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School, Disrupted
THIS INSPIRING BOOK will help you revive your child's enthusiasm for learning by reigniting their curiosity, passion, and joy. Emily Greene lays out an uplifting, achievable way for parents, caregivers, and educators to help children thrive during pandemic-era schooling and beyond.
Pandemic-era learning exposed deficiencies in our outdated education system and left our families mentally, emotionally, and academically fatigued. With insightful research, inspiring stories, tips, ideas, activities, and checklists, this book helps lighten the load we feel as the world adjusts to new ways of learning.
Greene inspires action with practical strategies to bring back balance and optimism as we reimagine school through the Seven Wonders of Learning: Unlearning, Free Time, Curiosity, Making, Creativity, Individuality, and Joy. Readers walk away empowered with a new perspective on the future of school and a better way for children to learn.
No matter what type of schooling your family is experiencing, from distance, hybrid, and in-person learning to homeschool, unschool, or a learning pod, this book will help you nurture a lifelong love of learning in your child.
Pandemic-era learning exposed deficiencies in our outdated education system and left our families mentally, emotionally, and academically fatigued. With insightful research, inspiring stories, tips, ideas, activities, and checklists, this book helps lighten the load we feel as the world adjusts to new ways of learning.
Greene inspires action with practical strategies to bring back balance and optimism as we reimagine school through the Seven Wonders of Learning: Unlearning, Free Time, Curiosity, Making, Creativity, Individuality, and Joy. Readers walk away empowered with a new perspective on the future of school and a better way for children to learn.
No matter what type of schooling your family is experiencing, from distance, hybrid, and in-person learning to homeschool, unschool, or a learning pod, this book will help you nurture a lifelong love of learning in your child.
248 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2021
5 people are currently reading
2061 people want to read
About the author
Emily Greene
1 book42 followersEmily Greene | Creativity Educator | Author | Entrepreneur
Emily is cofounder of VIVA Creative and creator of the Kiddovate program. In 2020, she received an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award recognizing innovation during adversity.
As a mother of three, Emily understands the challenges of school disruption in the pandemic. With parents everywhere, she has watched our outdated education system reach its breaking point. In January of 2021, she released School, Disrupted, published by ForbesBooks. The book draws on two decades as a creative disrupter, combined with the personal experience of educating her own children both inside and outside of traditional schools. School, Disrupted lays out a timely, uplifting, and achievable way for parents, caregivers, and educators to help children rediscover the joy of learning--in the pandemic and beyond.
Over the last several years, Emily has worked with hundreds of teachers and students as part of the Kiddovate Program. She developed the Kiddovate program in 2012 to help educators and parents teach lifelong critical thinking and creativity skills to kids. Kiddovate's tools, resources, and workshops, including a unique creative thinking app, have touched thousands of people across the world,
As the daughter of an immigrant, Emily is inspired by her mother, who was forced to leave school at a young age to support her family. As an elementary school child, Emily remembers watching her mother put herself through college, eventually graduating with honors. This experience leaves her with a deep appreciation for the power of self-driven learning to transform lives. In this spirit, Emily has homeschooled her own children at various times in their educational journeys and coached many Odyssey of the Mind teams over the last decade.
Emily is the founder of the Creative Capital Impact Organization and leader of the VIVA Creative Foundation and its philanthropic and community initiatives.
Emily holds a degree in Creative Writing from Northwestern University. She will receive a Master of Science in Creativity and Innovation from Drexel University's School of Education in March 2021. She is a proud member of NEXUS, a global community founded to bridge wealth with social entrepreneurs, and YPO, a global leadership community of chief executives. Emily is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT™) with Yoga Alliance.
Emily is cofounder of VIVA Creative and creator of the Kiddovate program. In 2020, she received an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award recognizing innovation during adversity.
As a mother of three, Emily understands the challenges of school disruption in the pandemic. With parents everywhere, she has watched our outdated education system reach its breaking point. In January of 2021, she released School, Disrupted, published by ForbesBooks. The book draws on two decades as a creative disrupter, combined with the personal experience of educating her own children both inside and outside of traditional schools. School, Disrupted lays out a timely, uplifting, and achievable way for parents, caregivers, and educators to help children rediscover the joy of learning--in the pandemic and beyond.
