Friday, March 18, 2011
Changes in School
Tweet
From SB5 to the new state budget, there are lots of talks about changes in schools lately. But what are we really changing, and what really needs to be changed? An NY Times op-ed says "we need to rethink the very nature of high school itself." The story is about eight high school students who were given the chance to shape their own education and run school in the way they wanted (with some direction and guidance from an advisor, of course). The result is impressive, and you should read the article. The students were self-motivated, asking questions and researching answers, learning new skills and performing for their peers. And these aren't just honor roll students. Two of the eight were in danger of dropping out before starting the "Independent School Project." The implications are challenging.
From SB5 to the new state budget, there are lots of talks about changes in schools lately. But what are we really changing, and what really needs to be changed? An NY Times op-ed says "we need to rethink the very nature of high school itself." The story is about eight high school students who were given the chance to shape their own education and run school in the way they wanted (with some direction and guidance from an advisor, of course). The result is impressive, and you should read the article. The students were self-motivated, asking questions and researching answers, learning new skills and performing for their peers. And these aren't just honor roll students. Two of the eight were in danger of dropping out before starting the "Independent School Project." The implications are challenging.
For anyone who has worked in a high school before, it is blatantly obvious that the education system does little to empower students. We structure every single minute of the day, make assignments and tasks as simple as possible, and give "punishments" that don't have long-term implications (the real punishment should be not having the knowledge needed to succeed in life, but that never comes into the discussion). Furthermore, the subjects and curriculum are often irrelevant to American life as an adult. What schools teach students to do a tax return? What high school student can change the oil in their car, or fix a broken toilet, or understand how to read an editorial piece and pick out the biases of the author? What schools follow politics closely, including students in the discussion, encouraging participating in the democratic process?
Our society is one that is looking for the quickest and easiest solution to most every problem, and education is no different.
What is exciting about the "Independent School Project" is that the answer is very simple, and the answer is already present and available. Students themselves have all of the resources, creativity and desires to really learn. The role of the teacher is to empower the student, to set them free into the real world, to allow (and encourage) them to think and act for themselves.
If there is one thing that America cherishes, it is the First Amendment. Free speech will never be taken away in this country, and it is the basis for defending a wide array of activities in society. We should take the same approach in schools. Students should have free range to think, to create, to act, to discover, and to learn.
I love teaching - I love students. But sometimes when I really think about the education system, it is sad and scary to say the least. The story of the "Independent School Project" is exciting, and you might say it is "too radical" or "unorthodox," but one school did it, so why can't more follow their example?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment