Welcome to the fourth year of New Horizons' online Journal/Newsletter. With this issue, we are lengthening our publication schedule to reflect our increasing involvement in other interactive projects, and because the materials we are adding to our website are more complicated than the articles and short features that characterized our first issues. Beginning with this issue, we will publish a larger issue quarterly rather than bimonthly. The journal's contents will change frequently during the publication period as new articles are added.

We open with an article by Wisconsin researcher and activist Parker J. Palmer whose book Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life is sparking debate and discussion in schools of education throughout the U.S. We will be hosting a discussion of his book and the essay later this fall at ExpandHorizons.net, a new wing of New Horizons' Building. Look there for a free online course on the transition of young adults with special needs from school to work delivered by Pat Brown and Cinda Johnson.

Happy Autumn!

View from the Observation Deck: Dee Dickinson

Dee's View from the Observation Deck has more about our recent work and how it will be reflected here in the Building.

The Heart of a Teacher: Identity and Integrity in Teaching Parker J. Palmer

The book Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life has quietly captured the imaginations of teachers who are rethinking their personal and professional lives. When Parker Palmer looked to find what characterized a "good teacher" he discovered that the authority that comes from an integral and undivided self is more important than any tools or techniques a teacher brings to the classroom. Good teachers know and care deeply about the subjects they teach. Parker also looked at teachers who did not inspire students and found that teachers lost heart when they focused only on what and how they 'ought' to teach. Student cynicism was sparked when kids sensed that a teacher was not connected to a subject, and also when schools focused on the objective world and ignored inner truths.

A discussion of this essay and other issues raised in Courage to Teach will be hosted soon at ExpandHorizons.net the new wing of New Horizons' Building. We invite you to send questions and comments after reading this essay. Your concerns will help us start the dialogue. Send comments to Dee Dickinson info@newhorizons.org.

The Downshifting Dilemma: A Commentary and Proposal Robert Sylwester

Recent cognitive neuroscience developments are altering our understanding of a variety of brain systems and processes. The widely used metaphor of downshifting doesn't adequately communicate current understandings of how students respond to stressful situations. The new terms reflexive and reflective better describe our dual response system and its more complex function.

Community Learning Centers: Keystones for Building Viable Educational Systems Dee Dickinson

Schools and community centers can serve the learning needs of students, their parents, and communities in innovative and effective ways. Many schools, facilities and agencies in this article were first described during the 1980's in New Horizons' printed newsletter. Dee follows up on their successes and challenges, outlining what it takes to succeed and why a community approach to meeting education goals is a more and more crucial option for educators seeking ways to meet escalating challenges in today's schools and communities.

Learning Through Meaningful Work B. J. Wise

" Every school has a small core of students whose basic needs for attention, nurturing and competence cannot be met by the large group approach required in most public school classrooms." B. J. Wise and the faculty at Silver Ridge Elementary School met this challenge with a creative approach that rewards children for competence and initiative. Best of all, the Meaningful Work program includes everyone in school, and builds positive mentoring and learning relationships. It even generates income that helps support the program. The Meaningful Work program has been adopted by other schools and districts.

• Teaching and Learning Through Multiple Intelligences Campbell, Campbell and Dickinson
• A Call for Connection Gail Holland
• The Courage to Teach. Parker Palmer
• Awakening Genius. Thomas Armstrong
• The Creativity Force in Education, Business, and Beyond. Berenice Bleedorn
• Conscious Evolution. Barbara Marx Hubbard.
• Discovering the Naturalist Intelligence: Developing Science Skills Through Adventures in the Schoolyard Jenna Glock, Maggie Meyer, and Susan Wertz

GIRAFFE OF THE MONTH

We asked the folks at The Giraffe Project to let us share stories about some of the heroes they've discovered quietly sticking their necks out to make the world a better place. This month The Giraffe Project shares the story of Samuel Hightower who had the dream of turning old buildings into community centers where poor children who didn't have much to do could study music. Vandals, thieves, and riots damaged the schools, but he has persisted, organizing volunteers, meeting in community spaces, and getting loans to rebuild.

Article: The Atlantic Monthly: "Ready, READ!"

Nicholas Lemann describes new solutions being tried in the effort to turn around failing public schools in November's Atlantic Monthly. The prescription includes standardized, field tested programs like Success for All and a return to centralized control in troubled districts. Test scores show gains for students in schools where the principal and teachers commit to implementing the new programs. This article is linked to others, and to related websites.

Article: The Progressive: Bouncing from School to School

In the latest issue of The Progressive, Ruth Conniff describes the plight of urban schools faced with children for whom moving has become a way of life. When families cannot find affordable housing, children transfer from school to school, and schools scramble to meet their needs. Assessment of children and planning become more difficult, too.

Website: Windows to the Universe

Lively, beautiful University of Michigan website has more than 5,000 "pages" of content on space-related information including lesson plans, projects, links, and extensive help for teachers new to the Internet. Teachers looking for a multiple intelligences approach to science education should consider investing in the CD-ROM, available at a nominal cost (under $10.00!) The CD-ROM speeds up web connectivity at this image-intensive site. Fun to wander around in-- site is keyed for beginning, intermediate and advanced users.

Electronic Classroom: InSite: Electronic Field Trips

Take students on exciting, supported electronic field trips sponsored by The Indiana Academy at Ball State University. One example of the program is a series of field trips called The Best Stories from Planet Earth, cosponsored by the Smithsonian, organized for grades 7-12. A nominal fee is charged per classroom (not per student).

Website: Beginner's Guide to Research in the History of Science

An interesting look at science throughout the ages. Included annotated bibliographies to aid young researchers and their teachers.

Article: Teachers Must Define Brain Compatible Learning

Ron Brandt's brief article is food for thought for schools evaluating current brain research.

Book Review: Salon: Why Kids Don't Need Computers

Review and commentary on Jane Healy's newest book.

Website: The Author Corner

A look at children's authors and illustrators, links to websites, and suggestions for reading and literature-related activities. The Author Corner is lots of fun and inspirational, too. In browsing this site we discovered new writers and information on old favorites like Beverly Cleary: ERIC links to teaching ideas, a great page of resources for teachers who introduce children to the adventures of Beezus, Ramona, Henry Huggins, and my personal favorite -- Ribsy.

Website: Tiger Information Center

Beautiful pictures and information on tigers' status in the wild. The section of tiger poems contributed by children of varying ages (and at least one adult!) may inspire your own wild activities. Beautiful photographs.

Website: The Living Ocean: Teachers Information Guide

NASA's global ocean color monitoring mission, The SeaWIFS Project, has produced a teacher's guide and website to what NASA scientists are learning about the earth's oceans.