Lives of Passion, School of Hope: How One Public School Ignites a Lifelong Love of Learning

Lives of Passion, School of Hope tells how a progressive public school in Colorado has transformed the lives of its alumni. It is about what happens to children and adults when they are encouraged to follow their bliss. It is also about personal empowerment and the development of confidence, curiosity, and compassion in our public schools. This book offers stories and reflections from the alumni of a school where the students hired the teachers, ran their own government, evaluated their own progress, and designed their own curriculum. It's the story of an extended family of students, staff, and parents who have formed their own community of learners over the course of thirty-eight years. We all have an important stake in our public schools. In these days of teaching for testing, standardization, school violence, and alienation, readers will want to know about a public school that has not only weathered the political and social storms of nearly four decades, but has done so with integrity and success. The alumni and the author offer their perspectives on how a school without grades, credits, or a set curriculum has affected them as adults. Some say it saved their lives! Lives of Passion answers questions frequently asked about a school so different from the mainstream: did students succeed in college, what do they do for a living, are they living according to the ideals of the school, are they happy and productive as adults in a democratic society? The answers to these questions are in turn surprising, riveting, and insightful. Lives of Passion, School of Hope points toward a future that may depend on the injection of heart, hope, and passion into our public schools. It is the story of the place of personal growth in public education, and how we can be inspired to create a better world.

1111924835
Lives of Passion, School of Hope: How One Public School Ignites a Lifelong Love of Learning

Lives of Passion, School of Hope tells how a progressive public school in Colorado has transformed the lives of its alumni. It is about what happens to children and adults when they are encouraged to follow their bliss. It is also about personal empowerment and the development of confidence, curiosity, and compassion in our public schools. This book offers stories and reflections from the alumni of a school where the students hired the teachers, ran their own government, evaluated their own progress, and designed their own curriculum. It's the story of an extended family of students, staff, and parents who have formed their own community of learners over the course of thirty-eight years. We all have an important stake in our public schools. In these days of teaching for testing, standardization, school violence, and alienation, readers will want to know about a public school that has not only weathered the political and social storms of nearly four decades, but has done so with integrity and success. The alumni and the author offer their perspectives on how a school without grades, credits, or a set curriculum has affected them as adults. Some say it saved their lives! Lives of Passion answers questions frequently asked about a school so different from the mainstream: did students succeed in college, what do they do for a living, are they living according to the ideals of the school, are they happy and productive as adults in a democratic society? The answers to these questions are in turn surprising, riveting, and insightful. Lives of Passion, School of Hope points toward a future that may depend on the injection of heart, hope, and passion into our public schools. It is the story of the place of personal growth in public education, and how we can be inspired to create a better world.

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Lives of Passion, School of Hope: How One Public School Ignites a Lifelong Love of Learning

Lives of Passion, School of Hope: How One Public School Ignites a Lifelong Love of Learning

Lives of Passion, School of Hope: How One Public School Ignites a Lifelong Love of Learning

Lives of Passion, School of Hope: How One Public School Ignites a Lifelong Love of Learning

