Learning & Schools
Learning is a natural process that happens in every imaginable setting. Schools are designed, in theory, to promote and enhance learning. Some schools use highly-structured curriculum, while others use a more experiential, democratic, & student-driven approach. In practice, many schools also function to stifle criticism and to instill the values of state policy, religious dogma, or other value systems.
Links & Downloads:
- Center for Ecoliteracy:
- Rethinking Schools magazine – highly recommended for teachers & anyone concerned about schools and social justice; most articles are written by teachers
- The Rethinkers – students developing ways to improve schools and create a vision of what schools could be
- Alternative Education Resource Organization, including the magazine Education Revolution and resources for democratic education, homeschooling/unschooling, alternatives in higher education, public alternative schools, Montessori, & Waldorf
Education – Theory & Practice
Many educational practitioners and researchers have developed entirely different approaches to education than we see in schools here. Ivan Illich suggests that mandatory education and schools as institutions may do more to hinder learning than enhance it: ”The school system today … more
Open Letter to College Presidents & Trustees
Many colleges have made real progress towards campus sustainability, but in my opinion we can and should do more — and you should make sure your people realize that investing in sustainability make a dramatic improvement in your budget! The … more
Farm-To-School
Bearing Fruit An overview of the Farm To School movement Among a multitude of grassroots responses to the problems of our modern industrialized food system is the Farm to School (FTS) movement — a national effort to reorganize the school … more
The Sun
Summer vacation with the family in Vermont. Rainy morning. Aha! Monopoly! I decide to teach my two girls – Hannah (7) and Dhara (5)—how to play. I figure it’s best for them to learn by playing. First they pick their … more
MLK: Breaking the Silence
Dr. King gave this talk nearly 45 years ago, but it seems remarkably applicable today if you replace the name Viet Nam with Iraq, Iran, or the Middle East. And despite our ast resources, we have made little progress against … more
What Is the Military Doing in Your School?
Schools are supposed to help children learn, but too many schools simply reinforce unquestioning obedience and respect for the powers that be—and some schools support the military recruiting machine against the educational and personal interests of their students. Recruiters in … more
Earth Charter
The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for … more
Why Students’ Rights Are So Important
Although some schools act as if the Bill of Rights doesn’t apply to students in school, the Supreme Court of the U.S. has made clear that it does apply. In many schools right here in the Lehigh Valley, students are denied … more
Out of the Shadows, Into the Spotlight
In These Times 5 July 2010 Tania Unzueta may be the most visible undocumented immigrant in the United States. By Marie Landau Originally from Mexico, 26-year-old Tania Unzueta has been living, working and studying in the United States for 16 … more