Brooklyn Free School

[LeftyHenry]

I've talked about this before on another thread but I thought it'd be interesting to start a thread about it and hear what people think.

Basically today in America, there is an education crisis; kids hate school. This may change that...

ARTICLE SNIPPET

A grassroots movement formed in the summer and early fall of 2003 with the goal of offering a true educational alternative to the traditional orthodoxy of education now dominant in most public and private schools in this city, the Brooklyn Free School has now sprouted wings and has been up and running since September 2004. The community is composed entirely of parents, students, educators and others who believe that freedom and democracy are not just textbook concepts, but a way of living and learning - for our children as well as ourselves. The Brooklyn Free School is dedicated to the belief that all students must be free to develop naturally as human beings in a non-coercive educational environment and empowered to make decisions affecting their everyday lives and that of their community.

The Brooklyn Free School is a democratic, free school founded on the principles begun with Summerhill School in 1921, and adopted in one form or another by many schools in the late 1960's in the United States such as The Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, MA, and the Albany Free School in Albany, NY. Both of these schools are successful proponents of the democratic/free school model and the BFS incorporates major aspects of each these schools in developing a unique culture for the NYC area.

The school has accepted students aged 5 through 15, and will serve students up to 18 years of age by 2007. Students are not segregated by age. There is no set curriculum except the establishment of an all-inclusive democratic system that runs the school, and the communication of that system to all members of the school. The communication of the twin philosophical underpinnings of the school, including the democratic system stated above, and the understanding that students are free to pursue their individual interests for however long they want and in whatever manner they choose, thereby placing the responsibility for learning on the students, also constitutes the curriculum of the school. There are no compulsory grades, assessments or homework. The students are in charge of their own learning and progress and are able to adequately assess themselves and perform any additional work or learning outside of the school that they want to in line with their interests.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Link here

 

[liberal1]

How can we expect a generation that is notorious for struggling to reach mediiocre standards, to motivate themselves with little or no direction in an area that puts no pressure on them whatsoever to reach even mediocre standards? I know that it is a sacreligious sin in the U.S. to incorporate any form of competition among children in the education system, but removing incentive to provide any sort of quality work is ridiculous. No competition, no rankings, no failure, sounds like a great plan to start the breeding of successful citizens in a capitalist system.

 

[LeftyHenry]

How can we expect a generation that is notorious for struggling to reach mediiocre standards, to motivate themselves with little or no direction in an area that puts no pressure on them whatsoever to reach even mediocre standards? I know that it is a sacreligious sin in the U.S. to incorporate any form of competition among children in the education system, but removing incentive to provide any sort of quality work is ridiculous. No competition, no rankings, no failure, sounds like a great plan to start the breeding of successful citizens in a capitalist system.

I think that finding something that motivates you other than money is very important. This type of education will inspire kids to try new things and eventually find some subject which they're really interested in and could make a career out of. I think if it were me I'd still have some structured classes because we don't want kids being completely deficient in one subject they hate, but I think that this has the idea. You ever wonder why kids are struggling in schools to reach mediocire levels? Because they're uncomfortable, unmotivated, and just plain dislike what they're learning.

 

[Patrickt]

The article doesn't mention results.

 

[LeftyHenry]

The article doesn't mention results.

What do you mean? College acceptance? there a two year old school with 37 students and four teachers. I don't think they have a graduating class yet.

 

[Patrickt]

My pet gerbil can get into college. Are the kids learning to read, write, and do basic math. I'm neither for not against the idea of private schools but I'm just curious.

"There is no set curriculum except the establishment of an all-inclusive democratic system that runs the school, and the communication of that system to all members of the school. The communication of the twin philosophical underpinnings of the school, including the democratic system stated above, and the understanding that students are free to pursue their individual interests for however long they want and in whatever manner they choose, thereby placing the responsibility for learning on the students, also constitutes the curriculum of the school. There are no compulsory grades, assessments or homework."

From the start through high school, I was never in a school where the students, democratically, would have voted for a math class.

 

[LeftyHenry]

My pet gerbil can get into college. Are the kids learning to read, write, and do basic math. I'm neither for not against the idea of private schools but I'm just curious.

"There is no set curriculum except the establishment of an all-inclusive democratic system that runs the school, and the communication of that system to all members of the school. The communication of the twin philosophical underpinnings of the school, including the democratic system stated above, and the understanding that students are free to pursue their individual interests for however long they want and in whatever manner they choose, thereby placing the responsibility for learning on the students, also constitutes the curriculum of the school. There are no compulsory grades, assessments or homework."

From the start through high school, I was never in a school where the students, democratically, would have voted for a math class.

My friend who told me about this school and who volunteered there last year said that kids who are new to the BFS will during the first week or two sometimes hang around the hallways and play video games but after a couple of weeks they find something interesting and start reasearching and learning.

