Learning Outside the Box 1

In this episode, Denyssa David chats with Kishon Phillip, a visually impaired Trinidadian. Kishon shares stories from his experience in the mainstream education system. He offers practical advice to improve public spaces for the visually impaired, but more specifically he asserts that the key to greater inclusion is person-to-person understanding.

The last part of a three part exploration of our dominant culture. In this episode, John Stollmeyer, shares his ideas on the healing that is required if we are to live together while redesigning the culture to allow all to thrive.  

In this episode we are with John Stollmeyer for the second part of a three part talk.  John describes some civilizations that have collapsed and why. Many features of those civilizations are strikingly familiar.

We continue talking with Phillis Griffith about education in Trinidad and Tobago with particular lessons learned from special needs schools. We explore  skills-based learning for all schools and innovative experiments in experience-sharing wherein the learner becomes the teacher. The opportunities for fundamental breakthroughs in the field of children's education are real and can influence the entire realm of formal education at every level.

In this episode, we connect with an educator from Trinidad, Phillis Griffith. Phillis is the Principal of New Beginnings Educational Centre, a private special school and the President of Private Special Schools Association of Trinidad and Tobago (PSSATT). She shares how skills-based learning and creating a school environment where students become teachers have been transformative. Education must change to better prepare children for adulthood in this time. Concern is expressed that overly complex processes used by government agencies are compromising the supportive relationship between schools and those agencies that regulate them.

 She and Anne-Marie discuss the importance of re-introducing technical/vocational subjects in schools. Phillis calls for greater compassion particularly because of hidden disabilities. She invites educators to use innovation to get the best out of children and to give the best to them. 

All of humanity is not destroying this planet. Humans who are part of Western culture are culpable. In this first part of a trilogy, John Stollmeyer begins by sharing the definition for culture as defined by sociologists. He points out that the word's origin is a good guide to begin understanding the history of culture. Culture comes from an Indo-European root word meaning to revolve, to move around, to dwell, to sojourn or to turn around. John suggests that until agriculture showed up, this Western culture did not exist. He delves into the connections among growing food, growing populations, conquest and dominant Western culture.

In this episode, Denyssa, shares her ideas on a possible path for human development which focuses on embracing oneness with our true essence/soul, one another and the Earth. She believes that we can restore harmonious relationships and wellbeing through healing of soil, soul and selves (community).

In this premiere episode of The Edge Effect, Denyssa David, of Global Villages, and Anne-Marie Rooks, of JTB Homesteads, talk about their early life and the influences that shaped their life journey. Both were born and live in Trinidad and Tobago, the southern-most islands of the Caribbean chain and the closest to South America. Their lives were very different: one suburban and the other rural, plus there is a twenty age difference between them.  These differences resulted in a journey that caused their paths to converge. They are now on similar paths and together are giving voice to those who want to recreate our culture of justice, equity, compassion, environmental regeneration and peace.
Music: Sringara by Terrenaissance
Editing: Anne-Marie Rooks