What is wrong with education today?
Schools have become too socialized in their approach. They look to the institution too much, rather than the individual. Our mega-schools are geared towards saving a dollar and mass producing students, rather than meeting the individual student at his or her level and helping him or her learn and grow. Decisions are made at the district and principal level, rather than at the classroom and individual level. In other-words, decisions are made for the whole rather than for the individual. A socialized rather than a democratic approach to education.
How to solve it?
I believe the solution is found in the basic ideas that made America great. Individualism, hard work, and local community. We need to recreate the local structure in the neighborhood where students can be nurtured at an individual level. Provide support and use a structure which promotes the individual rather than the class or group. The Boy Scouts troops and merit badge model is a good example of this type of learning. Or the model we have in universities and colleges. Take the child out of the group and create small groups that meet specific needs. When those needs are met, restructure for the new needs, all the while meeting group and societal goals for learning.
At a young age (up to age 6), larger groups of children working together in a classroom setting to learn collective ideas of community is important. However, after this age -- or more importantly-- after the list of basic skills achieved today in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade are achieved, the notion of community has been established and the building blocks of the child have been established. (reading, writing, basic arithmetic, etc) I'd suggest keeping these building block classes in place. All children should participate. However, it may be at different ages (earlier or later) than currently implemented.
After establishing that the children have these basics down, the next step is to add knowledge in each of these areas. The approach to learning found in the Boy Scouts is the closest model to what I'd think matches best the philosophy I am suggesting. Create small groups where the focus is on a list of badges (learning objectives) to earn. Classes at schools may still be offered in mathematics, science, social studies, etc. but instead of being assigned by age, it is assigned by the merit badge or list of topics being mastered.
The other aspect of the Boy Scouts merit badge model that is important is the notion that the student has responsibility to accomplish the goal. However, the student cannot have all responsibility or the goal will never be met. Instead, it is a shared responsibility among a group of people all focusing on the individual: the student, parents, teacher/mentor, counselor. To this end, small groups of students with an adult mentor and student leaders could be formed with the purpose of encouraging students to accomplish goals and report their progress to each other.
A similar structure to what exists in schools today could continue. However, the difference would be in how the student is held responsible. A higher level of individual attention would be needed. Parents would need to take more time to help make sure the child is achieving each learning goal (Merit Badge), school structures would need to change to provide a more ad-hoc approach to learning. Support systems at schools would need to change from classes of students to groups of individuals working to help each other achieve learning goals.
I see this as a one-room school-house approach to learning. Children at individual levels learning side-by-side the different lessons they need -- meeting their individual needs, rather than the group's needs.
What do you think? What did I miss? How would you improve education?
