Welcome to Op-Education
As this is my introductory post, I suppose offering some background information about myself might be nice. I am twenty-three years old and live in Tempe, Arizona where I attend Arizona State University as a student of Philosophy. I am a passionate musician, a good friend, a dedicated vegan, and an open-minded biped if I do say so myself. I enjoy thinking outside the box, as well as exploring many different methods for accomplishing goals that are usually pursued in routine ways. I attended public school in Arizona from third grade until my high school graduation, hence it is no surprise that I am now writing about issues in public education, and education as a whole.
My interest in education is not born of some formal training in the subject, but has rather developed over years of being in relationships with people concerned and working in education, as well as watching younger family members grow and learn. What really got me interested in educational reform, however, was seeing Israeli educator Yaacov Hecht deliver an unforgettable and life-altering keynote speech at the 2008 International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC).
It was shortly after seeing Hecht's speech in Vancouver, British Columbia that I was introduced to the folks who at the time were starting IDEA, which resulted in my involvement with the organization. And that's the skinny on Shawn Gaillard. Perhaps a little larger than skinny though. So now that you know a little bit about the author, I'll say a few words about what to expect out of the column.
Op-Education is going to be fun. It will be a growing experience for me, and hopefully for those of you who choose to read. A lot of times, the writings will concern issues, broad and small, in education today, as well as critical assessment of some of our nation's current methods of educating. I have not chosen a set list of topics that I will write about, nor will I limit these topics to any certain sector of education.
What I can say, though, is that there are many instances where our current education practices seem to fail in many aspects of optimally educating people, younger and older alike. Likewise, there are instances where our current systems produce successful, healthy, contributing members of our communities and society. Op-Education will concern both the beautiful and awful issues of current education practices and many of those in between.
I am very excited to have the opportunity to be writing on such important issues and topics, and hope that you as a reader will find the following posts valuable. As an author, my main goal will be to provide you with writings that will stimulate thought and critical assessment regarding our nation's current educational practices and methods. I look forward to writing more in the near future, and please keep reading. I will do my best to deliver words worthwhile.
Posted in Philosophy of Education on Oct 25, 2009 - 10:50 PM
Hello, and welcome to Op-Education. I am delighted to have you as a reader. My name is Shawn Gaillard, and it seems like I will be blogging pretty regularly for IDEA. I must say that I am truly excited!As this is my introductory post, I suppose offering some background information about myself might be nice. I am twenty-three years old and live in Tempe, Arizona where I attend Arizona State University as a student of Philosophy. I am a passionate musician, a good friend, a dedicated vegan, and an open-minded biped if I do say so myself. I enjoy thinking outside the box, as well as exploring many different methods for accomplishing goals that are usually pursued in routine ways. I attended public school in Arizona from third grade until my high school graduation, hence it is no surprise that I am now writing about issues in public education, and education as a whole.
My interest in education is not born of some formal training in the subject, but has rather developed over years of being in relationships with people concerned and working in education, as well as watching younger family members grow and learn. What really got me interested in educational reform, however, was seeing Israeli educator Yaacov Hecht deliver an unforgettable and life-altering keynote speech at the 2008 International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC).
It was shortly after seeing Hecht's speech in Vancouver, British Columbia that I was introduced to the folks who at the time were starting IDEA, which resulted in my involvement with the organization. And that's the skinny on Shawn Gaillard. Perhaps a little larger than skinny though. So now that you know a little bit about the author, I'll say a few words about what to expect out of the column.
Op-Education is going to be fun. It will be a growing experience for me, and hopefully for those of you who choose to read. A lot of times, the writings will concern issues, broad and small, in education today, as well as critical assessment of some of our nation's current methods of educating. I have not chosen a set list of topics that I will write about, nor will I limit these topics to any certain sector of education.
What I can say, though, is that there are many instances where our current education practices seem to fail in many aspects of optimally educating people, younger and older alike. Likewise, there are instances where our current systems produce successful, healthy, contributing members of our communities and society. Op-Education will concern both the beautiful and awful issues of current education practices and many of those in between.
I am very excited to have the opportunity to be writing on such important issues and topics, and hope that you as a reader will find the following posts valuable. As an author, my main goal will be to provide you with writings that will stimulate thought and critical assessment regarding our nation's current educational practices and methods. I look forward to writing more in the near future, and please keep reading. I will do my best to deliver words worthwhile.
Tags for this entry:
k-12 education,
idec,
analysis,
yaacov hecht
Dana Bennis
Nov 04, 2009 - 08:59 PM
Looking forward to reading more, Shawn! I am also a fan of Yaacov Hecht and his work. For those interested, you can find more about Yaacov and his organization in Israel, the Institute for Democratic Education, at: http://www.democratic.co.il/en/.
Also, consider attending the 2010 IDEC in Israel, from April 6-13. Here’s a link for more info: http://www.2010.e-idec.org/
Dana