I’ve noticed that when school reforms are implemented school still looks and feels like school.
I’ve noticed that whenever people who succeeded in school give ideas about how to reform schools they would just lead to school better.
I’ve noticed that whenever people who liked school give ideas about how to reform schools they would just lead to school more.
I’ve noticed that whenever people who have been scarred by school give ideas on how to reform schools they would just lead to school light.
Does getting your “education” from a school impede your ability to offer up ideas that would lead to real change?
If you liked school does that impede your ability to change it?
I wonder what would happen if in future education reform conversations we removed the word school–what would happen?
Ready….you have escaped Earth’s destruction and landed on a faraway uninhabited planet. How would you choose to educate future kids? Let your ideas rip in the comments..but you can’t mention the world school. No school better, or school more, or school light.
I’ve noticed that whenever the new future concept car comes out, it always looks and feels like a car…
I suppose that I would teach my own kids how to read, write, do math and of course about history so they won’t destroy their new planet. I would teach them the skills they needed for their new life and then most importantly how to teach themselves things they don’t already know.
I wonder Rob what the “I would teach” phrase in your comment would look like…would it look like school at home?
“Many students, especially those who are poor, intuitively know what schools do for them. The school them to confuse process with substance. Once these become blurred, a new logic is assumed: the more treatment there is, the better the results; or, escalation leads to success.” -Ivan Illich “Deschooling Society”
How would I educate students? I’d let them freely experience life in their communities and provide them with the tools necessary to pursue any knowledge they wish.
One of my favorite books…I think that I have more notes in the margins than words on the pages.
This resonates with me….
~*trust*~
trusting we have what we need
to learn that which we need
when we need to learn it
So much comes down to trusting and not impeding intuition and the human learning process.
~Aimee
What would “school” look like with no school? It would look like my summers and my weekends. Trips to museums, youtube videos to learn how to serve a tennis ball then off to the courts to practice, taking cooking class from a master chef, language classes from a native speaker, refurbishing my home using Home Depot books and pamphlets to help me learn how to tile, resurface floors, install new cabinets. It would be living and learning all day.
As an undergrad studying international business, I traveled to Asia with teachers who acted more as tour guides. They led us to 30+ companies, where we met with CEOs and their ilk. We toured factories in China and banks in Myanmar. Class was held in hotels, parks, companies – anywhere relevant. I think learning Japanese history in Japan, by going places and meeting people was far more valuable than reading from a book in a classroom.
I would create a system of experiences that students could engage in. Some would be mandatory, while many more elective. Sure, have the books available (ideally electronically), but as a resource to enhance students’ experiences – not replace them.
What would be a mandatory experience? Interesting that I wouldn’t necessarily be for mandatory classes…but mandatory experiences….hmmmm.
Mandatory experiences could be things like “travel abroad in a country with a different first language” or “raise $1000 for a charity of your choice” – then leave it up to the students how they fulfill these tasks. I think we could create a number of experiences where that the students learn from them could be similar (even targeted), but unique to each.
Your answer leads me to think about “standardization” in a new way. Wonder if we could standardize experiences, without standardizing the outcomes.