R is for "Remodeling" and for "Rethinking Education"

I tend to like change... when it's on my terms (which is not always easy to navigate).  I like shaking things up just a bit as I get bored of the same routine easily.  Hence the changes you see here.

From: remodel.net

I wanted to remodel this blog for some time and, while I had hoped for more significant changes, I could not figure out (yet) how to do what I wanted and so have resolved to keep the change cosmetic (at least for now).

That said, I think remodeling is important.  After all, it's about 'improvement' (or the hope of improvement). It feeds creativity and helps us see our worlds differently.  It adds perspective.  It also, in some way teaches us  how to negotiate change.

With my personal remodeling out of the way, I came across an article about a more drastic remodeling - in The Wall Street Journal's Review section (Saturday/Sunday, November 12-13, 2011) "My Teacher is an App:  More kids than ever before are attending school from their living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens. The result: A radical rethinking of how education works" (by S. Banchero & S. Simon).

According to Banchero and Simon:

From: unplggd.com

"In a radical rethinking of what it means to go to school, states and districts nationwide are launching online public schools that let students from kindergarten to 12th grade take some or all of their classes [online]... Thirty states now let students take all of their courses online...

Advocates say that online schooling can save states money, offer curricula customized to each student and give parents more choice in education. A few states, however, have found that students enrolled full-time in virtual schools score significantly lower on standardized tests, and make less academic progress from year to year than their peers. Critics worry that kids in online classes don't learn how to get along with others or participate in group discussions.

The amount of teacher interaction varies.  At online-only schools, instructors answer questions by email, phone or the occasional video conference...Teachers give short lectures and offer one-on-one help, but most learning is self-directed and online."

From: gadgetrivia.com

Note that the authors reported primarily about two companies, K12 and Connections Academy which currently dominate the public cyberschool market. They note that some schools offer part classroom-part cyberschool options as well, although the article focuses on cyberschool alone. They further detail that while reading scores of online students match traditionally taught peer scores in reading, they fall short in math and writing.

I was disappointed that this 'radical rethinking' of education merely addressed funding and and did not adequately discuss education per se. And, while not to diminish the importance of financial issues, I believe there are larger concerns such as providing meaningful and effective education for all. Making learning meaningful requires a personal element, as does addressing diverse student needs and skills.  


Furthermore (from what I understood from the article), it is the delivery that has changed but not the content, the curriculum, the goals or the philosophy.  As our culture and times change, so too must education.  And, meeting and addressing diverse student needs should not only deal with allowing vertical movement in reading and math levels  - it must address learning skills (such as attention, memory, visual and verbal literacy, sequencing skills, critical thinking) while incorporating various learning profiles and affinities of diverse student bodies and cultures.

Radical rethinking of education should address issues of our multi-media world and promote classrooms that:

From: martyrobertsblog.com

• Incorporate real life issues (making the curriculum meaningful) - this demands knowing your students and tweaking discussions and projects to embrace their affinities, diverse skills, and cultures.
• Demand original critical thinking - also requiring a personal touch - one where teachers help push comparisons, expose gaps in reasoning, and encourage creative perspectives.
• Present materials via multi-modal methods involving visual and verbal literacies - so that various student strengths and weaknesses are met in lessons.
• Focus on writing and communication skills through essays, letters, poetry, creative writing, critical analyses involving peer and educator feedback.
• Motivates students - with online courses motivation must come from the students.  The programs rarely inject enthusiasm.  And, while many classrooms also fail to inject enthusiasm,  dynamic teacher - class discussions frequently spark the'fire'.
• We must stop teaching to the 'average' student.  Who is that student, anyway?  Educators must push students to reach lofty goals, and goals must vary according to skills and affinities.  Sometimes this means smaller homogeneous groups (when teaching specific content that is dependent on previous knowledge and abilities), and sometimes larger heterogeneous groups (when discussing broad issues where divergent opinions help develop critical thinking). 

The critics' worries that "kids in online classes don't learn how to get along with others" - is a bogus criticism (especially when there are so many better ones).  Having worked as a teacher and a consultant in private and city schools, I know that there are many students attending traditional classrooms who do not get along well with others.  The reverse is also true - most homeschooled students do not have social issues. I taught a summer course for Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth summer program, and before the course began I was informed that I had a homeschooled student in my class and I should look out for social issues that may arise. That homeschooled student turned out to be one of the best socially adjusted students in my class - a true leader socially and academically, and was one of the most popular kids on campus.  

Sitting in a classroom with other students does require greater social skills, but that does not mean these skills aren't also learned through church groups, sports teams, book clubs (to name a few) that require both working and at times competing with others. These options can provide similar 'socialization' process that classrooms serve.

From: sghealthyliving.wordpress.com

While I am not familiar with K12 or Connections Academy, I do teach a critical reading course for Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Online Division (for 4th-6th graders).  I have 8-12 students per ten-week session.  There is a set curriculum requiring students read three books and respond weekly with a creative writing piece and two discussion essays related to that week's reading.  I give detailed feedback of their writing mechanics, critical thinking and creative content, and am available via email or phone.This is a program that is both in schools and available on an individual basis.  


There are good online learning programs.  The trick is finding them and, at this point, integrating them with other forms of learning.  Teacher input and feedback must be personal.  Like all other educational programs and fads, it must be balanced.

What do you think?  Especially my homeschooling followers/readers. I'd love to hear from you. 


[And please comment on my 'remodeling' along with suggestions if you have any.]