Mollet Learning Academy (MLA) exists for the benefit of teachers, parents and educators who wish to bring about the best possible education for our children.
It was established in April 2012. Previously, it existed as WER (WideHorizon Education Resources and Waldorf Education Resources – initially registered in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1988). WER wrote and produced physical lesson material for teachers mainly on the Ancient Civilisations but also on Fractions, Multiplication Tables and History of California.
Dr. David Mollet, President of WER, had carefully researched hemispheric brain development in children and how this should be nurtured and developed. Obviously education has a crucial role to play in this development.
All material written and produced by WER met the very rigorous standards required by David. For example, there was emphasis on students experiencing what it might be like to live in an ancient civilisation. This was partly achieved through a variety of strategies including the use of the students’ imagination through stories, both autobiographical and biographical, dramas and a variety of art and craft activities; and music whenever this was possible. Both fractions and the multiplication tables were introduced through stores or dramas etc.
WER obtained legal compliance from the State of California for all their material and were encouraged to submit for state adoption. They were successful at the initial stages but were then recommended to insert multiple choice questions as an assessment tool. All the material already included monitoring and assessment procedures that were appropriate for our approach. It was believed that the inclusion of multiple choice questions was not appropriate and the result was that we could no longer continue with our submission.
Some years later No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was introduced. David believed the application of NCLB was harmful to students’ development. He established a non-profit, the Teachers Education Institute (TEI). TEI’s main purpose was to provided reports, based on international comparisons, on what worked and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t work as far as optimising childrens’ wellbeing and learning. The research reports are available as itemised below.
David was saddened to see what was occurring in the UK (his homeland) and the USA (where at that time he lived). He had now been at this work since 1967, some 45+ years and felt he needed a rest. He had been fortunate to make a significant contribution to New Zealand education in the mid 1980s (please see thank you letter from New Zealand Minister of Education) and if, through no fault of his own, was unable to make a contribution to UK or USA education, he should accept that.
He was very comfortable in New Zealand and decided to spend more time there and also have time, at long last, for his leisure activities (hiking, camping, dancing, competitive bridge etc). Unfortunately for David, at the same time he met someone who saw the value of his work and persuaded him that his input was too valuable for it to be ignored. So David came out of the retirement that he never entered and has begun the work again.
Obviously, the world has greatly changed in the last few years and is rapidly changing almost daily. He realised that he needed to convert his material for social media. He is now involved in that process. It means that he has to learn new programs and adjust his mindset, once again, to this new initiatives.
He is greatly saddened by what he sees as the politicisation of education in the UK and USA and the danger of that occurring in New Zealand. The consequences of this politicisation are disastrous for a society and is probably the main reason for the present rapid decline of those societies. Obviously, it would be helpful if he funding could be required so that at the age of 74 he could do fun things but he accepts that probably this is not going to occur and that he must plough on alone as he has done for the last 45 years.
For business plan please click
http://molletlearningacademy.com/corporate/MLABusinessPlan.pdf
For overall content of Ancient Civilisations please click
Program Overview Ancient Civilisations
For overall content of Ancient Kush please click Program Overview Kush
For overall content of History of California please click
Program Overview History of California
For overall content re improving reading and language skills through history please click Overview Reading History
For overall content re MLA approach to teaching
mathematics please click Overview Teaching Math
For overall content re MLA approach to teaching
fractions please click Fractions Teacher Handbook
For overall content re MLA approach to teaching multiplication tables please click Multiplication Tables Teachers Handbook
Previous PowerPoint presentations converted to pdfs for wordpress
Ancient China P_China
Ancient Egypt P_Egypt
Ancient Greece P_Greece
Ancient India P_India
Ancient Israelites P_Israelites
Ancient Kush P_Kush
Mesopotamia P_Mesopotamia
Early Humankind/Prehistory P_Prehistory
Ancient Rome P_Rome
Fractions P_Fractions
Multiplication Tables P_MultiplicationTables
The following free sample lessons (sorry limit one at present) are available in this order: Ancient Civilisations (Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient India, Ancient Kush, Ancient Israelites, Ancient Rome, Mesopotamia, Prehistory/Early Humankind), Fractions, Multiplication Tables, History of California, See below titles for descriptions.
Ancient China (Lessons 4/5 of Module 2)
Mathematics, Counting Rods and Chinese Abacus
Ancient Egypt (Lesson 3 of Module 3)
Papyrus – how it is made, activities etc
Ancient Greece (Lesson 1 of Module 2)
Story “Parrhasius and Helena”, Guided Reading,
The Court of Law, Simulate an Athenian Court of Law.
