Description

Book Synopsis

How self-directed democratic schooling builds fulfilling lives and can lead the way back to a civilized society

Education is ripe for democratic disruption. Students in most schools are denied fundamental social ideals such as personal freedom, public government, rule of law, and free enterprise. In our increasingly authoritarian post-truth world, self-directed democratic schooling offers a timely alternative: educating children in civilized society and showing that self-motivation outperforms coercion in its power to educate and fulfill.

When Kids Rule the School is the first comprehensive guide to democratic schooling, where kids practice life in a self-governed societyempowered as voters, bound by laws, challenged by choice, supported by community, and driven by nature. Through heartwarming stories and hard-headed details, this book covers:

  • Democratic schooling philosophy, theory, and practice
  • School governance by

    Table of Contents

    Stories
    Prologue: Taming the Wild
    Introduction

    Part One: Self-directed Democratic Schools
    1. What's a Democratic School?
    Small-scale Democracy
    Sudbury Schools
    Summerhill School
    Integral Education
    Free Schools

    2. The Circle School
    Scaled-down World
    Foundation Principles

    Part Two: A Case for Democratic Schooling
    3. Integral Education: An Emerging Era
    Traditional to Modern to Integral
    Fill a Bucket, Light a Fire, Fan a Flame
    The Radical Difference

    4. Democratic Schools: A Better Fit
    Aligning School with Society's Ideals
    Alignments Within the School
    Aligning School with Children's Lives
    Bliss It Isn't
    Human Development and Democratic Schooling
    And Finally There's This

    5. Seven Ideas
    Democratic Schooling in a Nutshell
    Community: Less Obvious, More Important?
    Intrinsic Motivation and Autonomy
    Optimal Challenge: Children Reaching Higher
    Embodied Cognition and Deep Learning
    Coercive Curriculum Harms Children
    Practicing Life

    Part Three: Thinking about Thinking
    6. How and What Do They Learn?
    Worldviews, Culture Wars, Concerts, and Railroads
    Expanding the Scope of Education in School
    Old Ways
    Integral Learning Patterns Enabled by Democratic Schooling

    7. Critical Thinking
    Capable Cognition
    Provocations
    Culture of Critical Thinking
    Deep Play and Critical Thinking
    Critical Thinking in Perspective

    Part Four: In Practice
    8. Jargon
    School Meeting
    Ends We Seek
    School Meeting Committees
    School Meeting Officials
    Corporations
    Certification
    Lawbook
    Judicial Committee
    Board of Trustees

    9. A Typical Day?
    Walking Tour
    Bulletin Board
    Room Reservations
    Daily Schedule
    What You See and What You Don't

    10. School Government
    Elections
    School Meeting
    Corporations
    Staff
    Management Manual
    Laws
    Enforcement and Empowerment
    Judicial Committee
    Formal Governance
    Legal Structure

    11. The Chore System

    12. Safety, Safety, Safety
    Standards
    Laws
    Safety Practices

    13. Moving On: College and the World
    High School Diplomas
    College Admissions
    Not Going
    College and Degrees

    Part Five: Frequently Asked Questions
    Basics
    Curriculum
    Assessment and Reporting to Parents
    Getting into a Democratic School

    Epilogue: Seeking Infinity
    Acknowledgments
    Appendix A: Management Manual Table of Contents
    Appendix B: The Circle School Corporation Bylaws
    Appendix C: Colleges Attended by Circle School Graduates
    Index
    About the Author
    A Note about the Publisher

When Kids Rule the School

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A Paperback / softback by Jim Rietmulder

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    View other formats and editions of When Kids Rule the School by Jim Rietmulder

    Publisher: New Society Publishers
    Publication Date: 21/05/2019
    ISBN13: 9780865719040, 978-0865719040
    ISBN10: 0865719047
    Also in:
    Educational systems and structures Independent schools, private education Moral and social purpose of education

    Description

    Book Synopsis

    How self-directed democratic schooling builds fulfilling lives and can lead the way back to a civilized society

    Education is ripe for democratic disruption. Students in most schools are denied fundamental social ideals such as personal freedom, public government, rule of law, and free enterprise. In our increasingly authoritarian post-truth world, self-directed democratic schooling offers a timely alternative: educating children in civilized society and showing that self-motivation outperforms coercion in its power to educate and fulfill.

    When Kids Rule the School is the first comprehensive guide to democratic schooling, where kids practice life in a self-governed societyempowered as voters, bound by laws, challenged by choice, supported by community, and driven by nature. Through heartwarming stories and hard-headed details, this book covers:

    • Democratic schooling philosophy, theory, and practice
    • School governance by

      Table of Contents

      Stories
      Prologue: Taming the Wild
      Introduction

      Part One: Self-directed Democratic Schools
      1. What's a Democratic School?
      Small-scale Democracy
      Sudbury Schools
      Summerhill School
      Integral Education
      Free Schools

      2. The Circle School
      Scaled-down World
      Foundation Principles

      Part Two: A Case for Democratic Schooling
      3. Integral Education: An Emerging Era
      Traditional to Modern to Integral
      Fill a Bucket, Light a Fire, Fan a Flame
      The Radical Difference

      4. Democratic Schools: A Better Fit
      Aligning School with Society's Ideals
      Alignments Within the School
      Aligning School with Children's Lives
      Bliss It Isn't
      Human Development and Democratic Schooling
      And Finally There's This

      5. Seven Ideas
      Democratic Schooling in a Nutshell
      Community: Less Obvious, More Important?
      Intrinsic Motivation and Autonomy
      Optimal Challenge: Children Reaching Higher
      Embodied Cognition and Deep Learning
      Coercive Curriculum Harms Children
      Practicing Life

      Part Three: Thinking about Thinking
      6. How and What Do They Learn?
      Worldviews, Culture Wars, Concerts, and Railroads
      Expanding the Scope of Education in School
      Old Ways
      Integral Learning Patterns Enabled by Democratic Schooling

      7. Critical Thinking
      Capable Cognition
      Provocations
      Culture of Critical Thinking
      Deep Play and Critical Thinking
      Critical Thinking in Perspective

      Part Four: In Practice
      8. Jargon
      School Meeting
      Ends We Seek
      School Meeting Committees
      School Meeting Officials
      Corporations
      Certification
      Lawbook
      Judicial Committee
      Board of Trustees

      9. A Typical Day?
      Walking Tour
      Bulletin Board
      Room Reservations
      Daily Schedule
      What You See and What You Don't

      10. School Government
      Elections
      School Meeting
      Corporations
      Staff
      Management Manual
      Laws
      Enforcement and Empowerment
      Judicial Committee
      Formal Governance
      Legal Structure

      11. The Chore System

      12. Safety, Safety, Safety
      Standards
      Laws
      Safety Practices

      13. Moving On: College and the World
      High School Diplomas
      College Admissions
      Not Going
      College and Degrees

      Part Five: Frequently Asked Questions
      Basics
      Curriculum
      Assessment and Reporting to Parents
      Getting into a Democratic School

      Epilogue: Seeking Infinity
      Acknowledgments
      Appendix A: Management Manual Table of Contents
      Appendix B: The Circle School Corporation Bylaws
      Appendix C: Colleges Attended by Circle School Graduates
      Index
      About the Author
      A Note about the Publisher

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