marja de vries
New ways of learning and education
In this time of great transformations Marja de Vries focusses recently on new ways of learning and education. She is looking for new forms of learning and education better suited to present-day children and more in tune with the needs of this day and age and giving children the opportunity to develop their full potential. This asks for far-reaching transformations in public education. It asks for new ways of learning that correspond more closely to who we in essence are and that are also more in harmony with the world around us. New fundamental principles for such a transformation of public education that are acceptable for everyone - without being colored by a specific belief system, culture or period - have to be principles with general applicability and therefore of a universal nature.
Learning and education in line with the universal principles
Such universal principles based on the common perceptions of wisdom traditions and recent scientific discoveries that are in line with those insights are described in the book “The Whole Elephant”. On the basis of insights into these universal principles a whole new and coherent worldview becomes visible. It helps to get a better understanding of what is needed to restore the balance and harmony in ourselves as well as worldwide. It also becomes clear from this new perspective where we and our culture are and are not in line with these universal principles. In my next book I will describe how we can use these insights as frame of reference for new ways of learning and education that are more in correspondence with these universal principles and therefore also more in line with ourselves and the greater whole of which we are a part.
For inspiring news about children, youth, learning and education nieuws click hier
Here are for example a few links to interesting, beautiful and impressive internet movies.
For articles by myself click here
= Here are the articles I wrote in dutch for the magazine Educare. Since 2006 I write articles for the magazine Educare: about living and learning with children, published by the Foundation Universal Education (http://educare.nu)
= And an article in english I wrote for the webbook 'The hidden power of Love in Learning' composed by Charlotte Korbee.
Other interesting articles
- A Guide for Raising Your Child by Mary Bell Nyman, in "Messages from Thomas - Raising Psychic Children" by James Twyman © 2003; published by Findhorn Press, Scotland; p. 122 - 136, placed on this website with permission from the publisher.
- We are all Savants by Diane Powell, about two ways to process information: the slow, linear 'classical-' and the very fast, parallel 'quantum-informationprocessing'; in 'Shift', IONS, No. 9, dec. 2005.
- A Decidedly Different Mind by Stephanie Pace Marshall, about new scientific insights that change our concepts about learning and intelligence in a radical way; in 'Shift', IONS, No. 8, sept. 2005.
- The Resonant Heart by Rollin McCraty, Raymond Trevor Bradley and Dana Tomasino, from the Institute of HeartMath about tne brain in the heart and the importance of heartcoherence for learning; in 'Shift', IONS, No. 5, dec. 2004.
- Nourish the inner life at school by Rachael Kessler, author of The Soul in Education: Nourishing Spiritual Development in Secular Schools (ACSD, 2000), first published in Educational Leadership (Winter 1998/1999)
Interesting websites
Transformation of learning and education in general:
- The magazine Educare: http://educare.nu
- At http://www.shapersofeducation.org/hsl/links.html are many links to interesting initiatives.
- The Anthology of the Global Meeting "Paths to Peace – Soul in Education" in Budapest, October 21-24, 2004, at: www.emk.hu/conf2004/index.php?file=antologia.php&lang=en
- The e-magazine Children of the New Earth (CNE) at: www.childrenofthenewearth.com
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The webbook The Hidden Power of Love in Learning at: www.shapersofeducation.org
Transformation of learning and education, special projects:
- The Earth Voyage Project: Earth Education with a new perspective: from a global, whole systems perspective viewing our planet as an integrated whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts. Thisspecial project of the Buckminster Fuller Institute based on 1. awareness, 2. inspiration & genius and 3. cooperation, hopes to inspire children to ask themselves: If success or failure of this planet and of human beings depended on how I am and what I do, How would I be? What would I do? www.earthvoyage.org
Interesting books
- Laura I. Rendón, Sentipensante (sensing/thinking) pedagogy: educating for wholeness, social justice and liberation, 2009, Stylus Publishing, Sterling, Virginia, USA.
- John P. Miller, Educating for Wisdom and Compassion, creating conditions for Timesless Learning, 2006, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA. USA.
- Stephanie Page Marshall, The Power to Transform: Leadership that brings learning and schooling to life, 2006, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Mike Seymour, Educating for Humanity, Rethinking the Purposes of Education, 2004, Paradigm Publishers, Boulder, CO, USA; with contributions by Fritjof Capra, Parker J. Palmer,Thomas Berry, Duane Elgin, Nel Noddings, Thomas Sergiovanni.
- Tobin Hart, Ph.D., The Secret Spiritual World of Children: The breakthrough discovery that profoundly alters our conventional view of children's mystical experiences, 2003, Maui, HI: Inner Ocean Publishing, Inc.
- Michael Mendizza with Joseph Chilton Pearce, Magical Parent, Magical Child: the Optimum Learning Relationship, 2003, Nevada City, CA: In-Joy Publications.
- Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D., Life-Enriching Education: Nonviolent Communication Helps Schools Improve Performance, Reduce Conflict and Enhance Relationships, 2003, Encinitas, Ca: Puddle dancer Press.
- Litany Burns, The Sixth Sense of Children: Nurturing Your Child's Intuitive Abilities, 2002, New York, NY: New American Library.
- Tobin Hart, From Information to Transformation, Education for the Evolution of Consciousness, 2000, Peter Lang Publishing, New York, USA.
- Riane Eisler, Tomorrow's Childeren: A Blueprint for Partnership Education in the 21st Century, 2000, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
- John P. Miller, Education and the Soul: toward a spiritual curriculum, 2000, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
- Rachael Kessler, The Soul of Education: Helping Students find Connection, Compassion, and Character at School, 2000, Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
- Steven Glazer (ed.), The Heart of Learning: spirituality in Education, 1999, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, New York, USA.
- Leonard Shlain,The Alphabet versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image, 1998, New York, Penguin Compass.
- Peggy Jenkins, Ph.D., The Joyful Child: A Sourcebook of Activities and Ideas for Releasing Children's Natural Joy, 1996, Santa Rosa, CA: Aslan Publishing.
- Paula Underwood , Three Strands in the Braid: A Guide for enablers of Learning, 1994, San Anselmo, CA: A Tribe of Two Press.
- Jean Liedloff,The Continuum Concept, Addison-Wesley, 1985.
- J. Donald Walters, Education for Life: Preparing Children to Meet the Challenges, 1986/1997, Nevada City,CA: Crystal Clarity Publishers.
- George Leonard, Education and Ecstasy, 1968/1981, Berkely, CA: North Atlantic Books.
- Alice A.Bailey, Education in the New Age, 1951/1982, New York, NY: Lucis Publishing Company.