http://www.kennedywhite.com.au kennedywhite.com.au Sun, 06 May 2012 13:23:41 +0000 http://www.kennedywhite.com.au en http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/current-story http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/following/kennedywhite.com.au/current-story Sun, 06 May 2012 13:23:41 +0000 kennedywhite.com.au 266560 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/266560/040210_Girl_2010_1.jpg" width="419" height="300" width_o="419" height_o="300" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/266560/040210_Girl_2010_1_o.jpg" data-mid="1149245" border="0" align="left"/> 2013: Ahead of myself What a great year 2012 was. I finished the first book and it's in the hands of agents. Who knows what that means but that's for 2013. I did establish Kinder Philosophy both as a trainining Institute and a Cafe for kids. I went to Mont Clair University in New Jersey to study in August and then onto Berlin. I started a second book this time for teachers and have bigger plans for this coming year for Philosophy in a broader context than just children. A lot of expectations for 2013. Bring it on. 2012: What's in store? Reflecting on 2011, first there was the great relief/excitement when a very top agent decided to take two of my books and then had to withdraw for personal reasons. So the books are on ice while I focus this year on parents. Similar themes. Differerent spin. But all with the focus on the development of critical and creative thinking in children. How NOT to answer childrens' questions to be available in limited edition by September. Children ask Big Questions is a video series in production. Establish Kinder Philosophy Cafe for children and parents Volunteer training program in Cambodia and more ...................... 2011: A new year and a time for reflection and setting new goals. I completed two books leaving no excuse for not starting on another. The television program went to air to critical success not just on NITV but also on ABC TV. So my goals this year will be to create a hybrid career of writing and teaching. 2010 I will combine the two decades experience in creating and communicating stories on multi platforms with the passion for developing critical and creative thinking with children Current project are: • Delivering On The Edge, a 13 half hour TV series for NITV • Filming philosophic discussions with children • Publishing The Three Frogs booklets for children • Writing an Introduction to Philosophy in Schools • Completing a parenting book How to raise thinking children • Teaching creative and critical thinking • Conducting Teacher Training courses for Level 1 FAPSA Certificate in Philosophic Inquiry with children 2013: Ahead of myself What a great year 2012 was. I finished the first book and it's in the hands of agents. Who knows what that means but that's for 2013. I... http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/read-a-story-1 http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/following/kennedywhite.com.au/read-a-story-1 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:38:13 +0000 kennedywhite.com.au 267493 WHAT DO SOME CHILDREN LEARN WHEN THEY DON'T GO TO SCHOOL? or Deschooling your children (c) 2010 Kate Kennedy White With our three children, Ben 8, Josh 7 and Sophie almost 3 we took a year from teaching to go sailing on a 10 metre Tahitian ketch. We left Port Adelaide in southern Australia in April to catch the southeast trade winds that blow north and arrived six months later in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Within days of arriving, the boys were back at school and Sophie joined a Kindergarten. We both found jobs and soon looked like everyone else with a house, a car and a spaniel. But something had profoundly changed in my views about teaching and learning. What did you do about school was a frequently asked question. This is that story. A 10 metre ketch. Five people on board. No television. One week into our voyage and after a couple of attempts at working through the Correspondence School lessons, we tossed them overboard and with them the notion of making children learn things that did not relate to their environment. All formal lessons were off and instead we let them learn from the world around them. Sailing over 3,000 sea miles is made up of a series of goals about a hundred nautical miles apart or anything from a day to a week at sea. Before leaving a port, the next port is fixed and preparations made. Food, water, fuel, charts, navigation gear, sails and rigging are all checked. Weather reports are noted and weather conditions for the following week predicted. These are made on the basis of the previous week’s reports and synoptic charts, together with over a hundred years of climatic recordings for a particular month of the year and the particular coastline or sea concerned. Weather is the single most important factor to consider before leaving a port. A day's delay in port waiting for a low-pressure system or cold front to pass is an investment in human comfort and happiness when you are totally alone on the ocean. The boys were