Students in Control
This may not be directly related to ed tech, but I sure think it’s relevant. ASCD had a link today to a fascinating article in the British online edition of The Independent. It describes a school where students are giving a great deal of authority in the teaching practices at the school, including observing and evaluating teachers and participating in the hiring process. (Now that’s taking student-centered instruction to a new height!)
Over a quarter of the students in the school participate as Making Learning Better (or MLB) consultants. The school has a very demographically mixed population, and has struggled with low test scores. The number of students getting five “good GCSEs” (their performance-based tests taken at around age 16) has more than doubled in two years, from 20% to 43%. Both teachers and students also report a dramatic change in the culture of the school. Contrary to cynical expectations, students who have ownership in the running of the school take on greater levels of work and set higher expectations for themselves.
What would our students tell us about the use of technology if they were given this level of trust and responsibility in our schools?