Tag: reflection

  • Template for Student Notes

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    I’ve written a lot about documenting as a facilitator in self-directed learning spaces. Every update of the ALC Network website or Starter Kit, I rework the section on documentation based on what I see day-to-day. There are always more questions for facilitators to consider: How much documentation should be from you versus from the young…

  • Agile E-Book References and Resource Recommendations

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    In posting the audio versions of each chapter of my Self-Directed Education and the Agile Learning Approach e-book, I realized there was no good way to make sure folks could find the people I was citing without literally spelling out each name and title…so I copied the recommendations at the end of each chapter here…

  • On expectations…

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    This was a week in which I reflected on the difference between intentions and expectations. Twice, I set the intention with kids to go ice skating. I intended to reconnect with a friend who’s been off-grid. Intended to get new body art. To stretch. To blog. To clean. I called these my intentions, but they…

  • On Consequences

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    The word “consequence” seems to trigger strong reactions from people, particularly in the context of adult-child relationships and school power dynamics. Over and over, I have found myself clarifying that “consequence” is not the same as “punishment.” A consequence is simply the effect brought about by a decision or pattern of decisions. We tend to…

  • Slog Blog

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    I haven’t been blogging. I’ve been going through the past few weeks totally present during the school day, diligently responding to Slack/texts/emails/calls after school, showing up for lots of meetings, and simultaneously juggling some large happenings in my personal life. Frequently, I’ll stop and think about wanting to include something in my weekly blog post–a…

  • Visions

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    There was a lot of talk at ALF Weekend about visioning. What is the ALC project? What kind of growth do we want? Where? How fast? Why? Who wants to be doing what? What would our mission statement for the network sound like (if it’s different from those of schools…but what are those)? The questions…

  • Who I Am and What I Do

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    (…right now…in the ALC context…) I’m Abby. Yes, it’s a nickname. Yes, with a ‘y.’ I’m NYC-based, presently Holding and co-facilitating at ALC-NYC with @ryanshollenberger. We play regularly with @tomis @abram @bear @drew and other roving ALFs who swing through our space, and we love hosting visitors from other ALCs. At school, kids come to…

  • Editing

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    It’s like I’m a self-directed learner or something. Some of my ALF friends write amazingly, and I really wanted to be like “Hey, just write and get all that fascinating, useful, beautiful storytelling out of your head and onto this page so I can read it. Then let me fix the punctuation and grammar so other…

  • 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…

  • The Smell of Pony Noses

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    There’s a giggle-filled werewolves game happening in front of me. Between a crackling fire and a giant group kanban. @themadhatter is DM-ing and dancing, next to the kettle heating water for my mid-day mint tea. Most of the other adults are missing, helping install windows in a community member’s addition, around the inverted pine tree…