Kenneth Danford's guest appearances

Kenneth Danford

Off-Trail Learning

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Learning is Natural, School is Optional with Kenneth Danford

Kenneth Danford is the Co-founder and Executive Director at North Star: Self- Directed Learning for Teens in Sunderland, Massachusetts. He has been working intensively with teenagers and their families since 1991. He is the founding Board Member of Liberated Learners through which he consult with others interested in the North Star model. He was a middle school social studies teacher in Prince George’s County, Maryland, then in Amherst, Massachusetts, left to found North Star. He had a Masters in Social Studies from Brown University and lives in Montague, Massachusetts, with family. Lastly, he is the author of “Learning is Natural; School is Optional,” book. Key Takeaways: 00:00:13 The change in Learning Experience and how it all started. 09:01 The Little Clubhouse as an Alternative Way to Live for Learners. 14:58 Recognize the Terror and Hardship as a way to face Frustrated Afraid Parents. 20:06 North Star and Liberated Learners Experience Outside of United States 28:08 Get to Know the Forming Community of the North Star: The Staffs. 31:04 Broader Perspective on Liberated Learners. 40:12 Three Different Stories with One Great Mission of Letting Kids Be. 46:47 Managing Distraction Among Kids. 51:37 Dealing with Parents’ Frustration and Disillusioned Lack of Progress on their Kids. 1:03:50 North Star accepting Distance Members. 1:05:34 The Metaphor that represents the learning model of North Star and Liberated Learning Centers. Quotes: “We don't make everybody do a little bit of everything every day.” “The North Star approach offers teens a headstart on life. When I say school is optional, school is optional for learning and school is optional for a credential. “ “Everything I'm saying hinges on the concept that there is an alternative to traditional high school that is functional to go to university or to be included into the, you know, Professional World.” “When I say school is optional, for me, it has all the tension and emotion of like summer camp is optional. “ “Kids could go to school and like it or not like it. It's going to be okay and it's not going to define their lives. “ “ We believe that kids can do okay just fine, without school, the same way they do just fine, after school or during the summers.” “Things have to be resolved and not lived with a lot of times. Some things can be lived with, but a lot of things can't.” “They get to a point where they want to just know that they're doing the thing they're doing for themselves of their own free will and not out of fear or pressure from their parents.” “Don't compare what your kid is doing to some idealized homeschooling life. Let's compare what your kid is doing in their weekly routine right now, to what it would be most likely going on for them.”  Social Links: Kenneth Danford LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-danford-38124628/ Website - http://www.kennethdanford.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ken.danford.7 North Star - http://www.northstarteens.org/ Liberated Learner -  https://liberatedlearners.net/ Learning is Natural, School is Optional.: The North Star approach to offering teens a head start on life Book 

