Year: 2018

Educational links philosophical links PARTNER LINKS Simple English Encyclopedia: free encyclopedia for students Fact Monster: free encyclopedia for students Kids.net: free encyclopedia for studentsThe Library of Congress: free encyclopedia for studentsKhan Academy: learn Math, Science & engineering, Computing, Arts & humanities, Economics & finance, Test prep, College, careers, & moreMr. Nassbaum: learn a wide range of topics in math, language arts, history, geography, and science on this educational gaming site.Smithsonian Learning Lab: puts the treasures of the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex within reachBJ Pinchbeck: homework helpKidinfo: homework help Neohumanist Education: site of the global movement that Progressive School is connected toPositive Psychology: the scientific study of what makes life most worth livingCommon Sense Media: non-partisan, not-for-profit organization, providing trustworthy information and tools, as well as an independent forum, so that families can have a choice and a voice about the media they consume. Reviews of content in movies, games, websites, and more. Amazon Smile: Click here to sign up so that all your Amazon purchases result in a donation from Amazon to usStop and Shop A+ School Rewards: shopping results in a company donation to us when you sign upiGive.com: shop almost anywhere online through iGive.com and they will donate to Progressive School.

Last year our theme was Integral Learning. We experimented with thematic units that integrated many academic disciplines. By contrast, most school learning is accomplished through separate subject studies. For example, the History of the Ancient Greeks would be a social studies unit—removed from reading, writing, math, science, art, music, etc. But in our daily life and jobs, learning tends to be integrated, rarely sorted and artificially detached into academic niche subjects. Furthermore, children’s minds are touched and inspired by the thematic approach which shows the connection between subjects, exposing the deeper meaning and purpose for learning. Ecology is the study of how Life interrelates in a systemic way with all biological forms and their surroundings. Relationships take place at the atomic and molecular level, between plants and animals, and among species in ecological networks and systems. This year we have chosen to combine Integral Learning with Ecology, resulting in Integral Ecology. Integral Ecology is a new movement that seeks to bring the deep understanding of interrelationship that Ecology demonstrates into all aspects of human life. In this movement, Ecology is used as a natural guiding principle to promote the greater good, to help find sustainable solutions to our collective problems, and to determine equitable methods for solving them. Ecology can be applied to many aspects of school life, and and we will be experimenting with these as the year progresses. This is Integral Ecology—meshing Ecology as a guiding truth into our thematic, integrated style of teaching, and also extending ecological principles beyond academics until their touch blesses every aspect of our school life. To this end, we have already begun a few initiatives this summer: Garden plots for every grade A special outdoor garden curriculum for grades K and 1 New imaginative approaches to behavioral and emotional therapy Plans for a collective recycled art project Additional plantings around the property We expect to develop other new initiatives with our teachers when school is in session.