Pages tagged "learning"

When springtime in Seattle finally comes out from under its winter blanket of fog and drizzle, its smile is bright and its mood is balmy. That’s the kind of day it is – a Sunday in May, shortly after Easter – when Fred comes out of church and finds himself striding down the hill.

Dear Editor: I was not surprised to find that my article in the March/ April issue of Western Friend, “My Quest to Change the Education System,” was controversial to some Friends. Regarding Gary Miller’s letter to the editor, I would like to write my own response in my defense.

Some words and phrases to know before you read

I kneel down in front of Anna and stroke her hand. Then I say to her, “Mi amor. ¿Puedo recibir una sonrisa? ¿Por favor?”

Dear Editor: I was disappointed in Ms. Enoch’s article in the March/April issue of Western Friend, “My Quest to Change the Education System.” I am a Quaker, who has served on local public school boards for over twenty-five years. Some of what she reported is misleading at best.

Dear Editor:  We were excited to see your photos on the front and back covers of the new Western Friend (Sept/Oct 2015), showing the little Fisher Price people. Our grandson, who will be two in November, LOVES the ones that belonged to our son, his father. Recently, he put them facing each other and turned to us explaining, “Talking.” The next week, when I played a CD of a singer we’d heard at the Farmers Market, he lined them up to listen. Many of them represent us! In your photos, the one in the cap is his “Dada.” This is all done with no input from us, and we find it amazing and wonderful. Here’s a pic of Zander’s arrangement of his “people” listening. Cheers for play!

Quaker Oaks Farm is a place where we, Darlene and Melissa, children of families from very different backgrounds, are creating new stories together. We are characters in the stories, and we are authors. The stories are about what happens when non-Native and Native people risk engaging with the uncomfortable conundrum of how to go forward together, In A Good Way, given all the injustices delivered to Native people over the centuries and which continue today. The stories are about ways that Native peoples, settlers’ descendants, and newer immigrants might co-exist in true harmony.

A normal school day in a traditional public school is full of many issues that go against Quaker values. These issues tend to have a negative impact on students and, therefore, the world surrounding them. The issues include, but aren’t limited to, the ineffective use of textbooks in the classroom, students unconsciously being taught to hate certain subjects, students losing their love of learning, rushing in the classroom, over-reliance on standardized testing, and the ineffective use of homework. These issues and many others led me, a student, to focus on transforming the education system to make it better for both students and teachers.

Dear Editor:  It was wonderful to see an entire issue of Western Friend devoted to play! (Sept/Oct 2015) As a retired childcare director who believes in the value of play for young children, I am thrilled.

Here are some fun things to do on your own and with friends.