In “The Prussian Model”, Sal lays out a quick history of higher education – skills learned through apprenticeship, ideals and opinions culled from discussions with the beau monde – and poses an interesting question: where did the idea of educating our children come from?

Let’s all tip our helmets to Prussia.

 

Or, perhaps more specifically, Johann Gottlieb Fichte. A key player in devising the Prussian educational system, Fichte felt that “if you want to influence a person, you must do more than merely talk to him; you must fashion him in such a way that he simply cannot will otherwise than what you wish him to will”. (Khan 76)

You see, the Prussian model wasn’t built to create independent, creative thinkers. It was built to mold the minds of its citizens, creating loyal members of society that would submit to authority.

In all fairness, there were some attractive qualities of the Prussian model. For instance, schooling was open to all children of society, not just the upper crust of society. The middle class flourished in a way not seen before.

 

In America, the Prussian model was adopted with little change to its structure. While the United States had become one of the most literate countries in the world, there wasn’t much in the way of standardization regarding what was to be taught and how long a child’s educational career should be.

Enter “The Committee of Ten”. In 1892, educational officials – many of them university presidents – met to standardize the American school system. From this gathering, decisions were made that determined key components of our educational system we have today, such as the starting and ending age of schooling and the introduction of academic topics like physics and trigonometry.

This model was quite progressive at the time, but over 120 years later, our culture and society demands a more flexible model that allows for creativity and independent thinking.

 

I’m particularly proud of how our school shakes up the status quo of primary education. Our early release Wednesdays beg for creative collaboration across content and grade levels, our STEAM Lab offers many innovate educational tools to those who dive in, and our emphasis on leadership demonstrates our drive to transform each child into a self-sufficient member of society who will thrive academically and socially.

These are small but necessary steps to developing the 21st century learner. My hope is that our educational system will look unrecognizable in another 120 years as it evolves to meet the needs of the 22nd century learner.

5(ish) important points made by Sal Khan in this chapter:

1. There are no perfect learners. This “less-than-tidy reality” reminds us that everyone has gaps or lapses in learning (pg. 54).
2. Neuroscience tells us that everyone has the ability to go back and revisit concepts as well as try to actively apply the concepts to a new context.
   a. Revisiting content results in creating and strengthening the neural pathways in our brains. See Michelle’s thoughts in the previous post (Step for Learning #1: Practice, practice we’re not done).
3. Who is going to take the initiative and responsibility for seeing gaps and conducting reviews of past material to correct them? The students (pg. 55).
4. There are two essential aids to engage students in active ownership over their learning.
   a. Portability – brought to you by the Internet and personal computers. Students should be given the freedom to determine where and when the learning will occur. This allows us to learn in accordance with our own personal rhythms and therefore most efficiently.
   b. Self-pacing – give individual students control over the tempo at which they learn material. In a one-size-fits-few model some students become bored and zone out possibly becoming discipline problems and students who need more time will be left behind (pg. 57).
   c. Both of these aids need one more resource – easy and ongoing access to the lessons that have come before (which Internet-based learning provides).
5. “Nurturing a sense of wonder should be education’s highest goal; failing to nurture it is the central tragedy of our current system.” (pg. 58).

4 of my own thoughts:

1. Everyday I see students at Kipling take control of their own learning. Through Khan Academy, student-created book club calendars, flexible seating, the structures of writing workshop, individualized checklists, student reported progress and proficiency and more – our inspiring staff is engaging students in active ownership of learning.
2. I am fortunate to work in a resource-rich environment that enables students to practice these important skills on one-to-one devices.
3. Sometimes I need to be nicer to myself when I make mistakes, have gaps or lapses in knowledge or need to change the tempo in my learning.
4. I need to do a better job at making my curiosity and wonder visible and remember to ask why.

3 lingering questions:

1. Are we creating a culture in which all learners feel comfortable making mistakes and identifying gaps or lapses in their own knowledge?
2. What metacognitive strategies to do we need to practice so that students can successfully identify the where, when and tempo of their learning?
3. How do we navigate the currently available Internet-based resources?

