The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    cmaukonen's picture

    A Democratic Approach to Education

    By cmaukonen on Mon, 12/27/2010 - 3:20pm |

    They are doing it in Denmark and other places in Europe. An approach we should also think about.


    Comments

    I like this C, I like this a lot!!!

    It would be fun to follow up on this!!!

     


    by Richard Day on Mon, 12/27/2010 - 9:44pm

    Interesting.  It reminds me in some ways like the alternative high school I went to Seattle.  One of the things that happened often was students who tried it, but were so conditioned (institutionalized?) by the time in the "regular" schools that they couldn't adjust to the freedoms it allowed and still maintain focus on their studies.


    by Elusive Trope on Tue, 12/28/2010 - 2:06am

    What better way to learn about democracy than to be able to practice it as a child! And to know that there is at least one place on the planet where this is happening—and in a "school!" What a contrast to the current autocratic proficiency testing inanity—"race to the top!" What a breath of fresh air! Thank you so much for this invigorating post!


    by Dennie Briggs on Tue, 12/28/2010 - 11:57am

    One point I would make is that "Race to the Top" does not preclude a state taking on this type of innovatative learning methodology as a mean of getting to the top.  If one looks at the criteria by which grants are awarded, this type of school would do just fine.  It isn't so much the problem that we test the children (Europeans test their kids like nobody's business), it is that in this country we are still stuck in the factory methodology and then teach to the test from this educational paradigm.  It is more likely in an expansive curriculum where children and youth are empowered that one will see higher test scores, even though less time is spent in the classroom focused on the exact items that will be on the test. 


    by Elusive Trope on Tue, 12/28/2010 - 12:16pm

    While living in Madrid, I enrolled my young son in an English grade school that utilized a system similar to that described above.  I paid the school a few visits and each time, the class rooms looked like a mad house. It was explained to me that this system was the Montessori Method.  I removed my son from the school.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori_method#Criticism_of_Montessori


    by chucktrotter on Tue, 12/28/2010 - 5:13pm

    Of course having come from America with is dictatorial puritanical approach to everything, including education, it would have appeared as a mad house. I find it mildly ironic that this country went to such lengths to divorce itself from a monarchy only to set up it's own private little despotic monarchies within.


    by cmaukonen on Tue, 12/28/2010 - 5:30pm

    Not certain how effective Montessori Method affected his depth of education, but son did continue on to acquire two degrees and, at this time, is a Commander in the USN.  When a future Rhodes Scholar sits in a class room with a high school drop-out, don't blame the teacher for the drop-out.  Parenting is the key!


    by chucktrotter on Tue, 12/28/2010 - 11:17pm

    Well as they say. What's sauce for the goose is NOT necessarily sauce for the gander.


    by cmaukonen on Tue, 12/28/2010 - 11:56pm

    Amen...


    by chucktrotter on Wed, 12/29/2010 - 12:42am

    Very interesting. I would like to see more on this. Also, would like to know what kind of criteria they use to judge success for each individual student. For instance, how would this work with the student who wanted to waste time or who didn't know how to manage their time. In one sense I could see how this would be a good opportunity to give individual guidance to each student but you first have to realize that this is what the student is doing. Overall though I find this intriguing. As someone who didn't quite get the lecture-type education that is prevalent in most schools I would have welcomed this approach.


    by emerson on Sun, 01/02/2011 - 9:16pm