Alternative Education Resource Organization

History of Educational Alternatives Course Syllabus

Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) is proud to open this course to educators and activists around the world. We are especially fortunate to have the course be designed and taught by Ron Miller in collaboration with AERO staff Dana Bennis and Aleksandra Majstorac Kobiljski.

We have chosen to start this course online rather than in physical reality because this allows us to come together from different places and at our own pace and yet benefit from the spirit of the community of minds and enjoy each others' insight.

On Sunday nights each week, new topic will open up in our virtual classroom. It will contain a selection of reading materials. Usually, you will be able to choose among several reading options. You do not need to read all that is posted but you can if you are so inspired. I would encourage you to download all the materials available because they are either rare and difficult to find like The Modern School Movement brochure or generally unavailable to the public like the exclusive Summerhill DVD. At the same time with the reading we will post a discussion topic/s. After you have gone through some of the material, you can post your question, observations, and/or comments. It is possible to write to instructors privately but we do encourage you to post all your questions to the discussion forums. In our experience the best part of the course is the discussion, where minds meet and ideas spark.

If you have trouble navigating the site or accessing materials do not hesitate to contact Aleksandra at: amkAERO@gmail.com

Looking forward to learning with you!

Fourteen Classes, as follows:

September 21, 2009
A conceptual map: categories of educational alternatives and what distinguishes them from conventional education

Welcome to the course! I’m looking forward to exploring the world of educational alternatives with you all. I’m sure we’ll have many rich and stimulating discussions about these provocative ideas. I’d like to thank Aleksandra (Ana) and Dana for preparing the course. While I suggested some of the readings we’ll be using, they did a great deal of research to find many others, and Ana really pulled everything together.

The goal of this first session is to consider what “alternative education” means in the context of the modern world’s understanding of education. What distinguishes alternatives from conventional education? We'll discuss the terminology and conceptually map out the different educational paradigms in a broad overview.

Mark and Helen Hegener’s essay “Alternatives in Education” succinctly places this movement in the larger context. Then, in “Alternative Philosophies of Education,” a keynote address I gave at a remarkable conference in Istanbul a couple years ago, I sought to explain the historical and educational significance of “alternative” philosophies to an audience—indeed, to a country—that is just beginning to explore these ways of thinking.

In “Educational Alternatives: A Map of the Territory,” I have tried to provide a theoretical overview of the major categories of alternative philosophies, explaining how they depart from conventional ideas about teaching and learning. Kathleen Kesson’s chart of curriculum paradigms offers another way to map out these philosophies, and perhaps you’ll want to discuss different ways as well.

Ron

* Alternatives in Education PDF document

* Educational Alternaties: A Map of the Territory PDF document

* Alternative Philosophies of Education text file

* Curriculum Paradigms Word document

* Discussion Week 1 Forum

* Please join the discussion Assignment

September 28, 2009
Historical and political context of educational alternatives

The educational movements we're considering in this course are "alternative" because they depart from the philosophical, political, and/or cultural goals of conventional schooling. In order to understand why they do so, we should pause to consider the origins of modern educational systems.

In the U.S., at least, public education was originally conceived as a democratic institution, yet as it became established, it took on qualities that subverted this intention. The institution of modern schooling is quite complex, reflecting multiple influences and conflicts--political, economic, religious, cultural, and pedagogical. In this session we gain an overview of some of these contending forces.

The selection from my book What Are Schools For? and the chapter "The Common School" from School: The History of American Public Education each offer a summary of the early history of public education in the U.S. For a more specific look at two of the early theorists of public schooling, see the additional readings on Thomas Jefferson and Horace Mann.

John Taylor Gatto has written provocative interpretations of this historical context, and we've selected some of his writings to demonstrate his critique.

Most of the students in the present course are from countries other than the U.S., so perhaps this history won't seem entirely relevant. Please tell us about your own nation's educational history and how it might reflect (or not) similar themes. In many ways public schooling was one of the first globalized institutions, and the way modern education evolved in the U.S. set the stage for its emergence in other parts of the world. It will be very interesting to hear your various perspectives on this.

* Ron Miller's What Are Schools For? PDF document

* The Common School Word document

* John Gatto - Against School: How Public Education Cripples our Kids, and Why file

* A Different Kind of Teacher PDF document

* Jefferson on Education for Democracy Word document

* Horace Mann file

* Please respond to these focus questions Assignment

* Week 2 Discussion Forum

October 5, 2009
Early learner-centered educators and theory

Now we will start to take a more focused look at the ideas of "alternative" educators, starting with the eighteenth and nineteenth century pioneers of this tradition in European/American culture.

