A New Dawn, A New Day, A New Earth Arises

Some rights reserved.

When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window. (Maria, The Sound of Music.) ALL are welcome to participate in a family-friendly discussion [link] as we join Oprah and Eckhart Tolle in their efforts to encourage thinkers of all ages who are actively practicing presence to fully experience and embrace the dawn of "A New Earth."

Also, check out the brand new AERO blog for the latest on the alternative education movement [link]. My sincere thanks to Founders for opening this Web publication to supporters and guest contributors. Cheers to ALL...

Vayan con Dios, Amigos ~

To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings. ...The time for thinkers has come. Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity. ~ Science and Health with Key to The Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

Democratic School Governance: Communication is Key

Excerpt from an article by Jerry Mintz, Internationally Known Educator, Author and Founder of the Alternative Education Resource Organization

Governance of schools is becoming an increasingly important issue, as educators begin to realize how crucial it is to empower the participants in any educational process.

There are currently many hundreds of schools in the United States and other countries, both private and public, which operate with varying degrees of student self-government. These take a variety of forms, including democratic vote by students and teachers, a majority vote, or consensus by students and teachers.

For the purposes of this discussion I am not including representative governments or student councils because, for the most part, they are nothing more than a sham and have very little decision making power. It is our contention that the more that the student learner can be empowered, involved in making decisions about his or her education, the more powerful that force can be toward helping them to take true responsibility for their own education. I feel that it is possible to set up such a decision-making process almost anywhere, and that all participants should have safeguards in that process.

In a true democratic process, decisions are made by using all the creative forces and all the authority of the many participants who are involved in making those decisions. To the extent that they are disempowered by special groups having veto power, to that extent is the authority and the creative power of the total body eroded.

When we founded Shaker Mountain school, in 1968, it was set up as a democratic school, with the encouragement of the then-Commissioner of Education of the state, Harvey Scribner. Students were even the majority of our board of trustees. We did this because Scribner had said we needed to have the people we could trust the most on our board of trustees (rather than those who could raise the most money), to make decisions that would be best for the school. We felt that the ones we could trust the most would be the students, themselves. Throughout the years, all important decisions were made by the school meeting, with all students participating. When particular items were brought to the board of trustees, invariably the student trustees, the majority, would refer these decisions back to the school meeting, feeling that it was the proper forum for making any decision.

Those decisions even included such major issues as buying and selling buildings, the organization of major funding events, and all basic school policies. I feel that the procedures which were developed for the school meeting at Shaker Mountain, created the most effective school self government that I've ever seen, having visited several hundred alternative schools, including Summerhill, in England, which was the pioneer in this process.

In the earliest years, decisions were made by a straight majority. Our meetings were always long and sometimes emotional because the real decisions operating the school were made in the meeting. It's always seemed to me that schools that reserve their meeting time for "Wednesday afternoon for one hour" couldn't really be democratic because there are so many more decisions to be made during the week. We often had meetings that lasted the entire Monday morning and Friday morning, sometimes spilling over into the afternoons. In addition, we had meetings for class announcements every morning during the week, which often had other decisions brought into them. Special meetings could be called by any staff or student by ringing the meeting bell. I feel that this latter feature was very important because it wasn't necessary for someone to get permission to call a meeting or for a particular person to go around the school rounding up people for a meeting. If the meeting bell rang, there was a meeting, and the meeting bell was considered rather sacred around the school. In fact, if anyone ever rang the meeting bell when there wasn't a meeting, there was an automatic meeting on that person "for calling a meeting when there wasn't one." But this probably didn't happen more than a handful of times in 17 years.

In the following sections, I will outline the decisions governing the meeting as they evolved at Shaker Mountain School, however, I think it is important to point out that the meeting system is really more of an art than a science, and like all democracies, it is fragile and depends very much upon the respect it is given by the constituents. If at some point people begin to feel that they are not really the ones making the decisions, attendance and participation and creative energy fall off, not unlike the apathy manifested recently in national elections. On the other hand when people feel that they have important decisions to make, attendance is high.

