I think it's safe to say that school has to change. The factory model's shelf-life has come and gone. This 5 minute video provides us with the promise of progressive education.
Right answer, vending machine standardized testing simply has no role in real learning.
Are we seeing the death of education and the dawn of learning?
I like the term "education." I've seen linguists debate the meaning of it, but I like the duality of "to draw out" and "to lead." I like the paradox of direct instruction and student construction. It's a middle ground, a muddled, mixed-up, often confusing little mystery. I'm not ready to abandon the word. Not yet.
ReplyDeleteNow "student achievement?" Yep, I'm ready to ditch that word.
I think the key point is that in so many ways schools used to open windows onto a wider world for the young public. People's lives have always been rich and varied but traditionally personal knowledge was local and therefore limited. Public schools expanded young people's worlds. Today we have lost the monopoly on learning. I see our institutional struggle to come to terms with the modern shift. We are now the more limited and narrow life and the young people's middle class life experience is more rich, meaningful and varied.Doors are closed as they come through our doors, not opened.
ReplyDeleteI received the clear signal from my administrator that I could not invite personal mobile devices into my classroom. No iTouches unless everyone has one or the school can provide them to everyone. Close the door quietly please.
@John: I agree. I'm not prepared to toss the word education. I actually really like it. I find though that data mongers like to steal our vocabulary - it's time we stole our words back!!
ReplyDelete@Alan: ask your administrator if some children can wear their eye glasses or do they have to leave them at home because not everyone needs their own eye glasses.
ReplyDeleteRick Wormelli's book Fair Not Equal is a good read on this topic.
Joe, I just recently "stole" homework from them. You might disagree with my perspective on this one - see the rethink blog.
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