Harebrained Idea #2

Why do we insist on students being with the same group all year long? Or for that matter all day long?

What if we had more flexible groupings? 

Assuming we followed the idea I posted in Harebrained Idea #1 what if we re-evaluated each student every 3 months or so, and if they had significant progress they moved to a new grouping?

What if we were even more flexible and were constantly assessing and ready to have a student move at any time?

What if the groupings changed depending on the subjects? In math you'd be in one group, and in PE you'd be in another group?

I recognize that the logistics of this would be quite challenging. But let's use an example.

Let's imagine a series of math and PE classes. Scheduling around available gym time is always a struggle. Have the Math and PE classes overlap in time.

Teach math using the Flipped or Blended model of teaching math using online tools. Then you could have every student working at their own pace in math class. 

Create PE classes based on skill level. And these could change depending on the topic being taught in PE. If you have someone who plays on a high level basketball team they could be in the advanced basketball class, but perhaps be in the beginner badminton class later in the same year.

Students leave their math classes whenever their PE class is, but it's not the same students leaving all the time. Math classes continue while PE is going on. Since each student will be moving at their own pace in math class they can just pick up where they left off when they return.

And this is only one example. What about Art, science, music, and more. It wouldn't be easy to figure out how to do it, but it is possible!

More in this series:
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is
Harebrained Idea #1
Harebrained Idea #2

Harebrained Idea #1

And where would I start?

With the fact that we choose to organize schools around a child's "Date of Manufacture", to steal an idea from Sir Ken's presentation. That the year of birth is the most important thing about our children and so many decisions about our kids are based on the year they were born.

So, I would start by choosing a new metric by which we should decide which student goes where. (I have more ideas about the need to divide students and how we divide them for later posts.)

I think the primary metric we should use for deciding how to divide up students is their reading level. So much of learning is dependent upon the ability to read, and this skill is necessary in many subject areas. (Please note that I said "primary", I think there can also be a role for secondary metrics as well. A topic for a later post.)

If the group of students you are teaching all have a similar reading level it has a significant impact on what you are able to do as a teacher. In our current model the classes I teach can have a reading range that varies from grade 2 to grade 12. This enourmous range makes it very difficult to ensure that the lessons I teach reach every student.

How would we go about determining reading level? I think that one test or assessment tool would be entirely inadequate. I think we should use at least three different tools and that we should spend significant time on it. Something this important shouldn't be determined quickly, which is what we do now.

Here are three suggested components that I believe would be important for determining reading level:

• Use a computerized test perhaps one like this one. (I am not an expert there may very well be better ones.)
• A paper and pencil based test, perhaps multiple choice, but perhaps not.
• An assessment by an expert teacher, to be done last and which will have the most importance.

What's more, I would suggest that the reading level be re-tested frequently and that this decision about where a student is placed not be set in stone. (A topic for another blog post.) We believe that students brains can grow and our school system should reflect that belief.

More in this series:
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is
Harebrained Idea #1
Harebrained Idea #2

Put your money where your mouth is.

It's easy enough to point fingers and condemn things. I certainly have. I've written here on this blog about how much I want to change the existing structure of our schooling system. I've been heavily influenced by people like Sir Ken Robinson and Seth Godin.

So, I'd like to start putting my money where my mouth is. How would I change school? What would I do differently if I were in charge?

I don't pretend to have all the answers, because I certainly don't. In fact, some of the ideas that I start writing here will undoubtedly be harebrained. But, I think we need to start somewhere.

So, in a series of posts I'm going to call "My Harebrained Ideas" I will suggest some thoughts I have. I certainly welcome your comments and criticism.

More in this series:
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is
Harebrained Idea #1
Harebrained Idea #2

More to come.