Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Shelf Number | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Searching... Albion - Hoag Library | 34411001428498 | 371.192 ROBI | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... LeRoy - Woodward Memorial Library | 0631408 | 371.192 ROBI | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
In this important new book, Robinson offers clear principles and practical advice on how to support your child through the education system, or outside it if you choose to homeschool or un-school. Dispelling many myths and tackling critical schooling options and controversies, You, Your Child, and School is a key book for parents to learn about the kind of education their children really need and what they can do to make sure they get it.
Author Notes
Sir Ken Robinson , PhD, is a global leader in educational reform and a New York Times bestselling author. The most watched speaker in the history of the prestigious TED conference, Fast Company calls him "one of the world's elite thinkers on creativity and innovation". Professor Emeritus at the University of Warwick in the UK, he advises governments, corporations, education systems, and some of the world's leading cultural organizations. The Element has been translated into twenty-three languages.
Lou Aronica is the author of four novels and coauthor of several works of nonfiction, including the national bestseller The Culture Code (with Clotaire Rapaille), The Element , and Finding Your Element .
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Education advocate Robinson and Aronica, authors of Creative Schools, lay out a familiar but solid plan for parents to become more aware of and active in their children's education. The authors' aim is to foster an educational environment where kids will enjoy and feel fulfilled by learning. They believe that a preoccupation with science, technology, engineering, and math in modern education has resulted in too little attention to the arts and humanities, and that standardized testing and an unhealthy level of competition have been demoralizing to students and teachers alike. However, they reassure readers that "as a parent you have more power than you know" to affect a child's education for the better. Robinson and Aronica show parents how to choose the right schools and support individual learning styles. Especially useful are their descriptions of different educational philosophies and kinds of schools, and the suggestions and techniques for engaging with teachers and administrators. Parents will receive a helpful reminder here that the purpose of education is to help children "become fulfilled individuals and active, compassionate citizens," and that parental involvement can make this happen. Agent: Peter Miller, Global Lion. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal Review
Robinson, a highly respected author and lecturer who has tackled many elements of education reform, now directs his attention to parents and other caregivers. It is clear that adults play significant roles in how their children are educated, and Robinson uses this work, coauthored with Aronica, to encourage adults to be active and critical participants. Throughout, Robinson offers sound advice on what counts as a good education and provides practical ways to help make sure any child gets one. The focus on understanding who each child is as an individual and helping them find their own spark of genius is an empowering stance for parents to embrace. Discussions include outlines of adult expectations and children's needs given in a conversational, approachable tone. While Robinson's biases toward creative schools and whole-child programs are evident, he offers an honest view of all the options available, giving adults the tools and insight they need to find schooling that is the best fit for each individual child. VERDICT For adults who are looking for ways to use schooling to help their children achieve happy, constructive lives.-Rachel Wadham, Brigham Young University Libraries, Provo, UT © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
How to ensure the best education possible for school-age children.Educational reform expert Robinson (Emeritus, Arts Education/Univ. of Warwick) and Aronica team up again (Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution that's Transforming Education, 2016, etc.) to provide common-sense advice and helpful tactics, based on research and interviews with parents and educators, that will guide parents in the process of making the right educational choices for their children. The authors begin by outlining what options currently exist, including public schools, charter schools, home-schooling, and online learning, and they discuss how parents can become more involved via more frequent interactions with teachers, working on the school board, etc. The authors strongly advise parents to know their child's learning methods and interests prior to assessing any type of school scenario, stressing the importance of this topic in finding the optimum environment for learning. Some things to look for in schools include the type of curriculum taught, whether educators adapt their teaching styles to accommodate differences in learning styles, and the prevalence of practical work as well as desk time. By answering these and many more questions, parents can evaluate the options intelligently and maintain their child's interest in learning. The book also addresses the many difficulties children face in schoolamong others, stress, bullying, excessive homework, and being prescribed medications that might not be necessary. The authors delve into alternative learning scenarios such as art and dance programs, which have helped pull children and young adults back from the brink of rage and despair. Well-rounded explorations of the many learning methods currently in use will help parents tone down their own anxiety, exasperation, and worries over schooling, and this will enable them to make the best choices for their child, providing a far more enjoyable and productive learning experience for all.A useful gathering of solid assessments of young children and the educational systems available to them. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