Over the last several years, Emily has worked with hundreds of teachers and students as part of the Kiddovate Program. She developed the Kiddovate program in 2012 to help educators and parents teach lifelong critical thinking and creativity skills to kids. Kiddovate's tools, resources, and workshops, including a unique creative thinking app, have touched thousands of people across the world,
As the daughter of an immigrant, Emily is inspired by her mother, who was forced to leave school at a young age to support her family. As an elementary school child, Emily remembers watching her mother put herself through college, eventually graduating with honors. This experience leaves her with a deep appreciation for the power of self-driven learning to transform lives. In this spirit, Emily has homeschooled her own children at various times in their educational journeys and coached many Odyssey of the Mind teams over the last decade.
Emily is the founder of the Creative Capital Impact Organization and leader of the VIVA Creative Foundation and its philanthropic and community initiatives.
Emily holds a degree in Creative Writing from Northwestern University. She will receive a Master of Science in Creativity and Innovation from Drexel University's School of Education in March 2021. She is a proud member of NEXUS, a global community founded to bridge wealth with social entrepreneurs, and YPO, a global leadership community of chief executives. Emily is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT™) with Yoga Alliance.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 16, 2021
It's been a year since the pandemic hit and what a perfect time to reflect on how schooling has gone (and, let's be honest, not gone!) with my 5, 8 and 10-year-old kids. Reading this book was the perfect way to frame that examination - what did we miss, being in distance learning for the last year? What went badly? What went well? And what lessons can we bring back to "normal" school when it resumes again?
Emily Greene draws on her homeschooling experience from a few years ago to paint a compelling picture of what learning could be for our kids - full of curiosity, hands-on making, individuality, creativity and joy! I wasn't expecting this book to also function as a primer on the history of our current (outdated, 19th-century) school structure and all the ways it doesn't serve our 21st century kids. Of *course* schools designed for the age of industrialism can't adequately equip the future thought leaders of the 21st century! That was a real "well, duh! Why didn't I think of that?!" moment for me while reading this book. I also found it immensely reassuring to read about how many colleges and universities are now putting much less of an emphasis on grades and test scores. If you hate the constant "teaching to the test" and numbers-based assessments of your kids, this book will absolutely reaffirm those instincts AND give you the tools for much better measures of progress (like portfolios - a brilliant idea, and just one of many concrete tips that the author shares at the end of every chapter of the book.)
Can you tell I liked it...?
Emily is like that cool mom friend you call for advice when you're in a rut or sick of endless screentime or have a wild creative kid that you don't know what to do with. She's totally on your team and has real, practical advice and the accomplishments of her own kids to back her up (again, you *know* this mom - she's always sharing, like, the homemade stop-motion video her amazing kid just made, but you can't hate her for it because she's so awesome and in your corner!)
If there's one criticism I have it's that her tips are sometimes a little skewed towards suburban families. There are quite a few recommendations to just let the kids "run around in the backyard" or go biking outside or have their own dedicated space, all of which seem a little impractical for families in apartments or cities or small homes. Even reading it through that lens though, I can safely say there isn't anything in here that isn't easily adaptable to your own living situation.
I'm so grateful for this book at this moment, and can't wait to immediately put some of these ideas into action (seriously there are entire appendices full of great activities!) Highly recommended for anyone who has found themselves thinking deeply about what "school" should look like when we go back, and how we as parents can support our kids' wild joy and creativity alongside (and sometimes in spite of) the education they receive in school.
Emily Greene draws on her homeschooling experience from a few years ago to paint a compelling picture of what learning could be for our kids - full of curiosity, hands-on making, individuality, creativity and joy! I wasn't expecting this book to also function as a primer on the history of our current (outdated, 19th-century) school structure and all the ways it doesn't serve our 21st century kids. Of *course* schools designed for the age of industrialism can't adequately equip the future thought leaders of the 21st century! That was a real "well, duh! Why didn't I think of that?!" moment for me while reading this book. I also found it immensely reassuring to read about how many colleges and universities are now putting much less of an emphasis on grades and test scores. If you hate the constant "teaching to the test" and numbers-based assessments of your kids, this book will absolutely reaffirm those instincts AND give you the tools for much better measures of progress (like portfolios - a brilliant idea, and just one of many concrete tips that the author shares at the end of every chapter of the book.)
