Here is an interest link about school reform:
http://blip.tv/file/88216
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Subscribe To
Posts
Comments
About Me
- Marlene Armstrong
- I'm married to the amazing Michael and have 4 terrific kids, ages 25, 22, 18 & 16. I am also very blessed to have a grandson who is a year old. I have the best job -- I am an Assistant Principal at San Tan Charter School.
Interesting idea, 24 hours schools. Unfortunately my server could only load 4 seconds of transmission at a time, so I could not listen or watch it very well. So based on the topic . . . 24 hour schools built around student passions.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in different environments means kids are no longer able to learn using the "antiquated" methods that have been used since Aristotle.
I think we need to move with the times, but if we want to raise up the next generation with the same core values there needs to be structure; there needs to be central skills taught; common background knowledge needs to be passed down. From what I could understand from this model, it is a total open construct students pick the friends they want to work with; the topics they want to study; no timetables; students have complete control and can negotiate the process.
To date I have not even seen this done successfully in adult, higher level college classes. There is always structure; there are always specific objectives that must be met; and while there might be some choices involved in how mastery is demonstrated, it is still a mass production model.
I think we keep forgetting that these are little kids. They do not possess all the knowledge and skills necessary to make ALL their own decisions. This all goes back to my earliest fears about constructivistic instruction, how do you teach a kindergartener the alphabet if they have never been exposed to it? At some point, we have to be teachers and not just facilitators.