Robinson, a highly respected author and lecturer who has tackled many elements of education reform, now directs his attention to parents and other caregivers. It is clear that adults play significant roles in how their children are educated, and Robinson uses this work, coauthored with Aronica, to encourage adults to be active and critical participants. Throughout, Robinson offers sound advice on what counts as a good education and provides practical ways to help make sure any child gets one. The focus on understanding who each child is as an individual and helping them to find their own spark of genius is an empowering stance for parents to embrace. Discussions include outlines of adult expectations and children's needs given in a conversational, approachable tone. While Robinson's biases toward creative schools and whole-child programs are evident, he offers an honest view of all the options available, giving adults the tools and insights they need to find schooling that is the best fit for each individual child. VERDICT For adults who are looking for ways to use schooling to help their children achieve happy, constructive lives.-Rachel Wadham, Brigham Young Univ. Libs., Provo, UT © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Chapter One Get Your Bearings If you're a parent of school-age children this book is for you. My aim is to help you get them the education they need to live productive, fulfilled lives. I've worked in education all my professional life. Along the way I've had countless conversations with parents about school. I'm a parent too and know firsthand that being a parent is a challenge as well as a pleasure. It gets more complicated when your children start school. Until then, you've been mainly responsible for their development and well-being. Now you entrust a major chunk of their waking hours to others, giving them enormous influence over your children's lives during their most formative years. Seeing them go to school on that first day brings a suite of emotions. You hope they'll be excited about learning, make good friends, and be happy and inspired at school. At the same time, you probably feel a good deal of trepidation. School brings a whole new set of relationships. How will your children respond to their teachers? Will the school see what's special about them? What about the other parents and children? Will your child rise above the new social hurdles or trip over them? As your child heads into school for that first day, it's no wonder you feel a catch in your throat. You think things will never be the same. You're right. Emma Robinson (no relation) is a teacher in England. She's also a parent and knows how it feels to leave your child at school on that very first day. She wrote a poem called "Dear Teacher," which has since been shared by thousands of other parents. Here's an extract: I know you're rather busy First day back, there's just no time A whole new class of little ones And this one here is mine. I'm sure you have things covered And have done this lots before But my boy is very little He hasn't long turned four. In his uniform this morning He looked so tall and steady But now beside your great big school I'm not quite sure he's ready. It seems like just a blink ago I first held him in my arms It's been my job to love, to teach To keep him safe from harm. I know as I give him one more kiss And watch him walk away, That he'll never again be wholly mine As he was before today. Parents have always worried about handing their children over, but these days they have even more on their minds about school. Many are exasperated about what's happening in education. They worry that there's far too much testing and stress at school. They feel that the curriculum has become too narrow because of cuts in important programs in the arts, sports, and outdoor activities. They're concerned that their children are not treated as individuals and that schools are failing to cultivate their curiosity, creativity, and personal talents. They're anxious about how many young people are being diagnosed with learning problems and being medicated to keep them focused. They worry about potential bullying and harassment. If they have children in high school, they worry about the rising costs of college and whether their children will be able to find a job whether they go to college or not. More than that, they often feel powerless as parents to do anything about it. Anger and Anxiety Recently, I asked people on Twitter and Facebook about their biggest concerns in educating their children. In less than an hour, hundreds of people from all over the world had posted responses. Bec, a young mother in the United States, spoke for many when she said that children's "strengths are not valued and their weaknesses are magnified. Their grades are more important than their sense of self." Kimmie, another mom, asked, "Will my children discover their true potential and be guided to a career that they love and are passionate about." Conchita wrote, "I have all sorts of worries about my two daughters. I feel the current system will not let them shine and my ten-year-old may not get what she needs to overcome her learning difficulties and anxiety." Jon is worried that children "are