Can you tell I liked it...?
Emily is like that cool mom friend you call for advice when you're in a rut or sick of endless screentime or have a wild creative kid that you don't know what to do with. She's totally on your team and has real, practical advice and the accomplishments of her own kids to back her up (again, you *know* this mom - she's always sharing, like, the homemade stop-motion video her amazing kid just made, but you can't hate her for it because she's so awesome and in your corner!)
If there's one criticism I have it's that her tips are sometimes a little skewed towards suburban families. There are quite a few recommendations to just let the kids "run around in the backyard" or go biking outside or have their own dedicated space, all of which seem a little impractical for families in apartments or cities or small homes. Even reading it through that lens though, I can safely say there isn't anything in here that isn't easily adaptable to your own living situation.
I'm so grateful for this book at this moment, and can't wait to immediately put some of these ideas into action (seriously there are entire appendices full of great activities!) Highly recommended for anyone who has found themselves thinking deeply about what "school" should look like when we go back, and how we as parents can support our kids' wild joy and creativity alongside (and sometimes in spite of) the education they receive in school.
June 12, 2021
Parents, please read this book! Schools and teachers are beholden to the communities they serve. The changes Greene recommends, and which as an educator I whole-heartedly endorse, will only emerge once there is a tidal wave of demand from parents.
Teachers, while the structure and demands of our actual job may prevent us from fully adopting all of Greene's suggestions and strategies, I believe that every teacher can find useful tips for increasing creativity and engagement in his or her classroom.
And while this book is an excellent jumping off point for how we can re-think our education system, and as much as I love and agree with Greene's approach to learning, I do wish she had addressed the socioeconomic achievement gaps. Her book is full of hope and inspiration, but I wanted the reassurance of real life examples that her ideas could reach into and thrive in all communities and households--not just in the realm of two-parent, middle-class stability. Nevertheless, I recognize that at its heart this is a memoir of her own journey as a parent trying to foster a love of learning in her children. I look forward to a follow-up on where she goes next with her crusade to bring education into the 21st century.
Teachers, while the structure and demands of our actual job may prevent us from fully adopting all of Greene's suggestions and strategies, I believe that every teacher can find useful tips for increasing creativity and engagement in his or her classroom.
And while this book is an excellent jumping off point for how we can re-think our education system, and as much as I love and agree with Greene's approach to learning, I do wish she had addressed the socioeconomic achievement gaps. Her book is full of hope and inspiration, but I wanted the reassurance of real life examples that her ideas could reach into and thrive in all communities and households--not just in the realm of two-parent, middle-class stability. Nevertheless, I recognize that at its heart this is a memoir of her own journey as a parent trying to foster a love of learning in her children. I look forward to a follow-up on where she goes next with her crusade to bring education into the 21st century.
March 12, 2021
Educating our children has always been a priority, and the pandemic forced many of us to confront a new education world where the foundations of what we thought we knew were stripped away. Emily Greene masterfully reminds us in “School, Disrupted” what it’s all about; instilling a sense of wonder in life long learning for us all and that no institution or group of people has a monopoly on how we can create an enriched learning environment for our children regardless of our circumstances. She observes that, “[i]nstead of fact-memorizers, our world needs problem-finders and problem-solvers who use questions and creativity to find solutions to our world’s new and emerging challenges.” But she doesn’t leave us hanging there. “School, Disrupted” is full of practical recommendations and activities in which we can engage in now to rekindle the joy of learning. In a recognition that even with the best of intentions, our best laid plans may not succeed in their first iterations, Emily Greene shows us the way to embrace an iterative mindset that will bring joy to children, their parents, and caretakers.