included in this process and they began to read the weather. Leaving the lee of Kangaroo Island the calm sea gave way to huge sets of waves rolling in from Antarctica. The children were naturally alarmed at first as the boat heeled to the gunwale. But within a short time, the motion was regarded as normal and Josh was back on deck streaming his trolling line over the stern. He had read that barracuda could be caught from a trailing line in this deep water. Sure enough, the nylon line tightened around his fingers and he shouted ‘”I’ve got one”. Josh spent most of his days fishing entranced with his fishing book and spending hours working out which fish he might catch next. For him the ocean was a lucky dip. He would identify the fish for the geographic region we were in, note the depth they swam, what their feeding habits were, what the best kind of rig and the right time of day to drop his line. He had to decipher the names to pronounce them and was fascinated by the classification system. He speculated why one fish was called a Sergeant Baker until he caught one and it was completely obvious. His interest in developing his vocabulary for fish paid off. We arrived at Ulladulla, a fishing port on the New South Wales coast on the day of local fishing competition. Josh worked his way to the inside ring of spectators as the catch was weighed calling out the name of a fish as soon as it was handed to the officials. And would you believe there was a Sergeant Baker amongst them. But he also learnt about multiple classifications and cross-referencing. Over the duration of the journey, I read aloud each day from classic children’s literature. This might be mid morning while we waited for the bread to rise or during the late afternoon as we headed for anchorage or waited for a light to appear. The three children would huddle together under the shelter of the doghouse in rough weather or sprawled out on the deck in the shade of the sails on those balmy days. We began with Treasure Island. The boys lived Jim Hawkins adventures, holding their breath as Jim calculated the opportune time to jump from the coracle to catch the bowsprit and board the Hispaniola. They chuckled at Captain Smollett’s description of the brig’s sailing ability. ‘She’ll lie a point nearer the wind than a man has a right to expect of his own married wife, Sir”. They imitated Long John Silver’s parrot each time the call came ‘to stand by going about’. The seafaring language of the novel was brought to life by every wave that lashed our hull. The climax of Treasure Island came when we anchored in Refuge Cove in the lee of Wilson’s Promontory, the southernmost tip of the Australian continent. Refuge Bay, surrounded by towering mountains, clothed in deep green vegetation with huge granite rocks running down to a sandy beach, was the perfect safe anchorage. Ben had waited for this moment to become Jim Hawkins. He launched and rowed the dinghy alone towards a beach on the far side of the bay easily surfing the boat ashore. He was however later to discover the difficulties of relaunching the boat into wind and waves. We pulled anchor and motored some 400 metres to help him but by the time we arrived he had already relaunched and now drenched and determined was rowing a half full dinghy furiously towards us. By the time we reached the Hawkesbury River, just north of Sydney, Ben had perfected the art of surfing a dingy as well as the more difficult task of launching into heavy surf. He also now checked charts, considered the tide and wind and determined the best direction to go for a row. We had a substantial library on board and the boys also read alone for several hours each day. Ben, who has always marched to the beat of his own drum, could remain below in the most adverse conditions so engrossed in a book that he was unaware of the pitching and rolling or of night or day. Just north of Coffs Harbour, we ran into an unexpected head on gale from the northwest. The wind was screaming and the waves smashing against our little boat. The next forty-eight hours were extremely uncomfortable and the children remained below deck most of the time. When dawn came on the third day, Ben emerged from the cabin. He had just completed The Hobbit and couldn’t make out what all the fuss was about. Because we were not earning for at least six months, we were rigorous about our finances. Before leaving Adelaide, the boys were given a year’s pocket money in advance, $104 each, a fortune for young boys in the seventies. They opened deposit accounts and arrangements were made so that they had total control over this money. Understanding that this was all the money that would have until Christmas, they had to learn about budgeting. Prior to each port of call, the boys calculated their leave money in terms of days at sea, estimated their shore expenses and prepared their withdrawal forms. Once in port, they took their leave (and their passbooks) and headed for the bank. And like all sailors ashore, they were to learn a lesson to two. At Cronulla, a port south of Sydney, they hit their first ‘big city’ since leaving