Books

Book Experiental Education

Have I already ever told you that I also used to be a child?

Education is a necessary of life.
At least if it is driven as a matter of fact by passion and inspiration.

I want to express my gratitude to a number of sources of inspiration especially:
Gerard Barten who made his education into my challenge.

Jan van der Crabben for the intense meetings in freedom and linkedness.
Ton Schouten for his neverending support and challenge.
Prof. Ferre Laevers and prof. Luc Stevens for their inspiring wisdom.
Liesbeth Spigt, Anja Thijssen, Wilma van Esch and Mariyan Gardenier for their pleasant and synergetic cooperation.

Ludo Heylen for the boundary crossing friendship.
And all children, teachers, members of the board and parents of primary school Uilenspiegel in Boekel, by whom I have been allowed to learn to trust children and teachers and to develop education …… with passion!

Marcel van Herpen

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Book Sustainable educating and developing

This book if for parents, policymakers and employees from areas which have a (related) educational task. Students, counselors, teachers and management from pre-school stages, education (primary education, secondary education, vocational education and colleges), welfare work, police and justice. But also (non-professional) counselors in neighbourhood, sports and youth clubs can be inspired.

In this book ‘Sustainable Educating and Developing’ is talked about. That is an ecological approach. In that way the relationship between children and counselors and the environment is always looked at in coherence.

The word ‘counsellors’ is chosen for all those who participate. In those places where it is described explicitly for instance from an educational setting teachers from primary or secondary education are speaking. The word children has been chosen for instead of pupils, students etc. except when from the context it is meant differently.

The examples are many-sided and originate from different domains. They can function as insight, metaphor and inspiration for other areas of work.

Of course an ecological approach of durability issues is about the coherence of all domains. However, this book offers primary insights and perspectives for those who are confronted with educational and development issues.

In this book I have tried to tell a big story. The story of the educational possibilities in all kinds of different situations. Bringing up and developing durably means for me that you have a view on your own life and that from there you relate openly to the other person. This book contains many small anecdotes which tell the big story. Because big sometimes seems everything, but small sometimes tells it precisely. A metaphor is often more direct and more understandable than an abstract discourse. The big story must house small stories and the small stories must be safe in the big story. So never ask: “May it be something more?”

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