March 12, 2021
Any parent who has ever had concerns about the quality and effectiveness of our education system (before or during the pandemic) would benefit from Emily Greene's book School, Disrupted. Borne out of personal experiences with homeschooling well prior to the current pandemic, and revisited again over the past year, this book pulls together many elements of the learning process and places them in a larger context while still giving each idea its own focus. The almost conversational writing style makes this a very readable book, yet it is clearly organized and easy to follow. Ms. Greene draws on personal stories as well as current literature on education and neuroscience to illustrate her points, and she offers questions and opportunities for reflection and action in each chapter. A tremendous number of resources and web sites are listed throughout, along with a lengthy "boredom busters" list of suggestions in one of the appendices. This is a book that manages to be personal, informative, practical and thought-provoking, and an invaluable tool for parents who want to make a real change in how their children learn.
March 13, 2021
I just finished reading "School, Disrupted" and I can't recommend it highly enough. I was a teacher, and it is the most inspiring teaching book I have ever read in 50 years. After reading it, I wanted to be 30 years younger and teach again. It incorporates all the ideas I could have used to further motivate my students. The author, Emily Greene, not only presents the problems parents and teachers are facing today, but she also highlights wonderful solutions that can be incorporated at home and in school. She covers the most urgent problems like boredom, grades, conformity, etc. To me, the most wonderful principle she states is: “You do not have to be an A student to excel. The important thing is finding where talent and passion intersect.”
If you're a parent, or a teacher, or a loved one of a school aged child -- or you just like the book's subject matter -- this is the book for you. You'll educate yourself on how to improve our children's learning experiences moving forward, and implement best practices starting today.
If you're a parent, or a teacher, or a loved one of a school aged child -- or you just like the book's subject matter -- this is the book for you. You'll educate yourself on how to improve our children's learning experiences moving forward, and implement best practices starting today.
March 14, 2021
As a mother to two, godmother to seventeen, foster mom and educator, I am always searching for creative ways to enhance my children's learning experience. I had pretty much run out of ideas when I discovered School, Disrupted. Thank you Emily Greene! The list of 65 Boredom Busters and 80 Zoom Boosters is worth the price of admission! (I use the ZOOM Boosters with my adult learners as well!)
And may I add that as pandemic-era learning is exposing the glaring deficiencies in our current educational system, Greene offers that this is perhaps the watershed moment we’ve been waiting for to make the critical shift from an educational model based on correct answers to one based on nurturing natural curiosities. If teachers and parents had the courage to embrace the ideas that Greene brings alive in School, Disrupted, the world created by this generation of learners would be a much different place than that created by traditional classroom learning and this pandemic would not have been for naught.
And may I add that as pandemic-era learning is exposing the glaring deficiencies in our current educational system, Greene offers that this is perhaps the watershed moment we’ve been waiting for to make the critical shift from an educational model based on correct answers to one based on nurturing natural curiosities. If teachers and parents had the courage to embrace the ideas that Greene brings alive in School, Disrupted, the world created by this generation of learners would be a much different place than that created by traditional classroom learning and this pandemic would not have been for naught.
March 12, 2021
School Disrupted was the best of several books that I enjoyed reading in my pandemic home time. It is a very worthwhile read, and it contains “nuts and bolts” type ideas and practical suggestions about what we all want for our kids, learning relevant things that will give them an edge in living, growing, and succeeding. I came away from this read as disrupted as the schools and teachers have been because the author jolted and reminded me that the only final backstop for the educational outcome is the parent. Greene reminds us that there are various valid approaches to the parental involvement mandate, but that lack of parental involvement is not an option, pandemic or not. I strongly recommend that you take your time and enjoy this solid and enjoyable book, and keep some note paper handy as you read for the brainstorms that you’ll get for helping the kids.
March 16, 2021
Highly recommend this book!! Without a doubt, one of THE BEST, most helpful and beyond practical books I have read regarding education, learning and inspiring our children to enjoy and love learning again. The pandemic and "zoom school" have squeezed out all joy that my children found in school and learning. We have also allowed way too much screen time in order for them to remain connected and "socialize" in a safe but not-so-healthy manner. This book provides a roadmap on how to reengage them and inspire them to think outside of the box, learning through hands-on activities not just heads-down grades-focused curricula!!
October 23, 2021
A Wonderful, Creative, Uplifting book which has changed my perspective on education. Anybody whom has school age children or is an educator should read this. There is so much information and pages of checklists which are extremely useful. The author discusses our over scheduling generation giving us ideas, activity starters and creativity tasks. I had to highlight large sections of this book so I would have a quick reference to go back to. All this information at our fingertips and I especially loved the section ‘Boredom Busters’.
