Reviewing the Google Docs Vision Ideas
As I look at all of the ideas that the various groups have generated so far for the vision of what we would like AHS to be in the future, I have some conflicting opinions/views.
First of all, I still believe that school should expose students/kids to a variety of everything. (Again, this is just my opinion) But I truly feel that school should expose students to various ways of thinking, problem solving, and different educational atmospheres/situations. This allows students to try a great deal of different contents, styles, ideas, and classes and figure out where their true passions really lie and to learn stradegies to succeed in many different settings.
As I have said before, I think the key to a quality school and teacher is to engage students and get them active in their learning. However, I think that some of the ideas in the shared document could actually hinder learning and the facititation of learning.
Some of my concerns are with the following ideas from the shared document:
- No walls? Anywhere? - this seems like it wouldn't facilitate a good learning environment for anyone. Noise? chaos? Good discussions where we can hear one another?
- No bells? Again, seems chaotic. Just go by our watches? Come and go as you please? Finish just whenever you get done? I think we do need schedules (but maybe I am just old school?)
- Catering to students 19 and over? I do think there needs to be a limit to a "high school" there are other institutions and choices for students who need more time to get a GED or need to attend a vocational school. In other countries the students at 14 years of age either go to high school or go to do an internship or attend a vocational school.
- Classes more comfortable to create creativity? Do all jobs have murals on the walls and couches? Doesn't creativity come from within. Do couches, slouching and putting your feet up creat creativity or does it create more of a lackadaisical attitude and work ethic. When I go to work on the couch with my laptop I end of dozing off and relaxing.
I am not trying to be negative, but I just think that some things truly don't facilitate and increase learning. Does anyone else have questions about some of these ideas? Maybe I need to loosen up :)
posted by bkitch @ 2:50 PM
2 Comments:
Hi Barb,
You know what I find fascinating about learners today is that their brains are truly wired differently than mine. The engaged learner is multi-tasking, blogging, IMing and even gaming simultaneously - and yes, learning from all those activities.
Does that mean we need couches and no walls... I don't think so. It does however mean we must "speak" to them in their own language and facilitate the desire for learning to go beyond any walls. We must ask that students continually apply previous knowledge, make assumptions and think critically to arrive at their own understandings and judgments.
Hi Sohne, thanks for joining our blog. And, I couldn't agree more with the importance of asking/teaching studnets to continually apply and connect knowledge and think critically to arive to understandings and judgments, or even to arrive at new questions :)
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