Effective methods of tapping into the spirit of education include the spiritual, philosophical, altruistic, and creative—all of which are often controversial. These Web sites contain information and resources from a variety of perspectives to touch the hearts and souls, and capture the imaginations, of both educators and students.
Religion in the Schools
The Freedom Forum is a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech, and free spirit for all people. Look for guidance for achieving religious tolerance in public schools in "Finding Common Ground: A First Amendment Guide to Religion and Public Education" and "A Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools." Find out about the ASCD book Taking Religion Seriously Across the Curriculum, by Charles Haynes and Warren Nord (1998). ASCD sponsors a Religion and Public Education network; visit http://www.ascd.org.
http://csf.Colorado.edu/sine/trans.html "The Grace of Great Things: Reclaiming the Sacred in Knowing, Teaching, and Learning" is an address by Parker Palmer during the Spirituality in Education Conference at the Naropa Institute in 1997. Read transcripts from other speakers, including the Dalai Lama. Click "OnLine Seminars," then "Spirituality in Education Online," then "Chat and Discussion" to read and post messages on such topics as "Sacredness: The Ground of Learning" and "Pluralism and Identity."
http://pages.prodigy.com/christianhmsc/home.htm http://home.ici.net/~taadah/taadah.htm Many parents find that public schools don't meet their children's faith needs. The Moore family's Web page encourages other Christian homeschooling families. Read Robert Moore's "A Philosophy for Christian Education" and "Quiet Time—or How to Survive Your First Year of Homeschooling." The Islamic Educational and Muslim Home School Resources page offers teaching ideas for Muslims and non-Muslims and sponsors a listserv for Muslim educators.
Environmental Stewardship
http://www.nceet.snre.umich.edu/ EE-Link enables K–12 students and teachers to explore the environment. It provides facts and statistics on topics ranging from ecosystems to waste management to help teachers prepare lessons and enable students to find research material. Links to lesson plans and activities will help you start a composting program or learn more about vanishing species.
http://www.worldbank.org/depweb Meeting the needs of the future depends on how well we balance social, economic, and environmental objectives—or needs—when making decisions about development today. Aimed at middle and high school students and teachers, the World Bank's site includes learning modules on Population Growth Rate, GNP per Capita, and Access to Safe Water.
http://www.wri.org The World Resources Institute's mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to support the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. Visit Institute-sponsored Web sites on topics ranging from Coastal and Marine Resources to Health and the Environment. Under "Environmental Education," click "Global Trends" for graphs and maps that illustrate trends in population, agriculture, biodiversty, and more worldwide.
Inspiring Education
http://www.millville.cache.k12.ut.us/millville/Teachers/Holistic/holistic.htm Scott Carles, a 5th grade teacher, defines holistic education and lists useful links and resources. Follow the link to "Holistic Education Press" for publications on the topic and a free subscription to The Great Ideas in Education newsletter. Interested in interacting with like-minded holistic educators? Join ASCD's Holistic Education Network (http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/field-centres/miller-ascd.html).
http://www.doe.state.in.us/srvlrn/welcome.html Many people find meaning in service to others. The Indiana Department of Education describes blending community service and learning in "Key Elements of Service Learning" and "What Is Service Learning," which includes advice for developing a for-credit program for high school students. ASCD sponsors a service learning/experiential education network, SELNET (http://www.ascd.org).
http://www.awsna.org/awsna/index.htm http://www.dandugan.com/waldorf/ Curious about Waldorf schools? The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America's site outlines its philosophy—humans are threefold beings of "spirit, soul, and body whose capacities unfold in three developmental stages." In contrast, People for Legal and Non-Sectarian Schools works to keep "a new-age religion" out of public schools. In "Waldorf Teaching Training Reading List, First Year," PLAN compares Waldorf teacher training with "an anthroposophical seminary program."
