cK-Gunslinger's Journal: Random musings regarding education reform..

-- RANDOM --

We currently have a system where "problem" learners may become lost or simply pushed through the system.

We have "ad hoc" solutions to deal with "unique" learners (special education programs, "gifted" classes, etc), but no consistent or designed plans to handle the large variety of learning styles.

We must evaluate the major learning styles of students and design our system to facilitate these styles.

At one time it was acceptable to expect the school system to simply educate our children on reading, writing, and arithmetic and nothing more. Then we began to play "catch up" as we realized these skills needed to be expanded upon as our nation matured. Instead of molding our youth into what the current "norm" is, we should be in the position to mold the norm as we see fit through our youth.

-- PLAN --

Step 1: We must reevaluate our current and desired culture and determine new goals for our nation as a whole. We need a consistent curriculum across the country that addresses these goals. These goals should be forward thinking and may need to be multi-tiered, depending on their scope. That is, it may not be feasible to enact extremely radical changes within a single generation. Our goals may need to be layered in order to include both near and long term changes.

Step 2: We need to determine the multitude of learning styles of children, consolidate these styles into several discreet methodologies, and thoroughly train our educators in these methodologies. Children have large varieties in learning styles. Some of these varieties are due to genetics and some to the environmental differences they were exposed to before entering the educational system. These varieties are important and should not be overlooked or suppressed, but rather catered to and fostered. It is these varieties that our educators must recognize and our system must accommodate and cultivate.

Step 3: We need continuous improvement to address the problem of having educators who are teaching students with new methodologies, but who were themselves taught with the old style. That is, we will not see the full benefits of the new system, until we have teachers who were educated under the new system. These "new teachers" will have new insights and relative perspectives and need the ability to modify the system as they see fit. With this continuous feedback loop, the system will not stagnate, but will grow and adapt to our ever-changing environment.

Step 4: We must develop highly specialized educators and demand rigorous verification of their skills, abilities, and dedication. There should be no such thing as an "adequate" teacher. All educators should excel in their respective fields. No one would want to send his or her child to an "adequate" doctor or surgeon. We should demand the same superiority in our educational system, as this system plays an enormous role in the outcome of our children's futures.

Step 5: We must compensate our educators to the utmost degree for their skills, abilities, and dedication. The teaching profession should be widely respected and regarded with dignity and honor.

Step 6: As education is of utmost importance to our nation, the bulk of the funding for the system should be from the national level. State and regional political involvement must be kept to a minimum, regulated only to matters particular to a region.

-- RANDOM --

Our current system has the ridiculous notion that if a student "fails" a certain class, the solution is to make that student retake the exact same class, taught in the exact same manner. It is said that the definition of insanity is to do the exact same thing twice and expect different results.

We need to create a "branching" grade-level progression as opposed to the current straight-line method. That is, instead of having all students in First Grade go to Second then Third, have the learning styles and core competencies of each graduating First Grade student evaluated and have that evaluation determine where the student should go next (Second Grade A, B, C, or even a different version of First Grade again for example.) These categories of a grade level (A, B, C, etc) should be the result of extensive research, observations, and experimentation. There should be no stigma attached to any category.

This branching structure needs to be carefully considered beforehand and remain dynamic throughout its lifespan. The next level of progression for a student must be a carefully evaluated decision, based on inputs from the Educator, the Student, and the Student's Parents/Guardians. The results for an entire grade level will be used to determine the branching structure needed for the next school year. That is, the needs of a graduating Third Grade class will be used to determine to structure of the Fourth Grade.

The structure of a grade level influences many aspects, including the staffing and facilities. If, for example, a large portion of the incoming class has shown a propensity for computer-aided learning, adequate facilities as well as the appropriate Educators should be acquired to handle the students' needs. Efficient asset allocation should be a required skill and top priority for education managers.

Student testing and evaluations shall be aligned with the national goals. They should not only measure competencies, but the growth and maturity of the learners. Chronological age should not be used as a strict guideline for determining grade levels, but rather as a general indicator. Evaluations should be standardized at the national level and uniform across the nation to discourage abuses of the system.