a child's learning profile. This natural play-based approach often avoids the need for prescriptions or disruptive interventions which can undermine a child's confidence.

In addition to her 25 years experience in the public schools with children ages 3 to 14, Stacey also works with high school and college students on organizational/integrated thinking and learning strategies. She runs a Roots and Shoots program and travels internationally with students, believing that learning must extend beyond the classroom and into nature.

If you like this podcast, consider supporting us at: www.patreon.com/PathToLearning/

Visit us on the web at www.pathtolearning.us for more information on each of our podcasts.

In this episode we speak with Dr. William Jeynes, Professor of Education at California State University, Long Beach about standardized testing in America. How did testing and our industrial model come about, and is it right for young children?

Professor Jeynes is most interested in how research can be applied to public policy, especially quantitative and qualitative research on bridging the achievement gap, parental involvement, religious commitment, historical trends, school choice, family structure, religious schools, discrimination, bullying, reading instruction, and public policy.

Dr. Jeynes is a well-known public speaker having spoken in 49 US states in the country and in every inhabited continent, including Peking University, Moscow State University, and has been a consultant for both the U.S. & South Korean governments.

He has published over 100 academic articles, 14 books, and written for both the G.W. Bush and Obama administrations. Two books to check out are:

Eliminating the Achievement Gap

Parental Involvement and Academic Success

If you like this podcast, consider supporting us at: www.patreon.com/PathToLearning/

Visit us on the web at www.pathtolearning.us for more information on each of our podcasts.

In this episode we discuss visual-spatial learning with Alex Wolf and Dr. Vijal Parikh of Na2ure.com. Hear how they got started, about their Pattern Alphabet, and their work with SILC (Spatial Intelligence Learning Center) and the Tanzania Pilot Study with the Radius Foundation.

Check out their website and shop for their Ani-gram-it and BARK games.

If you like this podcast, consider supporting us at: www.patreon.com/PathToLearning/

Visit us on the web at www.pathtolearning.us for more information on each of our podcasts.

In this episode John, Jay and Scott interview Norman Brosterman at Blockspot Learning in Southampton, NY (October 2015). We discussed the history of the Froebel Kindergarten and its impact on modern art, design and architecture. We've re-recorded the original questions as only Norman was mic'd at the time.

For more information about Norman visit his website at www.brosterman.com and click here to purchase Norman's book Inventing Kindergarten.

If you like this podcast, consider supporting us at: www.patreon.com/PathToLearning/

Visit us on the web at www.pathtolearning.us for more information on each of our podcasts.

In this episode we discuss who Friedrich Froebel was and what his educational pedagogy is all about. Learn about the Froebel's Gifts and Occupations and how he combined child-centered, play-based, hands-on, and nature-focused approaches to education.

You can find products mentioned today available online at Red Hen Toys and upcoming events at www.froebelusa.org.

If you like this podcast, consider supporting us at: www.patreon.com/PathToLearning/

Visit us on the web at www.pathtolearning.us for more information on each of our podcasts.