Category Archives: Key Essays

To commemorate Christopher Alexander, one must mention the “New Science” he strived to pioneer. The science of the future should be one where all disciplines merge and flow together. Subjectivity and objectivity achieve unity at the “Life Center”; art and technology, the humanities and the sciences, become integrated and interconnected within the “Living Space.” Consequently, our education—from theory to practice—must inevitably be reconstructed upon the foundation of life. Continue reading →

Original Chinese Version In the process of implementing Self-Directed Education, educators must possess an “intimacy with life”. Only then can they design a suitable environment for Self-Directed Education that resonates with their specific learners and their unique surroundings. Equality of … Continue reading →

Original Chinese Version The three elements of the “New Educational Paradigm” discussed previously—”PlayGround,” “Conversation,” and “Knowledge”—reflect the core of our existence: we play in “Life Activities,” we learn through “Life Conversation,” and we create “Life Knowledge.” From a more macroscopic … Continue reading →

Original Chinese Version Life activity, life conversation, and living knowledge constitute the three pillars of this new educational paradigm as I understand it. Or, more simply: the PlayGround, Conversation, and Knowledge. Now I will explain each of these three elements … Continue reading →

Original Chinese Version Note: This is a lengthy piece; however, anything less than an exhaustive article would fail to do justice to Christopher Alexander, a true titan of thought. It serves as a relatively comprehensive exploration of the “Life Framework” … Continue reading →

Original Article I have introduced the Sudbury Judicial System before (see the description of the “Judicial Committee” in the article Experience Sudbury). For most educators, the Sudbury Judicial System is a very unique existence, inextricably tied to the Sudbury model. … Continue reading →

Original article All images in this article are from the official Sudbury Valley School website. This article introduces Self-Directed Education (SDE) and the Sudbury model. While this account has published introductory articles before, explaining these concepts is never easy because … Continue reading →

Original Article In 2004, from the moment I heard about Sudbury Valley School from John Taylor Gatto, I felt that Sudbury was exactly what I wanted to pursue—an ideal educational model for children and adolescents. Through twenty years of self-directed … Continue reading →

Original Article Knowledge is an organic living entity. Like our bodies, knowledge is an interconnected whole. For example, knowledge needs a solid core to which it can effectively attach. The growth of knowledge must be organic, and our learning process … Continue reading →