School IS back in session, just ask any teacher, student, parent -- or watch the Staples commercial!! A really good question might be WHY?
If we are coming back, that would suggest that we ever left. A recent Washington Post article suggests that learning is "forever" not for a portion of a year. In a global economy, can we afford to take time away from school versus continuing to learn year 'round? It has been long understood that often those that were most affluent had ways to continue the learning with summer camps and the like. For that matter, who ever said that school was supposed to engage for 6 hours per day? In a time of economic downturn and question, possibly we need to consider the nature of our learning investment. There certainly may be those that would suggest that this is an inappropriate time to consider such -- due to budget. I would argue that we don't know what we can do until we try, depending upon the solution we may be able to rethink other of our expenditures, AND this is also an issue of investment in our "forever" learning.
I love the idea of our children learning all summer, in the evenings and on the weekends. With the advent of free internet and cheap (or free) computers, learning opportunities abound. I know that my own children would love to just sit and mindlessly watch the Disney channel all night if we let them, but with a little direction they will engage in great learning activities for hours on end.
ReplyDeleteThis is a critical issue in "closing the gap" in our schools. For over 20 years, research has consistently shown achievement gaps in low-income and middle-income students with no summer school. It is also an extremely complicated issue heaped in political, economic, and social pressures. It is a necessary struggle that requires our engagement. Great read on the subject:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.k12.wa.us/cisl/pubdocs/OntheClock.pdf
Thank you Dr. Miller for bringing this issue to public debate and hopefully, action.
The statistics collected within the Riverside Virtual School course management system indicate that students choose to access courses at all hours of the day (and night), including weekends, when the restrictions to attendance are not limited to the traditional 6 hour instructional day.
ReplyDeleteIt is particularly worrisome that students often lose 3 times as much ground in math than they do in reading. The challenge is to offer mathematical engagement during any off-period.
ReplyDelete