Page 85 - EdViewptsSpring2021

at all in a secondary school should more about growth and learning.
be taught in the same way and to the Maybe some students are ready to Our schools have also
same extent to every pupil so long graduate at 15 years of age based on become increasingly
as he pursues it, no matter what the their goals and readiness, while others
probable destination of the pupil may might need to go to school into their multicultural. With a
be, or at what point his education is to 20s in order to have the knowledge growing population of
cease." * and skills necessary for their future, diverse family units in
Although much has changed over the especially now with so many students our schools, the impli-
130 years since the Committee of Ten struggling with online learning.
helped to establish our public schools Changing the expectations would cations of the cultural
as they are, some has not changed. relieve some of the social-emotional norms for each family
We have gone through the industrial stress on families and support the
revolution, where students were growth mindset and curriculum have to be taken into
trained to become compliant factory completion that will give students the account.
workers, sitting in rows facing the front readiness skills to succeed in the job
while listening to a teacher as the market or in secondary education. local communities who are used to
authority at the front. We now realize Who says you should be 8-9 years the way we’ve always done school
there is a need for cultivating each old before you learn fractions? With a and probably the way that it was for
student’s strengths and passions while robust curriculum and the independent most of them. Since the pandemic
empowering them to become learners understanding of the whole/part I believe that many of our families
who will continue to grow on their relationship in sets, quantities and have a much clearer understanding
own. While I’d argue that there is still shapes, maybe you’re ready for this of what is involved in the classroom,
a need to learn the “basics,” we have at 7 years old or maybe you’re not how specialized teaching is, and how
many more avenues to that learning ready until you’re 10. Either way, that their children fit. Many parents have
than there ever were before. We also is okay because we understand the now become real partners in learning,
have a much deeper understanding of prerequisite skills needed and we especially at the elementary level.
the processes involved in learning and move on from there.
the brain science behind it. Mostly, we We also have to think about all of One of the biggest advantages I
know that every child develops and those kids who have thrived during see to changing how we do school
matures differently and at different this time. Many of them have been is that we take the labels away
rates. Our schools have also become given the time and freedom to explore from our students. Schools have
increasingly multicultural. With a on their own either through technology, been standardized in order to
growing population of diverse family the arts, or through creative endeavors provide a common understanding of
units in our schools, the implications of in their homes or communities. expectations for both teachers and
the cultural norms for each family have Shouldn’t learning things on their own learners. This standardization has
to be taken into account. Schools were count for something? Shouldn’t these made school a contest. We constantly
originally made to standardize the students be given credit for pursuing compare our students against other
curriculum and prepare our children things they are passionate about or students and then label them. Schools
equally, but we know that our children expanding on their own learning and are constantly being compared against
are not standardized. moving forward with the curriculum? other schools based on graduation
rates and AP course and college
This pandemic has shown us that both There is a lot to think about in acceptance rates. If we truly believe
teachers and learners are capable education as we move past this that each child is a genius in their
of things that we never imagined in pandemic. This is an opportunity to own way and we are focusing on
our educational process. Maybe now examine our practices and our thinking providing individualized instruction
is the time to consider changing the and create a new and better way to that will support continual growth, then
way we do school all together. Every educate our children and prepare standardization really has no place
student learns at their own pace, them for the future. In order for in our schools. Our children are not
and as long as we have a robust and changes like this to occur, we will need standardized, and so school shouldn’t
viable curriculum, we should allow to do it from the top and the bottom. be either. If we’re really in it for the
this. Instead of having grade levels, We can’t change from the bottom, kids, we need to change the way we
maybe we should consider having starting in kindergarten, if colleges and do school.
proficiencies and when students universities don’t get on board and
meet certain standards, they are have an understanding of how school
then able to move on to the next set systems are adapting. Obviously, this
of standards. It shouldn’t be about type of innovation would require the
achievement by age and grade but understanding and acceptance of the

Educational Viewpoints -83- Spring 2021