Comments on: The School of One http://dereksilva.ca/2009/12/the-school-of-one/ Working towards better. Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:02:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Derek Silva http://dereksilva.ca/2009/12/the-school-of-one/#comment-56 Derek Silva Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:30:59 +0000 http://dereksilva.ca/?p=231#comment-56 Hey Matt, First, thanks for commenting. I agree that there needs to be plenty of support and you're right to assume that the current School of One model has a lot of it. From the article: "In a program of 80 students, there are four teachers, with four graduate students from New York University working as assistants, and two high school interns who serve as tutors for students who are struggling." That's 10 support staff, some professionals and some not, for 80 students. An 8:1 ratio of students to support is phenomenal compared to my experience of 30 students to 1 teacher and the occasional student teacher! The achievement thing is actually being debated very hard right now - there has been such a huge sense of self-entitlement embedded into the most recent generation of children that I'd actually like to see if we can focus more on the long-term achievements that doing well in school can provide. I've actually seen several books promoting non rewarding children for every little thing (i.e. "graduating" from Kindergarten) and I'm a fan of that. I'm not opposed to small, school-based rewards for achievement within the school system but that's about it. Hey Matt,

First, thanks for commenting. I agree that there needs to be plenty of support and you’re right to assume that the current School of One model has a lot of it. From the article: “In a program of 80 students, there are four teachers, with four graduate students from New York University working as assistants, and two high school interns who serve as tutors for students who are struggling.”

That’s 10 support staff, some professionals and some not, for 80 students. An 8:1 ratio of students to support is phenomenal compared to my experience of 30 students to 1 teacher and the occasional student teacher!

The achievement thing is actually being debated very hard right now – there has been such a huge sense of self-entitlement embedded into the most recent generation of children that I’d actually like to see if we can focus more on the long-term achievements that doing well in school can provide. I’ve actually seen several books promoting non rewarding children for every little thing (i.e. “graduating” from Kindergarten) and I’m a fan of that. I’m not opposed to small, school-based rewards for achievement within the school system but that’s about it.

]]> By: Online London – 2009/12/13 – From My Bottom Step http://dereksilva.ca/2009/12/the-school-of-one/#comment-55 Online London – 2009/12/13 – From My Bottom Step Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:56:22 +0000 http://dereksilva.ca/?p=231#comment-55 [...] of the disciplined Or are you just a freakish mutant? Pay equity Sandwiches just outside London The school of one Werewolves vs Plastinates You are what you [...] [...] of the disciplined Or are you just a freakish mutant? Pay equity Sandwiches just outside London The school of one Werewolves vs Plastinates You are what you [...]

]]> By: Matt Herron http://dereksilva.ca/2009/12/the-school-of-one/#comment-54 Matt Herron Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:35:41 +0000 http://dereksilva.ca/?p=231#comment-54 I'm not sure that the self-paced approach works all the time. I went to a charter school for 5th-8th grades and our math class was an at-your-own-pace worksheet based system. We had to complete a set number of worksheets a week and we could improve as we chose. Now, this worked for some students. The self-motivated soared above and beyond normal expectations. I, however, am not one of those, and I figured how to cheat the system instead. It was easier, and math worksheets bored the hell out of me. I got one worksheet to count for my 3 per week for 3 weeks in a row. I was sneaky. As a result I fell far behind in 6th and 7th grade. The point is not that this system is flawed, but simply that it doesnt work for everyone. In 8th grade, my parents rode me hard, and made me do twice as much work as the other kids. As a result I was caught up with even the most advanced kids by the end of the year and I went straight into Algebra 2 in high school (thereby testing out of algebra 1 because I was so far advanced in my own lessons). If you give every kid the personal attention he needs then it would work, but kids can get lost in the crowd in this system as easily as they can in the school system now. In high school, we used the traditional math teaching system, and I have to say I much preferred the stricter approach because it made me do my work. When there are tests and I am allowed to go 'at my own pace', there's no pressure, and I don't improve. That's just the way I'm made. It might have been different if I were somehow rewarded by my achievement, as the article you quoted suggests this system would, but in my old school the only reward was more work.... and that didn't fly with me. So I made sure I flew under the radar. I’m not sure that the self-paced approach works all the time. I went to a charter school for 5th-8th grades and our math class was an at-your-own-pace worksheet based system. We had to complete a set number of worksheets a week and we could improve as we chose. Now, this worked for some students. The self-motivated soared above and beyond normal expectations. I, however, am not one of those, and I figured how to cheat the system instead. It was easier, and math worksheets bored the hell out of me. I got one worksheet to count for my 3 per week for 3 weeks in a row. I was sneaky. As a result I fell far behind in 6th and 7th grade.

The point is not that this system is flawed, but simply that it doesnt work for everyone. In 8th grade, my parents rode me hard, and made me do twice as much work as the other kids. As a result I was caught up with even the most advanced kids by the end of the year and I went straight into Algebra 2 in high school (thereby testing out of algebra 1 because I was so far advanced in my own lessons).

If you give every kid the personal attention he needs then it would work, but kids can get lost in the crowd in this system as easily as they can in the school system now. In high school, we used the traditional math teaching system, and I have to say I much preferred the stricter approach because it made me do my work. When there are tests and I am allowed to go ‘at my own pace’, there’s no pressure, and I don’t improve. That’s just the way I’m made.

It might have been different if I were somehow rewarded by my achievement, as the article you quoted suggests this system would, but in my old school the only reward was more work…. and that didn’t fly with me. So I made sure I flew under the radar.

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