Natural Born Learners: Unschooling And Autonomy In Education - Paperback

by Carlo Ricci (Author), Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko (Author)

Humans are natural learners. Many of the authors in this collection of essays begin from a learner-centered, democratic perspective. Complete list of authors include: John Taylor Gatto, Pat Farenga, Satish Kumar, Roland Meighan, Susannah Sheffer, Aaron Falbel, Joseph Chilton Pearce, Gordon Neufeld, Naomi Aldort, Wendy Priesnitz, John. L. Vitale, Jerry Mintz, David Albert, Mary Leue, Grace Llewellyn, Matt Hern, Sandra Dodd, Katharine Houk, Monica Wells Kisura, Brent Cameron, Christine Brabant, Seema Ahluwalia and Carl Boneshirt, Dale Stephens, Kate Cayley, Kate Fridkis, Eli Gerzon, Candra Kennedy, Jessica Claire Barker, Peter Kowalke, Idzie Desmarais, Sean Ritchey, Brenna McBroom, Andrew Gilpin. Divided into three sections, the first part of the book deals with what constitutes a learner-centered approach to education. The second section addresses how some have implemented this approach. In the last section, learners who have lived learner-centred learning share narratives about their experience

Author Biography

Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko is a free-lance writer and blogger. She blogs extensively at Natural Born Learners (radiofreeschool.blogspot.com) and has founded Personalized Education Hamilton to facilitate self-determined learning in her community. She works for a not-for-profit environmental organization as a project manager and coordinator. She lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her husband and three teens. "I've been on the unschooling journey ever since my children were born. I've learned a lot, the most important lesson being, 'unschool thyself.'" Visit her website to see other writing at bekoko.ca. Carlo Ricci is a professor of education and currently teaches in the Graduate Program at the Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University. He edits and founded the Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning. He has written and edited a number of books including The Willed Curriculum, Unschooling, and Self-Direction: What Do Love, Trust, Respect, Care, and Compassion Have to Do With Learning; and Turning points: 35 Visionaries in Education Tell Their Own Stories (AERO, 2010) with Jerry Mintz; and The Legacy of John Holt: A Man Who Genuinely Understood, Trusted, and Respected Children (HoltGWS, 2013) with Patrick Farenga. He has also written numerous articles on unschooling and self-determined learning. He lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife and two children.