2 outside connections:

1. Kristine Mraz, author of A Mindset for Learning.
2. Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

1 quote:

“The teacher cannot be the tow truck that drags a child through each standard, even if it gets him there faster, but the teacher can be the gas station attendant or roadside assistant that provides fuel, feedback and a reassuring pat on the back so the child can get there on his own…and keep going.” Christine Hertz & Kristine Mraz

“Education doesn’t happen out in the ether, and it doesn’t happen in the empty space between your teacher’s lips and the students’ ears; it happens in the individual brain of each of us.”  Kahn p. 45

Okay all you Fit Bit fanatics, put away your gadgets!  You no longer need to do laps around the hallways or dance in front of the copier just to get in an extra 200 steps. According to Kahn, “there is so much chemical and electrical work going on in your brains, that thinking actually burns lots of calories.” Khan p. 46

As I began reading this chapter, I smiled at the instant memory it triggered about a team teaching moment I had just last year. Taylor and Michelle, came into my class to inform my students that each and every one of us has a Superpower. The two of them sat in my students’ tiny chairs and talked to them in a way that only teachers can talk. In almost a whisper, as if they didn’t want the secret they were about to divulge to escape the confines of my classroom, they shared with my students that they have the power to grow their own brains. With the exception of several gasps as a few students drew in their breath, you could have heard a pin drop. They were hooked! They wanted to learn just how a six-year-old is capable of doing such an unbelievable task. For the better part of a half-hour, my students sat one hundred percent engaged in learning about how this newfound Superpower of theirs works. Below is a chart that Taylor and her mom (also a first-grade teacher) created for young minds to better understand such an abstract concept. It summarizes the essentials of our “brain growing” lesson.

If you would like to grow your own brain right now, here is the more technical summary, put out by The Kahn Academy, of how your brain grows.

In this chapter, How Education Happens, Kahn references The Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Eric R. Kandel. “Kandel states in his book, In Search of Memory, that learning is in fact neither more nor less than a series of changes that take place in individual nerve cells of which our brains are composed. When a cell is involved in learning, it literally grows.” Kahn p.46  The chart that Taylor and her mom created simplifies this concept so well that my first graders completely understood the process. Your brain is small and kind of dull when you are just practicing. It becomes bigger, brighter and more “sparkly” the more you become involved and engaged in the learning process. Your brain grows the most when you challenge yourself to do and learn more. It sounds simple enough, but unfortunately for some students, their learning environment does not afford them the opportunity to grow their brains.

The major problem facing education that is hindering our students’ ability to “grow their brains” is what Kahn refers to as the “ghettoizing” of academic subjects. Essentially there is still too much compartmentalizing of learning. Reading is taught first thing in the morning. Then science is taught. After lunch, ready or not, it’s math time. Kahn states, “All of these divisions limit understanding and suggest a false picture of how the universe actually works.” Kahn p. 49 He goes on to say that through this balkanizing, (I’m loving Kahn’s vocabulary) “we deny students the benefit -the physiological benefit – of recognizing connections.” Kahn p. 50

I think it is common to sometimes take for granted what one has become so accustomed to having. Reading books like The One World School House reminds me to appreciate the district I have the privilege of working in, the colleagues I am fortunate to work with, and the students with whom I am entrusted to guide in learning. I say this because I know that there are so many districts out there where the “ghettoizing” of academic subjects is commonplace.  Concepts are taught in isolation and never the two shall meet. I feel that in recent years my colleagues and I have been respected as professionals to think outside the box. We are given standards for which to follow, but given the ability to teach these standards in fun, engaging and innovative ways. This includes integrating subjects and enhancing student learning with technology that relevant.

One of the things that I am most excited about this year is our cross-grade learning days that we will be launching during our leadership time. This cross-grade self-discovery time will allow students K-5 to collaborate together based on interest areas. Students will create learning objectives, research their topics and plan presentations. This is will be a perfect example of just “how education happens.” What a great opportunity for students to grow their own brains.

I leave with a statement that Khan makes at the end of this chapter on page 52,  “In stressing the connections among subjects and giving learners a visual picture of where they’ve been and where they’re going, we hope to encourage students to follow their paths – to move actively up, down, and sideways, wherever their imaginations lead.” I believe Kipling is well on its wat to making this happen for all its students. I can’t wait to see where they all go!

 

As I embark on a new endeavor of becoming a blogger, I can’t help but be reminded of this video.

So in the words of this 4th grader…“Here….I….Go!”

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Let’s talk about Mastery Learning…

“Students should adequately comprehend a given concept before being expected to understand a more advanced one.” (page 37). Mastery learning is, “predicated on the belief that all students could learn if provided with conditions appropriate to their needs,” and is a, “curriculum not [focused] in terms of time, but in terms of certain target levels of comprehension and achievement.” Well that seems simple. Even Khan says it, “seems straightforward and commonsensical enough.” (page 37).

