The Poor Scholar’s Soliloquy by Stephen Corey has been brought to our attention by Wayne Jennings, lifelong student of education and change agent. He included the Soliloquy in his book School Transformation (2018). Wayne is currently involved with a coalition of groups including AERO and #JustAskUs that are coming together to help ensure we emerge … [Read more…]
by Richard Fransham This is to students. It’s encouraging to see you exercising your right to be heard on educational issues that affect you. I’m referring to We The Students Do Not Consent, #wethestudentsdonotconsent, the action to register your concern that the Ontario Government is making curriculum changes that you believe will have a negative impact … [Read more…]
I was one of the books at the very successful Human Library held April 12th at Sir Wilfred Laurier Secondary School for its students and those of Colonel By Secondary School. Following are the notes and links I said I would share with those who attended one of my sessions. I’m posting them here for … [Read more…]
Please find here The OPERI Recap Vol.2, No.1 – January 2018. The Recap is produced irregularly and circulated by email. If you are not on the mailing list, you can be added by sending your name and email address to contact@operi.ca. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Living and Learning, also referred to as … [Read more…]
OPERI will be one of the groups participating in this ground breaking event. Join us for a stimulating evening of networking with those who have a vision of how to build a promising future through the better treatment of children and youth. Everyone is welcome. Please spread word, join us and bring others along with … [Read more…]
Please find here The OPERI Recap Vol.1, No.2. The Recap is produced 8 to 10 times a year and circulated by email. If you are not on the mailing list, you can be added by sending your name and email address to contact@operi.ca. If the link fails to open, try copying and pasting one of … [Read more…]
INTRODUCING – The OPERI Recap – designed to help: 1. improve the sharing of information, and 2. unite people concerned about the wellbeing of children and youth. The Recap is sent out by email approximately once a month. Please ensure that you receive it by sending your name and email address to contact@operi.ca. If links … [Read more…]
The latest issue of The Holistic Educator contains an article presenting a view on how to move alternative education into the mainstream. It discusses the OPERI approach to change. See: The Holistic Educator – Spring 2017.
Sign our petition. Get others to sign it. Mobilize your community. Share your views with your school board trustee. Become an OPERI volunteer. Consider becoming a school board trustee. Change in education needs public support. Innovative educators who want to explore real alternatives need to know we are with them. Contact Richard if you have … [Read more…]
The Women’s March in Ottawa yesterday was a great success. OPERI was there to reinforce the point that children learn what they live. What we do with them establishes the foundation of our society. We need our schools to provide them with a democratic environment where students are treated with the same respect as any … [Read more…]
Printable copy We are led to believe that “equal opportunity for all” is a priority goal of public education, but it can never be realized with traditional schooling. Young children in one class can have a superb teacher, while in the class next door the children can have a considerably less effective teacher. High school … [Read more…]
“What are we going to do with them if they already know what we are going to teach them?” This is a question that exposes deep-rooted flaws in traditional education. It confirms that schools as we know them really are the assembly lines many people accuse them of being, the lock-step learning environments that turn … [Read more…]
The following is how the Churchill Alternative School parents worded the announcement of their Beyond Measure screening in the OCDSB School Council Newsletter. Help them to make a success of the event by supporting them in whatever way you can. “Churchill Alternative School invites you to a special screening of Beyond Measure, an inspiring documentary … [Read more…]
Every country that has a public education system based on the industrial model is facing the problem of its schools being obsolete. The film is therefore internationally relevant to anyone wanting to support the shift to a 21st century learning model. High Tech High, which the film producer, Vicki Abeles, describes as one of the most vibrant and innovative … [Read more…]
The primary curriculum of an OPERI pilot is the 21st Century learning skills required for independent life-long learning and problem solving. It is a curriculum that applies the wisdom of the adage, “You can give a man a fish and feed him for a day, or teach him how to fish and feed him for … [Read more…]
An inspection of what goes on in a typical secondary school math class reveals that it is not the fine-tuned, efficient sharing of knowledge people think it to be. It is actually an incredible waste of time that cultivates daydreaming and poor attitudes about learning and work. The typical class goes something like this. It … [Read more…]
Eight founding members created OPERI (pronounced “O-per-e”) a little over a year ago. During the ensuing months considerable effort was spent fine tuning our message and determining how to most effectively advance our cause. The OPERI website will be revised over the summer to reflect what was learned. Currently it contains a compelling list of … [Read more…]
Below is the text of an email sent June 26th, 2016 to Shirley Seward and copied to the OCDSB trustees and director. It is a response to the response received by OPERI from the Board after the June 7th presentation. OPERI has since received an email from Shirley saying that we could freely share the contents of these … [Read more…]
Received by email Jun 24 at 8:28 AM (The following is the text of an email OPERI received from the OCDSB after its presentation to the Committee of the Whole on June 7th. The email was copied to trustees and to the OCDSB director.) Dear Richard: Thank you for taking the time to attend the Committee of … [Read more…]
Follow-up to June 7th Delegation Last night OPERI presented its proposal to the Committee of the Whole of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. The trustees gave us a good hearing and were generous with the time they allowed for our answers to their three questions. After the presentation, trustee Shawn Menard emailed me saying … [Read more…]