Conley-Wilson+Film+Entry+6+-+Free+School

Word Count: 545
 * Title:** Free to Learn: A Radical Experiment in Education
 * Director:** Jeff Root and Bhawin Suchak
 * Release Year:** 2011

The central narrative of the film was portraying the Free School of Albany, New York, the longest running inner-city free school in the country. This free school educates 55 children ages 3 to 14 that teaches in a non-traditional manner in which students do not receive grades, testing, and compulsory classes. Each day students get to decided what they want to do each day. The teachers, staff, and administration of the school believe their way of teaching brings out alternative ways of knowledge not taught in typically public schools.
 * What is the central argument or narrative of the film?**

The sustainability issues the film draws out is education, organizational learning, citizenship and governance and community development. This film draws out the issues of how effectively students learn from a young age. Organizational learning is taught through the structure of the school and students learn about how things governed their school. While these students are learning they develop their own personal community within the school.
 * What sustainability issues does the film draw out?**

The parts of the film I found most compelling were the sense of democracy that runs undeniably throughout the school in a way that is completely different from public school. When a problem arises students are allowed to call for a meeting with the entire school that is run by other students. There meetings can only be adjourned when all parties involved feel as if the problem has been resolved sufficiently. These meetings were fascinating to me because in public schools and even in colleges you do not tend to see this type of independent organization in academic settings.
 * What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?**

The parts of the film I was not compelled or convinced by were the success of these students after graduating from this school. While watching this film, I felt a genuine concern for these children’s basic reading, writing, and mathematical skills because I was taught these skills in a relatively structured way. Both my parents and school teachers taught me how to read, write, and perform math at a young age which gave me a leg up in much of my life.
 * What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?**

The kinds of corrective action suggested by the film is the restructuring of educational system. Although their school is interesting and allows for all students to dictate their own education fully I believe a more effective corrective action of the issues with public education would be teaching students that basics and once they master those skills they can move onto more complex aspects of education which would include dictating how and what they learn.
 * What kinds of corrective action are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe action that you can image being effective.**

The kinds of literacy cultivated of the film is various. They include understanding how their own actions have an array of proximate and far off effects, understanding of government at various scales, and understanding of the challenges and values of deliberation and cooperative actions. These kids learn these skills at such a young age they may not be aware they are learning unique communication skills that they can apply to any setting in life.
 * What kinds of literacy are cultivated by the film?**

To improve the environmental education value of the film I would focus primarily on ways the students learn about the environment and the animals the school owns and cares for. If students are involved with feed and caring for the animals I would show more clips on that.
 * What would improve the environmental educational value of the film?**