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Overview

Lives of Passion, School of Hope tells how a progressive public school in Colorado has transformed the lives of its alumni. It is about what happens to children and adults when they are encouraged to follow their bliss. It is also about personal empowerment and the development of confidence, curiosity, and compassion in our public schools. This book offers stories and reflections from the alumni of a school where the students hired the teachers, ran their own government, evaluated their own progress, and designed their own curriculum. It's the story of an extended family of students, staff, and parents who have formed their own community of learners over the course of thirty-eight years. We all have an important stake in our public schools. In these days of teaching for testing, standardization, school violence, and alienation, readers will want to know about a public school that has not only weathered the political and social storms of nearly four decades, but has done so with integrity and success. The alumni and the author offer their perspectives on how a school without grades, credits, or a set curriculum has affected them as adults. Some say it saved their lives! Lives of Passion answers questions frequently asked about a school so different from the mainstream: did students succeed in college, what do they do for a living, are they living according to the ideals of the school, are they happy and productive as adults in a democratic society? The answers to these questions are in turn surprising, riveting, and insightful. Lives of Passion, School of Hope points toward a future that may depend on the injection of heart, hope, and passion into our public schools. It is the story of the place of personal growth in public education, and how we can be inspired to create a better world.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781591810841
Publisher: Sentient Publications
Publication date: 11/15/2009
Pages: 246
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Dr. Fredric Posner began working for the public schools as a bus driver and custodian. He went on to become a special education teacher, consultant, and alternative school teacher and administrator. Receiving his Ph.D. in 1989, he established his expertise in the fields of self-directed learning and the modern rites-of-passage curriculum. During his time at Jefferson County Open School in Colorado, one of the longest standing public alternative schools in the world, he took students all over the globe, including the West Bank, Gaza and, when the Wall came down, to Berlin. Dr. Posner also taught a wide range of classes that reflect his eclectic personal passions, ranging from Willy Mays, James Joyce, and Muddy Waters to ethnic cooking and marathon running. He is a proud 'graduate' of the Open School (retired in 2001) who has maintained his penchant for lifelong learning by doing service work in Haiti and consulting for alternative schools around the world. Like so many of his fellow Open School alumni, Dr. Posner claims that the school saved his life.

Table of Contents

Preface 1

Introduction-Educare and the Pursuit of Dreams 5

What Kind of Weird School Is This Anyway? 9

Mission: Developing Wholeness 9

Goals to Live By 10

The Elements of an Open School Education 10

A Community of Learners 11

Self-Directed Learning 11

Learning Environments 12

Advising 13

The Rites-of- Passage Curriculum 14

Classes and Trips 15

Graduation Expectations 17

Authentic Assessment 17

Final Transcripts 19

Final Support Groups 19

Transitioning to the Real World 19

Open School Lingo 20

The Easy Livin' School, Happy Hippie High, and Other Convenient Myths: A Brief History of the Open School 22

The Seventies: The Halcyon Days 22

The Eighties: Walkabout 26

The Nineties: The Merger 28

The Twenty-First Century 29

Relationships: The Skills of Life 31

A Foundation to Build On: The Ad visor-Advisee Relationship 34

A School that Fosters Healthy Relationships 38

Trust and Compassion: We Know How to Relate 39

Empathy: We Can Walk in Your Shoes 40

Modeling: We Model Healthy Relationships for Each Other 41

Conflict Resolution: We Can Confront and Mediate 42

Responsibility: The Buck Stops Here 43

Confidence: We Have the Courage to Connect 44

Acceptance: We Know How to Accept Ourselves and Others 45

Respect: We Know that Everyone Is Important 47

Effects on Parenting: We Pass It On 48

Effects on Marriage and Long-Term Relationships 48

The Role of Families in the Schools 49

The First Family of the Open School 50

The Grand Family of the Open School 52

All in the Family: Other Family Connections 52

Community and Fearlessness by Ruby Gibson 53

Effects onRelationships with Communities, the Environment, and the World: We Are All in This Together 55

Profile of Success: It's All in the Family Heidi McCallister, Class of 1978 57

Puffing Things into Perspective 60

But Do They Go to College? 63

Getting in Without Grades: A Tricky Business 65

How Do They Do in College? 69

The Open School Influence on the College Experience 69

Freedom and Responsibility: Students Who Can Handle Both in the College Environment 70

Social Skills and College Life: Students Who Know How to Get Along with Different Kinds of People 70

Self-Direction: Students Who Know Where They're Going with Their Own Education 71

Academic Preparedness: Students Who Know How to Learn and Who Demonstrate Competence in Their College Work 72

Attitudes Toward Learning: Students Who Love to Learn 74

Relationships with Professors: Students Who Are Not Intimidated by Adults 75

Critical Thinking: Students Who Ask Questions 76

Taking Risks: Students Who Are Not Afraid 77

The Flip Side 77

Profile of Success: Just Another Step on the Path Andrea Keyser, Class of 1984 78

