Sometimes, in the midst of all of the business planning and start-up tasks; in between the moments of blogging, branding, and building… the reality of what we’re embarking on really hits me.
We want to help kids by changing the face of education. It’s as simple (ha!) as that.
Our last several posts have supported the idea of why we’re doing what we’re doing – helping seemingly “troubled” kids become world changers, addressing the great disconnect in authentic learning, and reaching all types of learners. Now, we want to shift our attention to how we’re going to help kids in their quest for learning…
#1: Trade out standards-based learning & instead develop WONDER-based learning.
In realizing that we, as a nation, were not Number One in education (far from Number One, actually), we pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and raised our standards… which is not a bad thing! However, when a standard (an educational concept students must know in its depth and entirety) begins taking precedent over an individual, therein lies the problem. So we’re ready to trade out standards for wonder. We want students’ curiosities and questions to drive their learning. A great example of this is a concept some traditional school teachers have adopted called Genius Hour.
This is one hour a week where students can choose any topic their interested in, research it, decide how to assemble the information, and decide how to present it. At WonderHere, every hour will be Genius Hour! J Does this mean students will always call the shots on what they’re learning? No, but there will be a great deal of flexibility according to their interests and educational needs.
#2: Trade out teacher-driven lectures & instead do student-driven projects.
We definitely need to trade out “Charlie Brown” teaching. You know the kind: the teacher who stands at the front of the room lecturing for what seems like hours on end, and the only thing you’re processing is “wah, wah, wah, wah wah.” After about five minutes you’re all like:
Instead, let’s give kids tasks, and let them explore and figure stuff out. That doesn’t mean we teachers get to kick our feet up on our desk. No, during these tasks we are needed more than ever – to question, support, guide, teach. But instead of teaching from the role of a lecturer, we are teaching from the role of a facilitator. Students now have ownership of their learning.
#3: Trade out tests & instead evaluate through rubrics, portfolios, & teacher/parent judgement.
Who says a test is the only way to show what you know? As a matter of fact, the concept of the multiple choice test actually has some pretty dark, twisted WWI origins. While that may seem a little dramatic in terms of what we’re speaking of, there is truth to the fact that these kinds of rigid tests mainly exist to pigeonhole students into “you got it” and “you don’t.” Very rarely do tests give the whole picture. Instead, WonderHere says we should evaluate our kids using a number of different tools. Rubrics are a great way to assess learning because the student is held accountable for their grade. They know exactly what’s expected of them to get the grade they want. There is no surprise and no “gotcha” feeling at the end. A portfolio, where a student can choose their best work that represents them and their abilities, is another great tool.
Honestly, I’d love to sit here and tell you that I’m the brilliant one who came up with all of this, but none of this is new. In fact, these ideals stem from the constructivist theory of education, which reaches as far back as Socrates, but was formalized in the early 20th century. There is so much research that supports this kind of learning as effective, but let’s be honest… the joy in kids’ faces as they realize they can have fun learning is as much research as I need. In my last couple of years in the public school system, I have seen a greater push for this kind of teaching and learning again, and I support that greatly! However, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, as long as high-stakes standardized testing remains king of the land and teachers and students are held to that rigid, inflexible standard through a spirit of intimidation, there will always be that great disconnect that doesn’t allow for this type of learning.
WonderHere wants to help kids. We want to change education. This has personally been a desire of mine since my first year of teaching. You see, the students aren’t the only ones who struggle with “fitting in the pre-determined box” set up by the system. Teachers are tired of talking about data all the time, of having others see their students as nothing more than test scores. Teachers are constantly second guessing themselves after years of being told their way is wrong, and even though they are bursting at the seams with creativity, they are held back in fear. And if there’s one thing I know about the learning process, it’s that nothing snuffs it out quicker that fear and anxiety.
So, let’s make the final trade. WonderHere calls for trading out the culture of anxiety, boredom, and irrelevance, & instead establish a culture of fun, wonderment, and applicable learning.
You in?
