preview of spring attractions

One extremely valuable component of Open-Source Learning as I've defined it is the ability to connect with experts wherever we find them.  For all the wonderful information we can get at school, there is a lot out there we need to know in areas where teachers don't necessarily specialize.

When a student of mine wanted to learn to fly an airplane, we needed to find him a mentor.  That may sound like an exotic topic, but the same principle applies when we talk about managing finances, dealing with death, writing a novel, cutting hair, physical training, or anything else you're interested in.

To help support everyone as you pursue your Big Questions, I will be hosting in-class Skype conversations with experts in different fields.  These are men and women who are at the top of their game and care about helping young people meet their potential, and I'm excited to introduce you.

The first will be Cory Doctorow on January 24.  Cory is an extremely talented science fiction writer and he has forgotten more about online technology and culture than I'll ever know, especially when it comes to copyright law and fair use.  You can read more about Cory HERE; I'm telling you about this now so you can think of questions you'd like to ask him.  Better yet, you can read some of his books over the break (check out the list HERE-- you can also get a free download of his novel Walkaway on his website HERE) and talk to him about those too.  He's brilliant, and I guarantee you our conversation will be time well spent.  I'm still using a writing technique I learned from Cory when he talked to a class of mine at Righetti in 2013.

Our second guest (sometime in February) will be Bobby Maximus (when we talk, you can ask him about his name and what it has to do with peanut butter).  I met Bobby a few months ago when I was researching physical fitness-- school is great for participating in organized sports, but generally it doesn't really address our needs for information when it comes to nutrition, sustainable exercise or workout plans, sleep, or a general sense of physical fitness.

I mean this in the best possible way: Bobby is a beast.  You can see for yourself on his website HERE.  After being bullied in school and walking onto the wrestling team, he became a UFC fighter and both Canadian and World Champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  He's also worked as a police officer and a teacher.  I reached out to Bobby after reading his book and doing some of his recommended workouts.  Yesterday afternoon, I spent nearly an hour talking with Bobby on the phone about training, the mind-body connection, and education.  We agreed that parents in teachers should lead by example.  As I've said before, the schooling industry likes jargon phrases like "lead learner" and "growth mindset" and "lifelong learning" -- which is all a bunch of word salad unless educators practice what we preach.  That's one of the reasons I'm heading to Bobby's gym in Utah in January for three days of training with him.  I'm excited about the opportunity to level up share what I learn. Please take a look at Bobby's blog and get your questions ready.