Forcing kids to sit in rows in classrooms doing stuff they for the most part intensely dislike always struck me as a very poor way of imparting knowledge.
Information perhaps. But there is no thinking so saying they are getting knowledge is a stretch.
While I agree that home schooling can make kids smarter, I find many of them to be socially awkward with few friends. (Not that there is anything wrong with only having a few friends)
There are a lot of theorists who feel this is a mistake. Multiple learning levels in one class, they say, inevitably ends up with the slow kids needing way more attention and the smart kids apget ignored, the slow kids don't have the skills to continue alone while the teacher makes sure the other kids get teacher time etc.
Sure it sucks for little Johnny that he's not in class with the kids his age but educationally if he's not up to their skill it makes more sense to have him with younger kids. Smart schools even divide up the day so little Johnny is in lower math, upper reading and on level for social studies etc. not held back a whole grade for one subject.
I don't think children should guide their own learning, they don't know enough to do that. Yes, they should be encouraged to find fields that interest them personally, but that's where their personal input ends: in choosing the field. Having made that choice they should be guided by an adult, to ensure things are learned in the best order for understanding purposes, and all the relationships are clear.
Another point is, by the time these kids grow up, they will have some tiny device (the evolution of the mobile phone) on their body at all times that gives them complete access to the corpus of human knowledge (the evolution of Wikipedia). So school that emphasizes rote memorization of facts will be useless to them. But there is a difference between book learning and real-world learning, so schools could respond to this reality by having more field trips and such. Or young people could not stay in school as long and enter the business world sooner.
This type of education is nearly ideal. It allows everybody to learn at their own pace. The smart children will zoom through the courses with better understanding. They won't be held back by the needs of the others. The slow children will be able to grasp the material fully because they aren't being rushed through it.
The quality of the lessons and the way they are presented will be a huge factor in whether they are effective.
The main piece of the learning puzzle will be allowing students to learn things they find valuable instead of being forced to learn things in which they have no interest. Once someone learns basic language skills, basic mathematics, and some science, they shouldn't be forced to learn more than they need. Let them continue in any subject that interests them. With that the system will create people willing and eager to learn instead of disinterested children feeling forced to attend a boring school.
One valuable lesson that all people should be taught is how to find information, evaluate it, and how to study anything. This way they'll be able to learn outside of any type of classroom or work situation.
[quote name="ascii" url="/t/158336/dutch-steve-jobs-schools-to-use-apples-ipad-for-entire-education-experience#post_2357315"]I don't think children should guide their own learning, they don't know enough to do that.[/QUOTE]
Self-guided learning had me reading the Odyssey series in first grade. Children are absolutely able to do it, but having parents that actually care and can get them the resources they desire helps immensely.
Comments
Information perhaps. But there is no thinking so saying they are getting knowledge is a stretch.
So are many kids that go to traditional schools
Or they won't.
And not just because they won't be that total free in what they do.
There are a lot of theorists who feel this is a mistake. Multiple learning levels in one class, they say, inevitably ends up with the slow kids needing way more attention and the smart kids apget ignored, the slow kids don't have the skills to continue alone while the teacher makes sure the other kids get teacher time etc.
Sure it sucks for little Johnny that he's not in class with the kids his age but educationally if he's not up to their skill it makes more sense to have him with younger kids. Smart schools even divide up the day so little Johnny is in lower math, upper reading and on level for social studies etc. not held back a whole grade for one subject.
I don't think children should guide their own learning, they don't know enough to do that. Yes, they should be encouraged to find fields that interest them personally, but that's where their personal input ends: in choosing the field. Having made that choice they should be guided by an adult, to ensure things are learned in the best order for understanding purposes, and all the relationships are clear.
Another point is, by the time these kids grow up, they will have some tiny device (the evolution of the mobile phone) on their body at all times that gives them complete access to the corpus of human knowledge (the evolution of Wikipedia). So school that emphasizes rote memorization of facts will be useless to them. But there is a difference between book learning and real-world learning, so schools could respond to this reality by having more field trips and such. Or young people could not stay in school as long and enter the business world sooner.
The quality of the lessons and the way they are presented will be a huge factor in whether they are effective.
The main piece of the learning puzzle will be allowing students to learn things they find valuable instead of being forced to learn things in which they have no interest. Once someone learns basic language skills, basic mathematics, and some science, they shouldn't be forced to learn more than they need. Let them continue in any subject that interests them. With that the system will create people willing and eager to learn instead of disinterested children feeling forced to attend a boring school.
One valuable lesson that all people should be taught is how to find information, evaluate it, and how to study anything. This way they'll be able to learn outside of any type of classroom or work situation.
Self-guided learning had me reading the Odyssey series in first grade. Children are absolutely able to do it, but having parents that actually care and can get them the resources they desire helps immensely.
But here, in this specific program, they have two or three teachers at the time, and parents involved, so lots of authority...