What do you think of this reformed type of education?

This article spends a bit of time on the lady who started the school but I am interested to hear your guys' thoughts on this type of education. Criticisms? Approval? What do ya think?

MUSE School Article

It looks like you're posting a link to this video:



Is that what you meant to do?

What is the MUSE School Article?

Shit! Sorry! I was copying and pasting a bunch of links today! Hahah no this is the link I meant to post.

MUSE School

Hello Cassie,

In general...a positive mission focus and goal set...yet...too new of a program to really tell what the outcome will be over time?

As an educator with 30 plus years in mixed venue...my gut is not really feeling it...

Your link takes me to "True Luxury Life"...what is this I think?

Then I see as my first image an almost full screen glossy image of "Suzy Amis Cameron"...o.k...narcissism once more?...natural education?...not permaculture...ego afoot and loose to promote...what...her?...or her beliefs about something? Not sure...

Lets scan read further...

Hmmm...lots of "green buzz words"...then I see a reference to LEED...I have studied lead...and more importantly the founders of LEED...all ex big industry moguls from petroleum industry...and there supports...LEED is a "whitewashing" entity for the construction (and other entities) industry to break into the sustainable building industry...IT has done little to actually promote that in any substantial way...and has actually blocked it in many...So, lets look at the MUSE School Web page...



The above is not natural, traditional or sustainable architecture...no mater how much allegedly "recycle" scrape wood you stick to it. This is not permaculture architecture, nor is the majority of the campus. So, like so many programs I see like this...I get more "fasade" than substance.

Now I come to the end of the link, and I find a quote from Ms. Cameron:

“You can’t really call yourself an environmentalist if you’re still consuming animals. You just can’t.” – Suzy Amis Cameron on NPR

I am sorry...I am part of a culture that has and does eat animal protein in many forms. I know of countless indigenous cultures around the globe that do, and have. I know many permaculture practitioners that also do, and I find all of them way more "environmentally conscious" than what I felt I was seeing in the link, and where the link lead me. To present the level of hubris and ego to make such a statement being a "role model" for children...I, for one, don't agree.

Respectfully,

j

All you have to do is to make learning fun and kids will devour it. Public schools separate it--boring learning and fun playtime that teaches nothing.

What they are doing is following a homeschool philosophy--cover the bare basics and then use the students' interests to drive their learning. Does your child like art? You can teach a lot of math in teaching perspective, science in color theory, english in books on art history and theory. Same goes for music, sports, mechanics, etc.

Google unschooling for extreme examples of this. (zone 5 hands-off wilderness of learning).

http://www.permiekids.com/ for how to use permaculture principles to direct your children's learning (jump-starting nature and maximizing productivity)

Yeah I personally think it is amazing. Homeschooling, but without the lack of social interaction!

Cassie Langstraat wrote:Yeah I personally think it is amazing. Homeschooling, but without the lack of social interaction!

The whole social interaction thing is BS.

As opposed to sitting in a desk all day and getting in trouble if the talk? Maybe talking to their same 3 friends in their clique? Homeschoolers get way more diverse social interaction, on average. A school like MUSE can get close, but still won't have as diverse interaction unless they have almost daily guest experts or field trips in small groups or one-on-one.

/rant off/

sorry...

All I know is that I had a ton of friends from school, in fact, those were the only friends I had. (My parents aren't exactly social creatures, we didn't have "family friends"). So if I would have been homeschooled I would have been lonely as hell. That is all I am saying.

Jay C. White Cloud wrote:Hello Cassie,

As an educator with 30 plus years in mixed venue...my gut is not really feeling it...

Jay,

I am glad you pointed all of those things out. As I said in the original post, this article in particular focuses a lot on the founder who I am not exactly interested in. And now, as I have read your comments I am beginning to see it's full of faults. It makes me sad because I truly want there to be a reform in education because not everyone has the time or money to homeschool their kids. (Not that this is any cheaper) But my thoughts were , well if something like this begins a movement that people see the benefits of, then it will start to make its way into our regular schools. However, that was just me being a 20-something idealist...

I have to wonder, not to be political in any way, but since the school follows Common Core standards, will they still have time left for "individualized" free learning? I've just heard from various teachers how Common Core can become an all-consuming thing in the classroom.

That is a very good question. I am not a teacher but I have friends who are and I know they struggle to fit in anything besides that..