I was up at 5am this morning, a weekend, after a disrupted night of sleep because a small thing in my room crying every hour, not wanting to be left alone in its bed. We are puppy sitting for 2 … Continue reading Parenting Reminder.
Thank you cooking that great big pot of soup for the family before you left. Everything you touch in the kitchen is imbued with your care and craft. The kids didn’t even like it too much, but I made them eat … Continue reading Thank You Times Five.
You may have read this week about the saddening / maddening murder of a soldier here in Canada keeping guard at the Cenotaph in Ottawa. His name was Corporal Nathan Cirillo. Today, I listened to a first hand account from someone … Continue reading You Are Loved. You Are Good. You Are Brave.
Fairly regularly, in my neighbourhood, a block gets shut down to road traffic so that the local community can emerge from their homes and hang out. Usually, it is very kid-centric, food, treats, games, sports, and always plenty of chalk … Continue reading A Community Block Party That Mattered
I read a great quote today from Hugh MacLeod:
People don’t resist change. They resist being changed.
So let’s go back to the beginning and watch our kids grow up. Think how much they learn and how much they change – seemingly in front of our very eyes.
We – parents, family, teachers – are not changing them, they are changing themselves, driven by a innate curious to understand and orient and reorient, no stone left unturned.
The TMWK Manifesto begins with curiosity – and, if push comes to shove, it could end there too. Curiosity is EVERYTHING. The Manifeto says: Cultivate curiosity. It all begins with curiosity. “Our number one value isn’t in any of the skills we have. It’s that we’re essentially curious.” – Jim Coudal via @brainpickings Curiosity is the kick-start, the pre-requisite. It allows us to move forward, in the footsteps of children. John Pilger had it right: “…the first step is to engender an approach, enable the measurement of distances and walking toward. It is show the possible and potential.” – Extract from article in The Guardian … Continue reading The Person To Person Economy: Curiosity
Or, How John Hagel, David Armano, Hugh MacLeod and Harold Jarche Kickstarted Me. Here’s how it began. 2011 Back story: In my MarComms job, I had two projects front of mind – launching an Enterprise Social Network (we were the first company in the world to completely replace our intranet with Yammer) and developing a bunch of infographics on business performance (turning heavy PowerPoint slides into something more digestible). Independently, I was mentoring some young communicators who were trying to work out their pitch and career paths. I spent a lot of time thinking about these topics; with plenty of online … Continue reading What Does A Friend Look Like In The Age Of Social?
Lola won some playdough at school yesterday. Her first project: a dog taking a poop. Very refined. First she wanted a photo of it and I obliged, grudgingly. There is a bit too much poop conversation in my house, frankly. Then: “One of those 6-second video Papa!” A Vine video, eh? Suddenly, I’m intrigued! A Vine video needs action, not a 6-second photo, so we caught the dog in action. A satisfying result all round. Lola’s play dough dog does a poo https://t.co/4g2sXHe9Xm — Jonathan Anthony (@ThisMuchWeKnow) September 10, 2013 Vine – and Instagram video – really is an exciting … Continue reading Curious Kids: How To Get Papa Interested In Dog Poop
I am no great of formal education. If I lived my life again, I would spend more energy tinkering on my own, rather than spending all those years expecting others to force-feed me stuff. It all starts out fine – check out the smiles on day one of school this week! – but enthusiasm quietens quickly. Education, as is, simply provides employers some sense of general intelligence and focused interest in a candidate. The usability of what was learned is left at the door. Adults learn by doing. Practice, practice, practice. Work harder. So, I liked this take on education your … Continue reading Eat What You Study
My eldest daughter Lola started school this week. This is how she felt about it. You might also sense the excitement of my 2-year old Zoe, by wearing her back pack, of wanting to go to school NOW. Maternelle https://t.co/BzrAF45QUS — Jonathan Anthony (@ThisMuchWeKnow) September 4, 2013 I am a firm believer that the curious will inherit the world; but also that school seems to prepare people for the end of the 19th century. So, here is my question: how long will it take for school to suck the life force out of her? An anagram of kindergarten is entering … Continue reading Oh Dear. Anagram of Kindergarten = Entering Dark
Coming and going to the Festival of Light event in Vancouver this week, Lori and I chanced upon The Entrepreneur (2013 Edition). When I grow up, I want to be like him. A simple premise: the teenage lemonade stand on the side of the road en route to the beach as thousands of people stream past. The kicker? Chips. Upsell to a larger size (with lid!) And, amazingly, Visa and Mastercard processing via Square, notebook and wifi. He was putting in the hours, advertising umbrella with LED lighting. He had the serenity of a man in control of his life. … Continue reading This Is What Entrepreneurship Looks Like in 2013
This is personal. As a father to two young kids about to enter formal education, I feel a need to foster a sense of awe and wonder in them about what they can achieve, to challenge them to move above, to move beyond… I am no education expert, nor am I a pushy parent. I do believe, however, in the need for large-scale progressive change in what education means; and what it holds for our children. MOOCs are a functional change in the service offering of education. They move us in the right direction. but, quantum change, at extreme velocity, demands … Continue reading MOOCs Are Not Enough. Education In Need Of Quantum Change
This Much We Know 