Jeff Hopkins did a great TEDxTalk and had a great discussion with our class this week speaking to the idea that there needs to be a major shift in education. We need to shift from knowing about to knowing. This notion that we need to think about internalizing the knowledge we acquire, think about how what we learn needs to spark further curiosity and needs to give us a reason or meaning for learning it.
Often we feel the time constraints of the school calendar and provincial exams for example, that limit us from hitting the zone of proximal development for our learners. This idea that in order to achieve curiosity and further inquiry about what we are learning, we need to have the time to invest in what we are learning, not simply offer the time to transfer information from the teacher to the student. We often feel rushed due to time constraints, as a result personal inquiry and self-discovery is sacrificed.
We are shifting from the traditional formulas of what educational institutions looked like, simply pushing information on to students, hoping that some of it will sink in to how we can look at more of the larger competencies.
Jeff Hopkins spoke eloquently about proposing a new paradigm that involves organizing learning into higher level competencies, rather than checking the boxes of the prescribed learning outcomes of the past. He founded the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry in Victoria and spoke to his educational model of inquiry based and self-driven learning.
This model makes me think about the composition of students previously in my classes, the levels of need, the differing learning styles, the need for differentiation, adaptation/ modification, the need and benefit of outdoor learning, need for assistive technologies as well as problem based learning. It would seem that Jeff’s school model strives to meet the needs of all students and focuses on interest driven, student directed learning which addresses a multitude of learning styles and needs.
One particular example he provided us was of the students’ interest in dissecting a frog. Some enjoy learning about the dissection process, specifically the scientific process, others may focus on the art of dissection, where other students may focus on the ethics of dissecting animals (focusing on how the animals would feel).
Furthermore he spoke to the notion of ecological learning, which I had never really investigated. I found this article entitled, The Learning Ecological Framework, a worthwhile read.
What resonated most with me, was looking at the educational model itself, which focuses on flexible learning and self-regulation. There aren’t a lot of current educational models right now that support students’ needs for self-regulation. We often hear of alternative schools, or hospital home bound programs, but usually these schools have designed curriculum and lack flexibility. The fact that this school model lends itself to allow for students to have autonomy over their learning is something that our public education systems should definitely consider adopting. Deciding on topics of interest, identifying learning styles and specifically what students need to be successful (example use of assistive technology) means that students have far more choice, and in turn a lot more meaning making takes place in a student’s educational experience.
I would love to see this model adopted in my local community. Our alternate program right now strives to promote some self-directed project work and does a lot with the surrounding First Nations communities to teach living from the land, incorporating the indigenous perspective as well as promoting outdoor education across curricular subjects. It has been very successful so far, however I like the model that Jeff spoke to, in that it focuses more on inquiry and self-driven learning, which I think would be a better fit for most students. I also think that regardless of whether you are working with a student with an exceptionality or not, meaning making is so valuable. When students are able to make connections and meaning with what they are learning, it resonates with them over time. They are then able to use their critical thinking skills to view the practical applications of the skills taught. Overall I think the discussion and video was very inspiring. I would love to visit this school and see this model adopted in our current system.
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