Features
Posted on Jun 15, 2010 - 01:10 AM by admin
Click on any photo to see its caption.
Love. It’s not a word you hear very often in professional settings. In discussions of education, “accountability” and “achievement” are far more common. It’s as if people are afraid to lose credibility by saying the word “love,” even if it’s what they know, deep down, that children need.
Justo Mendez and Ana Yris Guzman, the founders of Nuestra Escuela (“Our School”) in Puerto Rico, don’t pay this social convention any mind. They will tell you within the first five minutes of meeting you that Nuestra Escuela, the “Center of Sustainable Support for Young People and Their Families,” is based on love. They know that no matter how many resources they offer to young people, no matter how many opportunities, nothing is going to stick if the youth don’t...
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10 Things YOU Can Do to Promote Democratic EducationPosted on Nov 21, 2009 - 06:33 PM by Adam Fletcher
1. Learn more about Democratic Education. Did you know that democratic education “or Dem Ed” is more than classes voting or school-wide meetings? Learn about Dem Ed on the IDEA website, through Wikipedia, or through a number of books.
2. Brainstorm what your school can do to change. The power of your imagination is a terrible thing to waste! Brainstorm different ways your school could become more democratic, and make a list.
3. Talk to others about Dem Ed. Ask your friends if they know about Dem Ed. Share your ideas about which changes your school or program can make, and ask if they have any ideas themselves. Challenge them to ask you hard questions, and see if you can answer them, or tell them you’ll get back to them after your learn more.
4. Find an adult ally. Create a learning...
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Welcome to IDEA!Posted on Nov 16, 2009 - 01:09 PM by Dana Bennis
Welcome to IDEA! We’re very excited that you’re here.
IDEA is a national effort to unite education with our nation’s democratic values. We believe that young people ought to be active co-creators of their own learning and valued participants in a vibrant learning community. This is democratic education in action, which as you know is sharply different from the reality experienced by most young people and educators throughout the country.
Yet we know there are countless teachers, young people, parents, education leaders, youth workers, policy-makers and others who believe in the power of democratic education to transform the lives of young people and help build a more vibrant, just, and sustainable society.
We have created IDEA to build off the insight and energy of this...
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Video: How JCOS Changes Students’ LivesPosted on Nov 09, 2009 - 10:37 AM by Melia Dicker
Alumni and students talk about their powerful experiences at Jefferson County Open School, founded in 1970.
For over thirty-five years, Jefferson County Open School (JCOS) has provided a viable, vibrant, and life changing alternative to conventional schooling. JCOS features a Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade environment with inter-age groupings throughout the school. At all levels students work closely with their advisor in the development of their personal curriculum. Both individually and in groups, advising is about developing strong, caring relationships between adults and students, and between students and their peers. JCOS is committed to preserving educational choices for all students and parents. In the face of increasing standardization, its emphasis on personal,...
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Feature: What is Democratic Education?Posted on Nov 05, 2009 - 02:12 AM by Dana Bennis
In a society based on participation, empowerment, and democracy,
shouldn’t education be participatory, empowering, and democratic?
The United States of America is founded on democracy and the democratic values of meaningful participation, personal initiative, and equality and justice for all.
Democratic education infuses the learning process with these fundamental values of our society. Democratic education sees young people not as passive recipients of knowledge, but rather as active co-creators of their own learning. They are not the products of an education system, but rather valued participants in a vibrant learning community.
Democratic education begins with the premise that everyone is unique, so each of us learns in a different way. By supporting the individual development...
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