This leads me to 2 questions:

1. Why hasn’t mastery learning been the focus of our educational system?

Simple answer, in my opinion, FEAR & UNCERTAINTY.

       2. What is Khan’s message to us about mastery learning?

Again, in my opinion, PARADIGM SHIFT & JOY.

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Voices in the Park

Ok so I am going to digress a little, but I promise I will make it count as I dive into the contents of this chapter while comparing it to a children’s book. When I read about mastery learning, I don’t know why, but a specific book kept coming to mind. A wonderful children’s book, which if you haven’t read or used in your class you MUST, titled Voices in the Park. Now how does this book relate to the concept of mastery learning? Let’s take a closer look.

Voices in the Park is broken into four different voices, each being a different character’s perspective of the same event. The pictures are an important part of understanding each character. I will use each voice to try to answer the questions stated above, in more detail, about why mastery learning hasn’t found its place in education and how Khan sees mastery learning in our future. Fear, Uncertainty, Paradigm Shift, and Joy.

If you haven’t read this book please use this link to familiarize yourself before continuing.

THE 1st VOICE: FEAR   

The first voice is a mother. She is conservative and traditional. This mother is rigid and strict. She lives her life in fear of change and of anything and anyone that is different from the bubble in which she lives in. She controls her son and does not allow him or their dog to stray from her control and when this happens FEAR overcomes her. She feels out of control and is unable to focus until everything is back in its perfect place.

Now let’s see how this fits with mastery learning. In this chapter Khan says, “Change was difficult; change was frightening. The old way worked well enough,” (page 41). He continues to talk about how, “Human nature hasn’t changed,” (page 41) because, “People in all fields still have a tendency to protect their turf, sometimes at the expense of the greater good.” (page 42). Sound familiar? The fear of change this mother felt is the same fear that many of us feel when new educational reform emerges such as mastery learning. Perhaps this is why it has never fully taken root.

THE 2nd VOICE: UNCERTAINTY

The second voice is a dad who is down on his luck. He is disappointed with his current predicament of not having a job and is UNCERTAIN that anything will help, but he holds on to a sliver of hope. He begins to feel better by the presence of his joyful daughter.

I hope you’re beginning to see what I saw when I was reading this chapter. This dad represents our uncertainty in making a change. Currently, “personal responsibility is not only undervalued but actually discouraged by the standard classroom model, with its enforced passivity and rigid boundaries of curriculum and time. Denied the opportunity to make even the most basic decisions about how and what they will learn, students stop short of full commitment.” (page 43). This isn’t very encouraging. I think that Khan is arguing that mastery learning is our small sliver of hope that things can get better even if we are uncertain that it will help and that it will work.

THE 3rd VOICE: PARADIGM SHIFT

The third voice is the son of the first voice. This boy is timid and quiet. He lives in fear of his mother and of upsetting her so he does his best not to rock the boat by obeying her. But then a girl comes along and he sees an opportunity to try something new even though he is reluctant at first. The more he plays with this girl the more he starts to CHANGE and begins to see the world a little differently.

Although we are fearful and uncertain, what might happen to education if we begin to see that mastery learning is possible? What impact might this have on educators and students? Khan reminds us that with our changing world we now have the resources available to make mastery learning work and for it to be effective.

Mastery learning is not a totally new concept. It was first introduced in Winnetka, Illinois by Carleton W. Washburne in 1922 as the Winnetka Plan. This was a “radical concept” in which, “Students, with the help of self-paced exercises, proceed at varying rates toward the same level of mastery.” (pages 38-39). But soon after its introduction this idea of mastery learning, “Went out of vogue, and for years-for decades-it was all but forgotten.” (page 39). I think that our fear and uncertainty may have caused this and what we are in need of is a paradigm shift, much like this little boy.

With mastery learning we have an opportunity to, “develop more positive attitudes about learning and about [students’] ability to learn.” (page 43). The paradigm shift needed here is to focus on the importance of students fully comprehending concepts at their own pace rather than moving on just to move on because it is time.

THE 4th VOICE: JOY

The fourth voice is a young girl who doesn’t have much, but sees the world as a colorful place full of wonder and opportunity. She is bold and JOYFUL and doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Taking risks and exploring is what she does best. When she meets the little boy in the park she encourages him to try something new and find JOY in his boring life.

I think that we all have an opportunity to experience this type of joy within education and take a risk in experimenting with mastery learning in order to provide students with the same opportunity of experiencing joy in learning. Sal refers to a study where, “It was observed that students in mastery programs ‘developed more positive attitudes about learning and about their ability to learn.” (page 43). To me, Sal Khan is like this little girl. He sees learning differently and is trying to help us all experience joy. Mastery learning is just one small step in the right direction.