Continued...

Join the family-friendly discussion on this topic
and others of interest at the unofficial

Founders Fireside Chat

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Penne Ard 2008 Some Rights Reserved. The author is a nontraditional homeschool mom and Founder/Facilitator of The Secret CO-OP Model Learning Centre at Powerful Intentions. Permission to make and distribute copies of the full text of this article should be obtained directly from Jerry Mintz. Usage guidelines for the accompanying graphic may be found at LuckyOliver.com. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Founders College administration, faculty, or students.

Find out how talking can earn you or a friend a free college education

Current and future Founders College students and their relatives and friends, as well as others who support Founders College are eligible for a $2000 Student Ambassador Scholarship by referring prospective students to Founders College. Scholarships are cumulative and transferable*.

If you are awarded a Student Ambassador Scholarship, you may:

Use the scholarship towards your tuition if you are a current or prospective student.
Gift the scholarship to a friend or relative who is currently enrolled at Founders College or save it for a future student who accepts an offer to attend Founders College.
Have a tax-deductible contribution made on your behalf to the Aristotle Education Foundation.
Convert your award into $1000 in lodging, dining, entertainment, leisure education, and spa treatments at the Berry Hill Estate within 6 months after the student completes his or her first semester at Founders College.
Earning the Student Ambassador Scholarship is easy. Here's how it works:

Tell someone you know about Founders College.
Submit the prospective student's contact information to Founders College using the downloadable referral form or electronically.
A Founders College enrollment team member will contact the prospective student and answer any questions he or she might have.
The scholarship will be awarded once the prospective student is accepted to Founders College and completes one semester as a full-time student at Founders College.
The scholarship will not be awarded to a student who discovers a prospective student while the student is performing recruitment duties initiated by Founders College
Prospective students are those who are not known to the admissions staff prior to the referral.
The scholarship is for tuition only.
There is no limit to the number of Student Ambassador Scholarships you can receive!


Go to http://www.founderscollege.com/Admissions/founders_referral_form.pdf to download our referral form in PDF format.

Please send all completed forms to dmiller@founderscollege.com

*The Student Ambassador Scholarship has no cash value and cannot be redeemed or exchanged for cash

Founders College First Semester Wrap-Up and New Faces for 2008

DATE: January 9, 2008
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jayne Pennington, 434.517.7035

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Founders College First Semester - Successes and Lessons Learned

The first semester of Founders College wrapped up December 20, 2007. The small band of first-year students, exhausted from an intensive week of final exams, headed home to far away places like Arizona, Maryland, and Florida. Some students had travel plans to venture to distant lands for their holiday break.

Founders College began its fall semester with 12 adventurous students. As with all colleges, freshmen classes experience some attrition and Founders will begin the Spring semester with 9 students.

Tamara Fuller, Chairman and CEO, said, “Starting a brand new college is a monumental feat, full of challenges at every turn. As with any new enterprise, we have had our share of ‘bumps’ this past 4 months, but I am proud of the current faculty and administration of the College and their unfailing efforts to deliver on our educational promise. I am also pleased with the progress our pioneering students have made. We’re fortunate to have several new faculty joining us in January and are looking forward to an academically invigorating Spring.”

As final grades were recorded, the faculty submitted their first semester assessment reports.
The Dean of Faculty, Bryan Niblett, Ph.D. in his summary stated, “The number of students was small—but their quality was remarkable high. It seems likely that the unique nature of the education, the Founders difference as it is called, attracts particularly venturesome and motivated students.”

The educational model of the College provides for a core curriculum where the various disciplines integrate their content to give students knowledge, perspective, and a depth of understanding about civilization. In support of this model, Dr. Niblett added, “The four core courses offered this semester, Grammar and Writing, Ancient and Medieval History, Philosophy, and Novels I were a sensible combination for the beginning of a 4-year liberal arts degree. The purpose was to produce an inte-grated curriculum in which each subject adds value to the others. This integration has worked well.”

