Author, mother, healthcare aid, and former SDE facilitator Meaza Love joins Annie Friday to discuss how the American Dream has come to affect US schooling. Meaza talks about the limits to creativity, originality, and divergent thinking as schools push young people to one right answer, one career pathway, one specific end point that maybe doesn’t even exist. This conversations touches on the original intent of the term American Dream which was first coined during the Great Depression in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, historian and author. Adams thought believed in a dream that would allow every American to achieve their fullest capabilities “regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position,” according to Wikipedia. Meaza shares recent discoveries for her regarding unschooling and the lifestyle of self-directed education (SDE). She sees SDE as a pathway alternative to school that would potentially help preserve her own child’s unique and creative ways of being in the world. While the world has been shifting greatly since the model of schooling was put in place, schools themselves have not changed much. Together, Annie and Meaza dream aloud about how the system of schooling could shift to adapt to the lifestyles of today by centering relationship skills, critical thinking, and creative processes. These days, with AI and robots, we no longer need to train students to be good factory line workers. By adapting schools to honor individuality and personhood, could we shift back to that original intent of the American dream?
Annie Friday is an educator, entrepreneur, podcast host, and birth doula. Most recently, Annie co-founded Blue Bridge Agile Learning Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Blue Bridge serves families engaged in self-directed education pursuits. Annie considers herself a recovering teacher engaged in the ongoing process of deschooling and relearning everything she has ever known about education. Annie is a public school parent who is actively working to decenter school in her family life. Annie believes all learning needs to be learner-led, consent-based, and rooted in play. Annie holds a master’s degree in early childhood education. Her teacher and family training focuses on supporting young children through play, nature, and mindfulness. Annie lives in Michigan with her husband and two young children. Together they enjoy playing outside hiking, camping, boating, and skiing as well as inside with board games, video games, dancing, doing yoga, and cooking.
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by linking to Amazon.com and affiliate sites.
Thanks To Our Patrons
This post was made possible by patrons like these, who generously fund our work:
I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees
by linking to Amazon.com and affiliate sites.
Thanks To Our Patrons
This post was made possible by patrons like these, who generously fund our work:
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