http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog Where Freedom Begins Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:39:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I just got back from the 2008 International Democratic Education Conference in Vancouver, Canada, an annual gathering that is hosted in a different country each year and brings together educators, young people, and others dedicated to the practice of freedom and democracy in education. Democratic education unites the practice ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/08/17/the-2008-international-democratic-education-conference/ Courtesy of Adam Fletcher's CommonAction Blog, I discovered that the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's Spring/Summer magazine issue features several great articles on student engagement and student voice, including an interview with Adam that summarizes his vast experience and wisdom on this essential subject. Check it out at the link ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/07/22/magazine-featuring-student-engagement/ Well, if there was any worry about tensions between Barack Obama and the Clintons creating havoc for the Democrats come November, one issue that shouldn’t cause any worry is education. In speeches this past week, Obama and Bill Clinton sounded as though they had worked together intimately to devise ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/07/09/obama-and-bill-clinton-the-same-on-education/ I'm blogging from the 2008 Personal Democracy Forum in New York City. From the conference website: "Technology and the Internet are changing politics -- now more than ever. Over the last five years, Personal Democracy Forum (PdF) has become the seminal gathering place for the growing community of people who ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/06/23/personal-democracy-forum/ New York City's School Chancellor Joel Klein has just announced a tremendous sign of educational success. It appears that Mr. Klein and Mayor Bloomberg's approach of increased high-stakes standardized testing, assessing schools with a single letter grade, and bribing teachers and students with money for good test scores is ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/06/08/school-success-in-nyc/ Colorado joins a growing list of states that are giving young people a much-needed voice in legislative discussions through Youth Advisory Councils. As with councils in other states, Colorado's council will bring youth together from across the state to discuss issues specifically relating to youth as well as other ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/06/04/colorado-youth-advisory-council/ Nearly all 8th graders at Intermediate School 318 in the Bronx boycotted the recent statewide tests, handing back blank exams and giving a signed petition to the school principal and the NYC Department of Education. Way to go, standing up for your rights and asserting your voices! Unfortunately, ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/05/27/8th-graders-boycott-tests/ Problem: Students are taking more and more APs, joining more extracurriculars and other activities (not to mention fulfilling all their other academic requirements) to become more attractive to colleges, and now it becomes clear that they are too busy to have a complete lunch or must have lunch in their ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/05/24/lets-require-lunch-too/ I believe we all carry an inner drive to connect with other people, to understand the world, and to be some part of helping to create a more equitable, safe, and peaceful society. Perhaps at no other time in our lives does this inner drive flare up then in ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/05/13/young-people-engaging-in-the-world/ Isaac Graves has put online the resources and content of the Directory of Democratic Education that he and I edited. All the information on schools and programs, as well as the essays from the directory, are freely available on the site. Just go to: www.democraticeducation.com If you have any resources ... http://www.democraticeducation.org/blog/2008/03/11/new-resource-for-democratic-education/