Saturday, January 16, 2010

Reclaim the Wonder of Childhood


We dull our lives by the way we conceive them.
-James Hillman (1965) American Psychologist

 Resa Steindel Brown in The Call To Brilliance argues that education can be empowering to children and adults in ways that conventional school systems cannot dare to even hope for.  Current schools are fashioned to give children the knowledge they need to get a job when they are grown. But there is so much more to human potential that is completely untapped or even squelched by schooling.  Wonder, imagination and self-determination are the first casualties of public schooling.  Steindel Brown believes a passion oriented, individualized education can revive the most beautiful attributes of the human spirit, with children leading adults back to a place where possibilities are endless.

The child can lead us back to our innate brilliance with authenticity, integrity and passion, if we allow it. But we forget. We forget our own childhoods when all things were possible.

Marc Brown is taking these passion oriented educational ideas and organizing Passion Oriented Education (TM) which should be launching this month.  Groups of parents get together every two weeks to plan and discuss the education of their children and brainstorm together to improve their children's opportunities to follow their passions.  Each group has a leader and the children meet once a week for projects and friendship.  This model seems ideal for use along with Gifted Education programs.

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