Khan Academy is a start, but its far from a silver bullet


On my leave of absence from my public teaching position in Calgary, Canada I happily worked as a founding teacher at a pilot international/public hybrid school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2009/10. My experience was filled with the unexpected learning benefits one would expect teaching overseas. A key learning (or confirmation) was the consequences of an incredible focus on grades and paper qualifications. I could not agree more with a recent the article: The Problem With Singapore's Education System by Belmont Lay. It is a reflection on past Asian education trends on rote learning and the tendency for a 'risk averse education'.

Lay is a tad simplified to get the point across; nevertheless, points to the major problem with Singapore & booming Asian countries is "students not be as driven as they should be" stating:

"Anybody who has gone through 15 to 20 years of studies in Singapore will tell you the same thing. There is an overbearing focus on grades and paper qualifications are elevated to unholy heights and worshipped."

The constant quest for a silver bullet currently points to the wave of praise of blended learning guru Sal Khan (recently interviewed on 60 Minutes). Drawing the praise of millions including support from Bill Gates for his free online taped video lectures. They are paraded as a possible future of education, Khan argues the use of video lessons: "takes the passivity out learning"...for sure it does; however his style is nothing revolutionary, in fact it is a regress as Dr. David D. Timony just comically tweeted:

"Said it so many times I should get a tattoo, Khan, TED, and IWBs: bringing education back to the 17th century. #edchat"

Good teaching prevails:

The power of technology in classrooms in many cases is heading into a direction that is similar to the lack of motivation in students observed in Singapore. "Singapore badly needs "tinkerers" -- people who are daring, who can fidget about, diverge from the beaten path and bear the risk of experimentation". Assigning Khan Academy lessons in many cases is no different than worksheet homework. Without an above average teacher-facilitator, many students could continue to stagnate.
 
The local owners/directors of the Vietnamese international school I was employed with were very successful individuals tightly connected with the state department of education. They communicated the system is well aware of the crisis of students lacking drive, innovation & such and are the agent of change. The pilot school's vision (as well as the public system in Vietnam) is in a sea change of reforming an educational model placing arts, active living & civics equal to academics in public education in Asia, equally advocated by parents, they are well on their way and there is no worry they are not succeeding.

We must ask ourselves what is needed to accompany 'flipping' the classroom so we do not inadvertently regress our practice (maybe not to the 17th Century as Timony states, but close).

Now for the ridiculous irony:

I must apologize to cut this post short, I must complete my reports cards as they are due in tomorrow.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blended Learning, meet Outdoor Education, you're such a wonderful fit...

Image
As buzz words go in education, the 'blended learning' model has been steadily increasing as an accepted delivery within classroom education. Blended learning, a challenge to teacher-centered classrooms, is no more technical than it sounds, basically encompassing a fluid use of face-to-face, on-line and group collaboration of some sort. Outdoor education is a powerful example of experiential learning that is far too often compartmentalized as extra curricular. Praised by many; however, its value localized with wellness and character building.  As ironic as it seems, outdoor and experiential education stands to benefit by the current integration of   technology. Teachers concerned with blending the classroom , as Cailin Tucker recently explained in a recent NPR article: "are using technology to replace elements of in-class instruction, classroom time can be leveraged to deepen learning. [Teachers] can embrace project-based learning and create student-cen...
Read more

Parenting With Steiner/Waldorf in Mind (and questions to ask).

Like so many new parents, I have found myself researching parenting trends and the science of child-rearing. Why not share? During interviews conducted during my graduate studies with experts on experiential learning there was commonly a referral like: "Well if you look at the utopian experience that Steiner/Waldorf Schools advocates create...". The expert would go on painting a description of a learning style striving to develop a complete human being. Where music, movement and theater, writing, literature and nature are not simply subjects to be read about and tested. They are experienced. The skinny: a Steiner/Waldorf ethos demands questioning of an experience or reaction to a behavior. What could be some nuggets that parents could utilize in home life? This post is just some Q and A's whipped together. Is electronic media as bad as research says it is for children? [1] Yes, Steiner/Waldorf training programs argue. Electronic Media affects child development ...
Read more

In our connected world, what has happened to our connection to the natural world?

Image
It came out of the blue, one day, a lust for exploring, observing and absorbing nature. The next, the entire family can sit in the same space with a lack of contemplation of the moment, plugged into our hyper-connectivity. I unfortunately plead guilty in this matter as well. Although there is incredible supporting data & well intentioned planning in experiencing rigorous recreation & nature experiences, I currently witness, and personally struggle with: true connections with nature.  The more my students and I become more and more technological enthusiasts it seems, the less we seek and experience pure joy in the outdoors. Our minds and bodies truly need a significant connection to the natural world. Take for example the  'Solitude Spots'  once a week during our science classes. Each student goes off to be alone in the natural world. The idea is that they might see and experience things they have have never seen before thus, providing a r...
Read more