gradually being taught to not enjoy learning: that it's somehow an arduous rite of passage we're all forced to go through with no solid reasoning. It's a constant battle to keep that spark of curiosity and delight about learning alive when the system packages it and sets narratives about education the way it does." Karin said, "Education is broken. There's too much pressure, too many tests, too many demands, too much assembly line. How can we reboot? How can we prepare our kids for a radically different life from the one the current system prepares them for?" Carol was concerned that the "one-size-fits-all approach, orchestrated by individuals that have no business dictating educational policy, is producing students who have no ability to think for themselves and an absolute fear of failure." Another mother's top concern was whether schools "are teaching kids to be creative problem solvers. Testing doesn't teach kids to be versatile thinkers." Tracey points to a deep worry for many parents: "I'm most concerned with the fact that policy makers seem to have little regard for parent voices. The culture around parent voices is dismissive at best and those who make decisions about kids haven't a clue what actually goes on in classrooms." These are all legitimate anxieties and if you share them, you're right to be worried. Education is sometimes thought of as a preparation for what happens when your child leaves school-getting a good job or going on to higher education. There's a sense in which that's true, but childhood is not a rehearsal. Your children are living their lives now with their own feelings, thoughts, and relationships. Education has to engage with them in the here and now, just as you do as a parent. Who your children become and what they go on to do in the future has everything to do with the experiences they have in the present. If your children have a narrow education, they may not discover the talents and interests that could enrich their lives in the present and inspire their futures beyond school. How Can This Book Help? So how can this book help you? I hope it will be useful in three ways. The first is by looking at the sort of education your children need these days and how it relates to your roles as a parent. Parents often think their children need the same sort of education they had themselves. It depends on what sort of education they did have, but in general that's probably not true. The world is changing so quickly now that education has to change too. The second is by looking at the challenges you face in helping them get that education. Some of those challenges have to do with public policies for education and some more generally with the times we live in. The third is by looking at your options and power as a parent to overcome these challenges. Let me enter some caveats right away. To begin with, this is not a manual on how to be a good parent. I wouldn't have the nerve. I'm sure this comes as a relief, because seemingly everyone else does. From Dr. Spock to the Tiger Moms, you already face a fire hose of advice on how to raise your children. Apart from the unsought advice of friends, relatives, and probably your children too about how to be a better parent, there are more than four million mom blogs on the Internet, and the online bookstores list more than one hundred fifty thousand books in their parenting categories. I don't want to add to the clamor. My wife and I have two grown children and many relatives and friends with children of their own. We've been through many of the challenges we discuss in this book. So has my writing partner, Lou Aronica, who has a large family of his own. We know that the pressures on parents never ease up. You're going to be worrying about your children and trying to help them navigate through their lives forever. Parenting is a lifetime assignment. It can be hard work at times, and the hours are dreadful. Consider this book to be a respite from some of that pressure. We're not living in some lofty alternate reality where everyone is having a better time than you. I do want to suggest some principles of parenting that are relevant to education and are widely supported by research and experience. In doing that, let me assure you that I'm here on the ground with you, and the advice I'm offering comes from the perspective of those who have missed the mark on more than one occasion. This is not a good-schools guide either. I'm often asked about specific schools or systems and whether I'd recommend them. All schools are different. There are great and poor public schools, and great and poor charter, private, and alternative schools too. My answer is always to go and see the place for yourself and get a sense of whether it would work for you and your child. To do that, you do need some sense of what counts as a good school, and that's what we will be looking at. I'm not suggesting a one-size-fits-all solution. On the contrary, no two children are the same and yours are no different, as it were. Your parenting choices and priorities are naturally affected by your own background and circumstances. If you're a single parent living in a poor neighborhood, your choices are different from someone with paid help living in a wealthy suburb. You may be in a position to choose the school you want for your child. Most parents are not. So you just have to play the hand you are dealt, right? Actually, no. You do have choices and we'll be looking at what they are. Overall, my aim is to offer some advice on what counts as a good education and what you can do as a parent to make sure your children get one. That includes how to support them through the current education system, or outside it if you choose. These are some of the options available to all