Adelaide. Off the boat and down to the bank they noticed a fun parlour on the way. Withdrawal forms were rewritten to include next weeks allowance and the money asked not in notes but in 20-cent coins. With pockets heavy, they headed back to the fun parlour. That evening we listened to their experiences of outer space travel, war games and racetrack thrills. “How many turns did you have on each?” “Hmmm, about three or four” “How much did that cost?” A pause and pockets were turned out. Fifteen cents. Josh’s eyes filled with tears realising that he had five more days in port and daren’t go back to the Bank for more. Ben took the whole banking thing much more seriously. He calculated how much interest the money was accumulating and projected ahead including anticipated birthday gifts from grandparents. Consequently he took great insult to one particular incident at a Bank. He was laboriously completing his withdrawal form in eight year old cursive handwriting, when an elderly woman, annoyed at having to wait to use the pen, suggested that he stop messing about. At this same Post Office, Josh was to discover that getting your own money out of your own account was not always simple. He fronted the counter now confident and experienced but was rejected because he didn’t have identification. So he walked back the two kilometres to the boat to find out what was identification. Back to the Post Office again with passport in hand. Time was precious and he needed the money to buy bait or the fish would be moving on with the tide. But he was rejected again because as this was only an agency they insisted he get his parent's permission to withdraw money. Very frustrated, he ran back to the yacht again. Didn’t the teller realise how important this was and what the consequences of these delays meant? He finally got his money but no fish that day, but he learnt that life becomes easier once you establish your credentials. Sophie turned three on this voyage, and we were often questioned about the wisdom of taking such a young child on a sea voyage. Safety was always the first priority. Life on the open sea meant no 000 to ring in the case of emergency. Life on a rocking boat meant establishing and observing strict rules relating to personal safety, cooking and eating, as we had witnessed a horrendous incident of burnt children following a fuel explosion and tragic stories of people lost overboard. There was an understanding that we all had to take responsibility for our own safety and that included Sophie. Safety rules were non negotiable. They understood the reasons and respected and adhered to them. Although the children wore safety harness when the weather was rough, we wanted them to develop an understanding and respect for the elements. Occasionally on a calm sailing day we would toss something like a hat overboard and practiced the routine of turning the yacht around and picking it up. They imagined that the hat was one of them, and they soon recognised the significance of ‘one hand for the boat and one for me’. Sophie’s first lesson occurred before we left dock. Getting onto the yacht required climbing down a twenty run ladder. Sophie saw the boys do this with ease and insisted that she could do this by herself. So with one of us at the bottom of the ladder and another at the top and both of us were aware what was likely to happen. Sure enough, half way down she let go of both hands. With the situation under total control, we let her fall into the sea. She understood from that moment the importance of holding on. Being without external company for long periods, a strong bond developed between the three children. They learnt to trust each other and to take not only responsibility not only for themselves but for each other. Sophie pitted herself against the boys insisting that she could do anything they could do. We often let them go off together without us to explore, Sophie of course with a life jacket. It was no different in port and one day the children wanted to go alone to a matinee in a local town. We agreed and off they went to have the experience we had had in the 50’s. We picked them up at five and asked Sophie how she managed at the interval with the toilet. “Oh it was OK”, she said, “Ben asked the flusherette to take me”. Sophie created words in order to participate in conversations and this enriched us and gave us a new perspectives. Did you ever consider that a lighthouse was actually winking? Sophie insisted on sleeping on deck except in the most adverse conditions. Since there was always one of us on the helm this was of no concern. She slept when she was tired, she ate when she was hungry and she was never anything but a happy child. By three she developed a fascination with the stars and the patterns they made, she learnt to count the rhythm of the seventh wave, chanted home made safety rhymes and asked a lot of questions. She loved Kipling’s Just So stories and always insisted that she could read the opening line of each story. Oh My Dear Beloved Children. She absorbed the language of the A.A. Milne, Robert Louis Stevenson, nonsense poems