Putting Things into Perspective 83

Work and Life in the Real World 86

Real-Life Experience: Students Who've Had Practice 89

Being Allowed to Chase Their Dreams: Students Who Know How to Go for It 91

Intrinsic Motivation: Students Who Are Self-Starters 94

People Skills: Students Who Know How to Get Along with Coworkers 96

Problem Solving: Students Who Can Get the Job Done 99

Leadership Skills: Students Who Take the Lead 101

Creativity: Students Who Are Confident in Using the Creative Process on the Job 103

Job Satisfaction: Students Who Like Their Work 104

Profile of Success: Everything Was Possible Russell Bowman, Class of 1978 106

Putting Things into Perspective 109

Lighting the Fire of Learning 111

Students Who Discover What Gives Them Joy 113

Students Who Are Free to Explore 115

No Fear: Students Who Know the Fun of Facing a Good Challenge 117

Personal Power: Students Who Feel Good About Themselves 118

Passing It On: Students Who Want to Share Their Joy 120

Lifelong Learning: Students Who Will Never Stop Growing 121

Are They Developing Their Passions? Are They Still Doing Their Passages? 124

Profile of Success: Let Your Vision Be Your Guide Joey Slowik, Class of 1994 128

Putting Things into Perspective 132

What's It All About? Engage in the Search for Meaning in Your Life 133

Priorities: The Search Is Important to These Students 135

School Trips and the Search for Meaning 137

Making Time for Learning as Part of the Search 138

Making Sense of It All: Students Who Know How to Put it Together 139

The Three Domains and the Five Goals: Students Who Have a Compass for Their Lives 141

Students Who Continue to Ask Questions on Their Search 142

Courage: Students Who Are Not Afraid to Keep Searching 144

Profile of Success: A Seeker Connects with Life Johannes Wirth, Class of 1993 145

Putting Things into Perspective 150

The Real World: Adapting to the World that Is 151

Self-Knowledge: Students Who Face the World Knowing Themselves and Their Possibilities 153

Awareness of the World that Is: Students Who Know the Score 155

Other Points of View 160

Life Skills: Students Who Know How to Deal with the World that Is 162

Profile of Success: The World is Ready to Embrace You! John Mattox. Class of 1981 164

Putting Things into Perspective 166

Changes: Preparing for the World that Might Be 169

Students Who Are Not Afraid to Confront the Future 170

Awareness: Students Who Are Attuned to Change 172

Imagination: Students Who Creatively Anticipate the Future 174

Life Skills: Students Who Have the Tools to Prepare for Change 176

Profile of Success: Schools as Practice Grounds for Facing the Future Abby Ruskey, Class of 1979 182

Putting Things into Perspective 184

Being Part of the Solution: Helping to Create the World that Ought to Be 186

Know Thyself: The Starting Point 189

Vision: Students Who See the World that Ought to Be 190

The Open School as a Model 192

Students Who Have the Confidence and Ability to Create Change 193

Action: Students Who Get Involved 195

New Consciousness: Students Who Assess Their Experience and Renew Their Efforts with Greater Insight 197

Profile of Success: La Madre of the Urban Open School Kristen Nelson, Class of 1991 198

Putting Things into Perspective 201

Do the Right Thing: Did We Emphasize the Important Things? 203

Anything Missing? 205

Bringing It Ali Back Home 208

Hope for the Future? Let the Alumni Point the Way 212

Hope for Change in the Conventional School System 216

Hope for Change from Alternative Schools 220

Afterword 223

Appendices 226

Appendix A Passages: The Walkabout Program 226

Appendix B Trips Open School Classes Have Taken 237

Appendix C Graduation Expectations 238

Appendix D Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools Attended by Open School Alumni 240

Appendix E Fields of Study and Types of Degrees Earned by Open School Alumni 241

Appendix F Careers of Open School Alumni 242

Appendix G Alumni's Social Action Work 243

Appendix H Notes 245

About the Author 246

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