No less than one quarter of second-generation immigrants in the Netherlands drops out of school. This is the most alarming result of a recent survey conducted among the second generation of Turkish and Moroccan descent in the two largest Dutch cities - Amsterdam and Rotterdam. However, this is only one side to the story as the survey report also shows that other second generation immigrants are doing extremely well, with a third continuing to higher education. How can these immense discrepancies in educational performance among second generation immigrants be explained?

The high drop-out rate among the children of immigrants - who are consequently labelled as ‘at risk youth’ - seems to be explained by two main factors: "Of course, the low educational level as well as the disadvantaged position in society of the parents of the second generation is part of the explanation", said Liesbeth Heering, International Coordinator of the survey from the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI). "However, the inability to cater for the diversity of the pupils in Dutch schools, especially in vocational schools, is an equally big problem" continued Heering.

On the other hand, the successful third of second-generation immigrant students made a huge educational jump in one generation when looking at their parents’ situation. Why they are doing well while others of their second-generation immigrants peers drop out of school is an intriguing yet still open question which will be addressed in an ongoing international research project ‘The Integration of the European Second Generation’ (TIES).

Going the extra mile

The initial survey results for the Dutch section of the project, which have recently been published in a book, show that almost half of them enter higher education making a ‘detour’. First they attend lower vocational school, then middle vocational school, before finally reaching higher education which encompasses both higher vocational school and university in The Netherlands. This detour takes three more years than the direct path, where only the most persistent make it all the way through.

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http://www.openeducation.net/2008/11/18/web-pages-of-note-ending-adolescence-malcolm-gladwell-on-success-and-a-professor-moving-on/

A Professor Packs it In Finally, over at the Chronicle of Higher Education is an interesting piece written by a college professor using the fictitious name John Smith. I’m Leaving is pure and simple, a blistering assessment on the current status of higher education from an insider’s view.

Smith begins with an assessment of his own graduate program. “I left disappointed and ambivalent about the process. I took some classes with engaged, brilliant and dedicated professors, but I also attended more than a few seminars with detached scholars who thought of students as distractions from their labs and research. They were famous, but they could not teach, even their own research.” The professor doesn’t get any softer and later adds harsh assessments of both his teaching colleagues and students. Of professors, Smith states, “Far too many of my colleagues are dialing in – showing up late, popping in videos during class, assigning group projects, or sitting in a circle and asking students how they feel.” As for the students, he writes, “Higher education for too many undergraduates at too many liberal arts colleges has become a puffy sofa nestled with down pillows.” In summation, Smith insists it is time to move on to another line of work. It is a stark and damning portrayal. And a must read.

This post was submitted by Malc Dow.

http://socialistworld.net/eng/2008/11/14germaa.html 14 November 2008 Germany First ever national school students’ strike – a great success! Participation greater than expected despite authorities’ repression David Redelberger (Kassel) and Angelika Teweleit (Berlin), SAV One hundred thousand school students, in more than forty towns, went on strike, on Wednesday, 12 November. This was the first ever national school students strike in Germany. Some of the demonstrations were significant, especially in the smaller cities and towns. The largest was in Braunschweig (Brunswick) with 10,500 on the streets. But others were also large, with 8,500 in Hannover, 8,000 in both Berlin and Stuttgart, 7,000 in Bremen, 6,000, in Hamburg, 5,000, in Rostock, 4,500, in Kiel, 4,000 in both Bremerhaven and Oldenburg, 3,000 in Kassel, 2,500 in Göttingen, 2,000 each in Cologne, Munich and Nürnberg and with demos in around another 30 cities and towns. Already in May and June, the growing angry mood amongst school students had become obvious – 40,000 went onto the streets on different days against the poor conditions in the schools. Following from that the idea was born to call for a national strike and a national conference, in September, to organise it. SAV (CWI Germany) members played a vital role to publicise this call and helped to make both the conference and strike happen. Crucial to this national mobilisation was, first of all, idea to raise some main demands around which the movement would unite. Firstly, there was opposition to the so-called “reform” of the Abitur (the school leaving and university entrance exam), as putting enormous pressure on school students and teachers. Secondly, the demand was raised for smaller classes. At the moment, there are often more than 30 school students in one class. The demand is for classes with a maximum size of 20 students. In order to reach that goal, around 100,000 more teachers are needed. Thirdly, there is the demand for free education for all and an end to ‘social exclusion’. This was a very important demand and ensured that strike mobilisation was strongest in schools with a high working class composition. On Wednesday, there were a high number of younger school students taking action, in comparison to actions in the past. Many were very angry. The consciousness among young people has definitely grown: something is going fundamentally wrong when bankrupt banks, within a few days, get a huge rescue package, worth 500 billion euros, but the sick education system is suffering from huge deficits. Many activists raised wider political issues during the school movement, and welcomed discussions about socialist ideas. Karl Marx is back on the book shelves! Self-organisation Great efforts were made by the authorities to stop the school strikes. The school authorities sent letters to parents and school students warning that participation in the strike will be punished. In many schools the date of the strike also suddenly became a date for exams. The day before the strike, some newspapers claimed left radicals were trying to influence kids and ‘use them’ for their own ends. None of this succeeded in holding back the numbers of students taking action - participation was even greater than expected - which meant widespread national and local media coverage. The huge success of the strike was also due to the self-organisation of the school students. In many schools, action committees were set up weeks before and they ensured that everyone at the schools knew about the strike date, their demands and why it is important to strike, even if there are threats of repression. While in every town there are now big celebrations over the huge success of the strike action, discussions about how to proceed will take place over the next few weeks. An important issue will be to combine the protests with workers’ struggles and to get university students involved, as well. One thing is clear: the national school students’ strike has set a new tradition which many others will follow. Even if it takes a few months, the authorities will be aware that this was only the beginning. Young people are getting ready to fight back!