Faculty members constructed their syllabi in concert with each other prior to the start of classes and met frequently to discuss the connections between and among their courses. Faculty also provided individual student assessments. Dr. Robert Garmong, Professor of Philosophy, commented, "In a few short weeks, my students made huge strides in their understanding of complex philosophical issues and their clarity of expression to communicate those ideas. The gains I’ve observed far outstrip anything I’ve ever experienced in my ten years as a college professor.”

Final Exams can be viewed in their entirety at: http://www.founderscollege.com/News/

The College has announced the addition of 2 new and distinguished faculty, Scott Adams, Psy.D., who will be teaching Psychology, and Thomas Rustici, Ph.D. a leading economics lecturer who teaches at George Mason University and Georgetown University in addition to Founders College.
With the departure of Dr. Niblett and Dr. Jena Trammell, whose contracts expired Dec. 22, 2007, the remaining faculty are working with the new faculty to insure the content integration so vital to the educational model.

Founders faculty are also leading the development of the Spring Speaker’s Series to be announced the end of January and administrators are working on expanding community and social interaction for the residential student body.
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HAPPY NEW YOU: Blogging 101

Provocative New Blog Title here at FC, but will it be enough to coax a few creative contributors out of the woodwork? ;-) We shall see...

For those who aren't yet familiar with the ins & outs of blogging (and I'm a daring newbie myself, if you haven't come to that conclusion already) ~ check out "Experiments in Lifestyle Design," published by my friend and mentor, Tim Ferriss (best-selling author, The Four-Hour Workweek) for some pointers and insights into the process.

Here's one that goes along with the Sexy new theme (well, sorta-Tim definitely qualifies ;-):
The Top 5 Uncommon Timesavers for Bloggers/Writers (Plus: Video of Me Kissing a Hairy “Coo”)

Another handy resource for jumpstarting your blogging career, direct from Internet Duct Tape:
Tim Ferriss’ Four Minute Blog Training - The 9 Rules You Need to Know

I'll work on that... in the meantime, You're Cordially Invited to celebrate the NEW YEAR in style!

COME AS YOU WILL BE ... IN 2013!

* 
Join us for a celebration that will stretch your imagination
and catapult you into your own future. 

*

When:  December 31, 2007 ~ Come & Go

Where:  The Secret Forum
@PowerfulIntentions.com

Given by:  SGR Virtual University

RSVP to:  The Universe!

Arrive as who you will be 5 years from now.  Dress in your virtual best.  Speak only in the present tense the entire evening, as if it were already 2013, all your goals have been achieved, and all your dreams have already come true.

Your arrival will be archived for future viewing, so make a grand entrance complete with splashy graphics and props to show everyone what you have achieved in the years between, such as best-selling books you've written, magazine covers you've been on, awards you've won, and photographs or virtual scrapbooks of your achievements.  Throughout the evening, you will have the opportunity to applaud others in their achievements and to receive congratulations.

“What is time? The shadow on the dial, the striking of the clock, the running of the sand, day and night, summer and winter, months, years, centuries-these are but arbitrary and outward signs, the measure of Time, not Time itself. Time is the Life of the soul.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Special Thanks to Jack Canfield for the inspiration to throw a "Five-Year Party" and permission to use this slightly-modified invitation from his excellent book, The Success Principles.

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Penne Ard 2007 Some Rights Reserved. The author is a nontraditional homeschool mom and Founder/Facilitator of The Secret CO-OP Model Learning Centre at Powerful Intentions. Permission is granted to make and distribute copies of this article, provided the Creative Commons licensing guidelines are followed. Usage guidelines for the accompanying graphic may be found at LuckyOliver.com. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Founders College administration, faculty, or students.

Founders College to offer Accelerated Degree

Yes! Founders College has designed a bachelor's degree program for the working adult with a family. By immersing oneself in studies beginning on Friday and ending on Sunday, a student can earn his or her bachelor of arts from Founders College in as little as 18 months. Students must complete at least half of the program on campus at the Berry Hill Estate and the remainder of the program may be taken via distance learning.

