The video with the most views and downloads on TED is Ken Robinson's talk on how 'Schools Kill Creativity.' This year's TED prize went to Sugata Mitra's idea of having a school in the Cloud. The tide is changing... will we see a Learning Revolution?
Watch this video in which students at Monument Mountain Regional High School take their learning into their own hands.
Based on what you watched in the video, if you had to design your own school, how would you structure it? Who would get to attend? What problems do you foresee? What would the role of the teacher be? I look forward to reading your response.
17 comments:
One of my favorite educational vloggers, CGP Gray, said that one of the greatest flaws in the education is the redundant classification of students by age. He says that in no other system, anywhere, is age a reason for classification. Instead, students in schools should be classified by merit, skill and capability.
...also, I like what Miss Anna does in our A Level Sociology classes. She'll give us an assignment, a due date, and then leave us to it. She won't run after us to ask us about whether we've done it or not because she thinks we should get ready for college in that way.
While at first it was like Oh, yay, no real deadline! we quickly copped on to the fact that yeah, the essays are super important. Eventually, Miss Anna gets all her essays with a sheepish expression. I think that kind of autonomy is useful, especially in secondary school.
...that said, I don't think students should be granted absolute autonomy. A guiding teacher IS necessary to encourage the pleasure of learning. We take the cues of our passion from other people - certainly, that was the case for me at least.
I don't know. I'm still formulating my own thoughts on this. Maybe when I'm out of the system of education myself, I'll be able to make better reasoning.
I really like this idea.This kind of opportunity will make a big difference in learning and understanding. This seems fun and i think we should try this. This gives an opportunity to explore other ideas and lay down yourselves ideas too. The best thing that i like about this concept is that they have no syllabus this gives a wider variety to choose from to study and even gives the youngsters an opportunity to explore recent and new ideas. This program even exposes these students to their ambitions and gives them time to work on them unlike normal schools. they are even exposed to others skills.this gives them a wider choice to what they want to stick on to and gives them the opportunity to try new things. But the thing that gets me wondering is that what about their degrees? and when they go to university do they have any troubles coping up with the traditional way of studying and the environment. Honestly i love this idea gives a complete freedom to the students with what they want to learn and no test, no exams, no grades thumbs up for that too. And this kind of education system is a great way of dealing with learning disabilities students and even student who do not like socializing or want to be in their own comfort zone because this kind of system you have to communicate with everyone. Hope to see this accepted and our future generation
enjoy this kind of education.
In my opinion,i feel this individual learning is a revolutional and a very innovative step forward into the world of education.The learning environment,weekely questions,individual endeveaur,are all selected by the students and theres no way the student would loose interest or would at some point feel pressurised. Firstly,If i were to design & sturture my own school it would be free from rules and wouldnt have any restrictions,and surprisingly my schools admission requirement wouldnt be based on grades.Furthermore,the school doors will be open for all sorts of students.On the other hand there would be many loopholes towards this new programme and will have face alot of critism from people and i believe most of them would be based on disipline,and complains about students not fully devoting there study time as theres no pressure of tests or exams.In addition to that the teachers role woudnt be much and i guess that would be a dream place for a teacher to be in. She/he would just be there for any support or doubts the student come across thus,the teachers role wouldnt be to push or spoonfeed the student but instead it would be the students need that would drive them towards the teacher.
I feel the major advantage if this sort of educational system is it would immensely motivate students to know that they have a say in the way and the things that they learn.
More importantly it creates a largely conducive learning environment as students will be surrounded by people of similar capabilities and share the same passion and interest.
It would essentially force students to look within themselves and understand exactly what it is they want out this learning experience and out of life. Instead of constantly being set into restrictions ans limitations set by higher authorities.
I really support this idea as many of us in todays society have realised that there is something wrong with the education system.
Everyone needs basic math skills and the ability to read and write. However after achieving the required skills there is no need to push the students to study the topics they aren't going to succeed in the future.
For example me with maths I have studied it for 11 years and I dont believe I will ever use it for anything other than calculating my pocket money for the week.
However I would still need a guiding hand like Neha said. I would require a leader ''teacher'' to support and grade my learning.
But like Neha said I'm questioning my ideas about this new system.
Students should be able to have more freedom in choosing what they want to learn and what they find interesting to study. As Heleriin said we all need a basic education which teaches us how to read,write and mathematics used in everyday life.
