In 2011, Dr.Lee-Anne Gray founded "The Connect Group", which seeks to help communities find educational solutions, to empower educational innovators, and to promote compassionate education. The Connect Group has sponsored TEDxStudioCityED (see below), and initiated the Worldwide Empathy Toy Giveaway, connecting educators around the globe with free Empathy Toys.
Dr.Gray's visions for a learning environment which would trust and respect students took shape in 2014 with the launch of The Connect Group School, a tuition-free democratic learning community in which students are co-founders and co-learners, working together to envision their own learning experiences using design-thinking in a mixed-age environment. Learners from ages 4 to adult are empowered to follow their passions, work together, solve problems, and plan their own education.
What does this look like in practice? My first experience with The Connect Group School was a warm and welcoming reception at a park in a suburb of Los Angeles. Several children were sitting at a picnic table when I arrived, working on a project with Wendy, a mother of one of the younger students. As I walked up, Wendy jumped up excitedly, said how glad she was that I was there, and called Dr.Gray and another parent over from the creek, where they had been listening intently to Dr.Gray's pre-teen daughter instruct several students (including her 15 year old brother) on the rules of a game she was creating which involved the creek and large rocks. Lee-Anne met me with a hug and much eagerness to hear my story - we talked and shared as we watched the children play in the creek, and then joined in with their game, adults and children all equally trying the challenges and making suggestions on how the rules might be tweaked so the game would work better for everyone. When the game petered out we headed to a picnic table for shared snacks and a group meeting, one student offering to chair while another took notes. Children and adults all had opportunity to voice their opinions, discuss school matters, and help plan the upcoming week's schedule. As with many discussions in life, there was not always consensus, nor did everyone listen, and disagreements were had. Yet rather than stepping in when things went awry, the adults participated as equals with the children, giving suggestions, talking about how they felt, asking questions and occasionally giving reminders to refer back to meeting-protocol. After the meeting had been adjourned, I promised to connect again so we could continue our ongoing conversation about schooling and I could see a bit more of The Connect Group School in action.
Over the following week I was able to spend time with Lee-Anne Gray, her husband, and their 3 children at home, where I watched the democratic learning process continue. Everyone pursued their interests, shared things they were learning, and communicated with each other to come up with plans and solve problems. Clear communication, openness, and responsibility were emphasized. I was honoured to be an observer and participant in this space.
The Connect Group School is currently a small group of parents and students sorting out what education looks like for them and envisioning for the future. Their "curriculum" and methods are changing and evolving as they try out various approaches, visit other school models, and collaborate with other people and groups who come their way. Field trips and outings have figured prominently in their learning this past year (see Twitter link below). In addition to their time spend together as a group, students are encouraged to pursue their passions and interests through various classes, clubs, and workshops. One teenager has recently begun a philosophy course at UCLA, and other students are taking classes through Urban Homeschoolers - a community-based learning support center for homeschoolers in L.A.
Learning, at The Connect Group School, is always a work in progress! It is an ever-shifting, ever-evolving process, shaped by the needs and input of both children and adults as they learn and work together. It is life. It is real. And it honours the human spirit.
Over the following week I was able to spend time with Lee-Anne Gray, her husband, and their 3 children at home, where I watched the democratic learning process continue. Everyone pursued their interests, shared things they were learning, and communicated with each other to come up with plans and solve problems. Clear communication, openness, and responsibility were emphasized. I was honoured to be an observer and participant in this space.
The Connect Group School is currently a small group of parents and students sorting out what education looks like for them and envisioning for the future. Their "curriculum" and methods are changing and evolving as they try out various approaches, visit other school models, and collaborate with other people and groups who come their way. Field trips and outings have figured prominently in their learning this past year (see Twitter link below). In addition to their time spend together as a group, students are encouraged to pursue their passions and interests through various classes, clubs, and workshops. One teenager has recently begun a philosophy course at UCLA, and other students are taking classes through Urban Homeschoolers - a community-based learning support center for homeschoolers in L.A.
Learning, at The Connect Group School, is always a work in progress! It is an ever-shifting, ever-evolving process, shaped by the needs and input of both children and adults as they learn and work together. It is life. It is real. And it honours the human spirit.
Click on the buttons for links to more information and photos of The Connect Group School in action!
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TEDxStudioCityED
Dr.Gray curated TEDxStudioCityED in 2012 as a means of opening a dialogue in Los Angeles about blending self-regulation, technology, and education.
TEDxStudioCityED: Being in a calm steady state is required for success in school and in life. In 2012 speakers from diverse disciplines came together to reshape education with special focus on self-regulation. From mindful awareness practices to fitness, exercise, and nutrition, the need and benefits of self-regulation were explored. Moreover, the use of technology with its concurrent regulatory benefits and challenges were also a focus. Click on the links below to see some of the talks from TEDxStudioCityED!
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To see more videos from TEDxStudioCityED 2012, go to http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7E96D040F8663439
Follow Lee-Anne Gray on twitter: www.twitter.com/@DrLeeAnneG