General

Electric circuits are loops, what if our creativity light bulb moments are from the creation of functional loops of neurones? What if being "loopy" is an essential part of having these kinds of flashes? And since the loops can be quite large could that not be a reason that the kind of Q and A style of teaching in classrooms is damaging creativity? What if the current style of teaching is preventing the learning of how to form these loops?

General

As we students relaxed in the summer light of the courtyard auditorium, breathing in the heavenly aroma of the roses, Professor Bruce began the his lecture. "Monogamy (over polygamy) induced societal changes partly through the reduction in tesosterone levels in males who, in greater numbers, we able to marry and become fathers. Poverty extremes work against this stablising force in multiple ways, yet the most obvious is that fewer males will feel that they will have the economic ability to marry and support children. A society may look at two main ways to correct this. One is to put more economic support in place for the poorest in society, to make family life viable. To not do this risks the other dire 'solution' of striking out at women's rights, to compel them to marry and/or become mothers even if their best interests are served by remaining single and taking care of only themselves. We now see the rise in calls for both support for the cost of living and misogynistic behaviours to restrict the rights of women. The only good choice for societal stability is supporting the poor and we have centuries of anthropology to support this conclusion," he said. At these words a hundred heart propelled pens began to move in unison.

General

Centralized government control is a house of cards and I’ll show you why in as few words as possible. Think about being a highschool teacher with thirty students. They don’t want to be there, they’ve been in the system too long for their liking and ahead all they see is cubicle farm monotony. And that’s if they’re lucky. Otherwise it’s serving fries with a smile or homelessness. You're the teacher, you walk in and they keep talking loud and crass like you’re not even there. You stand at the front to assume authority as the teacher training manual told you to do. You’ve been trained in the basic techniques of subduing a small population. You can see they aren’t in a mood to listen so you order them out of the room to line up. They ignore you so you get firmer. You threaten detentions, put names on the board. Nothing. Then you spot a compliant kid already starting on his work and you send him to fetch the principle. All the standard fear tactics that work so well for a classroom teacher have failed because you aren't the regular teacher, you can’t back up your threats and they know it.

The principle arrives, hush descends. One look from her and out come their books. She knows their parents, she can hurt them if they don’t comply. Suddenly these teens look more like “workers.” You feel vindicated, these "entitled brats" need to work, and you aren’t even sure anymore if you care if they succeed or not. But here’s the question. What would have happened if not only that class, but the entire school stopped working? What then? Can they all be punished, all expelled? Nope. The teachers, the controllers, use fear because they are scared too. Magnify that up to the population/government level and you see your world. Fear to coral you into being a good little consumer, buy, buy, buy. Push through that fear and it’s only freedom on the other side. Freedom to create, love, sing, dance, make things. So buy nothing you can’t really live without and you will save earth, no maybes

By Angela Abraham, @daisydescriptionari, March 11, 2015*.

Found in Are you awake yet? - first draft, authored by Daisy.

General

Teachers are being asked to teach kids who have eaten nothing, or sometimes breakfast was sugary pop. How can we justify expense for classrooms and specialist teachers and overlook the most basic thing kids need to thrive - food. Free school meals makes sense from every perspective - morality, health outcomes, education outcomes and building a sense of community kids can believe in.