I believe students would benefit more in being able to choose their own education although with the guiding hands of teachers.
Students would also get a better understanding in the subject they are studying if there is free discussion time between the students in the classroom
Agreeing with all of the comments above, I really do believe that such a system would definitely work in the favour of MOST students. However I personally think that there are loopholes in this revolutionary system.
Although giving students full freedom over the pace and style of their learning appears to be idyllic it may not necessarily adapt to the wide spectrum of students that one usually finds in a school with a diverse student body.
Where some students have impeccable discipline when it comes to coping with school work, there are still who wouldn't do so well with a borderless teaching and learning system.
I think we can all agree that conventional schools with standardised curriculums with very little breathing space do no good.
However, with a more flexible choice in subjects and a surge in cross curricular learning we are indeed progressing towards a more rewarding schooling experience. Hence the ideal school would have the best of both worlds
coming from an Iranian school where you only can follow two paths, either Mathematics or Biology, made it pretty hard for someone like me who wants to study Film.
I guess the first act would be to have a variety of subject which are also equally balanced.
that's one way pf giving student the freedom of choice regarding their future.
when it comes to the teachers, i believe they all should be modern, objective, be educated in their personal life which helps with connecting their own experiences to what they teach just like Miss Glenda.
I think that's a pretty good idea. It gives the students a chance to follow three passions and learn about something that they actually want to, instead of being forced into doing something they really don't want it, it demotivates them.
However, I do believe that having full control would not be the best of ideas, there should still be some figure of authority, but only to ensure that everything is running smoothly. The students may just need a reminder that they're there to be educated. As it may be an issue, that after some time, they begin to lose interest and then the result may cause them to fail in the future.
I do agree that students should have more of a say in what all is done in class and maybe a change in some curriculums, but would also need some guidance to it, as they are still maturing and may not understand the seriousness of their education.
After I watched this video, I was surprised to see that students were already having independent learning based on the knowledge that they have gained throughout the school semester. I find it really interesting to see a group of teenagers who wants to take the risk and step out of their comfort zone in order to achieve their goals in life. Without any peer pressure from studying for exams and also meeting the expectations from their teachers, it takes courage, time and devotion to put them to a good use when joining this kind of program. If I had to run a school, I would love to encourage students to take part because it will bring benefits for them in the future. It can be for any student who wishes to join a group and loves to interact with people, engaging on other diverse topics that they are interested to learn more about. However some problems may arise such as the student who is joining the group just to avoid the other subjects and are only taking an advantage of it. The teachers can be their guidance counselors along the way but it is really up to the students to show their dedication to this project.
I think the concept of independent study is brilliant. Because the role of the lecturer or teacher is only limited to the resources given in the environment or the classroom. The independence and the liberty given to the pupils or students help them in broadening their views on a particular topic or as they say they start to "think outside of the box".
If I were to design my own school I wouldn't keep it as simple as possible, nothing fancy, as an aspiring interior designer I would love to keep the school environment modern yet embracing the roots of a traditional scholastic atmosphere, with the use of wooden chairs and tables, bookshelves, and not to mention a plethora of books. This school would be open to anyone interested, it wouldn't be a regular school that only focuses on a certain schedule, it would be a school focusing on specific fields of education e.g. maths, business, science. This conceptual school wouldn't only provide basic, to extensive learning, it would also offer lessons in life, for example, it would teach students what the role of taxes are, why we pay taxes, and how we pay taxes. It would also educate students why it's important to vote and voice your own opinions, which 99% of the schools in the word fail to teach. The concept of an educator as a figure head in a room would be abolished, the educator would merely explain and asses various topics and hand the class over to the students causing a multitude of views opposing and agreeing with one another, I believe this type of learning causes more productivity and efficient learning in a classroom.
When watching the video I actually wasn't too sure about this very unique and independent type of schooling/learning. What I love though is how committed and determined these students actually are.
They seem very comfortable and still use their calm environment to not only learn the four main bodies of learning but push themselves much further than this in a fun and interactive way which I think is necessary in a school, if I were to structure it.