and rhymes. Even today we still read aloud to each other. Alone at sea with few distractions except the natural environment, the children’s observations became acute. They noticed an inert object floating on the sea, so we changed course to take a closer look. It was a sleeping albatross. Where did you think seabirds slept? They gathered flying fish and wondered why these fish had wings. They gasped in wonder at huge manta rays breaking the surface and somersaulting in the air. They tried to gather the phosphorescent sea life for a closer look and watched as swarms of jellyfish ‘our boat. They teased blue-coated soldier crabs into surrender and then laughed as they immediately regrouped and marched on parade again. They scanned the horizon with a mixture of desire and apprehension to sight packs of whales and were not disappointed when six blunt nosed pygmy whales dived across the bow in the Coral Sea. Dolphins became part of our family and the children got up close and personal with them. Every arrival of the dolphins was pure excitement and they rushed to hang over the side of the yacht as if it was their first sighting, calling them to conversation. Being at sea for several months meant the children learnt about corrosion, electrolysis and the strength and weaknesses of timber, fibreglass, concrete and steel. What stops stainless steel from rusting? Why does copper go green? How can a heavy boat float? From the beginning of the trip the children took an interest in navigation, handling the parallel rulers, the walker’s log, dividers and compass. They watched as we plotted our route on the chart and questions grew. They started to understand the relationship of speed, time and distance, the phases of the moon and the tides and the difference between the plotted course and the course made good. As we island hopped through the Whitsunday’s and noted the origin of many of the island’s names – just how many Solitary Islands can there be? – we realised we were sailing in the wake of Captain James Cook and they developed a deep appreciation of the early explorers and map makers. We chose to sail between Curtis Island and the mainland, a narrow inland waterway just deep at high tide for the draught of our yacht. The navigation involved graphing the change in tide over time relative to our draught and the boys observed the relevance of converting tables into a pictorial form. Navigating through the passage without going aground had a certain air of drama and they were eager to be involved. So while Ben read from the pilot identifying our position and noting the time, Josh read from the graph and called the depth. With no explanation, we noted the advanced mathematical equations they were applying to a real life experience. This inland waterway, a serpentine channel with overhanging mangroves close enough to touch in places, contrasted to the windswept naked southern ocean we had just left so what better new story than A. A. Milne’s Wind n the Willows. Not being in school meant being away from their peers but never isolated from people. Once in port, there were other sailors to compare notes, fishermen to tap local knowledge and in return the boys gained respect from the landlubbers. On this journey, they were thrust into a world of lighthouse keepers and shipwrecked sailors, mechanics and millionaires, hermits and hippies. They needed to establish their own identify and their social place. Needing to be self-sufficient meant there were a variety of chores that had to be shared. They all had to take their turns at washing, cleaning, cooking, steering, trimming sails and general maintenance. In the quiet times, the children had to amuse themselves within the limitations of a ten-metre boat and an endless horizon. They would find a comfortable place to read, write, draw or talk. In this uncluttered environment, there was time to pose questions and time to think of answers. The long evenings at the helm as we headed into the night produced those philosophic thoughts about the origin of the universe, the evolution of life forms and the poetry of progress. Living so closely together, we had to learn to cope with each other’s mental and physical states. The anxiety as we approached an unknown entrance with swift currents, a sand bar or a reef was understood by the children. In these situations, they learnt to stand on the deck, waiting for an order to drop sail or release the anchor or to jump to the wharf with a line. They became sensitive to the concentration needed in docking and manoeuvring and in return they were complemented on their competence and coolness. They had to learn to endure being wet and cold, of sleeping at an angle of 45 degrees in a howling gale or having to wait several hours for a wind to drop before the next hot meal. They learnt to be patient as we waited for a blinking light to appear on the horizon and the futility of complaining. But they also discovered the joys of being in command of their journey and deciding which island to go next, the bliss of sailing under a perfect sky with a following sea or the thrill of catching their own