Think of something you’re really good at. Chances are, whatever it is, you taught yourself. An insight or tip here and there, some books or videos perhaps. But for the most part, your most valuable, high-return skills and know-how were gained from your own self-education and experience, not from a teacher.
Tag: education
9/11 Every Month — Where’s the Outrage?
The TL;DR: “Many Americans die every year because they need kidney transplants, in large part due to federal laws banning organ sales. … [A]n average of over 30,000 Americans have died each year, because the ban prevented them from getting transplants in time.” My preferred version of the headline: “The US government, as a matter of policy, kills 30,000 Americans annually.”
The ADHD Overdiagnosis Epidemic Is a Schooling Problem, Not a Child One
While ADHD may be a real and debilitating ailment for some, the startling upsurge in school-age children being labeled with and medicated for this disorder suggests that something else could be to blame. More research points to schooling, particularly early schooling, as a primary culprit in the ADHD diagnosis epidemic.
Life By Subscription
The idea that a monolithic monopoly needs to provide all kinds of services whether we want them or not is stupid. It’s always been stupid. But it’s easier to see the stupid now that our lives are comprised of a growing web of voluntary subscription services and Amazon delivers everything for free.
Policing the Public Schools: How Schools Are Becoming Even More Like Prisons
In his book, Free To Learn, Boston College psychology professor Peter Gray makes the connection between school and prison. He writes: “Everyone who has ever been to school knows that school is prison, but almost nobody beyond school age says it is. It’s not polite.” It’s a prison in that young people are compelled to attend school by law, are unable to voluntarily leave, are told what to do and when, and are required to consume a standardized curriculum.
The Most Controversial Belief
The most controversial belief of libertarians (and partisan Libertarians) is the belief that you’re generally both more entitled and more qualified to run your life than someone else is. Who considers that belief controversial? “Mainstream” politicians and their supporters.
Maj Toure: Black Guns Matter (57m)
This episode features a lecture by hip-hop artist Maj Toure from 2018 on the right to bear arms. He founded the Black Guns Matter movement in 2015 and advocates for 2nd Amendment education and information for urban communities. Maj has been featured in the New York Times, Breitbart News, National Public Radio, Fox News, CNN, and NRANews for his out of the box approach to 2nd Amendment advocacy.
The Known Is Transformed by the Unknown
When we reach for new ideas, it results in a more nuanced relationship to the ideas we already have. By grappling with unfamiliar concepts, we breathe new life into the familiar ones. Learning not only begets new information. It begets new opportunities with old understandings we may have taken for granted.
Compulsory Schooling Laws Aren’t Progressive, They’re Inhumane
Someone asked me recently if I could wave a magic wand and do one thing to improve American education what would it be. Without hesitation, I replied: Eliminate state compulsory schooling statutes. Stripping the state of its power to define and control education under a legal threat of force is a necessary step in pursuit of education freedom and parental empowerment.
“Meatless Mondays” and the Rise of Social-Emotional Learning in Schools
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this month that all New York City public schools would enact “Meatless Mondays,” avoiding any meat offerings during Monday school breakfasts and lunches beginning this fall. The Meatless Monday plan is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to government dictates on right and wrong, often using compulsory government schools to influence young people.