Learning Circles
Imagining a Better World Journal ~
How society best educates its children has always been a contentious conversation. These days proponents of public education battle to preserve the large state funded test-mired schools that have long served millions of students while the Trump administration seeks to hand over teaching to private schools and charters funded by self-seeking businesses and religious groups looking for new customers, workers, or converts. As a graduate of that public school system and a teacher and observer of the strengths and weaknesses of educational bureaucracy for 30+ years, I would like to propose a third path, one that encourages in-depth and lifelong learning and social development, and also provides multiple opportunities for the discovery and nurturing of individual talents and personality strengths.
Home study has existed for a number of years and resources to support it have grown. I would like to see them expanded and enriched. Imagine a system of LEARNING CIRCLES for students starting about age 12, e.g. for children who are already literate and accustomed to study who can safely be left home alone. Those inclined would be given the option to join a circle of 10-15 students, lead by a qualified, state-funded teacher. This teacher would serve two functions. The first is to make sure that each student's BASIC SKILLS and MATH are covered by assigning a series of the marvelous courses now available on computer, such as the Khan Academy. These courses are lively, clear and self grading but the missing link is having someone qualified who can steer a student through them, helping him or her fill in areas of weakness in math or spelling etc, tutoring as needed, and then celebrating their accomplishments.
The Learning Circle teacher would invite students to come together at least one afternoon a week to visit libraries, check out books, practice and receive storytelling and to develop and explore a love of READING in all genres.
And most important of all, the teachers would create and organize LEARNING PROJECTS in which students would work together to master new information and express their reactions to it in multiple activities related to one topic. Take for example the topic of Thanksgiving. Imagine, instead of a half page of reading - generally filled with misinformation - followed by a multiple choice fill in, followed by some turkey and gravy on their plates in a cafeteria, the following project lasting 4-6 weeks:
1. Students start a learning journal to respond to all they are going to do and learn on a personal level.
2. They read three age appropriate articles about US history related to the time and place celebrated in the Thanksgiving holiday including at least one biography of a person who was present.
4. They create and artistically embellish together a map of early America and showing the path of the Mayflower.
3. They visit a history museum together in a fun afternoon field trip.
4. They invite a local Indigenous American historian to talk to them about the original societies on the east coast and what the arrival of Europeans meant for them, gathering at the teacher's home.
5. They memorize and sing together both a British and a native American song celebrating food and/or learn a dance.
6. They learn to plant corn at a local farm, fire a musket or old rifle, and learn to sew a leather jerkin as they discuss the difficulties Pilgrims and Native Americans would have faced in those years.
7. They hold a debate both defending and attacking the Thanksgiving holiday.
8. Together they write a play that expresses the ideas they took away from reading and listening and thinking and discussing. Alternately they can write a screenplay and film it on video.
9. They locate and learn to cook several recipes related to Thanksgiving.
10. They go to a local natural foods market and learn how to identify quality food and purchase the right quantities, working within an established budget and putting to practical use some of their math skills.
11. They have a final party, inviting their parents and neighbors, cook food for it, and present the play/video and the songs and dances. Alternately they present this at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving.
Imagine the richness of educational exploration and the friendships that would grow as each learning circle works through 8-10 such projects in a year.
Have some response to this or some great ideas of your own. Would love to start a dialog on this!
How society best educates its children has always been a contentious conversation. These days proponents of public education battle to preserve the large state funded test-mired schools that have long served millions of students while the Trump administration seeks to hand over teaching to private schools and charters funded by self-seeking businesses and religious groups looking for new customers, workers, or converts. As a graduate of that public school system and a teacher and observer of the strengths and weaknesses of educational bureaucracy for 30+ years, I would like to propose a third path, one that encourages in-depth and lifelong learning and social development, and also provides multiple opportunities for the discovery and nurturing of individual talents and personality strengths.
Home study has existed for a number of years and resources to support it have grown. I would like to see them expanded and enriched. Imagine a system of LEARNING CIRCLES for students starting about age 12, e.g. for children who are already literate and accustomed to study who can safely be left home alone. Those inclined would be given the option to join a circle of 10-15 students, lead by a qualified, state-funded teacher. This teacher would serve two functions. The first is to make sure that each student's BASIC SKILLS and MATH are covered by assigning a series of the marvelous courses now available on computer, such as the Khan Academy. These courses are lively, clear and self grading but the missing link is having someone qualified who can steer a student through them, helping him or her fill in areas of weakness in math or spelling etc, tutoring as needed, and then celebrating their accomplishments.
The Learning Circle teacher would invite students to come together at least one afternoon a week to visit libraries, check out books, practice and receive storytelling and to develop and explore a love of READING in all genres.
And most important of all, the teachers would create and organize LEARNING PROJECTS in which students would work together to master new information and express their reactions to it in multiple activities related to one topic. Take for example the topic of Thanksgiving. Imagine, instead of a half page of reading - generally filled with misinformation - followed by a multiple choice fill in, followed by some turkey and gravy on their plates in a cafeteria, the following project lasting 4-6 weeks:
1. Students start a learning journal to respond to all they are going to do and learn on a personal level.
2. They read three age appropriate articles about US history related to the time and place celebrated in the Thanksgiving holiday including at least one biography of a person who was present.
4. They create and artistically embellish together a map of early America and showing the path of the Mayflower.
3. They visit a history museum together in a fun afternoon field trip.
4. They invite a local Indigenous American historian to talk to them about the original societies on the east coast and what the arrival of Europeans meant for them, gathering at the teacher's home.
5. They memorize and sing together both a British and a native American song celebrating food and/or learn a dance.
6. They learn to plant corn at a local farm, fire a musket or old rifle, and learn to sew a leather jerkin as they discuss the difficulties Pilgrims and Native Americans would have faced in those years.
7. They hold a debate both defending and attacking the Thanksgiving holiday.
8. Together they write a play that expresses the ideas they took away from reading and listening and thinking and discussing. Alternately they can write a screenplay and film it on video.
9. They locate and learn to cook several recipes related to Thanksgiving.
10. They go to a local natural foods market and learn how to identify quality food and purchase the right quantities, working within an established budget and putting to practical use some of their math skills.
11. They have a final party, inviting their parents and neighbors, cook food for it, and present the play/video and the songs and dances. Alternately they present this at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving.
Imagine the richness of educational exploration and the friendships that would grow as each learning circle works through 8-10 such projects in a year.
Have some response to this or some great ideas of your own. Would love to start a dialog on this!
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