Boston College research psychologist **Peter Gray**, author of *Free to Learn*, gave a talk on "The Biology of Education: How Children Learn Through Self-Directed Play and Exploration" at the Boston Public Library. In the talk, Gray discussed the importance of questioning the traditionally accepted "imprisonment schooling model," and the importance of autonomy and self-direction in education. Sponsored by the Bay State Learning Cooperative.
Peter Gray, Ph.D., research professor at Boston College, is author of Free to Learn (Basic Books) and Psychology (Worth Publishers, a college textbook now in its 8th edition). He has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. He did his undergraduate study at Columbia University and earned a Ph.D. in biological sciences at Rockefeller University. His current research and writing focus primarily on children's natural ways of learning and the life-long value of play. He a founding member of the nonprofit Alliance for Self-Directed Education and a founding board member of the nonprofit Let Grow. His own play includes not only his research and writing, but also long distance bicycling, kayaking, back-woods skiing, and vegetable gardening.