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Download and Print (57K pdf) |
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Source: RMC Corporation, Denver, CO, May 2004 |
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Democratic classrooms are those in which the curriculum actively
engages students in collaborative inquiry decision making is shared
between students and staff and students choose their daily
activities.Compared with traditional classrooms, students in
democratic classrooms take more ownership of and responsibility for
their own learning. Helping students become active citizens and
preparing them for participation in a democratic society are two
purposes of service-learning.
While there are different models of democratic schooling, the
following characteristics, developed by the League of Professional
Schools (Allen, 1994), are typical and overlap with several
components of high quality service-learning:
- Students and teachers work together to make students’
learning a contribution to their community;
- Students demonstrate their learning in public settings and
receive public feedback;
- Students have escalating degrees of choice, both as individuals
and as groups, within the parameters provided by the teacher;
- Students actively work with problems, ideas, materials, and
people as they learn skills and content; and
- Students are held to high degrees of excellence in both their
academic objectives learned and their contributions made to a
larger community.
In democratic classrooms,students help to create ground rules,
values, and norms for how their learning community will operate.
There is widespread participation by educators, students, parents,
and other members of the school community in issues of governance
and policy making. For younger students, class meetings can be held
so that the children can make responsible decisions and experience
the impact of these decisions on their classroom
community. |
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Web Resources |
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Serves as a reference for democratic schools and the
International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC).AERO's mission
is to promote learner-centered education and unite all forms of
educational alternatives.
Helps educators create safe, caring, respectful, and productive
learning environments to foster democratic participation and
change.
Introduces the covenant of teaching and learning that is
realized through shared governance and action research, as a guide
for participating schools.
New Leaders for Tomorrow’s Schools –
“Educating for Democracy”
Explores how best to prepare students for full participation in a
democracy with the necessary complex knowledge and skills.Focuses
on the distinction between educating for democracy and
education as democracy.
People of all backgrounds, ages and walks of life come
together to face challenges, solve problems, and learn the true
meaning of citizenship and democracy.
Provides an in depth discussion of the Sudbury Model. The
ideals of Freedom, Democracy, Trust, and
Responsibility are at its core. |
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Print Resources |
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- Apple, Michael W., and James A. Beane, eds.
Democratic Schools. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD),
1995.
Narratives written by those intimately involved in school reform
efforts have been gathered to show how educators in four
communities in the United States have committed themselves to
preparing students for the democratic way of life.
Shows teachers, principals, students, parents, central office
personnel, school boards, and community members exactly what they
need to do to create schools that are purposeful, moral, and
successful places.
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Westheimer, Joel, and Joseph Kahne,
eds. "Democracy and Civic Engagement."
Special Issue, Phi Delta Kappan 85, no. 1
(2003).
Provides information and resources regarding democratic schools,
service-learning and civic education from a variety of
perspectives. |
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Quick Guides are expert guides that provide a brief
discussion and a short list of the best resources on a
service-learning topic. |
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| | | © 2004 Learn and Serve America’s National Service-Learning Clearinghouse.
Photocopying for nonprofit educational purposes is permitted. |
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