"The sun never sets on the British Empire" describes the global power of the Britons. How did it gain such power? A simple solution - schooling. The British Empire had a web of people connected across known as the Bureaucratic system today. The Britons trained people who could read exceptionally well, write pristinely, and know multiplication and division like the back of their hand. Each person trained within this system were indentical - A New Zealand could be placed in Canada and have no trouble adjusting. Because this empire no longer exists, why is this important?
This approach was accepted for so long because of the reptilian brain - part of the cranium that shuts down from a threat. The British Empire up until not-so-long ago needed people whose reptilian brain functionalities would not shut down when threatened; we needed survivors. But, now that we do not need this, how are jobs and learning going to be like in the future? Is present day learning obsolete due to the threat of exams and punishment in the classroom that shuts down the brain? Teachers need to start turning threat into pleasure. Not saying kids need to learn to take threat as pleasure, but rather offer encouragement so students' creativity is sparked and their interests surface.
In 1999, Mitra noticed that only wealthy children were gifted and children who lived in the slums were not. Doing an experiment, Mitra put a hole in the wall. By placing a computer in the slums for the disadvantaged students to have the opportunity to become gifted. It only took nine months for the technologically incapable kids to have the same browsing skills as a western secretary. Mitra then questioned, "How far can this go?" By placing a computer in a desolate location, with Tamil as the sole language, without the possibility of a wealthy citizen to stop and teach, Mitra put in an English lesson: DNA replication. With the hopes of proving that learners need teachers, Mitra left for three months. Upon return, the children were still looking and questioning the strange program in front of them. After failing the test placed with 30%, the students exclaimed, "We haven't given up!"
With inspiration upon him, Mitra proposed a new way of teaching; teachers are available to pose questions, then stand back and watch the students take off.
Curriculum should be based off interest rather than content. The cavemen did not ask "What are tangent angles?" so today's students should not be given a nonsensical question either. Rather, students should be asked, "If a meteorite were projected to hit the Earth, how would you know? It has something to do with tangent angles." Leave the students alone, they will figure it out.
This is the basis of Mitra's learning environment, SOLE.
Broadband + Collaboration + Encouragement and Admiration
This approach was accepted for so long because of the reptilian brain - part of the cranium that shuts down from a threat. The British Empire up until not-so-long ago needed people whose reptilian brain functionalities would not shut down when threatened; we needed survivors. But, now that we do not need this, how are jobs and learning going to be like in the future? Is present day learning obsolete due to the threat of exams and punishment in the classroom that shuts down the brain? Teachers need to start turning threat into pleasure. Not saying kids need to learn to take threat as pleasure, but rather offer encouragement so students' creativity is sparked and their interests surface.
In 1999, Mitra noticed that only wealthy children were gifted and children who lived in the slums were not. Doing an experiment, Mitra put a hole in the wall. By placing a computer in the slums for the disadvantaged students to have the opportunity to become gifted. It only took nine months for the technologically incapable kids to have the same browsing skills as a western secretary. Mitra then questioned, "How far can this go?" By placing a computer in a desolate location, with Tamil as the sole language, without the possibility of a wealthy citizen to stop and teach, Mitra put in an English lesson: DNA replication. With the hopes of proving that learners need teachers, Mitra left for three months. Upon return, the children were still looking and questioning the strange program in front of them. After failing the test placed with 30%, the students exclaimed, "We haven't given up!"
With inspiration upon him, Mitra proposed a new way of teaching; teachers are available to pose questions, then stand back and watch the students take off.
Curriculum should be based off interest rather than content. The cavemen did not ask "What are tangent angles?" so today's students should not be given a nonsensical question either. Rather, students should be asked, "If a meteorite were projected to hit the Earth, how would you know? It has something to do with tangent angles." Leave the students alone, they will figure it out.
This is the basis of Mitra's learning environment, SOLE.
Broadband + Collaboration + Encouragement and Admiration
Looking into the future of our schooling, engaging students in topics of igneous rocks, algebraic equations, and the history of the Bill of Rights is a rough road to walk. With the technology to engage students in their interests of the rocks they see on the playground, how much spending they will get in return for chores, and the rules of the classroom are more real-life than a chunk of text in a lousy book. Instead of walking the road, why not pave it and color the path with chalk?