Monday, April 29, 2019

Back to the Basics


My school administrator told me he just came back from an Education Conference where they were discussing “the latest and greatest in education” and my unspoken response was “Uh-oh.” Because often that means one of three things:

1)   The latest technological gizmo
2)   The latest packaged deal filled with educational jargon and 26 steps to memorize (and then promptly forget).
3)   The latest bandwagon on which we feel compelled to jump that changes schedules, programs, salaried employees, makes us distrust our own hard-earned wisdom of what we know actually works with children and then fades away until the next bandwagon drives by.

Meanwhile, in the glorious countryside of the Carmel Valley with Spring on the loose and wildflowers a-bloom, I went to our once-every-two-years Orff Mini-conference Retreat led by six strong, vibrant, musical, fun and loving women teachers presenting the music from their home cultures of Iceland, Norway and Finland. They’ve jumped into the 21stcentury with a book that’s entirely on a Website with free material complete with scores, videos, class plan suggestions. And yet, their actual workshops were not looking at the screen, but being wholly present in the body in a circle, making artistic, sensual, imaginative and musical connections with ourselves and with each other. They taught with the whole of their bodily musical presence, with eye-contact, movement and smiles and offered material born from the soil of their cultures so that you could feel their ancestors singing through them. The primary technologies were our speaking, singing voices, our clapping hands and stamping feet, our blended sounds and movements. The materials used included wood, metal and skin instruments, paints, paper, sticks, wildflowers. In short, the real deal. 

The real “back to the basics” means back to the elemental, primary experience of this life on this living earth. Discovering the miracles the human body, voice and mind is capable of before extending it and transmitting it out further with electronic assistance. The real latest and greatest is simply remembering the miracles that lie at our feet and our vast, unbounded imaginative potential at our fingertips. And the reminder that you don’t have to go to Africa to repair our fragmented, broken, disconnected, alienated selves. It’s available equally with different colors and sounds and inflections in Scandinavia and indeed, in every spot on this wide and varied planet where people attend to the gifts their ancestors bequeathed them. That’s the kind of conference that indeed is worthy and can make a profound difference in the lives of young children.

Thanks to the teachers, the students, the organizers, the host setting, the wildflowers and the weather for the reminder. (Those curious about these women’s work can go to www.nordicsounds. But only after you’ve gone out and hugged a tree.)


2 comments:

  1. Buy tadarise 60mg has cemented an outstanding spot in the medicinal arena for avenging the dangers linked to erectile dysfunction (ED). With Tadalafil as the chief-formula, the pill targets most of the men suffocating from its humiliation.

    Buy tadarise oral jelly Online is FDA Approved Medication use to Men with erectile dysfunction. Tadarise 20 Oral jelly manufactured by Sunrise Remedies in india. cheap tadalafil oral jelly buy at online trusted pharmacy Medypharma. Tadarise Oral jelly reviews , Lowest Price Online. Order Now !

    Buy malegra pro 100 Online is contain of Sildenafil Citrate. Know about malegra pro 100 uses , Price, How to take, Side Effect, How to use malegra pro 100. Avail best price in USA, by Doorsteps, order now ! cheap Malegra pro 100 , malegra pro 100 for sale, malegra 100 for sale.

    Buy malegra 200 Online belongs to containt of Sildenafil Citrate . Know More about Malegra 200 mg price , uses , How to use , How to take . cheap generic Viagra from this online pharmacy Medypharma, get great discounts and home delivery. Order Now! buy malegra online , cheap malegra 100

    Buy malegra 100 Online From Trusted online pharmacy Medypharma. Malegra 100mg The drug contains sildenafil citrate. Buy Generic Sildenafil citrate at Lowest Price Online ✅. malegra 100 for sale, malegra 100 pro review. cheap Malegra 100 from your reliable pharmacy.

    buy tadalista professional online effectively treats impotency and erectile dysfunction in males. tadalista professional from your most reliable Trusted online pharmacy Medypharma. Avail best price in USA, by your doorsteps.Order Now !

    Buy tadalista super active Online medicine is manufactured by Fortune Health Care Ltd to treat Erectile Dysfunction issue in Men. Buy generic drugs from this Trusted online pharmacy Medypharma. Free home delivery on Order above $249 ! Tadalista super active review, side effects, softgel.

    Buy fildena double 200 online is used to treat male sexual function problems (impotence or erectile dysfunction-ED). It's Manufactured By Fortune Healthcare. It Contains of Sildenafil Citrate200 mg. Know more about Fildena Double 200 price, Side Effect

    Buy super tadarise Online is one of the most powerful medication for the treatment and elimination of sexual dysfunction for men. Super Tadarise facilitates the ability to achieve excitation in unreasonably short period of time, it takes only 30 minutes o

    ReplyDelete
  2. Buykamagra Online is used for Enlarged prostate gland in male, Increased blood pressure in lungs and other conditions. Know about the uses, side effects, price, composition, substitutes, How it works, Lowest Price Online. Kamagra Gold 100mg Online buy with lowest Price Ever Online Pharmacy. Kamagra Gold 100mg Reviews.

    buy kamagra oral jelly 100 online is used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence) in men. kamagra oral jelly buy online is contain of Sildenafil Citrate Oral Jelly. kamagra 100mg oral jelly review from Medypharma. cheap kamagra oral jelly for sale. Free shipping in USA. Order Now!

    Buy kamagra polo online is an effective medication for treating erectile dysfunction (ED) or mpotency in men. Know about kamagra uses, Price, How to take, Side Effect, How to use. Buy Medicine Online From Trusted Pharmacy Medypharma. Kamagra soft chewable, kamagra polo review.

    Buy filagra oral jelly Online is interesting form of the ED drug. It is available in exciting fruity flavors which make it special. A very powerful and comfortable generic alternative for Viagra. buy filagra gel online from Medypharma. filagra gel review , Buy filagra Online.

    Buysuhagra 100 Online is used for Enlarged prostate gland in male, Increased blood pressure in lungs and other conditions. Know about the uses, side effects, price, composition, substitutes, How it works, Lowest Price Online. Suhagra 100mg Online buy with lowest Price Ever Online Pharmacy. Suhagra 100mg Reviews.

    Buy tadarise 20 mg Online is generic Cialis, an erectile dysfunction medication based on Tadalafil. Know about tadarise uses , Price, How to take, Side Effect, How to use Tadarise . buy Tadarise 20 From your most reliable Trusted online pharmacy Medypharma. by your doorsteps, Avail best price in USA.

    Buy tadalista 20 Online is containt of Tadalafil. buy Tadalista online , tadalista india , cheap tadalista price. your most reliable Trusted pharmacy Medypharma. Avail best price in USA, by your doorsteps. Order Tadalista 20 Now!

    Buy cenforce 25 mg Online contains an active ingredient Sildenafil which is FDA-approved medication used to treat ed problems in men. Know about cenforce dosage, uses, Price, How to take, Side Effect, How to use cenforce. avail best price in USA.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.