Category Archives: Research

New Center for Research on Digital Media and Learning

November 9, 2009 – 6:44 pm

There’s little doubt that the Internet will transform schooling (read choices) and how students learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. A newly-created Digital Media and Learning Research Hub at the University of California-Irvine will explore the impact of digital media on learning and its potential for transforming education.  The Center is funded by a $2.97 million grant from [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, Education Revolution, Lifelong learning, Online learning, Personalized Educ, Reform, Reports, Technology | Comments (0)

School Choice Expanding Worldwide

July 16, 2009 – 8:35 pm

Since the early 1990s when the nation’s first charter school was opened in St. Paul, MN, the scope and availability of school-based options to parents has steadily expanded in the U.S. and abroad. No longer can traditional education be a public monopoly. Sponsored by the National Center on School Choice (NCSC), this 648 page ($115) Handbook of [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Charter schools, Choices, Magnet schools, Policy, Reform, Vouchers | Comments (0)

Technology’s Impact on Students

June 9, 2009 – 7:13 am

Several recent articles outline the uses of technology in the classroom and give readers lots to think about.  
The first article deals with the effects of technology on students throughout their education. Lenovo to Research Tech’s Effect on Learning: Global Education Research project will study how technology affects education in and after school, from kindergarten through higher education.

Another article [...]

By Peter Wieczorek | Also posted in Articles, Online learning, Reform, Reports, Technology | Comments (0)

Valuable Resources on Alternative Education

February 26, 2009 – 5:01 pm

Here are useful resources with links to other sites:
Brief descriptions in Summary of Educational Models include: Accelerated Schools, America’s Choice, Big Picture, Communities in Schools, EdVisions, Job Corps, Youth Build and 17 more.
The Alternative High School Initiative (AHSI) is a network of youth development organizations with over 258 sites nationwide for creating educational opportunities for [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, High schools, Policy, Reform, Reports, Students | Comments (0)

Homeschooling Sharp Increase

January 8, 2009 – 12:14 pm

The percentage of the school-age population that was home-schooled showed a significant increase from 2.2% in 2003 to 2.9% in 2007 according to a U.S. Department of Education report. The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 36% since 2003. The report identified seven reasons parents give as their motivation for home-schooling [...]

By admin | Also posted in Alternatives, Homeschooling, Reports, U.S. Dept. of Educ. | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Democratic Education Resources and IDEC Conference

August 26, 2008 – 10:00 am

Dana Bennis has started a website specifically devoted to promoting democratic education  and can be reached personally at dana.bennis@yahoo.com. Dana has a long standing interest in democratic education having studied it in several countries and being part of a democratic school. He advocates giving students voice in decisions about their education and their school’s operation. You will [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Choices, Democratic schools, Reform, Students | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

IALA Resources

July 31, 2008 – 7:42 pm

At the home page, people can subscribe to this monthly newsletter (if your received this in your email, you are already subscribed). If you wish to unsubscribe, send an email to Contact Us and you will be removed.
At the home page, you can search on the 100s of past notes and other resources at the [...]

By admin | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, Ed Alt for Everyone, IALA, Intern. Ass. Lrng Alts, Reports, Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments (0)

Democratic Schools Paper

July 3, 2008 – 12:58 am

Arising from discussions with Politeia, Brazil’s democratic education institute, at the 15th International Democratic Education Conference last summer in Sao Paulo a new work “A History of Democratic Education in American Public Schools” by democracy advocate and IALA member John Harris Loflin is now available.
Supported by IALA, this comprehensive 161 page paper aims at persuading American urban [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Articles, At risk programs, Democratic schools, IDEC, International Educ, Loflin, John, Reports | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Questions Raised about High Standards/Testing

June 22, 2008 – 12:55 pm

‘Restoring Value’ to the High School Diploma: The Rhetoric and Practice of Higher Standards, a new report raises serious questions about the standards and testing movement as a vehicle for reforming high schools. It starts, “Four themes emerge from the fray: that standards and rigor are too low; that the high school has lost its [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, High schools, Policy, Reform, Reports | Comments (0)

School Choice is the Wave of the Future

June 17, 2008 – 10:43 pm
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, Gates Foundation, Reports | Comments (0)

Parents Favor More Choices in Schools

May 14, 2008 – 8:18 am
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Charter schools, Choices, Parents, Policy, Reports, Survey | Comments (0)

School Choice: New Study

April 20, 2008 – 1:48 pm
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, Policy, Reform, Reports, Vouchers | Comments (0)

Research on Alternative Schools

April 16, 2008 – 2:04 pm
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, At risk programs, Reform, Reports, U.S. Dept. of Educ. | Comments (0)

A Second Side to the Story

March 26, 2008 – 10:06 am
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Assessment, At risk programs, High schools, Iowa Assoc. Alt Ed, Morley, Ray, Personalized Educ, Policy, Reform, Reports, Students, Training | Comments (0)

A Curriculum for Thinking

March 13, 2008 – 10:46 pm
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Articles, Reform, Students | Comments (0)