Day 12: Dreaming about Learner-Centered Schools by @wrightsroom #12DOD
Editor's note: Wow! I can't believe that it's the final post already! I will have one more recap tomorrow with some final thoughts and some thank you's! I hope all of you can join us tonight (12/20) at 7:30 PM EST for the 1 time #12DOD chat! We will be discussing our hopes and dreams for education and how to make them a reality.
I dream of one day being the administrator
of a school that is entirely blended and learner-centred. But more than this, I
dream kids will experience this from Kindergarten, through to grade 12. I know
this is a reality in a few places, but it’s far from the norm. The average child’s school experiences are
drill and kill and stand and deliver, but I digress.
I dream of classrooms that are alive with
student conversations, questions, and inquiries, regardless of their age. I
dream of learners who are able to craft questions they are curious about and
who have the tech ability and network connections to chase them, or teachers
who have the know-how and learning network to facilitate the process. Furthermore, I dream of kids who are able to
take the outcomes of their curriculum, and decide what they’re going to learn,
how they’re going to learn it and how they will show their learning. As part of this, I dream of kids who are able
to thoughtfully articulate their thinking, who can evaluate their mistakes and
design projects with purpose and impact. I dream of classrooms where teachers
and learners share ownership of the learning environment.
I say learner-centred, rather than
student-centred, because there’s much more to life than being a student. There’s more to life than being academic. I’ve
come to realize that being good at school really only means you’re good at
school. I dream that education systems will begin to realize this. Too many of our kids complete their education
without having any idea what they love or what they’re really good at. Instead,
too many need to recover from their experience.
How would I begin this dream? With my
students, we start with unlearning, so with teachers, I plan to start the same
way. My students often don’t question
their education because they don’t know what they don’t know. I think teachers
are often the same way. For many years,
I was the stand and deliver teacher because I didn’t know any other way. Changing what you know can be frightening and
threatening. Consequently, I have a dream that teachers will take risks,
regardless of their fears, not always knowing the direction or the outcome
because their students need them to.
What would it look like for teachers to go
through a process of unlearning? Too often what we do in our classroom is simply
perpetuating the way we were taught. What would it look like to begin to
imagine different possibilities? I dream of teachers who are willing to peer
into the classrooms of others who have begun the voyage, and who are willing to
imagine how it might change their own teaching. I dream of a staff who is
willing to critically evaluate what they don’t like about school, and use this
to begin to purposefully design classrooms that empower learners.
What I propose isn’t simple. The road is
long, difficult and messy. And yet, I
believe, it’s worth every moment.
Shelley Wright is a teacher and education blogger living in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in Canada. She teaches high school English, science and technology and works with other teachers interested in connected, inquiry-driven learning. Her passion is social justice and helping her students make the world a better place. She blogs at Wright’s Room. Follow her on Twitter at @wrightsroom.
Shelley,
ReplyDeleteThank you for wrapping up our 12 Days of Dreaming! I enjoyed your post so much!
"I dream of classrooms that are alive..." I think this sums things up nicely for what I dream about for my own children. I want classrooms to be alive!
Not only do you share a dream but it's obvious that you have a plan on how to see this come to pass! Thank you for taking us to that point. As a colleague of mine always tells her students, "A dream without a plan is just a wish!"
Dream on!
Brett