Submitted by Amom (not verified) on April 29, 2008 - 9:25am.
The big picture still appears to be missed. Children (and adults) can be put into one big box and expected to learn at the exact same time frame, and under one style of teaching. The best way to eliminate the shortcomings in the k-12 education system is to honor the various learning styles of our young. People, regardless of age, will resist being dragging into a cookie cutter mold to please the government, teachers, and parents. All of us learn differently. All of us have unique gifts and interests. It is time we take these differences into consideration and stop the thought process of getting everyone doing the same thing at the same time with the same books. Our world is in need of creative thinkers who are free to create without judgement because it isn't found in some book.
If we want our children to excel and exhibit their true billiance and imagination, let them tell us what they want to learn. Let them teach us how they want to learn. Let them trust that we want them to learn according to their time schedule, and their method of learning. They are actually much more intelligent, creative, and intuitive than we are. (We have been conformed to a system that will not be tolerated in 10 (maybe less) years.
Reform is a mild word for what we need in our education system. What we truly need is a revolution, and tucked away in corners of this great country, the revolution has begun.
Check out the information on the Sudbury Valley School. It is one of the leading edge systems that is producing 80% college bound students. Worth a look, wouldn't you say?
Early Education at Risk
The big picture still appears to be missed. Children (and adults) can be put into one big box and expected to learn at the exact same time frame, and under one style of teaching. The best way to eliminate the shortcomings in the k-12 education system is to honor the various learning styles of our young. People, regardless of age, will resist being dragging into a cookie cutter mold to please the government, teachers, and parents. All of us learn differently. All of us have unique gifts and interests. It is time we take these differences into consideration and stop the thought process of getting everyone doing the same thing at the same time with the same books. Our world is in need of creative thinkers who are free to create without judgement because it isn't found in some book.
If we want our children to excel and exhibit their true billiance and imagination, let them tell us what they want to learn. Let them teach us how they want to learn. Let them trust that we want them to learn according to their time schedule, and their method of learning. They are actually much more intelligent, creative, and intuitive than we are. (We have been conformed to a system that will not be tolerated in 10 (maybe less) years.
Reform is a mild word for what we need in our education system. What we truly need is a revolution, and tucked away in corners of this great country, the revolution has begun.
Check out the information on the Sudbury Valley School. It is one of the leading edge systems that is producing 80% college bound students. Worth a look, wouldn't you say?