The Melheimian Sabbatiblog

Ready, Fire, Aim: The Preschool Incubators Project

Here's the short answer to yesterday's questions:

With regards to preschool, I don't know a lot, but I do know something about how the brain learns and what motivates people of all ages.

With regards to curriculum design and testing, that's all I've been doing 24-7 (yes, sometimes in my sleep) for the last 15 years... On both a macro and a micro scale. (Joseph got confirmed Sunday, thus ending my six year tenure as a small group confirmation guide at my church... for now).

And as for monumental - yes. However, institutions like government agencies, churches and higher education factories often have no concept of what a handful of dedicated, passionate, creative, committed people can do in a very short time. (We just wrote 120 songs in a week in Puerto Rico with 8 people for our preschool curriculum).

And as for "Ready, fire, aim (RFA)" there are two things to know.

First, RFA does not work if you're only taking one shot.

Second, if you're committed to the vision and the long haul, however, it's marvelous. The first shot is rarely - maybe never - the best shot. But it is the beginning of the learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting, learning, trying, adjusting...

And eventually, perfecting.

If you start with the vision of where you want to go, and if it is a big enough vision to attract the right people on the bus, and if you can figure out how to put the right people in the right seats on the bus early on, the beginnings get you well on your way. There will be detours, dead ends, and wrong turns along the way. That's what learning is all about. But in the end... You'll get far.

And when you get there, you'll realize that it is not the end, but the starting point of a thousand new and more wonderful potential journeys.

Launching of Preschool Incubators Project

I will soon be announcing the birth of a new non-profit, the Preschool Incubators Project. It comes at this moment as the result of a little gift to the Faith Inkubators Foundation from Bob and Marilyn Skare.

The Educational Development Center in Boston, which happens to be the top educational think tank in the world, will be our advisors and executive guidance team. The best animation studio in the mid-west, Flurry Studios, will be our animators. 20 of the top writers and musicians from the Faith Inkubators Music Guild and beyond will be writing children's music to imbed the math, science, language, and character lessons onto a brain-based performance arts core.

We'll be leveraging the knowledge, experience, mistakes, and connections made at Faith Inubators over the last 15 years to build a platform for "access to excellence" in early learning. To support the preschools using our new model, train and pay teachers at a higher level, and subsidize lower income kids, we'll be setting up two or three for-profit subsidiaries to provide multiple streams of income.

It'll be a five year experiment in discovering what "excellence" is in early learning (neurology, psychology of learning, sociology of learning, technology of learning, etc). In this time we'll seek to discover and develop excellent tools that children love - animations, songs, games, books, theater, toys. We'll seek to discover and develop excellence in learning spaces that marry process with tech platforms. (Walls that turn into bee hives, ant hills, galaxies. And we'll seek to discover and develop excellence in business models that make the whole thing work - especially for families that can't afford the Montesorri's of the world (which, by the way, are excellent but not accessible.)

A monumental task, you might say. Start testing the September when the curriculum isn't even written yet you might ask.  You don't know the first thing about preschool curriculum design, how can you do this without years of study, you might question. All this in five years - are you nuts, you might comment.

Is this just another an ill-prepared Melheimian "ready, fire, aim?" you might ask?

i'll answer that tomorrow.

Send Joseph A Note on Confirmation?

It’s Joseph’s confirmation this Sunday. For Lutherans, that’s the day you kneel at an altar as a young adult and say “Yes!” to the God who said “Yes!” to you in Jesus.

Some people call it “Affirmation of Baptism”. Some see it as a Protestant Bar Mitzvah. And, of course, some just see it as a meaningless ritual followed by a party. (A "parade" followed by a "charade" as I called it in "Conformation (sic!) is Dead."

Joseph’s been in confirmation for 6 years now. (We dragged him for three years when Kathryn went through because we were too cheap to get a sitter and have been his confirmation guides for the last three years). He’s playing in the worship band, excited about going to Bible camps this summer, and excited about a Chrisian rock concert in Minnesota this summer, so this isn’t the “graduation” that it is for a lot of kids.

A call or email or note from his dad's favorite people - blessing him on this day and telling him you’re glad to hear of his commitment to Christ as a young man, that you’re praying for him, cheering for him, and excited to see his talents be used for God in a big way to bless the world - would be most appreciated.

gotjoseph37@yahoo.com
Cell (651) 491-4368

Thanks,

Rich