I just watched Dream School, a documentary on Netflix. In it, 15 at-risk kids who had dropped out or had been kicked out of high school were given the opportunity to earn 10 credits in 30 days. For some, this would mean graduation, for others, a chance to catch up and reenter high school. Founded by Jamie Oliver, Dream School used a combination of credentialed teachers and celebrity/expert guests (50 Cent, Jesse Jackson, Soledad O'Brian, Suze Orman, Oliver Stone, Mae Jemison, etc...) to teach the students English, history, math, science, journalism, home economics (cooking), dance, music, and life skills. The school was led by Dr. Steven Keller, a California high school principal. Through interactive lessons, one on one coaching (easy to do with more faculty than students), once in a lifetime field trips, and lessons from people who work in the fields they are teaching, Dream School was successful with 13 out of 15 (87%) of the students earning the 10 credits.
Successful? Yes.
Reproducible? Probably.
Realistic? No.
A new educational model? Doubtful.
And that friends, is the rub. Dream School was built around the premise that traditional education had failed these kids (the kids were from both public and private schools), and there had to be a better way to reach at-risks kids. While this may technically be true, it is not entirely (or even mostly) the fault of those in traditional education; rather, it is the fault of coddling and enabling parents, controlling regulations, and clueless lawmakers. Dream School and its faculty were not hindered by these nearly insurmountable stumbling blocks.
Example 1: When one of the students missed school because her dog was 'taken by a hawk' and then went to a music festival she had been told she could not miss school to attend, Dr. Keller immediately called her mom. When her mom said she let her go to the festival, Dr. Keller called her on her poor parenting.
We are not allowed to do this.
Example 2: When students were not adhering to the school's rules (no smoking, dress code, mandatory attendance, active class participation, etc...), they were given a conference, sent home, and not allowed to return without the student's and parents' written promise that the behavior would no longer be a problem.
We are not allowed to do this.
Example 3: When one of the students was being belligerent, rude, and overall dismissive of the lesson in a way that hindered the learning of the other students, the teacher and advisor, Scott Whitney, called him on it--punctuating his point by proclaiming 'Ten years from now, when your flipping burgers, get my **** order right!'.
We are not allowed to do this.
And finally...Example 4: When a student chose to leave Dream School because she couldn't be bothered by it, she was held up as an example of what not to do--an example of how today's decisions affect tomorrow's reality
We are not allowed to do this.
All of the above examples brought students back on track (the student from the 1st example even went on to be valedictorian of Dream School), yet we are not allowed to react in any manner that might offend, or hurt someones self-esteem (parent or student), or in any way be controversial.
Frankly, it is hard to dig deep and get real results while tiptoeing on eggshells.
Lack of resources, money, and sometimes, a forward thinking administration and faculty is another obstacle for traditional education not felt by Dream School. Dream School had the newest technology tools, ergonomically designed learning spaces, engaging outdoor spaces, celebrity guest teachers, and numerous field trips. Further, Dr. Keller had only one rule for how the lessons were taught: Engage all of the students; do not let them disengage.
What school in traditional education could compete with that?
I am pretty lucky. I work at a school where we do have many of the newest technology tools.
I have been able to design the learning environment of my classroom to be warm and inviting (homey). I am also relatively free to choose the methods in which I teach the material. I do have outdoor space available to me; I just have to use it creatively for it to extend the learning of the students. We do have guests come in (either in person or via skype--thank God for technology). We are allowed field trips, but are limited due to simple geography. Again, I am thankful for the technology that allows for virtual field trips.
Many educators are not so lucky.
Many schools do not have access to technology, and others do not know how to use these tools to enhance learning. Technology tools are only wonderful when they work and are used correctly. Due to lack of training, time, and money, technology can actually be an obstacle to learning rather than a tool for learning.
In many schools teachers share classrooms or are strictly forbidden to alter their rooms in any way (especially in secondary education). There has been study after study proving the effects of classroom ambiance on student learning. Still, many secondary classrooms are cookie cutter: white walls with a motivational poster here or there--not exactly the pinnacle of learning.
Content is controlled through legislation, state and national teaching standards, and sometimes the school administration or even the academic department. Teaching methods are often subject to scrutiny by parents, administrators, and department heads. Each teacher has different strengths, but they are often not allowed to play to these strengths. Limiting teachers this way stifles their creativity, and by extension, hinders the students' learning.
Many schools (again especially in secondary education) do not have outdoor spaces available beyond athletics. Some schools are financially strapped and unable to provide any outdoor learning spaces, others cannot allow outdoor learning due to safety issues (often violence), others still just do not have the innovative thinking needed to extend learning beyond the classroom walls.
When it comes to learning from experts in the field, many schools are limited by money, geography, and resources. Even more limiting are field trips. Students in traditional education attend very few field trips a year. Time, resources, money, time away from instruction in other classes, etc... are all factors against field trips. Unfortunately, many schools are not able to have guest speakers or take field trips using technology. For the students in those schools, enriching and first hand learning really is just a dream.
Quit tying our hands, and traditional education could have results similar to those of Dream School.