parents. You can enroll your child at the local school and leave the school to it. You can become active in your child's education by building relationships with his or her teachers and through the support you provide at home. You can become more involved in the general life of the school. You can influence school policy making through the local school board. You can campaign for change with other parents. You can look for another school. You can homeschool or unschool your child. You can use online learning opportunities. If you do have a choice of schools, which one should you choose and why? If you don't, what should you expect from the school you have, and what can you do if it falls short? Deciding which way to go depends on several themes, which we'll look at in the chapters that follow. The first theme is your roles as a parent in general and how they relate to education. The second theme is the overall development of your children from birth to early adulthood. It's important to have a sense of this so you know the sorts of experiences you and the school should offer your child and why. The third theme is the importance of recognizing the talents, interests, and character of your own child. The fourth theme is why the education your children need now may be different from when you were at school. The fifth theme is why so many schools are not yet providing that sort of education and what you can do as a parent to change that. Learning, Education, and School Before we get into this, let me distinguish three terms, which will keep coming up: learning, education, and school. Learning is acquiring new skills and understanding. Education is an organized program of learning. School is a community of learners. Children love to learn; they don't always enjoy education and some have big problems with school. Why is that? Learning is natural for children. Babies learn at a prodigious pace. Take language. In their first twenty-four months or so, they go from being inarticulate bundles of cries and gurgles to being able to speak. It's a remarkable achievement and nobody, including you, "teaches" your child how to do it. You don't because you couldn't. Learning to speak is far too complicated. How do babies learn to speak? They have a natural capacity for it and they love to learn. How do they do it? By listening and by copying you and the others around them. You encourage them with your smiles and delight, and they encourage you with theirs. They learn to speak because they want to and they can. As they go through life, they'll pick up all sorts of other skills and knowledge just for the love of learning: because they want to and they can. Education is a more organized approach to learning. It can be formal or informal, self-directed or organized by someone else. It might be at home, online, at work, or somewhere else. Peter Gray is a research professor of psychology at Boston College and author of Free to Learn. Children, he says, "are beautifully designed, by nature, to direct their own education. For most of human history, children educated themselves through observing, exploring, questioning, playing and participating. These educative instincts still work beautifully for children who are provided with conditions that allow them to flourish." A school is any community of people who come together to learn with and from each other. I was asked recently if I thought schools are still a good idea. I do, and the reason is that most of what we learn in our lives, we learn with and from other people. Learning is as much a social as an individual process. The real question is what sort of schools help children learn best? Many young people are turned off education not because they don't want to learn but because the rituals and routines of conventional schooling get in the way. For most of us, our main experience of formal education is grade school. What images does "school" bring to mind? If you think "high school," you may picture long corridors and lockers, classrooms full of desks with blackboards or whiteboards at the front, a hall with a stage, a gym, science labs, maybe a music room or art studio and a sports field somewhere. What about what goes on there? You may think of separate subjects (some more important than others), fixed schedules, bells and buzzers, students streaming between rooms in age groups, assignments, tests, and after-school programs. What about preschool or elementary school? Whatever your own feelings about school, the fact is that if you passed out somewhere and woke up in one, you'd probably work out quickly where you were. Since the introduction of mass education in the nineteenth century, schools have become recognizable places that work in typical ways. Many of the rituals of schools are taken for granted largely because school has been like this for a long time. Not all schools are like this, and schools don't have to be this way at all. The fact that so many are is a matter of habit, not necessity. We'll be looking at different ways of doing school and at how the best schools create conditions in which young people enjoy learning and want to achieve at their highest levels. It's important that they do enjoy education, for them and for you. Excerpted from You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education by Ken Robinson, Lou Aronica All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Table of Contents
1 Get Your Bearings | p. 1 |
2 Know Your Role | p. 31 |
3 Know Your Child | p. 48 |
4 Raise Them Strong | p. 66 |
5 Understand What School Is For | p. 99 |
6 Choose the Right School | p. 122 |
7 Go to the Source | p. 161 |
8 Build the Relationship | p. 192 |
9 Tackle the Problem | p. 212 |
10 Look to the Future | p. 237 |
Notes | p. 259 |
Index | p. 285 |