Learning about Nature in the Democratic Classroom (Part 1)

Jackie Canterbury talks with Brittaney Drake about her work at The Pearl Remote Democratic High School in Seattle, Washington where she teaches about nature using a visual arts curriculum. Her teaching style follows the fundamentals of Dr. Art Pearl who developed the Democratic classroom in Eugene, Oregon. He inspired the words Democracy and Education. "His message was about the primacy of democracy, the fragility of it, the assaults against it, how far we are from a nation that truly cherishes it and practices it — and the essential role of public education in any chance for a healthy democracy in the future." The founder and director of the Seattle Democratic school is Dr. Robin Harwick who has served as a mentor to Brittaney. In this program we talk about the importance of using the democratic process as a backdrop to teaching about art and nature. Globally and as a nation, we are now realizing the fragility of democracy. In this program Brittaney discusses how she uses a visual arts curriculum, particularly bird illustration, as a way to teach about nature and science (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: February 5, 2025)

Learn more:
The Pearl Remote Democratic High School
Brittaney Drake's artwork on instagram
The Democratic Classroom: Theory to Inform Practice (Understanding Education and Policy)
Art Pearl, Democracy and Education: Remembering a Legend
Bird sound recordings: Donald R. Gunn, ML57586, and John Patterson, ML93401111, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library

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