What Are Schools For?, which I first published in 1990, was the first scholarly attempt to identify the underlying philosophical premises of diverse educational dissidents during last two centuries. I began to use the term "holistic education" to describe the alternative worldview that I believed was the source of their ideas. As you read the selection from the book, you do not need to accept this terminology, or be concerned about an underlying worldview, if you want to consider each thinker individually on his or her own terms.

Please note that while several chapters from the book were scanned in to this selection, you only need to read chapter 5 -- pages 91 -124 -- for this week's class.

We have also posted selections from some of the early alternative education theorists, as well as some writing by historian Joel Spring, who is one of the best scholars on the culture of public schooling and radical educational ideas that have challenged it. Spring is not so much concerned with "holistic" ideas in education, but with the influence of the European anarchist or libertarian tradition, which is the subject of this selection. Anarchism gave rise to the Modern School movement in the early 1900s, which you'll read about in two of the selections.

As you read this week's texts, keep last week's readings in mind as the context. As you saw last week, public schooling, along with other institutions of modern culture, became established in the early nineteenth century to achieve certain social and political purposes; the people you're reading about now (and for the rest of the course) are critical not only of specific educational methods but of these larger purposes. Try to consider their social and political beliefs, as well as their ideas about teaching and learning.

Another note: Two of the posted readings--Rousseau and Spring, might appear on your screen turned 90 degrees, so that you would need to read from top to bottom. Instead, print these files and read them on paper.

* What are schools for? PDF document

* Joel Spring - Wheels in the Head Word document

* Rousseau - Emile Word document

* Modern School Experience PDF document

* Elizabeth Ferm - Freedom in Education Word document

* J.H. Pestalozzi file

* Week 3 discussion Forum

October 12, 2009
Freedom to Learn: Free Schools, Democratic Schools, Unschooling

This week we are looking at educational alternatives that emphasize the freedom, autonomy, and personal rights of each individual learner. We've chosen a rather long list of readings, and you should feel free yourselves to choose whichever ones look most interesting and relevant to you. (If you want some guidance or suggestions, please post an inquiry to the group or write to Ron directly.)

The phrases "alternative education" or "alternative schools" are sometimes interpreted narrowly to mean just this group of approaches. Some people who emphasize individual freedom in education consider any adult or societal authority to be anti-alternative. For them, an individualistic sort of freedom is the key element of any true educational alternative. But as the conceptual map of alternatives suggested, and as we will see in the following weeks, there are various models of non-traditional and even radical education that call for some degree of pedagogical authority outside the learner, for one reason or another. If you find yourself getting very excited by the readings in this week's class, you might want to keep this in mind.

The notion of democracy will continue to pop up in this class and in following weeks. What is a democratic school, or a democratic education? The radical educators represented in these readings will answer in a certain way (or in several similar ways), but other radical educators, whom we will examine later on, will give us different answers. Keep thinking about how you would answer.

* Summerhill and A.S. Neill - Mark Vaughan, Zoe Readhead (2006) PDF document

* Freedom, Not License! PDF document

* The Lives of Children - G. Dennison, Ch. 1 Word document

* Making It Up As We Go Along - chapter 12 PDF document

* The Sudbury Valley School file

* A Theoretical Look at Freedom-Based Schools Word document

* Pluralistic Learning - Yaacov Hecht PDF document

* Interview with John Holt file

* Pat Farenga article on John Holt/homeschooling file

* Summerhill documentary file

* A.S. Neil and Zoe Readhead file

* Week 4 Discussion Forum

October 19, 2009
Week off to catch up or catch your breath

October 26, 2009
Progressive alternatives: The Social Constructivist Perspective

This week's readings will introduce you to an educational and psychological theory called "constructivism" that is at the core of many progressive educational approaches. It is also implicit in other alternatives; for example many in the libertarian tradition (John Holt and unschoolers, the Sudbury Valley model, Summerhill, etc.) hold beliefs or assumptions about learning that are very similar to constructivist philosophy, though they rarely use this term or refer to the research or leading authors in the field. If you want to really understand the philosophical roots of educational alternatives, it's important to have a grasp of this theory.