For additional information, please contact Dawn Miller, Dean of Enrollment, at dmiller@founderscollege.com or 434.517.7008.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Jack Canfield (author, Chicken Soup for the Soul) always has something clever to say in his books, and a recent eCoach lesson reminded me of his talk about "Big, Ugly Frogs" in Success Principle #8:

Do First Things First

"The goal is to stay on schedule and complete the most important item first. In his excellent book, Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, Brian Tracy reveals not just how to conquer procrastination but also how to prioritize and complete all of your action items.", [Jack Canfield with Janet Switzer, The Success Principles]

I discovered Jack had first written about this in The Power of Focus, quoting Danny Cox, "If you've gotta frog to swaller, don't look at it too long. And if you've got more than one to swaller, swaller the biggest one first!" IOW, resist the temptation to pick the easiest, lowest priority items on your list and leave the most important, difficult ones for later in the day when your energy level is past its peak.

"...most of us leave the biggest and ugliest frog for last, hoping it will go away or somehow become easier. It never does. However, when you accomplish your toughest task early in the day, it sets the tone for the rest of your day. It creates momentum and builds your confidence, both of which move you farther and faster toward your goal.", [Ibid.]

Funny thing -- our kids were watching The Muppet Movie last week, not long after I completed my lesson on frogs, and I couldn't help but think that dear old Danny must have invested in one of Doc Hopper's frog leg franchises LOL

Doc Hopper: [pointing to a billboard showing a bucket of "Doc Hopper's French Fried Frog Legs"] Isn't that splendid? Just splendid! Just take a look at it.
Kermit: All I can see are millions of frogs with tiny crutches.

Doc Hopper: Listen, we're a small business but we've expanded. Expanded! Just like you frogs expand. Don't you frogs expand? [puffs his cheeks]
Kermit: That's a myth.
Doc Hopper: What?
Kermit: Myth! Myth!
Myth: Yeth? (for those who haven't seen the movie, this is a running gag about frog myths and various people answering to Kermit's frustrated cries of Myth!)

Bernie: You, you with the banjo, can you help me? I seem to have lost my sense of direction!
Kermit: Have you tried Hare Krishna?

As a born & bred Southerner (from Jim Henson's homestate of Mississippi!), I've seen my share of deep fried frog legs on my brother's dinner table back home, but I can honestly say they never appealed to my palate (even if they do supposedly taste like chicken :P) Canfield suggests getting a big plastic frog to place on your desk when working on top priority projects as a reminder to co-workers and others that means absolutely NO interruptions!

To get the image of "swallowing" a frog for breakfast out of mind (which, frankly, makes me gag - if you'll pardon the pun ;-) I think I'd prefer to have Kermit the Frog sitting on my desk in the spirit of Henson's creative wit & wisdom :D Good for both motivation and inspiration!

Drawing by Nike Ard 2007 Some Rights Reserved.
Academy of Realist Art, Founders College

It should be no surprise to learn that Jim Henson was raised with the practical knowledge of Universal success principles and passed 'em along through his alter-ego, Kermie :o) I think he'd agree with today's Note from the Universe (courtesy of Mike Dooley at www.tut.com):

If it's hard,
there's something you're missing.

Bottom line: It may not seem so easy being green at times, but when following your passion in Life, spending a few extra moments interacting with the frogs along the way can ultimately take you places you've never dreamed possible!

Kermit: Life's like a movie. Write your own ending.
All of the muppets singing together: Keep believing, keep pretending; we've done just what we've set out to do, thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you!

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Penne Ard 2007 Some Rights Reserved. The author is a nontraditional homeschool mom and Founder/Facilitator of The Secret CO-OP Model Learning Centre at Powerful Intentions. Permission is granted to make and distribute copies of this article, provided the Creative Commons licensing guidelines are followed. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Founders College administration, faculty, or students.