Renegade Teacher is an unusual story of a teacher and school superintendent who, during the 1970's, in an experimental program designed for failing kids in hopes of reducing the dropout rate, threw-away the curriculum. Instead, they adopted child centered learning methods, and a student directed learning model, utilizing experiential learning activities that were student directed and paced. And this experimental child centered program wasn't for hand picked, "A" students. It was for kids who seemed destined to drop out. 80% of the kids were what now, would be labeled ADHD, dyslexic and all the various other labels now associated with struggling kids. The other 20% of the kids were a mix of troublemakers, rebels and renegades, plus a few bored "A" students thrown in for good measure. With natural learning techniques and self-directed learning methods, this program reached the unreachable and hard to teach, using a combination of experiential learning and child centered learning activities. In addition, this approach seemed to allow those with dyslexia and ADHD symptoms to find the gift and potential hidden behind ADHD and Dyslexia labels. Also discipline and attendance issues vanished, as the main problem became getting the kids to stay home when sick. Now, after following these kids for over 40 years, it is more than apparent that project based teaching, child directed leanring in an experiential setting, works and needs to moved into mainstream education in light of the Tsunami of problems washing over our schools today. The real risk, is not changing and staying with the course was are currently on. In addition to being food-for-thought, this book is an excellent source of: 
<ul>
<li> Experiential learning activities</li>
<li>Child centered learning activities</li>
<li>Teaching strategies for teaching ADHD students</li>
<li>Project based learning ideas</li>
<li>How to teach the ADJD advantages</li>
<li>Ways to bring-out this Dyslexic Advantage in kids.</li>
</ul>Their strategy was simple and the results did not particularly surprise them. They designed their program after the process all kids use to learn the most difficult task any human ever faces in their life, that of learning a language before even entering grade school, and almost all succeed at that task with flying colors. So, these two educators knew that lack of intelligence was not these kids problem and probably never is. Lack of interest in the subject matter and lack of motivation was the culprit. They just had to kindle their innate love of learning that all kids have. And, what they discovered will amaze you.

Renegade Teacher: An Unusual Teacher, A WIly Ol' Superintendent and The Rebel Kids Who Taught Them So Much

Politics & Social Sciences

Duane F Smith

Social Sciences

Ashland Publishing

This is the surprising story of what became of a group of 4th through 6th graders whose teacher threw the curriculum out the window and empowered them to learn at their own pace, focused on their own areas of interests. Imagine trying this with children which other teachers had given up on. Many of these kids were troublemakers, malcontents or just bored. This experiment occurred in the 1970s led by a renegade teacher, himself a “damaged” student who had struggled with his own dyslexia before the condition was recognize; and an optimistic school superintendent who was intrigued with the idea of preparing kids for the future by teaching critical thinking and problem solving instead of facts, dates and subject matter. Their story will surprise you and warm your heart. In addition, it may offer hope reaching kids with experiential education before they lose their love of learning and fall prey to negative peer groups and eventually drop out. Imagine trying this with kids the other teachers had given up on. Then mix in some troublemakers, along with some of the bright-but-bored in need of a good challenge. This experiment actually occurred in the 1970s led by a renegade teacher, himself a “damaged” student who had struggled with his own dyslexia before this condition was recognized; and an optimistic school superintendent who was intrigued with the idea of teaching problem solving and life skills instead of facts, figures and formulas. Fast-paced stories of class projects run amok and students facing their inner demons will warm your heart and entertain you. Plus, they may provide food for thought on reaching kids through experiential learning before they lose their love of learning and fall prey to negative peer groups.

Renegade Class: 40 years after the original book "Renegade Teacher"... you won't believe what became of the kids

Biographies & Memoirs

Professionals & Academics

Ashland Press

Questions about the Afterlife? You Must Read This!
A successful young family man seemed to have it all; a beautiful home, a Rockwellian family, new cars, boats, airplanes and European vacations. His only creed was, He who dies with the most toys, wins.Then, just when life seemed perfect . . . a Stanford medical diagnosed him with just 5 months to live, and his whole world came crashing down.
As the young family struggled to comprehend what was happening, the 5 months stretched to 12. Being agnostic, he did't believe any after death stories, expecting only oblivion, on death.
However, as his wife pondered what would happen to her family, she wanted to do more to fight his dying. But, they had had the best doctors money could buy. So, short of visiting a South American witch doctor, what were they to do?
However, as death approached, his pain grew worse and death became more and more attractive. But, to his wife and daughters, this growing acceptance of dying, seemed like abandonment.
Then, in the darkness of one early morning, when death finally did come, he found he had been wrong about the oblivion. Instead, he suddenly was falling through space . . . and his afterlife experiences had begun.
 Here is his first afterlife story as excerpted from, Dying to Really Live:
"There to greet me was my grandfather, Amos, along with my favorite boyhood dog, Butch, his tail wagging in greeting. And there was my other granddad, with his wry, bemused smile, all central characters in my Rockwellian childhood. There too, was an old rancher who lived across the river from where I grew up, who had always hired me when I needed money, even if he really didn't need any help. Also, there were others; entities I had known and loved in other times and other places, some from this earthly world, some from beyond death; still others from Celestial Realms outside this material Universe. However, all were beloved members of an ancient Soul Group with which I had been reincarnating, over and over, through the endless eons.
Before he was returned to his life from beyond death, he was told that to accomplish what he was being sent back to do, he would be need to be taught the use of Inner Guidance. When he got back, he was told to watch for any inner urges or quiet voices within. If deciphered, they would lead him to a small, white book, his handbook about Inner Guidance, and finding it would be his first test. At the time, he had no idea what any of that meant, and when he got back, he still didn't know what to do.
Several months after his return, seemingly quite by accident, he just "happened" to be in a neighboring town, when a small white book found its way into his hands, in a most unusual manner. That evening as he glanced through it, he knew the next step in his education in mysticism, was underway.
One morning, a few weeks later, he awoke to find two Entities by his bed, waiting for him. Then, without a word spoken, and leaving his body behind, he was taken once again, beyond life. This time, they revealed something which brought all his earlier afterlife experiences and NDE stories together, in final preparation for what he had been sent back to do.
Publishers Note: Here are some other topics found in this NDE Book of afterlife stories and experiences:
<ul>
<li>How our After death experiences affect our future incarnations.</li>
<li>Why NDE and afterlife stories and mysticism all are indicators of a global awakening.</li>
<li>Why NDE survivors rarely fear death, and how NDE and Afterlife stories on dying and death, help with the fear of what we all face.</li>
</ul>
Buy this #1 Ranked Amazon NDE Book Now, at an Introductory Price.

Dying to Really Live: Memories of the Afterlife; A Non-Believer Returns to Life After a Surprising Near Death Experience (NDE Series Book 1)

Religion & Spirituality

New Age & Spirituality

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Books by Duane F Smith