Social constructivism gives this learning theory a different emphasis from that of the libertarians. Dewey, Vygotsky, and others in this group argue that while learning is indeed an individual's creative act of making meaning, making sense of experience, this act requires purposeful interaction with other people, with a community or culture. For them, learning is inherently social, not entirely personal. You might want to think about how this raises questions about some of A.S. Neill's claims and other libertarian approaches.

John Dewey is generally considered the single most important educational philosopher of the modern age. The readings this week should give you a brief but useful introduction to his views. To place him on the philosophical map, you can think of him as a social constructivist. He was not a libertarian, yet he was a passionate defender of democracy. As you read, consider how he and his followers (which include Deborah Meier and the two schools profiled in the additional readings) would define a "democratic school."

The websites of these two schools--one a private school, the other a public charter-- should give you a good idea about how this educational philosophy is applied in practice. Take some time to visit various pages on these websites. How does constructivism translate into teaching, curriculum, views about parents & society, and other aspects of education? On the website about the charter school, under the Philosophy section, there is a very nice summary of "progressive education." When I first started reading it, I thought it sounded familiar-- then I saw where this school found the text, and realized that I wrote this myself a few years ago!

* Overview of constructivism file

* Further reading on social constructivism file

* Introduction to John Dewey Word document

* "My Pedagogic Creed" by John Dewey file

* Dewey and Reggio Emilia file

* Dewey's Laboratory School PDF document

* Deborah Meier: A contemporary progressive educator PDF document

* A progressive independent school file

* A progressive charter school file

* Progressive Education and Constructivism Forum

November 2, 2009
Education for Social Change: Critical Pedagogy

Now we will visit another place on the conceptual map of alternatives, and take another step away from the libertarian, individual child-centered position. "Critical pedagogy" is an academic term (you won't find it very often in the real world) used by theorists who are deeply concerned about social justice issues such as inequality, racism, imperialism, and so on. They are concerned about the unequal distribution of power in society. They are not necessarily hard core socialists or Marxists (some are), but they are certainly strong critics of free market capitalism.

They are included here because they believe that the primary goal of education should be to raise the consciousness of people about the inequality and oppression that they say is going on around us. They believe that education is an important forum for democratic citizenship. They do NOT approve of homeschooling or child centered schools; they want to revolutionize public schools even though they acknowledge how truly difficult this is. A few independent schools would qualify under this category, and this week's readings include a link to an online article about one--the Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican school in Chicago. This school was part of the alternative school network several years ago. Study this article carefully to fully understand what this educational approach is about and why it makes it onto the map of "alternatives."

In historical terms, the critical pedagogy approach is similar to the "social reconstructionist" movement that was active from the 1930s to the 1950s. These were Deweyan progressives who responded to the economic Depression, the rise of fascism, and world war two by arguing that democracy was at risk unless education deliberately criticized the existing social order and cultivated more liberal, progressive values. Recall the term "social constructivism" from last week; this is not exactly the same thing because it is more a theory about learning than about education's responsibility to society. But educators who like this learning theory do tend to be more politically radical and vice versa. The key point is their belief that the development of each individual is essentially tied to the quality of the society in which one grows up. These educators are more communal than individualistic.

If you favor the libertarian, constructivist, or spiritual (e.g. Waldorf/Montessori) alternative models, you might find these readings to be rather irrelevant, if not outrageous. But critical pedagogy is valuable because it reminds us of the political, social and economic context of all education. We do need to ask ourselves (as Jonathan Kozol eloquently and angrily did in his 1972 book Free Schools) what it means to be "child-centered" or "learner-centered" in a grossly unjust and violent world. Is it enough to provide little islands of goodness if the entire society is rotten? If not, what role should education have in changing society?

I hope this week's selections will stimulate a lively dialogue.

* Introduction to Paulo Freire file

* Paulo Freire's educational theory file

* Freire -Pedagogy of the Oppressed Ch. 2 Word document

* Henry Giroux Word document

* Ira Shor on critical pedagogy Word document

* bell hooks file

* bell hooks - Teaching to Transgress Intro and Ch. 3 Word document

* Critical pedagogy in practice: study of a school PDF document

November 9, 2009
Spiritual Development: Montessori, Steiner and others

For many parents and the public, the most visible models of alternative education are Montessori and Waldorf schools, because these are thriving in many communities across the world; there are thousands of schools based on Maria Montessori's work and many hundreds following Rudolf Steiner's. Both of these educational pioneers lived from the late 19th into the mid-20th century, with their school designs developed in 1907 (Montessori) and 1919 (Steiner).

