Ruth Lopez homeschooled her oldest child during her high school years and her twins through middle school. During those times, Ruth and I collaborated on teaching and discussions about community and learning. (Ruth herself went back to school to Goddard College and received her Masters in Partnership Education.)
Among the things we did: I supplemented an Algebra 2 independent study Alessa was pursuing, to get at some of the underlying principles. At the time I was writing a lot about ways to teach math. I taught a mixed-aged math class. One of our sources was Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe. Ruth offered a local history class. Dewey Livingston was a guest teacher. I taught a session on the commons. Together the kids also took a journalism class offered through Pathways Charter School. And a Photography Class offered by Gwen Meyers, who signed up as a vendor through Pathways. And Susan Prince then later Scot Davidson taught an outdoor discovery class. We also worked with another family, meeting every two weeks for a shared meal representative of the food of a country we studied. That class was called Geography Through the Lens of Food.
I recently asked Ruth what resources she most recommends for those thinking about these things now. She named these two:
Creating Learning Communities; Models, Resources, and New Ways of Thinking About Teaching and Learning edited by Ron Miller. Cuts down on time spent reinventing the wheel. Many beautiful examples of alternative models others have developed. Wide variety of models. Browse and find the one the best suits West Marin. My favorite is The Alternative Learning Center on page 111.
A Systems View of Education by Bela Banathy. Where do we want to be as a community in the future? We can't get there by looking in the rear view mirror, in other words by trying to fix the current education system. We need first to define where we want to go and then design an education system that will take us there. His conclusion is that community based education will be the educational model of choice. Education by and for the community is truely owned by the community and people will support what they themselves create.
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