evening meal. What the children learnt came from being totally involved in their environment. Questions came from observation or provoked by conversation. With no television to distract or computers to steal time, they relied on each other, their physical world and the world of their imagination. Six months later when we arrive in Port Moresby and the children were eager to go to school again. They had a good sense of themselves, good stories to tell and they fitted in easily. Their reading skills were good and their writing colourful. They had a fresh attitude to classroom learning and enjoyed the discipline of measured time, of programmed lessons, teachers, assemblies and bells. Their adjustment to formal school was no more difficult than other adjustments they will make in life for learning to accept change is one of the lessons of life. (c) 2010 Kennedy White Postscript: Ben is a scientist and a lifesaver Josh is a strategist and an adventurer Sophie is a writer WHAT DO SOME CHILDREN LEARN WHEN THEY DON'T GO TO SCHOOL? or Deschooling your children (c) 2010 Kate Kennedy White With our three children, Ben 8, Josh 7 and... http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/thinking-story http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/following/kennedywhite.com.au/thinking-story Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:11:11 +0000 kennedywhite.com.au 267488 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/267488/040210_Girl.jpg" width="419" height="300" width_o="419" height_o="300" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/267488/040210_Girl_o.jpg" data-mid="1149252" border="0" align="left"/> How lucky am I. My day job is to conduct philosophic dialogues with children K-6. Philosophy with children is about thinking about thinking inspired by the writings of John Dewey who believed that thinking, rather than transmitting information was central to learning and the developmenet of knowledge and wisdom. So we collectively ask questions, ask questions about questions, share our ideas, change our minds, reflect on what others say and then develop our own thoughts about what we think. In philosophy we ask awkward questions James 8 It’s blah blah blah until your head hurts. Stephanie 8. We learn how to think not what to think. Evan 8 It’s about saying what you think with reasons and building on someone else’s idea. Abby 8 It's about not having one right answer but asking lots of questions Mimi 8 It’s about listening to others and changing your mind is OK. Bruno 8 Kate Kennedy White is a qualified FAPSA tutor. If you are interested in developing a philosophic practice or engaging in philosophy with children, visit www.kinderphilosophy.com for full details of courses available. How lucky am I. My day job is to conduct philosophic dialogues with children K-6. Philosophy with children is about thinking about thinking inspired by the... http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/contact http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/following/kennedywhite.com.au/contact Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:42:42 +0000 kennedywhite.com.au 270433 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/270433/040210_Girl.jpg" width="419" height="300" width_o="419" height_o="300" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/270433/040210_Girl_o.jpg" data-mid="1163118" border="0" align="left"/> KATE kate@kennedywhite.net Skype katekw SOPHIE sophiekw@tpg.com.au PO Box 411 Double Bay 1360 NSW Australia KATE kate@kennedywhite.net Skype katekw SOPHIE sophiekw@tpg.com.au PO Box 411 Double Bay 1360 NSW Australia http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/success-story http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/following/kennedywhite.com.au/success-story Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:16:14 +0000 kennedywhite.com.au 267495 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/267495/040210_Girl_glass.jpg" width="419" height="300" width_o="419" height_o="300" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/267495/040210_Girl_glass_o.jpg" data-mid="1149268" border="0" align="left"/> Recognitions • Awarded Inaugural Australian Centenary Medal 2001 • Gold Medal New York Television Festival for Market of Dreams • Bronze Medal Worldfest Houston USA for The Platypus Man • Finalist Margaret Mead Festival, Banff Television Festival • Winner Prix Jeunesse International Munich for The Greedy Frog • Winner PATA award for Adelaide Welcomes the World • Juror Montreux Film Festival • Juror Moscow Television Festival • Selected for Festival International du film sur l’art Montréal • Selected for DreamSpeakers Festival Hawaii for Two Weeks Off Work • Board of South Australian Film Corporation • Chair of Film Development South Australian Film Corporation Recognitions • Awarded Inaugural Australian Centenary Medal 2001 • Gold Medal New York Television Festival for Market of Dreams • Bronze Medal Worldfest... http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/buy-a-story