In the conceptual map, these are both classified as "spiritual developmentalist" models because both are based upon understandings of child development that try to account for spiritual (archetypal, transpersonal, divine) forces that shape the human being according to regular patterns. It is quite fascinating how different the models are from each other, which raises the question, if there is some universal spiritual realm, why did those with some sort of access to it come up with such different forms of teaching?

I have added to this week's readings some writings about other spiritually-oriented educational approaches. They are not as clearly in the "spiritual developmentalist" camp because they don't try to follow such a clearly laid out schedule of the unfolding personality of the child. See what you think as you compare them.

We've posted two chapters from David Marshak's excellent book A Common Vision, in which he compares spiritual developmental theories. (There are some gaps in the text, so just scroll past them to keep reading.)

The educators in this category seem to be less interested in democracy, in the problems of society--or at least, they argue that social issues are best addressed by cultivating the goodness and wisdom of each individual. What do you think about this point of view, compared to the radical educators we've been reading the last few weeks? Is it possible that Montessori and Waldorf have become popular in modern culture because they focus on individual development and don't seem to threaten the social order? But is it also possible that they do seek cultural renewal (or revolution), just in a more subtle way?

* Introduction to Montessori Word document

* Montessori's spiritual philosophy text file

* Montessori in detail PDF document

* Introduction to Steiner/Waldorf file

* Further readings on Waldorf education file

* "Neo-humanist" education file

* KPM approach file

* Living Wisdom schools file

* Quaker education text file

* The Common Vision (D. Marshak) ch. 1 Word document

* The Common Vision (D. Marshak) ch. 10 Word document

* Montessori, Steiner and others Forum

November 16, 2009
Holistic Education

The focus of this week's readings is the philosophical orientation of holistic or integral education. This is not a particular model or method, but a way of understanding the big picture, the meaning of education in today's world. Holism recognizes that the universe is too complex to describe with any limited ideology, and therefore education needs to be fluid and responsive rather than fixated on any one approach.

Holism looks at the whole person--mind, body, emotions, soul, and social/cultural identity. It includes the ecology of the natural world as a vital part of human existence. It situates the individual in a local community and an ongoing history.

A holistic worldview encompasses spirituality, though it avoids taking a religious stand. This is a fine distinction that is often misunderstood. Take Waldorf education as an example: In an important sense it is a holistic approach, integrating mind, will, and feelings, cultivating imagination, and addressing the deeper needs of the human spirit. But because it views human development through the lens of a very specific model of the "spiritual world," a reality not readily available to most people, it has a tendency toward dogmatism. A fully "holistic" or "integral" perspective is open to multiple interpretations of the vastness of the universe, including its spiritual dimension. The open-mindedness of Krishnamurti's teachings, and the sophisticated philosophy of Ken Wilber, are examples of holistic thinking that avoid this kind of model-building.

In most of my (Ron's) writings, I emphasize that movements for educational alternatives all reflect, to some extent, an emerging postmodern worldview that is more holistic than the technocracy of the industrial-age. None of the alternative philosophies we have considered--libertarian, constructivist, critical pedagogy, or spiritual developmental--fit into the worldview of industrial modernism: That is precisely why they are "alternative"! But the ecological/spiritual understanding that we see in the natural/organic/green movements in the larger society make cultural space for these educational alternatives. No one of these philosophies, alone, encompass the full range of holistic thinking (as the example of Waldorf illustrates). But they are all important steps toward a more holistic culture.

* The Ecology of Learning Word document

* Krishnamurti's philosophy of education file

* Philosophy of Holistic Education PDF document

* A model holistic school file

* Another model holistic school file

* Integral Education file

* Holistic Education Forum

* Montessori & democratic education Powerpoint presentation

November 23, 2009
Community based learning

The goals and values of community-based education are similar in many ways to those of other non-conventional educational theories we have discussed thus far. But while previous classes focused largely on alternative educational philosophies within schools, this week’s readings explore the idea that learning can, and perhaps ought to, take place largely outside the institution of schools and school systems.

The theory of community-based or informal education encompasses many perspectives, from the simple idea that learning happens all the time to the belief that our local communities are the best sources of knowledge, experience, and wisdom. Several readings this week explore these theories, including an introductory piece on the informal education dictionary/website and an essay by Ron Miller in which he describes the historical shift in educational thought from schools to learning communities.

