Describes how, in 1988, students at Gallaudet University led a successful movement calling for the appointment of the university's first deaf president; today, that sense of empowerment has carried over into addressing issues related to cultural and ethnic diversity. (EV)

Because elementary education is predominantly made up of women, it is interesting that not much research in the field has been conducted with an inherently feminist perspective. Lisa Goldstein notes that developmental psychology has been the theoretical foundation for early childhood education--an irony, especially considering the pervasiveness of…

An alternative high school in the US where democracy is truly enacted by the students is described. Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center, Colorado, is a unique school where the students' personal voices are valued that helps them develop power, responsibility, and authority over their education.

This applied dissertation described the evaluation of a program designed to provide students with the necessary academic and social skills needed to matriculate and graduate from the university. The problem was that there was no evidence of a formalized program evaluation to determine if the Academic Empowerment Center (AEC) was effective in…

This article discusses some of the findings of research undertaken by the authors with secondary students in the London Borough of Newham. The research was concerned with exploring young people's understanding of cultural harmony and their views on the issues and challenges in creating cultural harmony in their schools and in their lives outside…

This paper addresses the issue of how Harvard Project Zero's "teaching for understanding" might evolve over the next 100 years. Schools pitched to an Information Society seek ways of increasing the chances that learners will understand domains deeply and master the new basic skills. Such 21st century schools build upon Paulo Freire's…

Reports the experience of one teaching team's attempt to implement a "philosophy of choice" into a large lecture course at a major university. Assesses students' willingness to embrace innovation in the classroom, how choice-based learning impacted student self-assessed learning, and what considerations students take into account when selecting…

This article poses 10 questions for secondary school teachers who bemoan their students' lack of interest, laziness, and resistance to learning. Students need choices and chances to make decisions and assume responsibility for their own learning. They also need to laugh and feel important. Matching assignments to learning styles need not sacrifice…

Aurora (Colorado) Public Schools staff found that empowering students meant teaching students what enhances and what impedes learning; helping them recognize and develop their own personal learning strengths; teaching them specific thinking and learning strategies; and passing on learning responsibility to them. The key is willingness to share…

Considers advantages and disadvantages of four different sociopolitical approaches to multicultural studies: corporate, liberal, essentialist, and radical democratic. Suggests the use of a radical democratic perspective because this approach acknowledges the need for changes in the power structures of society. Offers suggestions for designing a…

Describes in detail the steps necessary to develop a Gallery Walk, a classroom project that was used to foster shared-learning, communal inquiry and individual empowerment. (NH)

Discusses student-led parent conferences at Metcalf Laboratory School. Finds that students can learn how to reflect on their learning, evaluate their progress, and communicate this information to their parents in a conference situation. Concludes that students were empowered and that student-led conferences were a good way to use guided…

Critiques the existing hegemony in student assessment, explores the idea of learner empowerment in relation to assessment, and discusses an example of how empowerment is implemented in practice. Examines student perceptions of sharing assessment power and identifies practical issues. (EV)

It takes a village to raise an African American doctoral recipient. Ask any newly minted Ph.D. about the harsh reality of completing the degree. Ask them how many friends, family members, fellow graduate students, faculty mentors, university administrators, co-workers did they have to lean on at some point during their journey? How many times did…

African American students face myriad problems that are pervasive, multifaceted, and sociohistorical. Self-empowerment is identified as a means of maximizing the educational potential of African American students using the Comprehensive Support Model (CSM).