http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/following/kennedywhite.com.au/buy-a-story Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:06:50 +0000 kennedywhite.com.au 267486 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/267486/040210_Girl_$.jpg" width="419" height="300" width_o="419" height_o="300" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/267486/040210_Girl_$_o.jpg" data-mid="1149250" border="0" align="left"/> Market of Dreams is a documentary film that tells the story of the impact of the art from the desert painters of Central Australia on the New York Art scene. The film that asks What is art? Director/Writer Kate Kennedy White. Gold Medal New York Television Festival. A$60 private A$200 public, broadcast on application http://www.ozmosisart.com/Market_of_%20Dreams_documentary.htm The Greedy Frog is a short film that retells an Australian Dreaming story in the tradition of Aesop. The central character, a selfish amphibian thinks only of himself and suffers the consequences. Winner Prix Jeuness Munich. Producer/Writer Kate Kennedy White. For children. A$30 private, A$150 public, broadcast on application kate@kennedywhite.net People Power is a documentary film that tells the story of people on four continents, Malawi, Brazil, Rajasthan and Ireland taking back their political power. Produced for Earth Report BBC. Director/Writer Kate Kennedy White Available TVE http://www.tve.org/earthreport/archive/doc.cfm?aid=1441 The Three Frogs – a series of 20 x 5 short filmed stories told with puppets to provoke lateral thinking in young children. Creator/Producer Kate Kennedy White. A$60 private, A$200 schools. Market of Dreams is a documentary film that tells the story of the impact of the art from the desert painters of Central Australia on the New York Art scene. The... http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/back-story http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/following/kennedywhite.com.au/back-story Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:45:09 +0000 kennedywhite.com.au 253002 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/253002/040210_Girl_books_1.jpg" width="419" height="300" width_o="419" height_o="300" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/253002/040210_Girl_books_1_o.jpg" data-mid="1149203" border="0" align="left"/> Kate has been telling and retelling stories for three decades as a • Documentary filmmaker • Children’s TV program maker • Broadcaster for Network Ten, Network Nine and MSN • Strategist for concept, content and web renovation • Teacher of critical and creative thinking with children • Corporate writer For a detailed resume, please email kate@kennedywhite.net Kate has been telling and retelling stories for three decades as a • Documentary filmmaker • Children’s TV program maker • Broadcaster for Network Ten,... http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/front-page http://www.kennedywhite.com.au/following/kennedywhite.com.au/front-page Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:33:17 +0000 kennedywhite.com.au 253000 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/253000/040210_Girl_bubble.jpg" width="419" height="300" width_o="419" height_o="300" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/22038/253000/040210_Girl_bubble_o.jpg" data-mid="1149184" border="0" align="left"/> telling stories that make people think retelling stories to a target audience whether to a million or just one producing stories online, on television and in print 9/11/12 When someone dies, that sadness will start to turn into memory and you will start to feel much better. Luka 9. 9/11/12 You know you get up, go to school, come home. On the weekend you play with friends. The next week you do the same things again and the next weekend the same again. And then your Dad dies and everything changes. Zara 8 2/1/11 Those that live in fear die every day. Those that live without fear die only once. Overheard on a dive boat in Thailand. 1/10/10 Is nothing something? Cordelia 6. It must be because it's got a name. Charles 6 22/8/10 We are made to reach for the stars. Desmond Tutu 8/8/10 Following a butterfly is more fun than finding a fifty dollar note. 5/8/10 A child will ask a question a wise man dares not answer. 22/7/10 A child of seven sees not seven wonders but several thousand. 27/4/10 Do you have to be brave to be brave? Remy 6 17/4/10 When does loud start? 8/4/10 If we call it tonight and tomorrow night why don't we call it yesternight? Rosie 4 7/03/10 Finding myself having to defend the practice of philosophic inquiry with children. Confucius gave this answer. If your plan is for one year, plant rice; If your plan is for ten years, plant trees; If your plan is for one hundred years, educate the child 18/2/10 Watching three men trying to concoct the perfect cocktail while I try to concoct the ideal question for the students tomorrow. 14/02/10 I woke this morning and thought it was tomorrow. Does that mean I've gained another day? telling stories that make people think retelling stories to a target audience whether to a million or just one producing stories online, on television and in...