Amidst the educational upheaval and radical thinking of the 1960s and ‘70s, social critic Ivan Illich charted new territory with his book Deschooling Society, in which he argued that schools are part of a societal institutionalization that makes people dependent on “experts” and those in power. In order to reverse this trend, Illich proposed the elimination of schooling and the creation of learning webs and other decentralized, community-based resources. Matt Hern, educator and author, takes up Illich’s call with a modern argument for “alternatives to school.”

This week’s readings also include numerous examples of community-based learning that portray the variety of possibilities of this approach: a popular education program, folk education in Scandinavia, sustainable ecovillages around the world, a parent co-op program for young people, a full-time homeschool resource center, learning communities in Mexico, and an organization supporting the creation of learning communities in India.

Future possibilities may be endless; and, if the pioneers of community-based education are correct, may be essential for the sustainable development of humanity.

Dana Bennis

* From Schools to Learning Communities file

* Informal Education "Introduction" file

* Deschooling Society - Ivan Illich Word document

* Field Day, Getting Society out of School - M. Hern Word document

* Highlander Center file

* Folk education file

* Living Routes file

* A parent co-op learning center file

* A homeschool learning center (now called "North Star") file

* Learning communities in Mexico file

* Shikshantar - transforming education in India file

* Community Based Learning Forum

November 30, 2009
Week off to catch up and celebrate Thanksgiving

December 7, 2009
Critical perspectives on learner-centered education and responses

This week’s readings offer critical perspectives on educational alternatives. Considering the critiques of an idea provides us with an opportunity to reflect on theory and practice and refine our beliefs. We may end up disagreeing with our critics; however, by looking closely and critically at what we do we ensure that we will continually grow and gain greater understanding about education and learning.

Each of these readings critiques learner-centered education from a different perspective. The brief selection from John Dewey’s Experience and Education is a call to proponents of what was called at the time (1939) “new education” to not simply do the opposite of conventional (or what he calls “traditional”) education, but to base one’s approach on a philosophy of education and experience. The words are all the more powerful coming from Dewey, himself a strong opponent of conventional educational practices.

James Dobson’s short excerpt from Dare to Discipline is an example of a moral critique of educational alternatives, focusing specifically on Summerhill School, one of the longest-running democratic free schools in the world. While his response may seem over-exaggerated, it may be indicative of many people’s first responses to hearing about educational practices that give significant direction to young people and focus on more than just academics. After all, most people only know about conventional forms of education and went through it themselves.

In his book Higher Learning in America, Robert M. Hutchins provides a strong example of a “perennialist” perspective on education, arguing that education ought to be based on the great ideas of humanity, exploring such concepts as truth, beauty, friendship, love, etc., most especially through reading and discussing the great works of (largely) Western civilization. Interestingly, Hutchins and other perennialists are critical not only of educational approaches that provide young people with more choice of what to study, but also of those approaches that are based mostly on facts and bits of knowledge. Meanwhile, E.D. Hirsch, Jr.’s more widely-known critique posits that “progressive” educators and theories have destroyed education in the United States, directing education away from essential facts and towards a more natural and Romantic (a la Rousseau) approach. This so-termed “essentialist” perspective is often the dominant critique heard from the educational establishment, especially in today’s push for more standardization and testing.

Kieran Egan offers a scholarly perspective on developmental psychology and other principles that guide progressive education, claiming that learning may not be as natural as many proponents of educational alternatives believe. Egan’s clear and thorough arguments, from his book Getting it Wrong From the Beginning, cannot be easily dismissed. Finally, and from a social justice and multicultural perspective, Lisa Delpit’s excerpt is a harsh reminder that while we may have holistic and progressive intentions, we must not ignore and forget that young people come from many different backgrounds. By sticking too closely to our ideals, Delpit argues, we may be denying minority, working class, and poor youth the opportunity to learn and understand the culture of power and gain the cultural capital that many middle-upper class and white children in the United States take for granted.

There are certainly more critiques, but hopefully these will get you thinking.

Dana Bennis

* Traditional vs. Progressive Education - Dewey PDF document

* Schools Without Discipline - Dobson PDF document

* General Education - Hutchins PDF document

* Critique of a Thoughtworld - Hirsch PDF document

* What is Wrong with Progressivist Principles of Learning - Egan PDF document

* Skills and Other Dilemmas of a Progressive Black Educator - Delpit PDF document

* Critiques of alternative education Forum

December 14, 2009
Public School Choice: Charter Schools, Vouchers, Public Alternatives

Some nations provide public support (government funding) to a wide variety of alternative schools, including religious schools. In the U.S., this has been difficult to achieve for political reasons: For one thing, most Americans have been committed to the ideal of "common" public schools, neighborhood or town schools that serve everyone in a community. Until the 1970s this view was very strongly ingrained in American culture and remains quite strong today. Also, because of the extensive diversity of religious backgrounds and the strict separation of church and state, the government could not support schools with any religious affiliation; even recently, some citizens have loudly objected to public support of Waldorf schools, viewing them as religious.

