Comments on: Where We Go From Here http://twelchconsulting.com/blog/2009/08/25/where-we-go-from-here/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:46:01 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John http://twelchconsulting.com/blog/2009/08/25/where-we-go-from-here/comment-page-1/#comment-2559 John Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:14:08 +0000 http://twelchconsulting.com/blog/?p=33#comment-2559 Excellent post! The contours for a real path forward are beginning to show through the fog. For some time now, I have felt a clear sense of the 'what' of the future - that the potential is there for sweeping improvement in student learning and that personalization. metatagging and networking will be prominent features--- but have struggled with the 'how' of transforming the system so that reality can finally catch up.... Your post has helped me see that change might be possible from within. Hmm..but we better not call it reform, right? Excellent post! The contours for a real path forward are beginning to show through the fog. For some time now, I have felt a clear sense of the ‘what’ of the future – that the potential is there for sweeping improvement in student learning and that personalization. metatagging and networking will be prominent features— but have struggled with the ‘how’ of transforming the system so that reality can finally catch up….

Your post has helped me see that change might be possible from within. Hmm..but we better not call it reform, right?

]]> By: Carl http://twelchconsulting.com/blog/2009/08/25/where-we-go-from-here/comment-page-1/#comment-2556 Carl Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:54:40 +0000 http://twelchconsulting.com/blog/?p=33#comment-2556 The only thing I would add is that language is the perfect test case for what you propose. THe majority of the world's population is at least bilingual and the majority of them learned their first and second languages outside of a formal classroom environment. You don't pick up algebra on the street, but you do pick up language on the street. What is missing is an incentive system that rewards learning. The traditional carrots -- college admission, scholarships, jobs -- can be coopted to reward learning rather than attendance, but they haven't. Until that happens, kids and parents have little or no incentive to focus on learning. I would suggest we start with kids on the fringe -- home schoolers, drop-outs, online learners, charter school students -- who do not benefit from the current system and give them some rewards for demonstrated learning. You won't get the suburban kid in a public school to change any time soon because the system is working just fine for him. The only thing I would add is that language is the perfect test case for what you propose. THe majority of the world’s population is at least bilingual and the majority of them learned their first and second languages outside of a formal classroom environment. You don’t pick up algebra on the street, but you do pick up language on the street.

What is missing is an incentive system that rewards learning. The traditional carrots — college admission, scholarships, jobs — can be coopted to reward learning rather than attendance, but they haven’t. Until that happens, kids and parents have little or no incentive to focus on learning. I would suggest we start with kids on the fringe — home schoolers, drop-outs, online learners, charter school students — who do not benefit from the current system and give them some rewards for demonstrated learning. You won’t get the suburban kid in a public school to change any time soon because the system is working just fine for him.

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