ASDE News

We are so heartbroken about the global crisis going on, and our best wishes and thoughts go out to all of you as we face this global pandemic together. The Alliance is striving to shift our efforts to best support the changing needs of SDE families, as well as the needs of parents who are suddenly thrust into schooling-at-home and are looking for resources and support.

We want to share some resources with you all that may help you wherever you are at in your Self-Directed Education journey, as many things shift online, and as people are reconsidering how SDE can look in this moment, how to support young people, and how to support ourselves.

Resources

A Chance to Pivot, Not a Panic: podcast episode by Akilah S. Richards
“This episode is not a focus on the coronavirus. It’s a focus on personal leadership and the opportunity for us to pivot into a direction away from panic and instead towards self-directed practices.”

Home with the Kids with Pam and Anna: podcast episode by Pam Laricchia
“For any parents who find themselves at home with the kids during these uncertain times, Anna Brown and I dive into the value of using this time to embrace and strengthen our relationships with our children, tips for navigating sibling conflicts, and some ideas to get your brainstorming juices flowing for fun things to do at home!”

Support Posts by Maleka Diggs
If you have Instagram, this series of support posts by Maleka Diggs of Eclectic Learning Network is an excellent thought provoking resource that covers much of the depth of this situation and its relationship to families.

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Post 2
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Post 4

Coronavirus School Closures: An Educational Opportunity by Peter Gray
“A pandemic is never a good thing. It’s a terrible thing. But maybe some good can come from it. Anything that disrupts our usual ways of being can lead us to try new ways of being, ways that might in the long run be improvements or guide us to improvements.”

Our own Tipping Points Magazine released three articles last week reflecting on and sharing strategies and ways SDE communities and families are living since we have been isolated in our homes.

Community Updates on COVID-19
Ten members of SDE communities discuss their reactions to COVID-19 and quarantine.

Self-Directing in Isolation
Not only are we redefining what education and self-direction look like in this moment, we’re also redefining what community looks like.

Love and Learning in a Time of Coronavirus
Recent journal entries from the Director of one self-directed center.

For a list of Tipping Points articles that would be good to share with those new to homeschooling who may be curious about SDE practices go here.

Projects and Initiatives During this Time

We are continuing our support of the community through sharing resources, connecting with local SDE groups, offering relevant Tipping Points content, reassessing the usability of our website, and offering support to anyone who reaches out or indicates a need.

We recognize that many people are looking for extended support as they are thrust into schooling-at-home, or navigating more time with their children at home. We are considering ways to support these families who may be looking for more resources, support, and connection during this time. We have a preliminary grassroots group that is working on offering Facebook Live chats, and possibly other online channels, on different topics that are coming up in our own communities.

If you are suddenly finding yourself fielding more homeschooling questions than ever before, and want some support, please reach out and we would be happy to support you and/or connect you with the group working on this.

Do you have other resources you want to share? More ideas for pertinent projects for ASDE to take on in this moment to best support you and others? Do you want to join a working group or have another idea for how you can support this movement right now? Please let us know!

Featured Topics

• What Can ASDE Do?
• Sharing Resources for SDE at Home
• Help for parents forced to home-school due to Covid-19
• Anyone want to beta test a mobile app that helps disrupt compulsory schooling?
• Differences between what is a school and what is not.

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