We're still pushing an education model that is a century old, top-down design, and barely moving away from the one-size-fits-all method. Learning is an individual process. The mastery learning method has been proven effective, but has never been adopted. There are many reasons, but most of all it would usher in disruptive change to the education industry. Sadly, there are so many people, employees at companies like ours included, whose livelihoods are tied to profitable business models.
I'm an Austrian when it comes to issues of private versus public. Peoples' self interests motivate them to serve others well, for mutual benefit. The outmoded Prussian public school model is showing it's age, and innovation that comes from examples like the Khan Academy show us a potential future education model that does not rely on either centralized institutions or top-down regulation, not even taxpayer funding.
Today, many companies are competing with non-profits and having a hard time keeping up. Yeah, the landscape is changing, and it's happing faster than many can keep up. I think that we have enough creative and critical minds working with us that we are working to meet this inevitable future with effective solutions that learners actually want.
I think that given the political and economic situation in places like Portugal, Greece, and Ireland, the environment is ripe with opportunity to move away from antiquated models, but you're right, the political landscape is not kind to innovation and change. There are simply too many with vested interests in maintaining the status quo. I think that there is the potential to have overnight change, but it is more likely that people will gravitate toward whatever the popular solution may be, in this case government schools, where change comes very slowly. It is probably more likely that aspects of these innovations will be applied in the existing models, rather than innovative approaches themselves.
I am optimistic that innovation in education can come from startups that are taking completely new approaches to learning systems, and while even the most innovative approaches are likely to have to overcome some trial and error, I think that it is probably far more effective to embrace the potential of these new approaches than to simply cling to existing models that are merely adequate. I suppose this is why the homeschool community is embracing platforms like the Khan Academy, Coursera, Udacity, and other low- or no-cost online learning systems, while some European countries still effectively outlaw homeschool and anything resembling progress in the education field.
In the end, educators worth their salt understand that every student is essentially self-educated, from a very early age. One cannot be forced to learn, only shown a path. Einstein said that “I do not teach anyone I only provide the environment in which they can learn.” Asimov said that “self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.” Teachers and educators are simply here to help the learner. Education systems that place the responsibility for learning on solely on the learner tend to be the most effective and produce the most learned individuals, as learning is an individual act.
We can get there from here, but we first have to let go of antiquated ideas, be not afraid of the potential future. Einstein also said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. The current system has not changed significantly in generations, and with the diverse technologies bringing learning to everyone, even those with the least means to afford it, the future of education is undoubtedly so different that many are simply afraid to acknowledge it, let alone support the effort to embrace it.
No comments:
Post a Comment