BOOK REVIEW:
Creating Learning Communities

The book, Creating Learning Communities is the result of the coalescing of individuals and organizations which have thoughts, stories, and profiles on new forms of education, namely, learning communities. This term is very broad and intentionally so. It is not meant to specify any particular method of learning but rather to perpetuate the notion that forms of learning should be products of the community in which they are implemented. They should address the specific needs and learning styles of the x-community and the members therein. It maintains that the methods for creating responsive learning environments which are conscious of the needs of individuals, their community and the world at large are emergent and come from community members banding together to create meaning with one another.

The book is divided into four parts: Schools as Learning Communities, Beyond Schooling, Learning in an Age of Information: Perspectives on Technology, and Philosophical Roots.

The section Schools as learning Communities offers some profiles on nontraditional schools, their practices and methodologies. These range from schools that adopt curriculum that responds more directly to the interests of the students to schools in which there is no set curriculum and in which the children are free to explore virtually anything they choose. Some common elements of the schools featured in this section are that the parents, staff and other community members volunteer a great deal of their time to the school, much time is spent on field trips to different places within the community, and the boundaries between school time, work time and play time all end up being blurred as the community and the schools fuse together into one body in which working, learning, playing and living all take place more or less simultaneously.

The section Beyond Schooling deals with learning centers as supplements and alternatives to school. What these learning centers have in common is that they are places where learners come to take advantage of learning resources. They are completely voluntary and are meant for learners of all ages. Parents are encouraged to stay and volunteer their time, facilitate classes, take students on outings, etc. At these places, learners are left completely to their own whims. The facilities are meant as resource centers for people to use virtually however they please.

The section Learning in an Age of Information: Perspectives on Technology adds to the discourse of how the rapid technological advancement of the information age is influencing education. In this section, the widest variety of viewpoints and the clearest distinctions between those who feel technology is helping education and those who feel that technology is hindering education are made clear. Some of the arguments are that children are being pushed into technology too early, that technology seeks to replace more live and visceral experiences. One went as far as to claim that technology was a "false god." There are equally passionate and intelligent arguments on all sides of the spectrum. Often the most eloquent however come from those somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. The substance of these arguments is that technology is useful to education but it must be properly applied and monitored. It must be implemented in a way that enhances the real-life experiences of the learner rather than attempts to replace them.

The section Philosophical Roots deals with the theoretical background of many of the new forms of education which have recently emerged as alternatives to traditional, institutionalized education. This section attempts to acquaint the reader with the underlying principles of self-learning, lifelong learning and community-learning. It goes into the importance of theories of education and the implementation of those theories which nurture the natural curiosities, intellectual, moral and spiritual development of learners. It illustrates where institutionalized education started and where it has gone wrong and what must happen in order to guide the future of education toward a more fulfilling and lifelong goal.

Creating Learning Communities is an extraordinarily eye-opening collaboration. It‚s creation attests to the growing revolution in education for the learner's sake. It gives concrete examples of educational alternatives that have worked and are working today under many and varying conditions. It gives solid background and theory for how and why these alternatives work. It stands to educate, encourage, and inspire the movement to further an education that focuses on the development of human beings who grow to create meaning out of the world around them as opposed to the development of complacent citizens who follow directions and don't ask any questions.

To order this book, visit the Coalition for Self-Learning website at: http://www.creatinglearningcommunities.org/

Prepared by David Perez