What is self-directed Learning.pdf

1. How Democratic Schools Operate, The Benefits and Why You Should choose it for Your Child Democracy is a word that is derived from two Greek words “demos” meaning the people and “kratia” authority or power. In this manner, the word means a specific condition where the people are in authority and power. Democracy is a form of government that is led by eligible members of the overall population who are elected representatives. In the same way, democratic education is a term that outlines the model for education in which democracy represents the goal and the method used for instructions. The schools that adopt the concepts of democratic education are termed as Sudbury Model Schools or Democratic Free Schools. The students are self-responsible and self-directed for the methods of learning, education, and the environment. Democratic Free Schools/Sudbury Model Schools adopt a democratic approach with the goal that the students and staff develop a sense of self-determination, responsibility, respect, justice, equality, and trust in the context of any specified community. These schools operate with an aim to enhance student engagement, to offer them the opportunity to control and chose their education focusing on the areas that inspire. The mentors and staff have an open- door policy offering consultation and experience with the goal to invest in the growth of the students. Naturally, the students establish and build their decision-making capabilities, giving them an opportunity to learn the pros and cons of the decisions and choices they make. The other primary objective is to teach students to respect their environment, themselves, and their fellow students and staff. At Makarios Community School the educational ideal is not authoritarian; instead, students have freedom to raise their concerns, with their voices equal to that of the teachers and staff. Every member of the community is considered to have an equal position regardless of experience, status, age, and gender. The concept of segregating the management into upper and lower management does not lie in a Democratic

2. School. The opinions and decisions regarding the operations and management of the school system are taken at a school meeting in which each member has the opportunity and right to participate. The decisions are made during the school meeting by majority vote. The School Meeting follows Roberts Rules of Order, the same system the United States Senate uses. One of the reasons to choose such approach is to enhance the level of discussion and debate within the community. Discussions and debates are considered as the most effective and efficient means to reach a resolution regarding any issue. The principles that are adopted by the democratic schools include providing an opportunity and right to the students to select their education and evaluate the relevance of the education under professional care and guidance. The children are also provided with a chance to pick up or chose their pace, and for this, they are not compared to others. Finally, students choose the school activities, such as field trips and visiting experts. All these principles are useful to achieve the goals and objectives set up by the school and to improve the outcomes of the education of the students in the long run. Operations at A Democratic School Operations at A Democratic School At different Democratic Schools, all the members including teachers, students, and staff members are considered equal regardless of their distinctive roles and responsibilities. The operations and issues regarding the overall program are discussed in the community meetings that are held on a weekly basis. The discussion includes the analysis of financial or fiscal reports of the school, issues, upcoming events, and other interests of students and staff. Voting is carried out, and the “majority wins” rule applies to the decision. Issues are discussed and debated so that effective decisions can be reached that can enhance the overall performance of the school. The main lesson for teachers and students with this system is that they learn to manage boundaries, character, self-determination, respect, means to debate, and how to face objections. The members are provided with a platform to collaborate and share their thoughts with other members and raise their concerns and issues for further debate. This process helps to build a system in which one person submits an issue or concern and the others participate by voicing their opinions or sharing potential solutions to overcome the issues. It helps to build a system that appreciates brainstorming and provides a person with confidence to raise his/her concerns. Benefits Benefits There are numerous benefits of such schooling models because with the help of such developed models the students can follow a direction that inspires them the most. Democratic schools give the students an opportunity of hacking the curriculum. Hack schooling or un-schooling is a system in which the students do not have to follow a specific curriculum. For example, they do not follow the standard public school curriculum, where their interest level is possibly low, but instead, the students choose their own areas of interest and education to pursue. The opportunity to self-direct their learning is a major benefit for every child. Hack schooling removes the barriers that standard curriculum creates for children in reaching their

3. goals. Hack schooling which is a part of democratic schools is beneficial for all the students as it leads them to reach their goals. Another benefit to a Democratic School model is that it provides a platform to students to achieve their goals. Once an area is determined where a student wants to excel then arrangements are made to ensure that the student gets sufficient support and materials to fulfill their needs. Sometimes that means the student puts in a request at the school meeting for a specific piece of equipment or an expert to visit. The model of democratic school is built on the concept of interest led learning which is different from directed learning. Interest led learning is beneficial for the students as it helps them in being self-motivated towards their goals and allows them to be more responsible. It is beneficial for their personal growth and makes them more focused towards their goals. One of the themes of democratic schools is the development of character. With this learning system, students learn several things and participate in many activities that add to their character. Having a strong character from early childhood has a very positive impact on the personality, and it also increases the chances of success. Also, the students who are a part of the democratic school model have a firm belief that their parents trust them and are supporting them constantly to achieve their goals. These are not the only factors to consider when determining if democratic schools are worthy enough to for your child. Several other factors influence parents to opt for this option. One of the major factors is that it helps in giving special or extra attention towards a child. As a parent, everyone wants to know about the likes and dislikes of their child as it helps in developing a better bond in their relations. As the democratic school module provides freedom in the choice of activities for kids, the parents can determine the needs of their children and are also aware of the way their kids engage with the world. Another reason to choose this for your child is the process of trust. It allows parents to act as a choice coach for their children rather than imposing and burdening their children. It allows the parent to look at what their child is doing and determining the possible outcomes and consequences of the desired activities of their children. The reason to choose this school model for your child is that whatever your child opts to become will be made easier for them as they will be supported and if asked, taught for such activities. If one wants to be a sportsman and requests the staff to guide them in this endeavor, then such training will be provided to the children. Not only that, a proper balance is naturally experienced due to the natural way people learn and the community structure.

4. Parents want their child to be passionate, confident, and creative and with the environment and assistance provided by the democratic school model a child develops such qualities. Parents choose this option for their children because these qualities help in nourishing the minds of their children allowing them to be successful in their own unique way. Educated and proactive parents are more inclined towards selecting the option of democratic school rather than standardized school. The recent studies, reviews, and statistics about the democratic school model claim that there is an increase in the number of such school models. These studies and many of the popular movements, such as Race to Nowhere, Hack schooling, and Un-schooling, show a high demand and interest for alternative education. Every parent wants their children to be successful in their own unique way, and schools such as Makarios Community School are providing parents with such an opportunity. The democratic school model is growing in popularity and is successfully adopted in many parts of the world. Visit website for more details. Makarios Community School