Kenneth Danford is the Co-founder and Executive Director at<a href="https://northstarteens.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> North Star: Self- Directed Learning for Teens</a> in Sunderland, Massachusetts. He has been working intensively with teenagers and their families since 1991. He is the founding Board Member of Liberated Learners through which he consult with others interested in the North Star model. He was a middle school social studies teacher in Prince George’s County, Maryland, then in Amherst, Massachusetts, left to found North Star. He had a Masters in Social Studies from Brown University and lives in Montague, Massachusetts, with family. Lastly, he is the author of “Learning is Natural; School is Optional,” book. Key Takeaways: 00:00:13 The change in Learning Experience and how it all started. 09:01 The Little Clubhouse as an Alternative Way to Live for Learners. 14:58 Recognize the Terror and Hardship as a way to face Frustrated Afraid Parents. 20:06 North Star and Liberated Learners Experience Outside of United States 28:08 Get to Know the Forming Community of the North Star: The Staffs. 31:04 Broader Perspective on Liberated Learners. 40:12 Three Different Stories with One Great Mission of Letting Kids Be. 46:47 Managing Distraction Among Kids. 51:37 Dealing with Parents’ Frustration and Disillusioned Lack of Progress on their Kids. 1:03:50 North Star accepting Distance Members. 1:05:34 The Metaphor that represents the learning model of North Star and Liberated Learning Centers. Quotes: “We don't make everybody do a little bit of everything every day.” “The North Star approach offers teens a headstart on life. When I say school is optional, school is optional for learning and school is optional for a credential. “ “Everything I'm saying hinges on the concept that there is an alternative to traditional high school that is functional to go to university or to be included into the, you know, Professional World.” “When I say school is optional, for me, it has all the tension and emotion of like summer camp is optional. “ “Kids could go to school and like it or not like it. It's going to be okay and it's not going to define their lives. “ “ We believe that kids can do okay just fine, without school, the same way they do just fine, after school or during the summers.” “Things have to be resolved and not lived with a lot of times. Some things can be lived with, but a lot of things can't.” “They get to a point where they want to just know that they're doing the thing they're doing for themselves of their own free will and not out of fear or pressure from their parents.” “Don't compare what your kid is doing to some idealized homeschooling life. Let's compare what your kid is doing in their weekly routine right now, to what it would be most likely going on for them.” Social Links: Kenneth Danford LinkedIn - <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-danford-38124628/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-danford-38124628/</a> Website - <a href="http://www.kennethdanford.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.kennethdanford.com/</a> Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ken.danford.7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/ken.danford.7</a> North Star - <a href="http://www.northstarteens.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.northstarteens.org/</a> Liberated Learner -  <a href="https://liberatedlearners.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://liberatedlearners.net/</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1733549005/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learning is Natural, School is Optional.: The North Star approach to offering teens a head start on life Book </a>

Kenneth Danford - School is Optional

In this episode Lars talks to Kenneth Danford, co-founder and executive director of North Star, an alternative to middle school and high school in Sunderland, Massachusetts. Since 1996 he’s been “helping kids leave school” (sic), and can talk from personal experience about what has happened to over 500 adolescents as they have done just that. Spoiler: It works better than you might think. In 2019 he published the book Learning is natural. School is optional. The North Star approach to offering teens a head start in life. In it he tells the story of North Star, how he went from teaching in middle school to starting this alternative, his own uncertainties about what giving kids this amount of freedom might lead to, and some lessons learned, more than twenty years down the road. It’s honestly one of the most inspiring reads we’ve come over in the last couple years, so get yourself a copy. Some of the main questions that Kenneth asks in the book are:     What if kids are naturally curious?   What if we counted the things that they are interested in as worthy and valuable?   What if kids can pursue their strengths as far as they can go?   Will kids decide to address their weakness and gaps when needed?   What if being happy is more important than being forced to do things that adults believe are "good for you?"   What if the way we treat kids outside of school is actually more effective in their learning than the way we treat them inside of school?   What if we had summer camps and after-school activities and sports (...and libraries, YMCAs, youth centres, camps, sports, tutoring, mentoring) all the time, instead of school?   About the results, Kenneth writes: “Opting out of high school in a positive way with the support of North Star does not leave students excluded from higher education. In fact, it is likely that the confidence in their ability to learn, which they develop at North Star, motivates them to further their education.” (p.145). He has also published an article about what happens to the kids who go through this program, see https://www.self-directed.org/tp/north-star-alumni/ Visit North Star’s webpage http://www.northstarteens.org/, for more info. Ken’s webpage, for info about his book, blog, youtube lectures and podcasts he’s appeared on, is: https://kennethdanford.com/   Lars’ two blog posts about North Star (in Norwegian) is available at:  https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/2019/10/north-star-et-alternativ-til-skolen.html  https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/2020/02/hva-om-ungdom-ikke-matte-ga-pa-skole.html   We would love your feedback on this episode. What are your thoughts, experiences, counterarguments, and ideas about how to spread such ideas about education? Please contact us on the email address below.   ---------------------------- Our logo is by Sveinung Sudbø, see his works on originalkopi.com The music is by Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, see the facebook page Nygrenda Vev og Dur for more info. ----------------------------  Thank you for listening. You can contact us on our facebook page or by email: larsogpaal@gmail.com There is no better way for the podcast to gain new interested listener than by you sharing it with friends, so if you find what we do interesting and useful, please consider doing just that. The podcast is still most in Norwegian, but we have a lot of episodes coming out in English. Our blogs: https://paljabekk.com/ https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/  Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

