Wow! If I had a magic wand and could turn schools into what I think they should be, what would I do? I'm not sure I know enough about the possibilities with technology to answer this question the best way.
Who would be teaching? This is an area that could use improvement in our current school system. The only people teaching in an ideal system would be teachers who are capable of adapting quickly to the myriad needs of students. When I first started teaching, a retired teacher told me the first year is hard but every year after that, I would be able to just follow the same lesson plans and use the same dittos. She wouldn't be teaching in my school! I would want teachers that could inspire and truly respect students. Teachers would embrace the movement to be the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage on the stage.” They would facilitate students in their quest for knowledge without stifling the purposeful birdwalks those quests may take. Teachers wouldn't all need to be in the same physical space as their students, either. A chemist in Nevada could host a virtual class for students from Georgia, Mississippi, and Ohio. This would open a whole new world of possibilities for students. Kids, with common interests, from schools all over the world, could work together solving problems without needing to be in a room together.
What would the students be learning? Students would be learning to research, filter the information, collaborate, and create. They would not spend year after year memorizing the states and capitals! Rather than learning things that “have real-world applications,” school would be part of the real world. Assessments would be based on performance. Pairs or groups of students would collaborate to research, design, create, etc. Each child would be assessed on his/her performance and understanding. Assessment would reflect a child's ability to access and use knowledge rather than just memorize isolated facts.
Where are the kids? When are they there? What are they doing? Hmmm. This is tricky. I have trouble conceiving of a different arrangement than the one I know. I think there would need to be a lot of flexibility. Some students would be at the school longer, receiving intensive support as needed. Others would be at school less time because the extra support would not be needed. The school itself would be designed differently to allow many gathering places for students to work, alone and in groups. Some students would attend some classes from home. Some students would work from home part of the time. There would be wireless technology access at school without ridiculous filtering. I know enough about technology to realize that I don't even know what is available to incorporate. If students were given more power in their learning, I suspect new technologies would be produced rapidly as they determined how to meet their own needs and developed the technologies themselves and in partnership with businesses.
Certainly there would be enough computers, tablets, smart phones, etc. to allow all students to access available information resources.
My own son absolutely hates school. His real life happens at home. This child who struggles continually at school, started receiving calls from other students in 5th grade asking for his help with online things. This child, unable to pass a traditional algebra class, has a Paypal account so that people can pay him to use his server. I don't even know what that means. I do know that school lacks relevance for him. He is certainly capable of learning. He would be much more comfortable and successful in a school which honors his technology abilities. This is his world. This is the world school for which school should be preparing him.
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