Cultural Writing. Education. Debates about education often revolve around standardized testing, taxes and funding, teacher certification-everything except how to best help kids develop learning skills. EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME presents an array of historical and contemporary alternatives to traditional schooling, demonstrating that children's capacity to learn decreases as soon as they enter bureaucratic, institutional facilities. Trends point toward an increasing skepticism of the ability of public schools-and private ones, based on similar pedagogy-to give kids what they need to be healthy, self-directed life learners. Major themes in this book include: children's self-directed learning, encouraging community-building and participation from parents in the learning process, critical thinking for active engagement and democratic self-governance, and alleviating the negative psychological effects of traditional schooling methods. It also includes the voices and artwork of alternatively schooled children themselves.

Author City: Vancoucer, BC USA

Matt Hern is an inveterate city dweller and an environmental and education activist. The editor of EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME: A NEW DESCHOOLING READER and the author of COMMON GROUND IN A LIQUID SKY: ESSAYS IN DEFENSE OF AN URBAN FUTURE, Deschooling Our Lives, and Field Day, he founded Vancouver's Car-Free Day and is the director of the Purple Thistle Center for alternative education. These days, he lives in Vancouver with his partner and daughters and lectures widely around the globe.