The Sudbury Valley School Experience

by Daniel Greenberg (Editor), Mimsy Sadofsky (Editor)

A collection of essays discussing various aspects of the educational philosophy underlying Sudbury Valley School, and vignettes illustrating its atmosphere. An excellent introduction to the life and style of the school. "Back to Basics", "What Children Don't Learn at SVS", "How and What Do Children Learn at SVS?", "What do Students Choose?", "A New Look at Learning", "On the Nature of Sports at SVS and the Limitations of Language in Describing SVS to the World", "Reverence for all Life", "Learning to Trust Oneself", "The Little Girl Who Taught Me a Big Lesson", "The Art of Doing Nothing", "Wrong Questions, Wrong Answers", "Do People Learn From Courses?", "A Moment of Insight", "When Does a Person Make Good Use of His Time?", "Doing 'Nothing' at A Lesson from History", "Snapshots", "Sudbury Valley's Secret Allowing People of Different Ages to Mix Freely at School", "The Beech Tree", "How the School is Who Cares?", "When You Think of the School Meeting, What Passes Through Your Mind?", "Five Myths About Democracy", Subtleties of a Democratic School", "The Silent Factor", "Teaching Justice Through Experience", "SVS Glimpses", "On Law and Order", "'When You Were Young'; A True Story", "To Thyself Be True", "A School for Today"

Genres: Education, School

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Daniel A. Greenberg (born c. 1934), one of the founders of the Sudbury Valley School, has published several books on the Sudbury model of school organization, and has been described by Sudbury Valley School trustee Peter Gray as the "principal philosopher" among its founders. He is a former physics professor at Columbia University, and is described by Lois Holzman as the school's "chief 'philosophical writer'".

Reviews

[Atiyeh.n · Rating 2 out of 5]

کتاب مجموعه نظرات و تجربیات موسسان و دانش آموزان یک مدرسه دموکراتیک در آمریکاست. با این که ایده آموزش دموکراتیک برایم بسیار جذاب است ولی این کتاب را دوست نداشتم. محتویات و نظرات بسیار شلخته و در هم بود، گاه حتی در وسط یک صفحه هدف نوشته گم شده و موضوع دیگری مطرح میشد. راستش انتظار محتوای منسجم‌ و دقیق‌تری داشتم ولی این طور نبود. کاربرد این کتاب صرفا آشنایی اولیه و کلی با اینکه مدرسه دموکراتیک چیست، است.

[nAeEMak نعیمک]

خواندن این کتاب برای من خیلی طول کشید. به دلیل کاری که انجام می‌دادم باید در آن دقیق می‌شد و جواب سوال‌هایم را از لابه‌لایۀ صفحات پیدا می‌کردم. کتاب تجربۀ یک مدرسۀ «متفاوت» (با تاکید) است. مدرسه‌ای که ظاهراً بی‌قانون است و در آن زنگ‌های درسی به شکل مرسوم نیست. مقایسه کردن چنین سیستمی با ایران اشتباه است چون ما درگیر مسائل ریز و درشت عجیبی هستیم که امکان ساخت یک مدرسۀ متفاوت نیست. حتی در زمان انتشار کتاب هم در خود امریکا (و حتی الان) هم سادبری‌ولی موسسه‌ای جداافتاده است.
کتاب یک ویژگی مهم دارد. این که «شدن» را معنی می‌کند. یعنی در یک جایی از دنیا آدم‌هایی دورهم جمع شدند و سعی کردند جایی متفاوت درست کنند و این کار انجام شده. چیزی روی هوا نیست یا تئوری. بلکه پایشان محکم است و کتاب تجربه‌های آن‌ها است. از طرفی تلاش کردند این تجربۀ متفاوت را مدون کنند. اتفاقی که کمتر در ایران می‌افتد. یعنی حتی اگر کار خوبی انجام می‌شود ما از چند و چون آن بی‌خبریم.
کتاب به‌درد کسانی که دغدغۀ آموزش دارند می‌خورد و البته برای تمام کسانی که دنبال متفاوت دیدن ساختی هستند که در آن زیست می‌کنند. یعنی اینجا بحث نگرش مطرح هست. این که بتوانی جور دیگری به دانش‌آموز، مدرسه، اولیا و سیستم نگاه کنی. در ایران این نگاه خیلی سخت است (و ناممکن) اما کتاب کمک می‌کند تا شاید یک کوچولو سعی کنیم با محیط اطراف خودمان (به عنوان یک آموزگار) متفاوت برخورد کنیم.

[Lgordo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but I was open to it. My husband pointed out that Daniel Greenberg has a tendency to rant in a way that would be off-putting to people who aren't as open to his message. He provided essays on his opinions about education that led to the Sudbury Valley school, as well as details on how the school runs. At the same time, he doesn't portray it as entirely utopian; he admits not everyone feels equally free and that, just as in the real world, the best argument doesn't always win in the popular forum.

Hanna Greenberg's sweet stories about kids using their freedom well were a nice palate cleanser between his essays on education and democracy and justice.

If you've read about Sudbury Valley School and want to learn more about how it runs, this is definitely your best bet.

[Jeff Thorsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children receive primary education at school. Studying at university is much more difficult. But after I read nursing writing services reviews it became easier for me to study and complete written assignments. I found a good writing service, thanks to which I was able to complete coursework and scientific articles on several subjects.

[Julie]

This school is exciting, intriguing, and I hope for my children to attend a school like this. I love the ideas that this book offered and agreed with what the authors had to say. Hard to rate as a piece of literature because its a compilation of facts/opinions about the school.

[E.m. · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are better ways to educate than the current popular alternative. I do wish someone would do some work on Special Needs students and the Sudbury Model. This book can seem condesending and narrow minded however.