I’m finally actually reading this post… after talking to you about a month ago! I’ve finished Shaffer’s book in the meantime. One of the things that struck me about it was the focus on the importance of face-to-face time with teachers and other students (especially in contrast to other video games in education books). I think all of us agree that relationships will continue to be important in education in whatever form… and I think we all agree that the physical and political limits of current schools can often limit potential learning opportunities.

Anytime we talk about changing the physical limitations of school (or the schedule) we quickly run into “the babysitting problem.” I think, though, that the political limits dictating how educators and students spend their time (and money) are probably more of a challenge… after all, having students spend a chunk of time each day with their peers and their teachers for the express purpose of learning isn’t so bad.

In any case, I’m sure I have a lot to catch up on in this thread… and it’ll take me a while. I just thought I’d participate a bit, too.

Thanks, as always, for sharing your challenges.

-Mark

http://snipurl.com/1d5b6

Maybe you’re stuck because you’re ready for the next step (to make all of this more concrete somewhere)?

I know this feeling very well. My sympathies–although I also think there’s a certain energy to the stuckness that may precede some breakthroughs, for you and for the rest of us. Hard to know. Institutionalized schooling has got its hooks very deeply into the fabric of our society.

I spoke about similar concerns recently at the University of Maryland. My thinking’s been influenced a lot these days by Ivan Illich’s “Deschooling Society,” as well as by Parker Palmer’s “The Courage to Teach” and George Steiner’s “Lessons of the Masters.” I commend those books to you as great sources of comfort, challenge, and inspiration.

It’s been interesting reading this whole dialogue since I just got back from a group site visit of 7 schools in another state and we’ve been talking a lot about improving our campus.

I’ve been struggling with how to respond to this post, and don’t think I yet have the “deep answer” yet.

I think students do learn at school and they do learn from the social element of school as well, and yet I think what we do could be done so much better and on a much more individualized level.
I don’t know that it means disbanding schools per se, but definitely rethinking them.

After seeing High Tech High, which from a traditional standpoint is very nontraditional, but from the standpoint of this conversation, is probably still too conventional–I do see a model of how we can help students make connections in a more authentic and engaging way.

But at the risk of sounding like the devil’s advocate here, I have to say that after walking through 7 schools and many classrooms in those four days, and seeing kids engaged and learning and cared about, I know that there are many things about school that work.

What I wish is that whatever form school takes, that we care about the students, that we have more time for the individual, and that WE are excited and passionate about learning and teaching, because that will convey to our students, no matter what form the learning takes or the structure is.

I work for the Canadian Education Association, and so much of what I read on your blog, Will, on Chris Lehmann’s blog, of the G-Town blog, etc., resonates deeply with our own attitudes towards the change that needs to take place in education. A good way to sum this up is precisely the theme that has been repeated here: the need for a broader focus on learning that can see beyond the walls of the school.

We’ve recently launched, in partnership with The Future of the Book, a web-based project designed to facilitate conversation around a piece developed from our last symposium: Getting it Right for Adolescent Learners – A call to action. We’re hoping to get input from not just educators and leaders, but also from students — and perspectives from the USA would be absolutely welcome as well. Call this an informal invitation.
http://calltoaction.cea-ace.ca

Cheers,
Luke

Will:

I wrote on my blog the following about your post-

I am not sure I can be much help to Will. What do we do? I will say that it is sure fun to engage people in this conversation and see where it all goes. Talk about rocking the world of a classroom teacher when they start interacting with some drawings and text surrounding School 2.0. But Will, maybe it is more than school. Really you are writing (I think) about your own learning! Isn’t really LEARNING 2.0?

In fact, I think it may be LEARNING 2.0 beta! We discussed this at a meeting I as at last week with a bunch of technology folks trying to develop a conference framework. We came up with in a short period of time Learning 2.0 beta: Communications, Collaborations and Connections. A pretty good start if you ask me!

If we really are all about schools, teaching and learning then let’s concentrate on the Learning and not so much on the school and teaching part. Will, you’ve directed and taught yourself to learn without the “…physical space. And control. And content.” Isn’t this what we want to instill in (and teach) our students?

Will, I urge you. Don’t be stuck. Move this “Learning 2.0” forward and analyze not the school, but the results we all dream of achieving.

In closing, I go back to the importance of assessment in our schools and what assessment for LEARNING really means. My fall back position is that we really need to come to terms with what learning is, how to measure it and how to teach ourselves and our students how to manage the learning processes. This is long term goal stuff… not just a one lesson plan topic for sure!

Rick Stiggins of ATI states:

“If we wish to maximize student achievement in the U.S., we must pay far greater attention to the improvement of classroom assessment. Both assessment of learning and assessment for learning are essential. But one is currently in place, and the other is not.” (Stiggins, 2002)
http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Stiggins,_Richard_J.

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Thanks for the opportunity for thought, connection, collaboration and communications!

Andy

Schools are about physical space. Yes, they are inherently physical. People gather together in a structure made of materials, in the flesh, to interact and learn. Is it so much better online?

Schools are about control. Sounds like the classic Pink Floyd lyric… ‘we don’t need no thought control’. Indeed, teachers are trying to keep the kids down through education! Teachers hate creativity! “Teacher, [you brick], leave those [poor] kids alone….”

Schools control the content. Not really. It’s pretty incredible how much freedom good teachers have to choose what and how to teach in the United States. Or maybe you were talking about China?

You’re stuck. Answer? Tear down the wall! Tear down the wall!

Oy vey.