Schooling Passions

This book explores how regional and national senses of belonging are produced and transmitted in elementary schools in western India.

In this instant New York Times bestseller, Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” “Inspiration for non-geniuses everywhere” (People). The daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of “genius,” Angela Duckworth is now a celebrated researcher and professor. It was her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience that led to her hypothesis about what really drives success: not genius, but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance. In Grit, she takes us into the field to visit cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, teachers working in some of the toughest schools, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she’s learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers—from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll. “Duckworth’s ideas about the cultivation of tenacity have clearly changed some lives for the better” (The New York Times Book Review). Among Grit’s most valuable insights: any effort you make ultimately counts twice toward your goal; grit can be learned, regardless of IQ or circumstances; when it comes to child-rearing, neither a warm embrace nor high standards will work by themselves; how to trigger lifelong interest; the magic of the Hard Thing Rule; and so much more. Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that—not talent or luck—makes all the difference. This is “a fascinating tour of the psychological research on success” (The Wall Street Journal).

Like so many young people, James Bach, the son of the famous author Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull) struggled in school. While he excelled in subjects that interested him, he barely passed the courses that didn't. By the time he was sixteen he had dropped out. He taught himself computer programming and software design and started working as a manager at Apple Computers only four years later - and he never looked back. With The Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar, James shows us how he developed his own education on his own terms, how that unorthodox education brought him success, and how the reader can do it too. In his uniquely pithy and anecdotal style James uses the metaphor of a buccaneer to describe anyone whose love of learning and pursuit of knowledge is not bound by institutions or authorities. James outlines the eleven elements of his self-education method and shows how every reader - simply investing time and passion into educating themselves about the things that really interest them - can develop a method for acquiring knowledge and expertise that fits their temperaments and showcases their unique abilities and skills. Particularly well-suited for an audience grappling with the challenges posed by the internet, but also appropriate for parents looking to help and school their children or employees hoping to jumpstart their careers, The Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar is a groundbreaking and uplifting work that empowers and inspires its readers.

Do you need parenting advice on how to inspire your child to love learning? Whether you homeschool or send your kids to public or private school, this is essential reading for your situation. Why? Because schooling has become a disaster. Your child's interests and uniqueness are disregarded, and structured curriculum and standards like Common Core place them on a conveyor belt that treats all children the same. This system crushes a child's curiosity. Your child deserves better! There is a better way: one that ensures your child sees learning as a joy and provides you, the parent, with a much less stressful way to educate and empower your son or daughter. In this book, Connor Boyack shares the exciting philosophy and empowering day-to-day steps involved in passion-driven education. A child's curiosity and natural desire to learn are like a tiny flame, easily extinguished unless it's protected and given fuel. This book will help you as a parent both protect that flame of curiosity and supply it with the fuel necessary to make it burn bright throughout your child's life. Let's ignite our children's natural love of learning! Five Things Discussed in the Book What's the problem with schools? Whether public, private, or "home," schooling is structured in a way that has significant negative outcomes for children academically, psychologically, and emotionally. To understand the solutions, you first need to review these problems.What's your goal? Too many parents simply send their children to school out of ritual and expectation, without thinking about the end result. Caring parents must ponder the outcomes of education and what they want their children to become. Once goals are established, we can make a plan.I need solutions! It's easy to point out problems with schooling. It's more important that we review serious and attainable solutions that can help you educate your child and preserve (or restore) their natural love of learning.What are the alternatives? If schools are inherently problematic and crush a child's curiosity, what can be done? We'll review several differing approaches to education that incorporate some of the solutions listed earlier.Passion-driven education The best way to educate a child is to speak to them in a language they already understand, using their personal interests as a "hook" to make other subjects interesting and relevant. We'll review some examples and then give you an action plan.

The Human Race Is In Danger Sixteen-year-old Alyssa Brooks is a high-school outcast who doesn't realize that she's living in a world where magic is very real and a dire threat to anyone not possessing the power to harness it. But everything changes when Alyssa moves into Magnorium, a school for strange supernaturals called Elementals. As Alyssa adjusts to this new life, she learns of the Society, a powerful group of Elementals dedicated to cleansing the earth of its mortal population. Alyssa soon discovers her own truth and power and becomes something greater than she could have imagined – or the Society could have feared. As the only ones brave enough to stop the Society, Alyssa and her three friends set off on a journey, with the future of humanity hanging in the balance. Will Alyssa be strong enough to carry the burden of the world, or will she break under the strain?

This book describes how a progressive public school has transformed the lives of its alumni. It's the story of an extended family of students, staff and parents who have formed their own community of learners over the course of 38 years. This injection of heart, hope and passion into a public school demonstrates the place of personal growth in public education, and how it can inspire us to create a better world.

What is the purpose of education? What kind of people do we want our children to grow up to be? How can we design schools so that students will acquire the skills they'll need to live fulfilled and productive lives? These are just a few of the questions that renowned educator Dennis Littky explores in The Big Picture: Education Is Everyone's Business. The schools Littky has created and led over the past 35 years are models for reformers everywhere: small, public schools where the curriculum is rich and meaningful, expectations are high, student progress is measured against real-world standards, and families and communities are actively engaged in the educational process. This book is for both big "E" and small "e" educators: * For principals and district administrators who want to change the way schools are run. * For teachers who want students to learn passionately. * For college admissions officers who want diverse applicants with real-world learning experiences. * For business leaders who want a motivated and talented workforce. * For parents who want their children to be prepared for college and for life. * For students who want to take control over their learning . . . and want a school that is interesting, safe, respectful, and fun. * For anyone who cares about kids. Here, you'll find a moving account of just what is possible in education, with many of the examples drawn from the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center ("The Met") in Providence, Rhode Island--a diverse public high school with the highest rates of attendance and college acceptance in the state. The Met exemplifies personalized learning, one student at a time. The Big Picture is a book to reenergize educators, inspire teachers in training, and start a new conversation about kids and schools, what we want for both, and how to make it happen.

Passion for Identity provides an excellent collection of readings which are ideally suited for an introductory course in Canadian studies. The pieces are engaging, readable and highly relevant to the complexities of culture, society, and power.