Democracy in the Classroom

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that a democratically structured classroom in which students are both instructed and empowered is indeed a powerful tool for creating the citizens of tomorrow. But a classroom in which children are put into standardized boxes, as is becoming increasingly the case, is one in which the principles of democracy are not only ignored, but squandered. This research examines two particularly powerful tools for inculcating in children the critical thinking skills necessary for becoming engaged and effective citizens of a democracy, teaching based on multiple intelligence and the integration of the performing and visual arts into the curriculum.

From the Paper:

"Children enjoy participating in the arts, and when adults see children having such a good time it is often hard for them to imagine that the children may also be at the same time mastering complex cognitive skills, but this is an artifact of the ways in which adults conceive of learning. For adults, learning is often associated with work and so it opposed to enjoyable and pleasurable activities. But for children, learning itself is a pleasure and meshes perfectly with (and reinforces) other forms of learning."

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