This is a followup on the thread I posted Feb. 18. I am considering now the following new offerings to paid subscribers to Play Makes Us Human:
Occasional Zoom discussions on topics of interest. The way I might do this is to ask paid subscribers to let me know of topics they would like to discuss, within the general realm of the topics I write about. I would then group similar topics together and create meetings devoted to those categories. So, for example, there might be a group interested in discussing methods of college teaching that bring more play and critical thinking to the class, or a group interested in discussing issues related to homeschooling/unschooling, or a group interested in how to bring more play into children’s lives. This way we could keep the meetings limited in size and in scope.
Podcasts made up of my reading either of individual letters in my Substack series or longer ones that include several letters on the same general topic. I am leaning toward the latter, but would appreciate your feedback. I could post an audio version of every letter at the same time that I post the written letter, or I could post audio versions of previous groups of letters.
I’m still not sure about either of these possibilities. It depends partly on how much interest there seems to be. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
I'd be interested in zoom calls. Topics that are on my mind is finding opportunities for free play for children in a scheduled world and modeling free play as parents/caregivers. I started a free play group in our neighborhood woods but with such scheduled lives, very few were able to make it. Upside is we found the few kids and parents that value nature free play!
I would.be more interested in the zoom calls. This is mainly because of the community that can arise Frome a zoom around topics. We can interact via chat and this is really interesting.
Audio is time consuming for you, Dr. Grey and is a duplicated content. I can't think about a person like you losing time just reading what you have already written. AI can do it perfectly and actually I often use it to listen to written content.
Conducting a zoom call is something that add value to the whole community
Zoom would be fun. I want to influence our local school board to create a democratic school program. May sound like pie in the sky but I want my grandchildren to have the experience and the Clearwater School in Bothell is across Puget Sound from us.
Hi Peter, the nature/free play community is fragmented, has a variety of constituencies, and doesn't have a way of easily connecting with each other. Creating a conference or marketplace where interested parties can meet each other, learn, and share ideas could be valuable. From a business perspective, creating a trade show connecting educators and municipalities with natural play vendors, craftsman, and designers has value to both sides. Parties will be willing to pay for this. This might be more work than you want to do though. Best, Charlie Jobson
The nearby Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Ma. plus Peter's sensitivity to his son's issues with our authoritarian school system, is why we are together here on Peter's platform. The Framingham Sudbury has the advantage of surviving since 1968, in a wealthy area, on an 11 acre estate adjoining 820 acre Callahan State Park with 7 miles of trails. Free to roam space is a huge advantage which I doubt few Sudburys in this country have.
We have 175 acres, forever protected from development by The Minnesota Land Trust with 50 tillable acres at the junction of 1 mile of 2 trout streams, just over a hill and out of sight of beautiful Winona, Minnesota's 27,000, forever surrounded and protected by nature because the hills, lake and river are not buildable. Even with free tuition and especially that "they aren't taught to read", it would take years to buck this deeply embedded tradition.
Adjoining land is available and at 92 I'm eager to do whatever to save this rare land for environmental purposes, plus saving our very fragile democracy. Thanks Peter
Prison bars do the confining, allowing the prisoner a mental freedom not possible in schools, where an endless barrage of assignments, lectures, questions and tests, serve the same purpose, under the guise of education, while distracting as efficiently as the cracking of whips, keeping the imprisoned from discovering and pursuing their passions, or noticing that there are no real bars------and by the time they might realize the purpose of their confinement, it is too late.
The zoom discussions would be more interesting if there are also transcripts made available later (even not-so-super AI ones) as it is often hard to be available at the appropriate time but I would like to see the results of the discussion even when I can't make it.
I don't know how many people link education with political ideals. I know dewey and emma goldman had a few things to say on democracy, but I don't know if people really consider much the incoherence between what they think politically and what they do with their kids educationally. Maybe fascism is just really popular...