I was fortunate to have won a print copy of this book from a ‘Goodreads’ Giveaway.
Reviews are posted on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads & Kindle.
I was fortunate to have won a print copy of this book from a ‘Goodreads’ Giveaway.
Reviews are posted on Amazon, B&N, Goodreads & Kindle.
March 15, 2021
5 stars! This book is fabulous! I can't recommend it enough. If you're looking to enhance your child's learning experience, this is a must-read! It's a page turner with easy-to-digest activities and key takeaways/best practices for thinking outside the box and revolutionizing our school system. I highly recommend for any parent, teacher, or anyone looking to learn about how we can improve our education system. I particularly love the "boredom busters" outlined toward the end of the book. I will be referencing this book for years to come!
March 15, 2021
You won’t be able to put this book down. Emily speaks to the heart of the discontent we feel as we watch the love for learning fade from our children as they grow in our current education system. The excitement and joy of preschool are replaced with apathy or even discontent as homework dominates and curiosity is squashed. Emily ignites our commitment to parent through these challenges and impact our children’s learning. Disruption is a beautiful opportunity to reimagine the possibilities!
March 15, 2021
If you're looking for a practical guide to educating children in an updated, innovative, and relevant manner, look no further! This book is simple to follow and offers a detailed guide to doing just that, plus insights into why making learning fun matters. Emily Greene has created an important resource for teachers, caregivers, nannies, parents and anyone who cares for/works with children in a time when it is so desperately needed.
March 12, 2021
As I begin to read “School, Disrupted,” I couldn’t help but to text my besties to tell them they must read this book. I knew they would relate to Emily Greene’s passion for igniting curiosity and the desire to learn in her children. Emily writes in such a relate and easy to digest tone. Any parent reading this would feel like, “I can do this!”
May 18, 2021
Every parent who homeschools and every teacher should have a copy of this book. Parents with kids in school should also read it to see how they can reignite their children's passion for learning. The portfolio is something every HS student should be working on, and her ideas are so much more creative than just putting in certificates, copies of term papers, etc...
June 23, 2021
This book is a wonderful tool to help keep all the chaos that is going on in perspective. I needed this book right now. This school year has been awful and the author calmly shows how it is not a terrible experience but a chance to start truly learning in a new way.
This is a wonderful book and I am very thankful to Goodreads for sending me a copy. I really needed it.
This is a wonderful book and I am very thankful to Goodreads for sending me a copy. I really needed it.
July 19, 2021
I'm not sure how many school systems had a contingency plan for a pandemic. I know most parents did not. This book discusses the changed forced by the pandemic. It also discusses how to make the most of the changes. I recommend this book for educators, parents, and those who are interested in homeschooling.
March 9, 2021
Ms. Greene’s book invites readers, through her creative vision and profound insights, to step out of the old education system conformity trap and transform our children’s learning into more fun, meaningful experiences.
Want to read
July 11, 2021Well written, informative, have already shared tidbits of information
March 16, 2021
In the opening of School Disrupted, I felt like Greene was inside my head. When she began her "homeschooling year" with her kids, she tried to recreate school at home. But she quickly realized, like me, that the old-school mental model of school would not work at home. Throughout the book, Greene challenged me to question my perceptions of how (and where) learning occurs. She focuses on how we can make school at home joyful and wondrous both by sharing real-life stories and providing actionable steps that parents and caregivers can use in their own life as they encourage joy in learning. This book had a profound impact on our own homeschooling journey, and I highly recommend it.
http://www.oopsanddaisies.com/homesch...
http://www.oopsanddaisies.com/homesch...
August 25, 2021
Are you kids stuck in a rut? Have they lost motivation and the joy to learn? Has the pandemic, and traditional teaching methods zapped the creativity and enthusiasm right out of your kids? Well, Emily Greene's "School, Disrupted" is the cure. This book is a comprehensive look into our school system and provides tangible, practical approaches to jump starting your child's love of learning, creativity and curiosity. Emily's writing style is straightforward and easy to digest. It's a quick read, which then gets you motivated to put into place all her thoughtful, useful approaches. A MUST read.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews