Offers a comparative focus on issues of multiculturalism and bilingualism Describes in detail the curriculum and instruction offered at Fratney School, the home of Rethinking Schools Written by well-respected authors in the critical education field

Offers a comparative focus on issues of multiculturalism and bilingualism Describes in detail the curriculum and instruction offered at Fratney School, the home of Rethinking Schools Written by well-respected authors in the critical education field

This book has received the AESA (American Educational Studies Association) Critics Choice Award 2013. Drawing from rich data, International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education profiles teachers, students, and schools struggling to interrupt the reproduction of social inequalities from one generation to the next. International in its nature, the work collected here illustrates how forces of globalization create greater inequalities, and carefully describes and evaluates efforts to democratize educational opportunities. This text will be useful in undergraduate and graduate courses on diversity and multicultural education, international comparisons, educational studies, as well as graduate courses in sociology of education, critical educational studies, international comparisons, foundations of education, multicultural education, and qualitative research methods.

This book has received the AESA (American Educational Studies Association) Critics Choice Award 2013. Drawing from rich data, International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education profiles teachers, students, and schools struggling to interrupt the reproduction of social inequalities from one generation to the next. International in its nature, the work collected here illustrates how forces of globalization create greater inequalities, and carefully describes and evaluates efforts to democratize educational opportunities. This text will be useful in undergraduate and graduate courses on diversity and multicultural education, international comparisons, educational studies, as well as graduate courses in sociology of education, critical educational studies, international comparisons, foundations of education, multicultural education, and qualitative research methods.

The Mission Hill School, founded by MacArthur Award winner Deborah Meier and colleagues in 1997, is a small public school that has rethought almost everything about the process of teaching and learning. Beyond richly describing and evaluating this high-achieving school, the author argues that democratic education is increasingly difficult in this era of testing and standardisation and that a school such as Mission Hill must be continually thoughtful, innovative, and courageous in counteracting systemic inequality. This in-depth examination is essential reading for anyone interested in how to better understand seemingly intractable problems related to urban public education in the United States. Book Features: An exemplary model of democratic education that shows the inner workings of a largely teacher-governed school. A rare example of an urban school implementing Dewey-influenced progressive pedagogy. In-depth descriptions of an anti-racist and culturally relevant pedagogy and curriculum. A close examination of successful practices, including shared decision making, intensive problem solving, and looking at student work.

Beyond Testing describes seven forms of assessment that are more effective than standardized test results. These assessments are more honest about what we can and cannot know about children's knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Readers can compare and contrast each approach to determine which is most appropriate for their school.

How do teachers and schools create meaningful learning experiences for students with diverse skills, abilities, and cultures? How can teachers authentically assess the learning of their students and build on their strengths and interests in ways that enrich the larger community? How can schools be turned into places where everyone is learning from each other? These are the big questions that guide the work of teachers at the well-known Mission Hill School in Boston and that are addressed in this book. Teaching in Themes will help schools incorporate a whole-school, theme-based curriculum that engages students across grade levels K-8. The authors provide detailed descriptions of four thematic units: What's Baking in Kathy's Classroom?, The Impact of Nature and Play, The Struggle for Justice: U.S. History Through the Eyes of African-Americans, and Astronomical Inquiries. Readers will see how teachers and students design "emergent inquiries" within the themes and create artwork, music, presentations, and a variety of hands-on learning experiences that support differentiated instruction across the curriculum. Book Features: Examples of whole-school projects designed to create a deep sense of immersion in a curricular theme and to build a multi-age learning community. Details of how teachers developed rich curriculum tailored to their unique students. The insights of legendary educator Deborah Meier on how whole-school thematic units were used to encourage collaboration among teachers. An afterword by teachers (and film makers) about the thinking behind their work featured in the widely-viewed film series "A Year at Mission Hill."