Earlier this year, I shared my disappointment with Fast Company’s compilation of "13 Radical Ideas for Spending $100 Million to Overhaul Schools" The problem was that these ideas really just weren’t all that radical. Even Will Richardson, who was featured in the article, commented on my blog that he agreed (see comment here). Richardson did feature a radical idea in his own blog a few years back in his post, One Town’s Reform…Close the Schools. The article explains how a UK community shut down its 11 schools replacing them with dynamic learning centers that looked very different than traditional compulsory schools. According to their site, they are still going strong. The learning center idea has certainly taken off as more and more people are realizing that the compulsory, oppressive, disconnected, test-driven schools that exist today are not the best option when it comes to preparing children for success in the world.
I recently came across three alternative views of what 21st century learning environments might look like. One, written several years ago, outlines what community learning might look like if suddenly schools no longer existed. The next, written earlier this year, outlines a learning environment that resembles a mall-like shopping center. The third provides 12 design principals that give new meaning to the idea of "Re" "Forming" education.
I want more »