| Website
for a Better World
Home
of Informal Education
www.infed.org
Infed
is "the home of informal education". It aims to provide a space
for people to explore the theory and practice of informal education. In
particular, Infed wants to encourage educators to develop ways of working
and being that foster associations, conversations and relationships. Dr
Mark K. Smith who specializes in the field of informal education and lifelong
learning is the editor of Infed.
This web site
which has been operative since 1996, creating the informal education homepage
(www.infed.org), has been a major priority. Between 4000 and 7000 people
visit the site each week. This site serves as reservoir of knowledge containing
article archives by various authors, specialized features on informal
education, search facilities and lastly a comprehensive encyclopedia of
informal education. In order to navigate this informative site more conducive
to the user's needs we have created a list of some core features of Infed
and a concise synopsis of these components:
Introductory
Guides
This sector features articles, commentaries and links on what is informal
education and the concepts underlying the subject. Additionally, it introduces
the development of theory and practice of community development, community
organization and community participation.
Informal Education in Schools
In recent years there has been a significant growth in the number of informal
educators working in formal educational settings like schools and colleges.
This section explores the phenomenon - and some of the possibilities and
problems involved.
Globalization
and Education
These sets of articles examine some key questions surrounding globalization
- and its significance for educators. It contains four topical sections
regarding globalization: The theory and experience of globalization, definitions
of globalization, globalization and the incorporation of education, informal
and non-formal education, development and colonialism.
Young
people and Connexions
This feature examines youth strategy and the roles of personal advisers
and learning mentors, as is the future for youth work. Though the connexion
service is aimed at the English government's youth strategy, we can read
some interesting concepts such as social exclusion, joined-up thinking
and individualization.
Using
Informal Education
This section contains excerpts of the book, Using Informal Education,
edited by Tony Jeffs and Mark Smith. Here we can read about a variety
of helpful topics such as personality and curriculum, informal education
with young women in the community, informal education in residential care
with adults and neighborhood, crime and informal education etc.
Developing
Youth Work
This piece spotlights the book written by Infed's own editor Mark K. Smith.
Not only does this book highlight informal education but also mutual aid
and popular practice. It attempts to construct a coherent and distinctive
understanding of youth work to the reader.
Encyclopedia
of Informal Education
The encyclopedia has over 300 articles that explore key ideas, thinkers
and practices within informal education and lifelong learning. The articles
range from history of Maria Montessori to Karl Marx's theories to the
beginning times of education.
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