However, starting in the 1970s, after the cultural and political upheavals of the 1960s, policymakers began to accept the concept of "public schools of choice" or "public alternative schools." They began to recognize that students and families have diverse preferences and that public education might try to accommodate them. They then started to experiment with ways to achieve racial and cultural diversity in urban education through "magnet" schools (programs specializing in science or performing arts or other unique approaches) that would draw from many neighborhoods, and also with ways to keep troubled and troublesome youths who were "at risk" of dropping out (or had already done so) engaged in school by providing "alternative" learning environments.

Around 1990 the concept of "charter" schools emerged, which would allow a state or local school board to charter (i.e. give official permission and public funding to) alternative schools designed and run by independent groups of educators. Some states (e.g. Minnesota, Arizona, Florida) have adopted this concept enthusiastically and started hundreds of charter schools. A few states have none at all. What made charters politically acceptable (and less revolutionary) was the standards movement. All the states that have adopted charters maintain strict accountability, and expect these schools to evaluate student progress just like the normal public schools. As you search the literature on charter and public schools of choice today, you'll find that policymakers and researchers are absolutely obsessed with "outcomes"--test scores and other measures of academic achievement. Charter schools can be innovative, as long as they uphold the holy standards.

This week's readings look at some of the public alternative school models and some of the issues surrounding them. What do you think? Are these significant ways to introduce alternatives to a much larger population? Or are they watered down versions of genuine educational alternatives?

* Market based education file

* Research Study on school choice PDF document

* The case for vouchers file

* Critical look at charter schools file

* Brief overview of charter schools file

* "Alternative education" from the mainstream perspective file

* Description of Magnet Schools file

* Further reading on public alternatives PDF document

* Meeting Students' Needs Word document

* Critique of school choice PDF document

* Public school choice Forum

December 21, 2009
A Movement for Alternative Education

Over the past 3 months, we have surveyed a wide range of educational ideas and practices that may be considered "alternative" to conventional schooling. One question to consider, as the course comes to a close, is whether there is any coherent social movement, in the U.S. and/or internationally, working to establish educational alternatives. Is this a growing trend, perhaps the stirrings of a new culture? Or are we merely seeing a fragmented bunch of radicals, romantics, and cultural misfits carving out safe little niches for themselves, leaving the education industry largely intact? Is it even possible that the spread of "alternatives" merely reflects the consumerist / entrepreneurial spirit of global capitalism-- a bundle of "choices" for educational consumers that will ultimately be provided by profit-oriented individuals and corporations?

This final batch of readings is a survey of websites of various networks and organizations advocating alternatives. Browse through these websites, and see for yourself what patterns, connections, or common goals might be apparent. Do these organizations see or portray themselves as part of a larger movement? What are their primary goals? In what ways might they be working at cross-purposes (advocating conflicting goals)?

The Alternative Education Resource Organization--AERO--which has sponsored this course, is one of the few groups, and certainly the most visible, promoting an all-encompassing "education revolution." What would this involve? How might it come about? If you haven't gone through AERO's own extensive website-- www.edrev.org -- take a closer look. Find where you want to participate in the educational alternatives movement. Take whatever insights you've gained from this course and be part of the revolution in whatever way makes the most sense to you. Find colleagues and allies, and books, and other resources. Whatever your personal ideals and unique calling, you're not alone. I hope, at the very least, that this course has shown you this.

Keep in touch. Consider coming to AERO's 7th annual conference in upstate New York in June.

Good luck in whatever you do.

Ron

* Intl. Assn. for Learning Alternatives file

* Montessori Foundation file

* Assn. of Waldorf Schools file

* Natl. Home Education Network file

* Intl. Democratic Education Network file

* Association Montessori Internationale file

* Institute for People's Education file

* Sudbury Education Network file

* Journal of Unschooling file

* International Homeschooling file

* Holistic Education Press file

* Democracy & Education journal file

* Final Discussion

January 11, 2009 Reflection paper due

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