blogs.kqed.

org

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/09/why-kids-need-schools-to-change/

Why Kids Need Schools to Change

Flickr: Elizabeth Albert The current structure of the school day is obsolete, most would agree. Created during the Industrial Age, the assembly line system we have in place now has little relevance to what we know kids actually need to thrive. Most of us know this, and yet making room for the huge shift in the system thats necessary has been difficult, if not impossible because of fear of the unknown, says educator Madeline Levine, author of Teach Your Children Well. People dont like change, especially in times of great uncertainty, she said. People naturally go conservative and buckle down and dont want to try something new. There are schools that are trying to do things differently, and although on the one hand theyre heralded as having terrific vision, theyre still seen as experimental. Im astounded at the glacial pace of change in education. During this time of economic uncertainty, especially, Levine said parents want to make sure their kids wont fall into the ranks of the unemployed and disenfranchised young people who return home because theyre unable to find jobs. Theres so much anxiety around the economy, theyre thinking, What can I do to make sure that my kid isnt one of the unemployed? she said. Yet therein lies the paradox. Its exactly during these uncertain times when people must be willing to try

new things, to be more open, curious and experimental, she said. In education, although there are great new models of learning and schooling, they are the exceptions, and the progressive movement has not gained much momentum. Im astounded at the glacial pace of change in education, she said. Like many academic areas, theres a huge disconnect between whats known and whats in practice. Its very slow moving. Levine, who was a teacher herself for many years, said she has tremendous respect for educators and believes they need full support from parents and administrators. But until the directive comes from those in power national and state policymakers, superintendents, principals what can teachers do individually to make learning relevant for their students? One thing we know for sure is that kids learn better when teachers are invested and paying attention and showing they care, she said. The biggest impact youll have as a teachers is the relationship you establish with your student. Try to integrate what students are interested in within whats happening in class, get to know each student, and have high expectations. Taking seriously the range of interests kids have, she said. In addition to individual attention, Levine believes a childs time in school should look much like what kindergarten did. Theres probably no better example of the throttling of creativity than the difference between what we observe in a kindergarten classroom and what we observe in a high school classroom, she writes in Teach Your Children Well. Take a room full of five-year-olds and you will see creativity in all its forms positively flowing around the room. A decade later you will see these same children passively sitting at their desks, half asleep or trying to decipher what will be on the next test. In an ideal world, the school day would reflect kids changing needs and rhythms. There would be time for free play; school would start later to allow time for students much-needed rest; the transition time between classes would be longer, allowing time for kids to walk down the hall and say hi to their friends and plan their next moves; kids would have the opportunity to step away from school work in order to regroup and process what theyve absorbed. The actual encoding of information doesnt take place when youre hunched over a desk, she said. And just as importantly, the arts would be integrated into a curriculum, not as an ancillary addition, but as a primary part of learning. For developing creativity and flexible and divergent thinking, we need to bring back the arts, she said. Its a travesty that kids dont have arts anymore. FIVE AREAS FOR CHANGE Were operating on a 200- year-old paradigm in a world that needs an entirely different skill set, she said. When we talk to business owners, we hear this large and increasing drumbeat that the jobs are there, but kids applying for jobs dont have the kinds of skills they need. Levine spends a lot of her time at Challenge Success, a school training program at Stanford thats been incorporated into about 100 schools across the country. The five criteria that Challenge Success brings to schools attempts to modernize the obsolete system in place today: scheduling, project based learning, alternative assessment, climate of care, and parent education.

PROJECT BASED LEARNING. Project-based learning has shown to be a much more effective way to think about learning, particularly when you live in a world thats incredibly unclear on what content is going to be relevant in not just 10 or 20 years, but in three years, she said. Over and over business leaders say kids need to be collaborative, work across time zones and cultures because problems are so complex. ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT. You dont have the opportunity to show what you know in a regular school because standardized tests that are mandated only show what some kids know, but leave out a whole bunch of kids who arent able to show what they know in different ways, she said. We should have alternative criteria for gauging students knowledge and ability to show what they know. SCHEDULING. Neuroscience research on sleep is becoming more compelling by the day, particularly around depression, Levine said. Wed always thought fatigue is symptom of depression, but now its looking more like lack of sleep causes depression, and thats something looked at seriously. Kids needs nine hours of sleep, and if schools were in synch developmentally with teenagers, should would start at 10 a.m., especially when kids enter adolescence. Teachers should also coordinate their exams with each other to ensure that students are not taking multiple tests on the same day. CLIMATE OF CARE. Research shows that kids do better in classes where teachers know their names and say hello to them, and when they have their own advocates or advisers at school. Almost every private school has advisory, a person for each kid to go to, Levine said. But in public schools, there are just a few counselors for a thousand kids or more. By the time youre hitting high school, you need someone apart from parents to test ideas with, to kick around problems, a go-to person who a kid feels knows them. PARENT EDUCATION. Well-meaning parents are confounded with how to approach managing their kids times. Kids needs playtime, downtime, and family time, Levine said. Weve robbed kids at each stage of childhood and adolescence of tasks that belong in that particular stage, she said. You cant push kids outside their developmental zone and expect them to learn. You want to push them towards the edge of it, but not over. MORE POSTS ABOUT Culture Learning Methods Research assessment creativity project-based-learning Teaching Social and Emotional Skills in Schools

By Katrina Schwartz More schools are working to change school culture through programs aimed

at improving the social and emotional skills of students. The lessons directly teach young people how to interact with one another in positive ways, deal with Read More How Will Students Perform? Depends on Teachers' Expectations Why College Students Still Prefer Print Over E-Books view all Culture posts Survey: Parents Prefer Reading Print Books to Young Kids

Dont count print books obsolete just yet especially when it comes to younger kids. A study released today by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center shows that even among parents who like reading e-books with their kids, the majority still Read More How Will Students Perform? Depends on Teachers' Expectations Why College Students Still Prefer Print Over E-Books view all Learning Methods posts Survey: Parents Prefer Reading Print Books to Young Kids

Dont count print books obsolete just yet especially when it comes to younger kids. A study released today by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center shows that even among parents who like reading e-books with their kids, the majority still Read More How Do We Define and Measure "Deeper Learning"? Privacy, Equity, and other BYOD Concerns view all Research posts What's So Great About Schools in Finland?

Mondays Three Things to Unlearn About Learning elicited several comments about Finlands school system. Heres a recent post describing some differences between schools in the U.S. and Finland. Finland has been hailed for exemplifying the ideal model of a thriving, Read More Three Things to Unlearn About Learning Will More Prominent Colleges Abandon the SAT?

view all assessment posts How to Fuel the Innovation Engine in Learning

Flickr:JUvertson By Jennie Rose Can creativity be taught? If innovation is truly the key to this countrys success, then its time to think strategically about engendering creativity into our education system. Thats part of Tina Seeligs thesis in her new Read More Five Ways to Bring Innovation Into the Classroom How to Turn Your Classroom into an Idea Factory view all creativity posts Lessons Learned: How a Progressive New School Adapts to Realities

When we envision a well-rounded, progressive education for our kids, we think of a vibrant environment that nurtures students passions, provides structure for rich and deep learning, a place where kids can get their hands on projects that are meaningful Read More Seven Fun (and Cheap) Class Projects to Try with Video What's the Best Way to Practice Project Based Learning? view all project-based-learning posts