I think personally that the concept is not perfect. It has the idea I think but if it were me, I think I have some structured classes and some free learning time that way kids don't become deficient in subjects they dislike, however I think the idea is that kids who like math will study that fervently and as they get older become interested in math oriantated careers such as engineering and archetecture where they won't really need to know much history or latin. And vica-versa as well kids who like history and become interested in becoming a historian or an archeologist won't need math and science really.

But I think most of the kids who go to the BFS are just all around students and not all of us are so if it were to be expanded maybe as alternative public schools (choice to go to a BFS model school or the ones we have now) they'd need to have some structured classes.

 

[faithful_servant]

I've talked about this before on another thread but I thought it'd be interesting to start a thread about it and hear what people think.

Basically today in America, there is an education crisis; kids hate school. This may change that...

ARTICLE SNIPPET

A grassroots movement formed in the summer and early fall of 2003 with the goal of offering a true educational alternative to the traditional orthodoxy of education now dominant in most public and private schools in this city, the Brooklyn Free School has now sprouted wings and has been up and running since September 2004. The community is composed entirely of parents, students, educators and others who believe that freedom and democracy are not just textbook concepts, but a way of living and learning - for our children as well as ourselves. The Brooklyn Free School is dedicated to the belief that all students must be free to develop naturally as human beings in a non-coercive educational environment and empowered to make decisions affecting their everyday lives and that of their community.

The Brooklyn Free School is a democratic, free school founded on the principles begun with Summerhill School in 1921, and adopted in one form or another by many schools in the late 1960's in the United States such as The Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, MA, and the Albany Free School in Albany, NY. Both of these schools are successful proponents of the democratic/free school model and the BFS incorporates major aspects of each these schools in developing a unique culture for the NYC area.

The school has accepted students aged 5 through 15, and will serve students up to 18 years of age by 2007. Students are not segregated by age. There is no set curriculum except the establishment of an all-inclusive democratic system that runs the school, and the communication of that system to all members of the school. The communication of the twin philosophical underpinnings of the school, including the democratic system stated above, and the understanding that students are free to pursue their individual interests for however long they want and in whatever manner they choose, thereby placing the responsibility for learning on the students, also constitutes the curriculum of the school. There are no compulsory grades, assessments or homework. The students are in charge of their own learning and progress and are able to adequately assess themselves and perform any additional work or learning outside of the school that they want to in line with their interests.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Link here

What an incredibl stupid way to teach kids. Is there anyone here willing to bet that none of these kids will go to college unless mummy and dadums make a nice fat donation to the kids college of choice? Teh rest will end up on welfare or living off of a trust fund.
People don't progress without some form of stimulus and boredom doesn't cut it. Place them in a sitiuation where there is stimulus to progress and you'll see vastly greater results. But then this school isn't about results, it's about creating an environment where learning 'just happens'.

Where do you get the idea that this is a good thing?? I mean there's nothing positive here, no challenges, no results, just an experience. These kids parents aren't doing them any favors and in fact are hampering their ability to function in the real world. Out here, there is no democracy and people do expect results. If you teach kids that they can make every decision for themselves with no repurcussions, they will never learn that there is a price to pay for bad decisions. It's social experimentation with kids as lab rats. Immoral, unethical and just plain dumb.

 

[Patrickt]

As I thought about this I wondered how it is legal. If you home school your children, you don't get to teach them just what they want or even what you want. The state sets standards of what must be taught and learned. Of course, the state hates home schooling.

 

[LeftyHenry]

What an incredibl stupid way to teach kids. Is there anyone here willing to bet that none of these kids will go to college unless mummy and dadums make a nice fat donation to the kids college of choice? Teh rest will end up on welfare or living off of a trust fund.

Way to be a dumass. Why don't you read the article, make an intelligent comment, and stop trolling.

People don't progress without some form of stimulus and boredom doesn't cut it. Place them in a sitiuation where there is stimulus to progress and you'll see vastly greater results. But then this school isn't about results, it's about creating an environment where learning 'just happens'.

Actually it does as the kids in the BFS know. Just think of when you were 4-5-6 years old and you loved school. Why? Because you were curious and school was comfortable. You teachers were friendly and taught you at your own pace. However kids, by 7 grade completely hate school. Why? Because it's fascist. It forces you to learn what's approved. Oh and by the way I don't know what world you're living in where public school kids get 'vastly greater results'.

Where do you get the idea that this is a good thing?? I mean there's nothing positive here, no challenges, no results, just an experience. These kids parents aren't doing them any favors and in fact are hampering their ability to function in the real world. Out here, there is no democracy and people do expect results. If you teach kids that they can make every decision for themselves with no repurcussions, they will never learn that there is a price to pay for bad decisions. It's social experimentation with kids as lab rats. Immoral, unethical and just plain dumb.

Shows you a thing or two about our system doesn't it...