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Do we kill what we strive to foster?


We’ve seen it before, it has been everywhere this year.  He is a wonderful speaker and he makes excellent points about schools and their tendency to kill what they allegedly strive to foster.  Why though, did school boards choose to show this as a way to motivate teachers?  Personally, I found it depressing.  How is someone pointing out the gaping flaws in a structure so firmly rooted in society meant to motivate the employees destined to kick off another school year struggling within its confines?


If you haven't seen it, watch it here:


In a society where we cannot even alter the funding of Catholic schools, making dramatic change to the industrial model seems unlikely.

Fireside Adventure  is a summer program for teens.  It has no buildings and tailors programs to meet the needs of its youth.  It offers an education in outdoor stewardship and leadership skills.  I guarantee it is an experience that builds memories and social awareness that government schools do not.  Fireside Adventure, Urban Adventures and Creative Toolbox offer a much better chance of motivating students than this http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/ministryplan/2011-12.  See if you can find anything meaningful in the second one.  I struggled.
 
Again we are left with a quandry - why are government schools not willing to adopt alternative models like this one?  They often claim to want to incorporate 'Leadership' and 'service learning' within their walls.  But, how does one encourage this within the confines of 55 minute blocks?  It is nearly impossible.  When the bell rings, the students are done.
 
So why are we not building systems that do not start and end with bells?

Comments

  1. Richard Schwier21 July 2011 at 10:56

    I just ran across this, not 10 minutes ago, and I think you might find it interesting, Stephen. Evidently, Finland has a dramatically different kind of school system. That didn't surprise me, but its apparent success and reverential treatment of teachers caught my eye. Have a look. I don't know about its accuracy, but I'll be looking into it more deeply.

    http://www.boingboing.net/2011/07/21/finlands-high-qualit.html

    ReplyDelete

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