Designing Democratic Schools and Learning Environments - A Global Perspective

This open access book explores democratic schools and learning environments globally. The book focuses on a newly developed framework for democratic education. The authors describe existing schools and concept schools-those that are ideas but not in operation. The first section includes the editors' own journeys. Pillar 1  includes schools that emphasize the open flow of ideas and choices, regardless of their popularity. Pillar 2 maintains that it is impossible to have a high quality education that ignores equity. Chapters explore how many diverse 'marginalized' communities experience education and some innovations that hold great promise for inclusion. Pillar 3 provides examples of schools where active engagement, consensus and compromise support the 'common good.' Pillar 4 investigates schools which organize students, parents, social institutions and the larger community collaboratively to achieve its goals and to solve theirs and society's most urgent challenges. 

List of contents

.- Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Kopernikus School: dialog and respect for a democratic life.- Chapter 3. Cultivating Democratic Learning Spaces: A Framework for Transformational Civics by HomePlace Collective.- Chapter 4. Alif Layla Arts Center: Dream, Explore, Act.- Chapter 5. Schooling in Egypt: Reimagined.- Chapter 6. The Hope of the HOMies.- Chapter 7. The Globe School.- Chapter 8. Empathy School: A democratic, nature-based SEL school.- Chapter 9. Building Democracy through Norms Creation: The Chelsea Public Schools, a District Revitalized.- Chapter 10. Motivation, Segregation and Responsibility: the Challenges in Our Way to Grow Equal Citizens in a Democracy.- Chapter 11. Starting with Self, Sharing Academic Success, Co-creating the World.- Chapter 12. Nurturing Lifelong Learning through Creative Projects.- Chapter 13. Moving Beyond a Checklist: Community Schools for Democratic Education in California and Beyond.- Chapter 14. Calling the shots: how each student can flourish with freedom, equity, and community.- Chapter 15. Educating students to think, feel and behave democratically: Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF): A magical space of possibility.- Chapter 16. The School Systems Remix - Building Democratic School Systems through Hip-Hop.- Chapter 17. Let the Light In.- Chapter 18. Start with the Learning Plan.- Chapter 19. Mission Hill School: Fostering Creative Storytelling through Democratic Learning.- Chapter 20. Building Student Agency One Book at a Time.- Chapter 21. The Galaxy Belongs to Them: Interests, Agency, and Democratic Schools.- Chapter 22. With our eyes on the students. City of Berlin School: keys to a democratic transformation.- Chapter 23. From being a student in a democratic school to founding one.- Chapter 24. Lift Every Voice: A Case for Democratic Music Education.- Chapter 25. Walkabout: From Disengagement to Radical Engagement.- Chapter 26. Coco: A nomad learning experience for digital inclusion in the Peruvian Amazon.- Chapter 27. The Seychelles National Youth Service (NYS): fragments, thoughts and reflections on an experiment in democratic education.- Chapter 28. Self-authorship and Co-authorship: Democratic Education in Sitka, Alaska.- Chapter 29. BirdHouse: A wholesome and joyful homeschool co-op.- Chapter 30. Weaving Regenerative Education: A Reflection from the Pacific Coast of Mexico.- Chapter 31. Baxter Academy for Technology and Science: An Innovative STEM School that Embraces Its Enduring Tensions.- Chapter 32. Developing VOICE in middle school through Examining Essential Questions.- Chapter 33. MATTERS: Laying groundwork for creative practice rooted in ecological and social awareness, repair, and care.- Chapter 34. The story of Artist Proof Studio and the building of a democratic art school in South Africa.- Chapter 35. Recess in a Learning Landscape: An opportunity for the development of democratic skills.- Chapter 36. A Systemic Approach to Promoting Democratic Education in Schools.- Chapter 37. Raising Glocal Citizens for the Future.- Chapter 38. Ukrainian refugees in Poland: Two schools under one roof. One is offline, the other one - online.- Chapter 39. Good Trouble Report.- Chapter 40. Conclusion.

About the author

Linda F. Nathan brings over four decades of experience in designing schools and nonprofits,  including serving as the founding principal of Boston Arts Academy, the city's first public high school for the visual and performing arts. Currently, she supports and mentors educational leaders nationally and internationally and is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, USA
Jonathan F. Mendonca is the Head of Scale of Shikha Institute of Education & Co-founder of Barefoot Edu Foundation, a non-profit that builds school leadership for the twenty-first century across three states in India. He has served as an educator, educator trainer, institute builder and policy advocate improving the quality of education through human centered systems and policies.
 
Gustavo Rojas Ayala currently serves as the general director for Mexicanos Primero Sinaloa, Mexico, a non-profit that advocates for children’s right to education through research and policy analysis. He has extensive experience leading school intervention projects aimed at increasing educational justice in underprivileged communities in Chile and Mexico.   
 

Summary

This open access book explores democratic schools and learning environments globally. The book focuses on a newly developed framework for democratic education. The authors describe existing schools and concept schools—those that are ideas but not in operation. The first section includes the editors’ own journeys. Pillar 1  includes schools that emphasize the open flow of ideas and choices, regardless of their popularity. Pillar 2 maintains that it is impossible to have a high quality education that ignores equity. Chapters explore how many diverse ‘marginalized’ communities experience education and some innovations that hold great promise for inclusion. Pillar 3 provides examples of schools where active engagement, consensus and compromise support the ‘common good.’ Pillar 4 investigates schools which organize students, parents, social institutions and the larger community collaboratively to achieve its goals and to solve theirs and society’s most urgent challenges. 

Product details

• Assisted by: Jonathan F Mendonca (Editor), Jonathan F. Mendonca (Editor), Linda Nathan (Editor), Linda F. Nathan (Editor), Gustavo Rojas Ayala (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 10.03.2024
• EAN: 9783031462962
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3146296-2
• No. of pages: 484
• Dimensions: 148 mm x 32 mm x 210 mm
• Weight: 785 g
• Illustrations: LVIII, 484 p. 1 illus.
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > School education, didactics, methodology; Pädagogische Psychologie, Bildungswesen: Organisation und Verwaltung, Open Access, Organization and Leadership, School Research, School and Schooling, School design, School Leadership, learning environments, learning theory, SDG 4, Democratic schools