Students Elevating Education Dialogue

Due to a huge influx in staff numbers this year (which is good!) we are focusing on staff management and recruitment. Because of this, we are postponing SEED Talks until further notice. Thank you all for your support so far, and we are excited for the huge improvements upon the event when it does occur!

SEED Talks is just over a month away! Throughout the next month we will be posting the finalized themes and topics for everyone to comment on and get excited about. When the theme list is released, there will be mini explanations for each one. The first topic, within the theme of Educational Models Shaping Youth Culture, is:

Does the standardization of learning and salaries for teachers limit the potential for teaching in schools?

A challenge for students over the next week is to think about what your teachers are doing each day, and try to do something nice for a teacher.

We hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had an enjoyable time with friends and family! Although, during this holiday, we like to celebrate the "discovery" of America and the "collaboration" between Europeans and Native Americans, it is important to remember the reality of the interactions between natives and newcomers. When these brutal interactions are presented to us in school, the subject is often softened and whitewashed. A question to our audience is: Should the Whitewashing of history be discussed in SEED Talks? Is the issue still relevant or pressing? Let us know!

Meet some of the Greater Austin Area Region's Students!

Because SEED Talks focuses on the creativity and diversity of education, we learn about the change makers that came before us. Maria Montesorri, born on August 31, 1870, revolutionized education around the world. Montessori grew up in Rome, surrounded by libraries and museums, only to enter an all-boys technical school at age 13 to study engineering.

She changed paths and become one of Italy's first female physicians, focusing her career on psychiatry and the pedagogy of education. Soon, she questioned the existing standards of education and tested her own theories, and in 1907 opened her first childcare center (Casa dei Bambini, or Children’s House) in a poor inner-city district.

Montessori observed how the students primarily taught themselves and she recorded her pedagogy. By 1910 Montessori schools were a gaining popularity worldwide. Now, there are over 22,000 Montessori schools in about 110 countries. Maria Montessori is celebrated worldwide for her contributions to education, and for her women's rights activism.

Information from American Montessori Society: https://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/History-of-Montessori-Education

History of Montessori Education and Montessori Movement | American Montessori Society

Welcome to SEED talks' page. We are excited to discuss important issues concerning America's education system with all of you. The NHI Austin SEED staff is currently in the process of creating themes to frame our discussions. While we are in the process of creating these themes, we invite you to comment suggestions or ideas you would like to see discussed. Thank you!