Asma mentions that the students feel in no way pressurized, I think most of us would actually agree and expect there to be barely any types of pressure. However the one girl in the video reveals that the pressure is actually much different than that to normal school. I can see the strengths in this as this pressure and the exchange of criticisms whether they're a small group of friends actually encourage them to do a lot better and stay committed for the sake of themselves and their friends. However, one has to question whether this type of responsibility and pressure to hold everybody's work, time, effort and success in ones hands might be just too much to handle.
Although the pressure might encourage them to challenge and better themselves, I agree with Neiha that in the end, a guiding teacher really is necessary to encourage the pleasure of learning.
I think this is a tremendous idea. Independent study is something that will benefit us in the future in many ways. Teachers can't support us at every point we need to start making an effort.if I were given the chance to open my own school I would definitely keep the school hours less meaning a certain amount of time in school and some outside so that students can actually experience what they learn the teachers I'd employ would be experienced and not just have the ability to communicate in English.and obv the school would be open to everyone and anyone.i think this would really benefit the students in various ways
I really think students need this kind of learning because students would want to know the answer to the equations they are given because they chose them unlike the imposed learning that we have which requires everyone to learn what the ministry wants you to learn...
The main advantage of students choosing what they want to learn is that students stay motivated to chasing their dreams...
I really think students need this kind of learning because students would want to know the answer to the equations they are given because they chose them unlike the imposed learning that we have which requires everyone to learn what the ministry wants you to learn...
The main advantage of students choosing what they want to learn is that students stay motivated to chasing their dreams...
I really enjoyed watching this video, because it was really eye opening to see so much learning happening in a place with such little support. Right now this system of learning seems really radical, but it feels more and more likely that one day in the near future, this is going to be very much the norm around the world.
The one thing I really despise about our current education system is standardized testing. If I could change that, I would. It’s just unexplainably stupid to ask people of different skill sets to do the same task within a time constraint. There are definitely people who thrive in such a system, but there are also people who falter, and who are led to believe they aren’t ‘smart’ when really, they aren’t being graded correctly.
I realize that it’s difficult to mark people differently: our whole current system is based on the premise of standardized testing. It’s how a pupil is judged. But I find it extremely backward to label a person by a score on his/her test.
That being said, I can’t really imagine a school without teachers: in fact, I see them as a necessary component of learning. I think the right teacher can inspire heir student, and play a monumental role on shaping their student’s future. At the same time, I think learning the way the students in the video do is the only real way we can remember anything.
Curiosity is the most important aspect of studying. If you don’t care about the whys and the hows, you will never really learn anything. Understanding the real world implications of the knowledge that is taught to us is necessary for us to learn.
Ok so firstly, I agree with majority of the above comments that independent learning would be a revolutionary turn in the educational system and it gives students the opportunity to take complete responsibility in what they learn, how they learn it and most importantly question WHY they are learning it.
If I had to design my own school the first thing I would get rid of or completely abolish is exams, assessments and grades that supposedly ‘define’ our I.Q, instead have an ongoing process of developmental learning which challenges our boundaries and capabilities. There would be no deadlines, however if the student wishes to test their knowledge and be assessed upon it, they may do so by approaching a teacher of that suited field of study.
The structure of the school classrooms would most definitely not be bland brick walls were you literally feel like you’re trapped in a box. I’d rather have everyone outdoors or perhaps in a huge glass dome-like structure where one doesn’t feel restricted by 4 brick walls barricading you in.
Internet access would be granted for all students and textbooks and notebooks would be completely replaced by technology such as Ipads, Iphones, tablets and Laptops. And this would not merely apply to the ‘sixth formers’ but rather start off with kindergarten/foundation stage itself.
The use of an ‘authoritative’ figure would only be present if students perhaps need a physical figure for guidelines and inquiries or help. Hence there would be no official role of a classroom teacher but rather the students learn to research information and complete projects through an online course where information is not simply restricted to merely the teacher’s knowledge but rather is an online accessible source from knowledge worldwide. Also to develop their teamwork skills the students would be given the option of completing projects that require them to not only use their writing and analytical skills (book smart) but also their common sense (street smart) and would cater to their multiple intelligences. I think such lessons would help students develop their personal skills as well as their intelligence. And just like Joe mentioned in the video “the thing that you centre your semester around doesn’t have to be academic, it can be something that you can really develop a strong passion for.”
Plus guys, it would mean ‘the world’ to Sandy if our school started an Independent Project too. Let’s do it for Sandy! :P
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