In this episode Lars talks to Kenneth Danford, co-founder and executive director of North Star, an alternative to middle school and high school in Sunderland, Massachusetts. Since 1996 he’s been “helping kids leave school” (sic), and can talk from personal experience about what has happened to over 500 adolescents as they have done just that. Spoiler: It works better than you might think. In 2019 he published the book Learning is natural. School is optional. The North Star approach to offering teens a head start in life. In it he tells the story of North Star, how he went from teaching in middle school to starting this alternative, his own uncertainties about what giving kids this amount of freedom might lead to, and some lessons learned, more than twenty years down the road. It’s honestly one of the most inspiring reads we’ve come over in the last couple years, so get yourself a copy. Some of the main questions that Kenneth asks in the book are: <ul> <li> What if kids are naturally curious? </li> <li> What if we counted the things that they are interested in as worthy and valuable? </li> <li> What if kids can pursue their strengths as far as they can go? </li> <li> Will kids decide to address their weakness and gaps when needed? </li> <li> What if being happy is more important than being forced to do things that adults believe are "good for you?" </li> <li> What if the way we treat kids outside of school is actually more effective in their learning than the way we treat them inside of school? </li> <li> What if we had summer camps and after-school activities and sports (...and libraries, YMCAs, youth centres, camps, sports, tutoring, mentoring) all the time, instead of school? </li> </ul> About the results, Kenneth writes: “Opting out of high school in a positive way with the support of North Star does not leave students excluded from higher education. In fact, it is likely that the confidence in their ability to learn, which they develop at North Star, motivates them to further their education.” (p.145). He has also published an article about what happens to the kids who go through this program, see <a href="https://www.self-directed.org/tp/north-star-alumni/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.self-directed.org/tp/north-star-alumni/</a> Visit North Star’s webpage <a href="http://www.northstarteens.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.northstarteens.org/</a>, for more info. Ken’s webpage, for info about his book, blog, youtube lectures and podcasts he’s appeared on, is: <a href="https://kennethdanford.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://kennethdanford.com/</a> Lars’ two blog posts about North Star (in Norwegian) is available at: <a href="https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/2019/10/north-star-et-alternativ-til-skolen.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/2019/10/north-star-et-alternativ-til-skolen.html</a> <a href="https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/2020/02/hva-om-ungdom-ikke-matte-ga-pa-skole.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/2020/02/hva-om-ungdom-ikke-matte-ga-pa-skole.html</a> We would love your feedback on this episode. What are your thoughts, experiences, counterarguments, and ideas about how to spread such ideas about education? Please contact us on the email address below. ---------------------------- Our logo is by Sveinung Sudbø, see his works on <a href="http://originalkopi.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">originalkopi.com</a> The music is by Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, see the facebook page Nygrenda Vev og Dur for more info. ---------------------------- <a></a><a></a> Thank you for listening. You can contact us on our facebook page or by email: <a href="mailto:larsogpaal@gmail.com">larsogpaal@gmail.com</a> There is no better way for the podcast to gain new interested listener than by you sharing it with friends, so if you find what we do interesting and useful, please consider doing just that. The podcast is still most in Norwegian, but we have a lot of episodes coming out in English. Our blogs: <a href="https://paljabekk.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://paljabekk.com/</a> <a href="https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/</a> <a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a><a></a> Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

Episode 72 Kenneth Danford on North Star and alternatives to school

Kenneth Danford, executive director and co-founder of North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens (northstarteens.org), talks with host Blake Boles about supporting teenagers who don’t like school, what “self-directed learning” means, the value of dropping out of junior high, nature versus nurture, parenting, and the challenge of funding a small alternative education organization.

Kenneth Danford, executive director and co-founder of North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens (<a href="http://northstarteens.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">northstarteens.org</a>), talks with host Blake Boles about supporting teenagers who don’t like school, what “self-directed learning” means, the value of dropping out of junior high, nature versus nurture, parenting, and the challenge of funding a small alternative education organization.

Kenneth Danford On Thriving Without School