Saturday, June 12, 2010

education unbound

listen to Rick Hess discuss his new book
highlighting greenfield schooling

part 2:
wide open area with significant opportunities to invent or build
1. do away completely with our assumptions about districts, school houses and teacher training...
2. use available resources talent and tech to support teacher learning in smarter better ways
3. use of entrepreneurs
a) change agents
b) attract other individuals with skills and mindsets that wouldn't otherwise be found in public ed
c) create labs for smarter problem solving

skeptics find the notion of inviting for profit people into public schools..morally problematic..
funny that we applaud for profits that make money off pet rocks, but chastise ones that make money off improving ed

deep rooted in greenfield schooling:
profound humility deeply rooted in american traditions of pluralism, invention and enterprise

humility - politicians can't fix ed for us

part 3:
start by knocking down obstacles:
formal - via legislative operatives
informal - mindsets
truly transformative change rarely includes consensus

part 4:
quality
1. judging inputs
2. relying on market place
3. judging outputs

part 5:
most important component: talent
requires thinking differently about talent
flexibility to allocate practitioners to their talent
develop hybrid conditions... teach half time while working/or comm service
allow schools and providers to see out best of time..  
yes prep - from day it was opened - focus on best teachers in the classroom

big challenge today.. not a lack of good ideas or best practices - but the rigidity of a system that is roadblocking

greenfield isn't about pedagogy - but about creating conditions that allow for best learning spaces for all students.
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