No, I’m not going anywhere. But I have been recently asked to serve as a “Contributing Editor” for the journal Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice.
Salmonberry School's Program Director, Paul Freedman
This magazine was founded in the 1980’s as the Holistic Education Review and was retitled about ten years ago. As many of you know, I have contributed manuscripts to Encounter over the past several years. I continue to be so impressed with the quality of scholarship displayed quarterly in this publication, and have been flattered to be included. Now I am thrilled to join a team of three editors and nine other contributing editors, including some very distinguished authors and educators. Over the years Encounter has moved from the initial editorial leadership of Ron Miller to that of Jefferey Kane and for the past eight years has been led by William Crain. Now the magazine, which continues to stand alone as the leading holistic educational journal in the United States is moving to a new editorial leadership model that will feature a broader structure than it has previously enjoyed.
Over recent years I have found my work in holistic education strengthened by following a three-fold path of practice, study and reflection. This triangulated approach is akin to what radical Brazilian educator Paulo Freire termed “praxis.” Of course my day-to-day work with the children and parents at Salmonberry School combined with the leadership and visioning work with the Salmonberry faculty and Board are the heart of my work in education. I have found it immensely important, however, to ground my work in serious study. This has included a great deal of reading about the theory and practice of progressive educational alternatives, networking with other educators and school leaders, visiting a variety of schools across the country and studying philosophical and theoretical foundations of holistic education. Writing for me, has served as a focal point for my own reflection. As I seek to integrate the heady theory with the demanding present reality of my work at Salmonberry, I often notice points at which the theory comes to life, where these real living children, our classroom relationships and community flesh out the philosophical musings of great contemporary and historical thinkers. Each of the three aspects of my praxis, theory, practice and reflection strengthen the other two.
My work as a writer does nothing to detract from my focus on my Salmonberry work. Rather, if anything it coalesces and crystallizes my focus on the important work with the children. I always seek to include student voices and perspectives in my essays. In general my writing is intended to help elucidate the often esoteric pedagogical theory that floats around the field of holistic education. My study and reflection helps me to remember why Salmonberry School is so important, and it helps me to articulate the school’s mission and vision.
I am so excited to accept this new challenge with Encounter and delve even deeper into the holistic education community. As contributing editor I will continue to regularly submit original manuscripts as well as solicit and review the submissions of other writers.
If you want to stay in touch with Encounter check out their website: https://great-ideas.org/enc.htm You might even want to get a subscription or sign up for the e-newsletters and see all the other amazing work in the field of holistic education.
Comments on this entry are closed.