This post was submitted by Malc Dow.

A top official of the world’s oldest publisher, the Cambridge University Press, said on Friday that digital online learning is the future trend for education.

"All countries in the world are looking at ways to provide education online and in a digital format. This is the trend of education in the future, " said Christopher Boughton, Asia Pacific Managing Director of the Cambridge University Press, who was speaking to the Central News Agency during a visit to Taiwan to review Cambridge University Press local office operations.

He pointed out that the United Kingdom, for example, has provided funds to schools to purchase digital whiteboards to replace the traditional chalkboard, in addition to many other software and hardware.

"We will see a much more widespread use of computers and the internet when the now teenagers grow into adults and enter the workforce in our societies, " said Boughton. "They are well versed in computer and internet usage. To them, digital learning comes naturally. They are the so-called digital natives."

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Dale Kunkel, communication professor at The University of Arizona, was one of the lead researchers in a new study by Children Now, which shows that only 1 in 8 children’s education TV programs meet high quality standards.

Commercial television broadcasters are required by law to air a minimum of three hours per week of children’s educational programming. The goal of the Children’s Television Act (CTA) is to increase the availability of high-quality educational programs, such as PBS’s Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. However, the guidelines that determine what qualifies as an "educational" program do not address the quality of the educational content.

Kunkel, with fellow researchers Barbara J. Wilson (University of Illinois) and Kristin L. Drogos (University of Illinois), analyzed 120 episodes across 40 program titles. Each show was evaluated on a range of educational criteria that are associated with children’s learning from television.

Their findings indicate that most programs designated as E/I offer only limited educational value for child viewers: Only one of every eight E/I shows (13%) is rated as highly educational. Nearly one of every four (23%) were classified in the lowest category of "minimally educational." Most E/I programs (63%) were judged to be "moderately educational."

Children’s programming is part of the "payment" broadcasters are supposed to deliver in return for their use of the publicly-owned airwaves. Kunkel observed, "Commercial broadcasters are clearly falling short in meeting their obligation to the nation’s children."

Kunkel has testified as an expert witness on children’s media topics at numerous hearings before the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Federal Communications Commission.

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Give the Brits credit. A country with one of the highest pregnancy rates in Europe has decided to take some strong steps to address the problem.

But they did raise more than a few eyebrows with the decision to bring sex education to all of their schools. The topic will even become part of the curriculum for children in kindergarten.

Yes, that’s correct, for five-year-olds.

late afternoon in the kindergarten

Joining Others

The Brits will be joining the likes of countries like France, Holland and China with mandating sex education in school. Still, the topic is seldom addressed with students so young. Most countries begin addressing the topic around the age of 12.

Teaching will be done on the reproduction system and be added to the country’s science curricula. According to the Associated Press, those in kindergarten will see a program that will focus more on the issue of self-awareness.

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Some thoughts on the development (history) of this site and the purpose of it’s creation

Though I had been working on alternative learning websites since 1995, the roots of this site were planted in 2003, under the name "Altlearn Map Network". Named so because of it’s use of maps and mouse clicks to lead users to their chosen location page, which would contain applicable Home Education information for that particular location.