 

Thanks for reading!

Larissa

 

Author: Ali Paster, Resource Teacher at Kipling Elementary School

Before I begin, I’d like to take a moment to thank Anthony, and the entire Kipling Krew for once again encouraging me to expand my comfort zone.  Never, EVER did I think I would become a blogger. Writing in general, let alone publicly for a community I respect, has never been in my comfort zone. However, I can honestly say that throughout this process, I have enjoyed myself and learned a lot.  Now that I have hit, “publish” I am proud to add the title of Guest Blogger to my resume.

*Disclaimer:  I am not suggesting this post is magical in any way, shape, or form:)

In this chapter, Sal Khan describes the events that led to the inception of Khan Academy.  He introduces us to Nadia, his cousin, a intelligent and serious minded 12 year old at the time.  She travels to New Jersey back in 2004 to celebrate Khan’s wedding.  She arrives devastated because she had just done poorly on a Math Placement exam given at the end of 6th grade.  This struck a chord in Khan.  He described on page 16,

“She was a straight-A student, highly motivated, always prepared.  Her subpar performance baffled her.  It wounded her pride, her confidence, and her self-esteem.  By the time we spoke after my wedding, Nadia had actually come to accept the outcome of the test.  She believed that she wasn’t good at math.”

This saddens me because it is something I have personally witnessed time and time again.  The testing we are required to give our students can have negative effects, it can tear away at students’ self esteem, create anxiety, and bruise their confidence.  I especially see this with the students I work with, whom due to various factors, often have difficulty demonstrating their intelligence in this fashion.  They come to see themselves as “bad readers” or “not good at math”.  I have had many discussions with colleagues about the harm of these tests on our lower achieving students.  We realize they serve an important, necessary purpose but we lament over the negative side effects we see in many of our students.

Although the video clip you are about to see is meant as a bit of comic relief, I believe that Nadia and many students in general have felt like Mojo at some time.

Nadia believed that she wasn’t good at Math based on her performance on one exam, on one day.  Khan believed that Nadia had real potential and that being on a lower Math track would be detrimental to her math future.  He made her an offer, if her school would let her retake the test, he would tutor her remotely.  Of course we all know how the story ends, Khan began remotely tutoring Nadia, she passed her exam, the number of Khan’s tutees grew, and then a friend suggested posting his videos on YouTube. The rest is history.

The follow except, on page 20, really resonated with me.

“People learn at different rates.  Some people seem to catch on to things in quick bursts of intuition; others grunt and grind their way to comprehension.  Quicker isn’t necessarily smarter and slower definitely isn’t dumber.  Further, catching on quickly isn’t the same as understanding thoroughly.  So the pace of learning is a question of style, not relative intelligence”.

This is something that I also believe and I can think of many example in my personal experience that validate this belief.  I wish there was a better way we could convey this idea to those students that do “grunt and grind their way” through school.  That it’s the depth of the understanding that is the goal and not the speed of it.  Given the constraints of today’s classroom environment, how can we shift the focus from moving on quickly to the process of learning, the effort, and the depth of understanding?

On page 21, Kahn goes on to discuss his beliefs about how people learn.

…two of my first precepts were these: that lessons should be paced to the individual student’s needs, not some arbitrary calendar; and that basic concepts needed to be deeply understood if students were to succeed at mastering more advanced ones”.

This also lines up with my beliefs.  In my role as a resource teacher, I have the luxury to pace my lessons to my students’ individual needs.  I am able to work with small groups or even one on one with my students focusing on their individual learning goals.  I am able to focus on foundation skills and filling in the gaps in my students’ learning, that might be preventing them from picking up new concepts.  But in the classroom, there are curriculum maps to follow and many more students with different needs and learning styles.  How can we enable our students to move at their own pace and deeply understand concepts?

Lastly, Khan goes on to say that early on in his tutoring journey he became, “hooked on teaching”.  He states on page 17 that he believes that teaching, “is an art that is creative, intuitive, and highly personal”. I personally feel so lucky to be working with people who inspire me on a daily basis with their creativity, intuition, and passion.  It is so evident in every action I observe throughout Kipling that each and every one of you have a deep calling to teaching and that you truly love what you do.  I found this plaque over the summer and I now have it hanging in my classroom.  I love it and since I believe it is a sentiment we all share, I thought I’d end with it.  Thanks for reading and please share any and all comments below!