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Community events

Reimagining Education: Are there other ways to learn?

A free, bilingual public conversation organized by University of the Streets Café.


Date & time
Monday, November 3, 2014
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Cost

Free

Where

Centre Communidée
137 Saint-Ferdinand St., #153

The education system as we know it is based on a lot of assumptions.  We take it for granted that teachers teach and students learn. We accept that school can’t always be fun and that sometimes students must study things that don’t really interest them. We assume that by learning how to work hard, handle stress and manage their time, children will be better prepared for life in the ‘real world’. Where do these assumptions come from? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the resulting educational methods? This public conversation invites participants to reimagine the ways in which we educate our children. What do kids actually need to learn? Is the state mandated curriculum too limiting? What alternatives exist for parents and how accessible are they really? If we foster opportunities for passionate learning, what might the next generation be able to achieve?

Guests:

Sonya Olthof is a homeschooling mother and the founder of Centre Communidée - a community and resource centre for homeschooling families in and around Montreal.  She studied various things in public school and university, but has always valued her own self-directed learning experiences more.  Her interests include things that fly, people, and organizing.

David Waddington is an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at Concordia University. He's primarily interested in the history and philosophy of education, but he also does research on the educational impact of video games.

Moderator:

Suzanne Amro is a full time high school teacher who specializes in the instruction of English Language Arts and Ethics and Religious Culture. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from McGill University and a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Concordia, where her focus was on Applied Ethics with an emphasis on the practice of dialogue. For the past two years, she has been involved in Compassionate Listening training.


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