The concept then was as it is now, to provide an International website, which would serve as a place for the families and groups involved with Natural Learning, in locations throughout the world, to share with each other, experience and understanding about Natural Learning, no matter what it may be called,  whether Unschooling, or any other title given to autonomous or free learning environments.

Additionally, the intent was and is to provide parents and children, seeking alternatives to forced schooling, a place where they can learn more about these alternatives, from the information on the site as well as, personal contact with volunteers. Intending also that they could do this based, more specifically, on location, if desired. This intent gave rise to volunteer roles, which would have an e-mail reachable contact person in all of the locations, so that a more  personal perspective on the situation in that location could be obtained.

 Learning Freely Network came into existence as the result of desire to provide greater functionality via advanced Internet technology. To make it easier for volunteers and users of the site to be interactive on the site. Such sharing  would provide support for each other, as well as, collectively, an abundant wealth of information concerning the path of education, beyond schooling.

LFN needs persons to volunteer, and who are enthusiastic about these goals and will participate in this project by sharing their experience and understanding of providing a home based learning environment for their children. Sharing via communication is what it’s all about. You can write and publish directly on the site, or send information to LFN to place on the site on your behalf.

Information to place on LFN, by contact persons referred to now as ‘Correspondents’:

• Your thoughts, feelings and experiences, especially with your children, favorite books, articles , music, films, etc.
• News,
• Legal information regarding Home Based Education (not necessarily in the home")
• Support Group links
• Anything that directly or indirectly relates to natural learning and living

Information submitted to LFN or published by you directly on the site can be linked information, as well.

Volunteers and other users of this site are invited to become active on this site. I am pretty sure that many of you have ideas interests and talents which could be integrated into the LFN site. We, you and I just need to discuss the possibilities, because this is your site too.

Kent Eaton

A Harvard-based study has found that children who study a musical instrument for at least three years outperform children with no instrumental training—not only in tests of auditory discrimination and finger dexterity (skills honed by the study of a musical instrument), but also on tests measuring verbal ability and visual pattern completion (skills not normally associated with music).

The study, published October 29 in the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE, was led by Drs. Gottfried Schlaug and Ellen Winne.

A total of 41 eight- to eleven-year-olds who had studied either piano or a string instrument for a minimum of three years were compared to 18 children who had no instrumental training. Children in both groups spent 30-40 minutes per week in general music classes at school, but those in the instrumental group also received private lessons learning an instrument (averaging 45 minutes per week) and spent additional time practicing at home.

While it is no surprise that the young musicians scored significantly higher than those in the control group on two skills closely related to their music training (auditory discrimination and finger dexterity), the more surprising result was that they also scored higher in two skills that appear unrelated to music—verbal ability (as measured by a vocabulary IQ test) and visual pattern completion (as measured by the Raven’s Progressive Matrices). And furthermore, the longer and more intensely the child had studied his or her instrument, the better he or she scored on these tests.

Children who study a musical instrument for at least three years outperform children with no instrumental training, a new study has found. (Credit: iStockphoto/Alex Potemkin)

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(CNN) — Barack Obama told supporters that "change has come to America," as he addressed the country for the first time as the president-elect.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you — we as a people will get there," Obama said in Chicago, Illinois.

Police estimated that 125,000 people gathered in Grant Park to hear Obama claim victory.
Sen. Barack Obama addresses a crowd
of 125,000 people in Chicago, Illinois.

Obama said he was looking forward to working with Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin "to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead." Watch as Obama addresses the country »

McCain on Tuesday urged all Americans to join him in congratulating Sen. Barack Obama on his projected victory in the presidential election.

"I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face," McCain said before his supporters in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much, and tonight, I remain her servant," he said.

McCain called Obama to congratulate him, Obama’s campaign said. Watch McCain concede »

Obama thanked McCain for his graciousness and said he had waged a tough race.

President Bush also called Obama to congratulate him.

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As you are no doubt aware, this Tuesday is Election Day in the United States, and, given the state of things in the world, one of the most important presidential elections in a long time. We on GeekDad encourage all U.S. citizens who are registered to vote to make sure to go to the polls on Tuesday (if not before), regardless of who your pick is for president.

We also encourage all parents who are going to vote, if your kids are old enough to understand what you’re doing, to bring them to the polling place with you. It’s a unique opportunity for them to see citizens—and, more specifically, you—exercise their right to participate in government. It’s the sort of experience that can stick in their heads and help foster an interest in government and politics. I can speak from personal experience here: my parents took me with them to the voting booth pretty much every year when I was growing up. That, combined with other things they did, like simply talking about the news at the dinner table, definitely helped make me as fascinated by the political process as I am today.

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