As I considered the conclusion of Bad Teacher and the implications of Kumashiro's idealistic model for the education system, I recalled a TED Talk that a friend once showed me. This talk is by Sir Ken Robinson, a British public intellectual who has been influential in the development of education worldwide. In his talk, he makes an argument somewhat parallel to what Kumashiro is suggesting: that schools must be personalized rather than standardized, that students should be given an environment which allows for the development of creativity rather than conformity.
If you have fifteen minutes to spare, I recommend watching the talk here.
Essentially, Robinson is advocating a decrease in the importance put on reforms - which rework the same linear model of schooling - in favor of a "transformation" to a more "personalized" and "organic" model. This sounds a lot like what Kumashiro is describing when he says we should have schools that "are also centered on rich, broad, interdisciplinary curriculums that are developed by the teachers and grounded in research, as well as complex assessments that support teachers in tailoring their instruction to their students' needs"
I agree that it is time for education to take a turn towards this type of school model. Like Kumashiro and Robinson, I believe that the current school system is too standardized; just look at our main form of assessment: high stakes standardized tests. Each child's future - as well as the school's for that matter - is dependent on if he or she can take a test well. I am not saying that testing isn't necessary because it is, but the current model for assessment in education is far too narrow.
Of course it's easy to say that it would be better to have schools like the ones described by Kumashiro nationwide; the tough question is how would we fund them? I am not going to pretend like I have a solution for that problem that would be both effective and productive for the economy. Perhaps, if the money the government and donors are currently putting into experimental school reforms was reallocated, we could work towards the "transformation" Robinson talks about; however, that probably would not be sufficient.
Anyone else have ideas on how such schools could be funded?
When responding to the blog prompt, I too was struggling to figure out how the changes that are so desperately needed should be funded as well. Although individuals like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates have invested significantly in improving our schools- their millions have only gone to a specific region or district. If millions are needed just for one district- this shows the significance of the problem.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that several others in class seem to struggle with how to finance the changes- so perhaps our leaders should stop addressing the problems of our educational system (which we all know) and begin addressing and rolling out the solutions.