yaacov hecht – education cities

intro’d to Yaacov via Isaac. huge.

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recent talk on what democratic ed is:

the most beautiful thing we have in the world is that we are different. (discrimination as equity)

the catastrophe of school – you can’t see the uniqueness of everyone.

not just no uniqueness – but also a competition – makes the bell curve

the weak people in the bell graph are weak only in the square – if we let them go out – they are excellent

everyone can be excellent if we give them choice

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interview prior to idec 2013:

why come to idec?

update on education cities –

the art of collaboration – the dance of change:

a little about Israel, Hadera:

on change:

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Yaacov at idec 2013 – talking education cities during a coffee talk (5 min video)

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Yaacov’s site– Democratic Education

What we learning and further cemented in our minds and hearts after reading Yaacov’s book, hearing his stories, is that this could be a simple change. Up to us.

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raw review..
holy cow.
does each book i read really get better? is the order really this divine? or am i just finally drinking in life.. each day.. and that’s how it works..

Emmerson – live ever in a new day.

so Yaacov… wow
what esp resonated were the personal stories:

• the kid who played soccer for 3 years, the parents were worried and decided to take him to another school. Yaacov told them one thing – he would be successful wherever they took him. and he was.
• Elad, coming in as severely learning disabled. stops talking at home. even though the parents aren’t asking about school, he still feels defined as disabled, by that square, we call school. once their true feelings are shared, Elad is released to be himself.  ends up teaching himself to read, said at that point it was cake, got a masters in history. his mom said – she had been so concerned about treatments, she had missed knowing her son.
• people wondering what the heck you are doing, wondering why you have no definite solutions or answers to their questions, swimming in the unknowing, the growing, yet longing for solace to those seeking quick fixes.
• believing in kindness, no matter how ridiculous.
• trusting in learning, no matter how far removed (from our squareism)
• trusting in the learner – to get what they need
• working with a system who’s mission statements say they want what you are doing, but aren’t giving it enough space/trust to happen/flourish
• believing in random paths of learning per learner’s choice
• learning how connected we all are, how related different people (student, parent, teacher, admin, community member) are to the same process
• failing to see what you are ridding in yourself
• the intense love for people

definitely experienced your 3 types of entry:

• freedom shock
• overachiever
• at home

agree with what parents/adults need to do:

• give space, even with your eyes [led us to this: raised eyebrow]
• model areas of growth yourself

absolutely get the box within the world that we try to fit everyone in.. outside the box is considered lazy, ridiculous, unworthy, not credentialable – loved where that mayor asked if you believed surfing was worthy of credentialing

huge confirmation that if school wants to be good for people, the world, it needs to be non-compulsory, it needs to do a get-pivot gyration of zooming into an interdependent status for personalization and zooming out to the community/world for generosity

4 basic parts of the spiral of not knowing:

• not knowing area
• discover area
• knowing area
• doubt area

my questions…

• does a focus on human rights create the need for procedures, is it possible to focus on a culture of trust rather than rights
• in my ignorance, in my not knowing – it felt meeting heavy
• can we get to a place where we’re just living.. taking care of issues as they come, on the spot, as human beings, rather than needing to call a meeting
• same for prof development, can’t it just come as naturally as the kid, playing soccer, doing their thing
• i do feel we need a time of detox, because most of us have been intoxicated by the square, but once we’ve reconditioned our minds (as in unleashing them) will we need all this call to order – parliament procedure? i honestly don’t know. my gut says no, but that’s just my gut
• they all had their own keys.. love it

love the incubation – reminds of our 12+ as quasi career and detox
year 1: search (notice?) year 2: deepening (dream?)  year 3: production (connect?)  year 4: application (do?)

i want to go to Israel. i want to see Yaacov’s eyes. (though i feel i have.)
i want to hug Elad. i want to embrace his mom.

so … i will do all of that here.
we’re doing that here Yaacov. we love your voice and your story and your strength and your commitment to do and to search.
thank you deeply Yaacov. Sheerly.. Yaniv

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ralph waldo emmerson

to Yaacov Hecht (and everyone)after reading this from Yaacov:
sometimes people around me accuse me of inconsistency and feel frustrated when yesterday’s truth disintegrates before their eyes.
sometimes i would rather rest on “safe ground”, to feel like “the winner” who has discovered the truth, to stop searching.
the sense of “unknowing” recharges me every time,
burns in me like a fire that joins the fire of my incendiary comrades.
some are not considered classic stories of success, … but this is exactly why they should be told.i read this from Ralph:
from Self-Reliance via the Domino Project – happy 208th

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book links to AERO [alt ed resource org] for purchase

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Yaacov is one of idec 2013’s coffee talkers:

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