Identifying a Common Thread: Emphasis on Joy in Alternative Education Models

In this episode, host Andreas welcomes Kerry McDonald, the host of The Liberated Podcast and author of 'Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom.'

We explore the rapid rise of micro-schools and the factors driving the decentralization of education with guest Kerry McDonald. We discuss:

• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational choices
• How technology is enabling new models of learning
• The role of universal school choice policies in catalyzing innovation
• Challenges and opportunities in the micro-school movement
• Ways to sustain innovation and avoid bureaucratization

Key quotes from Kerry McDonald:

"What the pandemic did was just put a spotlight on other ways of approaching teaching and learning."

"The main pattern or the main trait across all of these models...is joy. These are joyful learning environments for children, for teachers, for staff, for learners, for families."

"We don't have to require all eight year olds to be learning the exact same thing at the exact same time the exact same way like they might have in previous generations with a static textbook."

Here's a quick list of where to find Kerry McDonald and key resources discussed in the podcast:

Where to find Kerry McDonald:

1. Website: fee.org/kerry
2. Podcast: liberatedpodcast.com
3. Social media: X (formerly Twitter) @Kerry_edu
4. Forbes column: forbes.com/sites/kerrymcdonald/

Key resources mentioned:

1. Book: "Unschooled" by Kerry McDonald
2. Vela Education Fund: velaedfund.org
3. EdChoice: edchoice.org
4. Yes Every Kid: yeseverykid.com
5. National Microschooling Center: microschooling.org
6. Microschool Solutions: microschoolsolutions.com
7. KaiPod Learning: kaipodlearning.com
8. Innovative Educators Network (South Florida): innovativeeducatorsfl.com