While I was reading this TED book by Will Richardson, I immediately found myself part of a discussion with my own personal thoughts. For instance, in the prologue when Richardson presented a story about his son playing Minecraft, my first impression was, I would not let my own child (if I had one) play a video game for so long, in one sitting, just because it's raining out; there are just too many other hands on material for a child to experience and learn from. Even though, that was not the point of his story and I grew to understand what he was getting at, it put me on guard. Essentially, the author successfully had me question my own stance and perspective right from the beginning to the end.
When it came to Richardson defining two types of reform for schooling: “better” VS “different,” it was obvious that he was pushing the readers to support the latter. I do agree with Richardson that standardized testing does not reflect students’ learning or teachers’ qualifications; and that “scores reflect our very deep issues with poverty, [and not the] inherent problems with schools” (Richardson, 2012, “Better”). Further consideration of the types of student demographics in each school, including possible international students, students with disabilities or special needs, students that are English learners, students with aboriginal roots, or students in unique family circumstances, all play a role in the learning of a child, along with the lack of funding for programs and resources. All these students will be subject to the same test; therefore, how could we define the success of the school and of the student?
Although I do not object the traditional content in math, English, social studies, and science as a baseline of curriculum that should be covered, I do believe there needs to be flexibility on its components. As well, “old curriculum [delivered] through new tools” is not a complete ineffective system, as long as it is recognized as a transitional step to phase into a “different” education. In the Minecraft scenario mentioned earlier, instead of hours of being technically connected, I would break it up and encourage reading and learning from paperback books. The literacy to find pleasure that is offline and disconnected from the “abundance” of distractions can teach independence along with a number of other essential real life skills.
Even though, I do not stand firm with everything Richardson has to say, I would agree with his reference to Stephen Downes statement that, “we have to stop thinking of an education as something that is delivered to us and instead see it as something we create for ourselves” (a bonus that he is a Canadian education researcher) (Richardson, 2012, “Higher education and work, redefined”). To support that idea, Richardson emphasizes how “[we] aren’t suddenly self-directed, organized, and literate enough to make sense of all the people and information online – or savvy enough to connect and build relationships with others in safe, ethical, and effective ways” (Richardson, 2012, “The upside”). Therefore, to have students achieve this, and before we send them into the digital world, we could adopt some traditional educational tools as our aide.
Personally, considering Richardson’s six unlearning/relearning ideas for educators, I could relate to his 1st point of “sharing everything”. I embrace collaboration whenever possible and love to share my own ideas. I do however, find it difficult to find “free” resources from other educators and wish others would be more open than conservative. I have experienced working with others that are set in their own ways, critical of my ambition for change and have made it discouraging to make progress in the school I work at. I have also experienced a number of times when colleagues willingly offer their materials to support my classes, especially when I was first starting my teaching career.
Another one of Richardson’s ideas that really play on my own practice is his 2nd point in trying to “inspire students to pursue their own interests in the context of the subject matter” (Richardson, 2012, “Discover, don’t deliver, the curriculum”). His example of High Tech High in San Diego caught me by surprise because prior to taking this masters program my school’s principal had also encouraged me to look into High Tech High. Not only are they “one of the most innovative high schools in the United States” (Richardson, 2012, “Discover, don’t deliver, the curriculum”), they articulate the following aspects:
Through projects, students pursue their passions and continually reflect on their learning and growth… Schools articulate common expectations for learning that value 21st century skills, the integration of hands and minds, and the merging of academic disciplines. Assessment is performance-based: all students develop projects, solve problems, and present findings to community panels. All students are required to complete an academic internship, a substantial senior project, and a personal digital portfolio. Teachers employ a variety of approaches to accommodate diverse learners, and recognize the value of having students from different backgrounds working together. (“HTH Design Principles”, 2012).
At any one of the High Tech High schools I would imagine Richardson’s point 5 and 6 would be easily achieved as an educator. In reality, at a school like my own, encouraging students to “talk to strangers” and to be a “master learner,” is quite the challenge. When it comes to giving my students responsibility over their own learning, a large number of them would respond with laziness and unproductivity. They are resistant to opportunities for creativity because of the lack of practice to build on these skills. Conclusively, the benefit of any change is only as successful as the resources available. With proper community support, trained teaching staff, and willing students, the possibilities are endless.
References
HTH Design Principles. (2012, December 18). Retrieved from http://www.hightechhigh.org/about/design-
principles.php
Richardson, W. (2012). Why School? (Kindle Single) (Kindle Edition).