Discussion of spam (i.e., electronic messages mass-posted on the Internet to people who would not otherwise choose to receive them) explains what spam is and why it is a problem. A recent attempt to force America Online to lift its ban on spamming is reported, and suggestions on what individuals can do about spam are offered. (MES)

Outlines the history of censorship and intellectual and expressive freedom in American libraries; discusses the two main types of ethical theory, utilitarianism and deontology; and maintains that libraries have a special role to play in promoting unconditional intellectual freedom. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the history of academic freedom and its relation to the recent statement by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, "Governing in the Public Trust," which places a heavy emphasis on academic freedom. Asserts that academic freedom, properly understood, protects responsible trusteeship. (EV)

Conceptions of maturity were explored among 170 adolescents in Grades 7 and 10. Adolescents were asked at what ages (and why) they expected to reach adulthood, experience the most freedom, and have the most fun. Adolescents expected to have fun at an earlier age than they expected freedom or adulthood. The majority of adolescents cited the…

Martin Hall's essay, "Academic Freedom and the university: Fifty years of debate" (2006) does offer us a way to make better sense of some of the conceptual and pragmatic links between academic freedom and institutional autonomy in relation to higher education. His analysis of the classic and contextual views of the two concepts also gives us some…

While educators desire to separate the teaching of values from the teaching of reading, writing, and mathematics--the so-called value neutral subjects--they nonetheless do teach values in the course of teaching these subjects. Teaching is as much a moral effort as it is an intellectual enterprise. This article examines the National Opinion…

Since joining her city's first flat-track roller-derby league more than a year ago, the author relates that she discovered some surprising, interesting things about her university's tolerance for its employees' "second lives." To be taken seriously, the author relates that she offsets any possible concerns about her professional legitimacy by…

This paper is about how the transformatory pedagogical practice of popular/liberatory education can be further articulated within geography. It is based on the experiences of a third-year undergraduate course, "Autonomous Geographies", in which the author developed some of the core values of popular education, namely engaging with…

The so-called Culture Wars have made the issue of religious tolerance in schools more confusing than ever. Where once free speech trumped nearly every concern in these wars in the public schools, there is now great concern about whether messages put out are politically correct. The preoccupation teachers now have with avoiding speech or themes…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) The Desperate Need for an Education Stimulus:…

Growing up in an era when protest at national political conventions is carefully contained in "free-speech zones" (often physically removed from the site of the official conventions), students today may have a difficult time conceptualizing the tumultuous scene that was the 1968 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. Fueled by…

Case citations from federal and state court decisions concerning freedom of speech in schools are organized in five major sections with brief summaries of relevant cases in subcategories followed by a table of cases cited. The major sections are as follows: (1) "Employees' Freedom of Expression: Academic Issues" (Virginia Davis Nordin);…

Arguing that censorship is not simply an attempt to control what is taught in the schools but also an infringement on the legal learning rights of students, this collection of essays offers insights into how censorship can come about, its impacts and repercussions, and the ways it might be fought. The collection stresses action rather than…

The Internet is a network of networks, sharing the same protocol and linking universities, research communities, businesses, and individuals world wide. In this new global information infrastructure, all citizens need to understand the power and pitfalls of the technology in order to function as responsible members. This paper discusses issues…

Since freedom of thought and expression is essential in a democracy, censorship of language is rightly regarded as a threat to all other freedoms. Still, it is inevitable that certain restrictions will occasionally be imposed on language in America and in other societies. Restrictions on language date back to the Ten Commandments, which condemned…