Wednesday, February 13, 2013

15 Year Old Has the Right Idea

Educators all over America have been saying the same thing:  "Free Me,  Allow me to be creative, allow my students to wonder, explore, and direct themselves.   Free me from the curriculum and allow me to decide what is best for kids."  A student from the suburbs of Chicago has the right idea:

Check out his article in the Washington Post:


There are still many educators who do not think that freedom of choice is the way to go.  Here's the real issue, we have many students from many different backgrounds.  Schools should have different models that will reach different kids.  Some students are extremely self-directed and will thrive in an environment where they are able to direct their own learning and engage in critical thinking and problem solving.  There are on the other hand, students who do not perform well in unstructured environments and need a traditional learning model.  Why can't there be both styles available in the same school or at the very least different schools in the same district that offer different structures? Why are we fixated on the notion that we have to have students seated in neat rows, walking in straight lines, and passively learning through direct instruction to pass a standardized test?  We do have to change and we have to change quickly. 



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