I would be interested definitely in the zoom calls and longer podcasts. Having an audio version of the sub stack would also be helpful since I do a lot of listening as I do other things.
For me personally, as an unschooler I know those are topics that I would love to dive more into especially as my kids get older.
I'd be interested in zoom calls. Topics that are on my mind is finding opportunities for free play for children in a scheduled world and modeling free play as parents/caregivers. I started a free play group in our neighborhood woods but with such scheduled lives, very few were able to make it. Upside is we found the few kids and parents that value nature free play!
Yes, I would be interested in zoom calls too.
I would.be more interested in the zoom calls. This is mainly because of the community that can arise Frome a zoom around topics. We can interact via chat and this is really interesting.
Audio is time consuming for you, Dr. Grey and is a duplicated content. I can't think about a person like you losing time just reading what you have already written. AI can do it perfectly and actually I often use it to listen to written content.
Conducting a zoom call is something that add value to the whole community
Zoom calls would be interesting to me!!
Zoom would be fun. I want to influence our local school board to create a democratic school program. May sound like pie in the sky but I want my grandchildren to have the experience and the Clearwater School in Bothell is across Puget Sound from us.
Hi Peter, the nature/free play community is fragmented, has a variety of constituencies, and doesn't have a way of easily connecting with each other. Creating a conference or marketplace where interested parties can meet each other, learn, and share ideas could be valuable. From a business perspective, creating a trade show connecting educators and municipalities with natural play vendors, craftsman, and designers has value to both sides. Parties will be willing to pay for this. This might be more work than you want to do though. Best, Charlie Jobson
Both or either additions would be great, but personally, audio versions of the letters would be more useful to me.
Occasional zooms would be of interest to me.. however time zone (im in australia) may be my issue.
I would love to listen to you reading Audibly also.
Id love to hear your thoughts on play therapy.
The nearby Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Ma. plus Peter's sensitivity to his son's issues with our authoritarian school system, is why we are together here on Peter's platform. The Framingham Sudbury has the advantage of surviving since 1968, in a wealthy area, on an 11 acre estate adjoining 820 acre Callahan State Park with 7 miles of trails. Free to roam space is a huge advantage which I doubt few Sudburys in this country have.
We have 175 acres, forever protected from development by The Minnesota Land Trust with 50 tillable acres at the junction of 1 mile of 2 trout streams, just over a hill and out of sight of beautiful Winona, Minnesota's 27,000, forever surrounded and protected by nature because the hills, lake and river are not buildable. Even with free tuition and especially that "they aren't taught to read", it would take years to buck this deeply embedded tradition.
Adjoining land is available and at 92 I'm eager to do whatever to save this rare land for environmental purposes, plus saving our very fragile democracy. Thanks Peter
Dick Gallien
22501 East Burns Valley Road
Winona MN 55987
dickgallien@gmail.com [507] 312 0194
Prison bars do the confining, allowing the prisoner a mental freedom not possible in schools, where an endless barrage of assignments, lectures, questions and tests, serve the same purpose, under the guise of education, while distracting as efficiently as the cracking of whips, keeping the imprisoned from discovering and pursuing their passions, or noticing that there are no real bars------and by the time they might realize the purpose of their confinement, it is too late.
No on podcasts for me.
The zoom discussions would be more interesting if there are also transcripts made available later (even not-so-super AI ones) as it is often hard to be available at the appropriate time but I would like to see the results of the discussion even when I can't make it.
Of the 2 offerings, I'm more interested in Zoom meetings, but I'd prefer a virtual space to connect with other like minded individuals.
I don't know how many people link education with political ideals. I know dewey and emma goldman had a few things to say on democracy, but I don't know if people really consider much the incoherence between what they think politically and what they do with their kids educationally. Maybe fascism is just really popular...
I would be interested definitely in the zoom calls and longer podcasts. Having an audio version of the sub stack would also be helpful since I do a lot of listening as I do other things.
For me personally, as an unschooler I know those are topics that I would love to dive more into especially as my kids get older.