Teaching conformity through coercion limits students' willingness to take risks and make decisions regarding their learning. In contrast, a Foxfire classroom environment that meets psychological needs empowers students to make choices about their learning, eliminates fear of failure, allows students to establish their own standards of achievement,…

A teacher relates how Foxfire and authentic assessment have changed her view of teaching, learning, and the nature of classwork itself. Proposes that conventional education not only supports belief in a large competence gap between students and teachers, but also perpetuates misconceptions concerning the nature of knowledge, self-worth, and…

A teacher at an alternative school for at-risk students discusses the development of student assessment that increases students' self-esteem, convinces students that learning is fun, and prepares students to return to traditional school settings. She found that allowing students to participate in the assessment process successfully quantified the…

Describes how indigenous students in a remote Mexican village learned ways to document their culture and history; how teachers in this same village learned to teach reading and writing in Ayuuk, their native language; and what a Foxfire teacher learned as an instructor in the teacher workshop. Includes the Foxfire "core practices" in Spanish. (LP)

A high school teacher relates how three of her students taught her about the inadequacies of conventional education, specifically social inequities, a narrow assessment system, and the lack of educational options. Describes programs, based on the Foxfire approach, that address these inadequacies at her high school. (LP)

Information on four articles offered through the Foxfire Press includes author, title, grade level, curriculum area, description, and number of pages. An index to 20 issues of "Hands On" organizes articles by grade level and includes author, title, issue number, pages, curriculum area, student population, setting, focus, and issue date. Includes…

The School for the Physical City (SPC) is 1 of 50 new public schools established in New York City since 1993. Like many, SPC offers small classes, greater teacher-student interaction, and a rigorous curriculum, but depends on some private financial support. However, it remains questionable whether the City cares enough about reform to finance…

Briefly explores differences between educational systems in Switzerland and the United States. Discusses 9 assumptions and 21 contradictions concerning shortcomings of compulsory public schooling in the United States. Suggests that schooling has moved away from intellectual development or skills training toward socializing students to become part…

The national socialization of children through public schooling involves "dumbing children down" so they are unable to use democratic machinery and traditions to defend themselves against a managed society. This practice also eliminates local control of educational goals and practices, allowing families to be replaced by the hired voices of social…

The Free School (Albany, New York) was started for children who had experienced little success in public schools. The school advocates a number of therapeutic practices that encourage the healthy expression of emotions as well as the articulation and exploration of life's inevitable conflicts and problems. As children gain in self-esteem, they…

In interviews, the 16 graduating seniors in Meadville, Missouri, expressed a preference for a small-town lifestyle, but had doubts about their town's viability. Discusses their educational and occupational aspirations. An insert describes youth programs sponsored by the Farmers Electric Co-op. (JAT)

Presents Texas Instruments' new Calculator-Based Laboratory (CBL), a hand-held device that connects to a graphing calculator, as a tool to make sophisticated measurements outside the classroom laboratory. Describes activities that use the CBL to make measurements in motion studies. (JRH)

Describes methods for engaging a large number of students simultaneously in Socratic dialogue. (JRH)

Describes the theory behind tapered resistors and liquid crystals and their use in the Duracell battery test strip. Presents related electrical problems for students. (JRH)

Describes a technique for extracting a radioactive source from the atmosphere using a balloon, as a strategy to generate students' enthusiasm for and understanding of radioactivity experiments. (JRH)