Tag: alf

  • Weird Week…

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    There are two kids in the school right now, and that’s been a normal thing this week. It’s not a bad thing; I LOVE that so many of our kids went to D.C. to visit nasa or went upstate or are running around the city with siblings or are leaving early for classes and activities.…

  • Conflict Resolution

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    When I was in school, “conflict resolution” took the form of teacher-shuts-it-down-with-threats/punishments to keep class time lesson-focused. As I studied progressive and alternative forms of education, I came across many approaches to dealing with conflicts between students. There were “J.C.s” (Judicial Committees) comprised of students, essentially local courts. There were teacher trainings on using non-violent…

  • 4 days of…

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    It’s spring! Every morning on my way to school, I walk through (or bus around, if the weather is bad) the North end of Central Park. I’ve been waiting soooo patiently for the flowers and leaves and ducks and turtles to return, and this week they’re finally all back! @ryanshollenberger spent the week in Puerto…

  • Philosophy of Dictators[hip]: Napoleon

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    @douglasawesome requested before spring break that we begin a weekly exploration of Dictatorship, picking different dictators each week to learn about and discuss. He asked to start with Napoleon Bonaparte…specifically with a certain Pinky and the Brain episode. We started watching the episode, in which Brain is mistaken for the emperor. We learned a few…

  • Wings of Life

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    Yesterday was a grey and rainy day in the city, and the slurch was strong at ALC-NYC. We were super sleepy. So I asked what documentary I should screen in the afternoon for us to lazily watch, and @thewitchqueen908 emphatically insisted on Wings of Life. I later found out that he was suggesting it for me…

  • End of March and Beginning of Spring

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    This week, Will visited! He, @douglasawesome, Geva, and somewhat @ryanshollenberger took over the Makerspace to make an arcade-style cabinet for Galactic Nemesis (the game they designed and built last year). There was paint and sawdust and gas masks and silly pictures…They didn’t quite finish, but they’re very close! The project dislocated the Minecraft+RedCrucible crew to…

  • In which she has a weird[er so than usual] week and re-learns things she forgot

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    This morning, there was a full solar eclipse and a super moon. Over other continents. I have astronomical envy…especially since we’re getting snow here in NYC, on this first day of spring. I’ve been trying to keep my personal life energies and ALC life energies separate this week more so than usual, and I felt…

  • From the mouths of Agile Learners: Graduation ideas

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    Out of curiosity, I went around and asked all our students “What would/should a graduation process for ALC look like?” Here are the answers I got: There should be a test to see how long you can play Minecraft. There should be a test to see if you can survive after drinking a 5-hour energy…

  • Answer to “Are your facilitators ever students?” OR What Hamlet has to do with ALC

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    Monday feels like a really long time ago. We had visitors from ALC Mosaic (who decided to come to school even though they were on spring break), a visiting week student, Tomis 🙂 , and some parents, so things were extra busy. Like four-field-trip-week busy. Which is how I prefer things, but cramming alll that…

  • Ending February

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    We came back from mid-winter break to end February with visitors, trips, and lots to reflect on. Monday we played Werewolves and Town of Salem (a similar game, played online). Or rather, I made some jewelry with wire and pliers while playing Werewolves and spectating T.O.S. Tuesday @ryanshollenberger @themadhatter @failspy @thewitchqueen908 @douglasawesome and I went…

  • Between two [imaginary] ferns, with Javair

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    Who are you? A logic-loving experience-devil (like dare-devil…). I love computer science. Oh, and I’m socially manipulative. What’s an example of being socially manipulative? My favorite example is in card games, like in Coup. When someone challenges you, they choose their own card. I like manipulating them to choose the wrong card. I use a…

  • Guest Author: Charlotte <3

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    Charlotte, my seven-year-old friend from QIV-C, has been hanging out with ALC-NYC and Cloudhouse these past few days we’ve visited her home. Here’s a guest post from her: I liked when my sled was going really fast, last night. With Eric, Abby, Chuck, and Javair. I kept falling out of my sled, which was funny.…

  • Oh! I found an old blog post draft on my hard drive (from 10.17)

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    Monday didn’t really feel like a Monday, since we rolled into it after having ALF-ed through the weekend upstate. I love getting to play with wonderful adults and hang in beautiful Chatham, but there’s always a point where I become impatient to come back to the kids. We filled the weekly schedule board! We cheered…

  • Whirlwind and Peace

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    I’m curled up, warm in a sunny window, a little bit amazed at how much organized chaos filled the beginning of the week. This weekend, I had a guest and a staff working day (in which @ryanshollenberger and @tomis gave the bathroom an amazing make-over!). We rolled into the week Tuesday morning with the arrival…

  • Alchemist Book Discussion: Part 2

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    @failspy and I both finished reading The Alchemist over the weekend, so we reconvened today for philosophy part two. Right away, Javair found the line that evokes ALC/alt.ed. philosophy: “There is only one way to learn and that’s through action” (p 125). Ummmm….yes. Were we both newer to this actually-thinking-about-industrial-schooling business, we would probably have…

  • The Alchemist: part 1 discussion

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    @failspy and I are reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It’s been seven years and several lives since I last read it, so Javair’s invitation to revisit and discuss it appealed to me immediately. Today we sat for an hour with the book, our notes (his mental, mine written), and Wikipedia for our first “mini-philosophy” about…

  • Brainpickings Gem for New Years

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    Famous thinkers’ self-growth resolutions? Thanks, Brainpickings! I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. I dread being asked for my “resolution,” as for most of December and January the word conjures in my mind a memory of facebook-feeds-gone-by filled with well-meant and mostly ill-fated resolutions to go to the gym every single day. Or the sincere…

  • Of course you won’t be bored over the break, but just in case…

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    Mostly thinking of @failspy @kingthanos @jacobcb as I write this, but here are a bunch of resources for anyone in NYC over the break and unsure of how to keep adventuring while school is closed 🙂 Free museums! Don’t be shy about taking advantage of “suggested/donation-based admission” 😉 Also, I would highly recommend taking a…

  • Last week before the break!!!

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    My week started gettin’ agile Sunday evening, when @bear and the Cloudhouse crew arrived at my apartment to join Brandon and I and our Polish quantum physicist friend for the biggest sleepover I’ve had in years 🙂 Monday, the weather was BEAUTIFUL! So a group of us took off to climb rocks, picnic, draw, hide-and-seek,…

  • A basic question…

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    Last week, I finally recorded the story-line of an MM game @thewitchqueen908 DMed. At the end of the game, my character finally makes it to the lair of the great golden dragon to ask for an apprenticeship. The great golden dragon asks whether the little dragon wants friendship and wisdom or just power. After being…