Ancient India (Lesson 3 of Module 2)
“Asoka and the Mauryan Empire,” “India’s National Emblem,”
Assessment Rubric for India’s National Emblem,
Ancient Kush (Lesson 2 of Module 2)
Story “Expedition to Jebel Barkal,” “Jebel Barkal: A Poem,”
Guided Reading, Review Exercises
Ancient Israelites (Lesson 2 of Module 1)
Story “Abraham,” Father of a Nation, Guided Reading
Ancient Rome (Lesson 3 of Module 2)
“The people of Rome speak out,” Story “Julius Caesar,”
Crossing the Rubicon, Guided Reading
Mesopotamia (Lesson 4 of Module 3)
Story “Gilgamesh,” “The Death of Enkidu.”
Prehistory/Early Humankind (Lesson 2 of Module 2)
The Crô-Magnons including story “The Lascaux Caves”,
Guided Reading and “The Cave Paintings at Altmira.”
Fractions SubUnit 3.4 Drama: A Tale of Fractions
A free lesson/drama involving students in a drama about the Pied Piper of Hamelin
Multiplication Tables SubUnit 3.7 Ten Times Table: Mr. Pickles
A free lesson, activities, story, game/, patterns,
cooperative learning activities about the ten times table
History of California Lesson 5.6 The Gold Rush: Part 1
A free lesson describing the background of the gold rush and life in the gold fields
For video clips please see
Ancient Civilisations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOQnKaVN5b0&feature=plcp
Ancient China
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1jiB8h88Q&feature=plcp
Fractions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3n0-bYsQiM&feature=relmfu
Multiplication Tables
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glc6ColEhGE&feature=relmfu
McLaren Rd talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Pk1c6tkLw&feature=relmfu
Be the ONE who listens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBP4OxJX_AE
Since advent of social media all material is now in pdf format (no postage or processing fee). Physical copies (postage/processing fees apply) can be provided at additional cost – please contact MLA.
Each SubUnit (not Unit) costs USA $19.95 NZ $24.95
(This price includes permission to photocopy)
1. The MLA approach to education believes in developing the creative and imaginative side of the student in harmony with the intellectual and cognitive. To achieve this, MLA Teaching Packs make stories and drama an integral part of the lessons and involve students through storytelling, art, simulations, drama, craft, discussion and creation of a personal record.
2. There are MLA Teaching Packs for teaching
a) Ancient Civilizations/World History
b) History of California and
c) Mathematics (Fractions and Multiplication Tables)
3. In a MLA Teaching Pack you will find teacher guidelines, stories providing an in-depth experience, information sheets presented in an interesting and stimulating format, activity sheets, suggestions for further research, maps with related activities, questions for discussion and assessment, dramas for class/school performance, guidance for the student’s personal record or portfolio, a variety of review exercises and contents designed and structured for authentic assessment
4. For an explanation of the philosophy behind the writing of these packs click here
(David Mollet’s HomePage)
5. If you are interested in how your students can work with top quality papyrus (imported from Egypt) click here.
6. We have also customized our material for USA public schools. This material includes monitoring and assessment procedures for students some of which are not based on the MLA approach.
7. Information on workshops/presentations for introducing the MLA approach into public schools available at: here (WideHorizon) and here (Waldorf))
8. Click here to read what teachers think about our lessons/newsletters.
“These resource packs contain unbound, ready-to-use reproducible masters, that are varied, simple, and appealing to students. The interactive strategies suggested are suitable for independent, small-group, and whole-class assignments.”
(Grade 6 Course Models – California State Department of Education)
9. Click here to go to author’s experiences in the Waldorf world.
10. Click here for details of on-line courses accredited by San Diego State University.
Dr. David Mollet davidmetis@gmail.com
NZ: h 09-555-2021 m 022-101-1741, 41 Hilling St, Titirangi, Auckland 0604
USA: 619-463-1270, 6656 Reservoir Lane, San Diego, CA 92115 (Skype waldorfedu)
1) The material was initially written for New Zealand teachers but on request from USA teachers, monitoring and assessment procedures were added. To view this material please visit https://molletacademy.com/
WideHorizon Education Resources (WER) https://molletacademy.com/widehorizon-2/ Waldorf Education Resources (WER) https://molletacademy.com/waldorf/
2) MLA is also involved in researching on an international basis, what works and what doesn’t work. Most of the research results can be seen at https://molletacademy.com/research-reports/ while a draft of a book The Task for New Zealand Education is at https://molletacademy.com/the-task-for-nz-education/
3) Blogs at http://www.molletlearningacademy.blogspot.co.nz/
4) Business Plan at http://molletlearningacademy.com/corporate/MLABusinessPlan.pdf
5) Papyrus https://molletacademy.com/papyrus/
If you wish to subscribe to MLA Newsletter please do so at https://molletacademy.com/ Thanks and take care, David
Mollet Learning Academy (MLA) 