Over the weeks I've spent in the United States of America, I've observed numerous similarities and differences in the way we educate our children in both the US and Singapore. One recurring similarity is our overarching philosophy on education. We continue to educate our children based on outdated paradigms that unfortunately don't align with the needs of our rapidly evolving world.
About 12 years ago, the late Sir Ken Robinson delivered a talk emphasizing the urgent need to shift our educational paradigm. What he articulated back then remains incredibly pertinent today, with our children urgently requiring our educational systems to evolve. His talk is one that merits revisiting time and again. Click on this link to check out his talk.
John D. Couch in his book "Rewiring Education", pointed out that when children struggle to learn, it is not because they cannot learn something but because they cannot learn it the way it's being taught.
Heath Chittenden, the Principal of Ashhurst School in Ashhurst, New Zealand, illustrated the need for an educational shift using the metaphor of a television. TVs began as black and white devices, which later evolved to include color, and subsequently, cable. But fundamentally, they remained close to their original design. However, Netflix changed the paradigm, giving viewers the autonomy to choose what to watch and when. We need to change the education paradigm. We can first start by move beyond standardized education and tests.
While we might not be able to transform the entire education system overnight, we can modify the manner in which our students learn by reconsidering our teaching approaches. One such method is to flip your class using either the "traditional" flipped learning method or the in-class flip with station rotations. I've experimented with in-class flips combined with station rotation, and the results have been transformative! My students can now learn at their own pace and harness technology to genuinely comprehend and critically engage with concepts, instead of merely memorizing and reciting without true understanding.
We might not be able to change the education system overnight but we can change the way our students learn by rethinking the way we teach. One way is to flip your class using either the "traditional" flipped learning method of the in-class flip with the use of stations. I've tried out in-class flip with station rotation and it is definitely a game-changer! My students are able to learn at their own pace and use technology to help them understand and think deeply about the concepts rather than simply memorizing and regurgitating it without any understanding of what they just learned.
Let us all rise up to Sir Ken Robinson's challenge...
The answer is not to standardize education, but to personalize and customize it to the needs of each child and community. There is no alternative. There never was
Not too long ago , there were various learning stations set up to engage students in different English activities but these have been done away with the use of Stellar in teaching English. Teachers were rather glad to see them go. I advocate station learning but what’s the constraint facing teachers in Singapore if station rotation learning is brought back ? With blended learning , teachers are able to carry out differentiated instruction rather successfully. How do you think station rotation learning can be implemented in the context of Singapore classrooms ?