Education Reform
One Size Doesn't Fit All
Assessments
Standardized Testing
As the world we live in progresses, we learn day by day that the standardized tests we subject our students too have been outdated. Nowadays, we are aware that students don't need to master all areas in order to be successful in life. Yet, we still expect them to study more than they are capable off in order to take tests, such as the SAT, were they are expected necessarily expected to succeed in both Math and English. As the world we live in progresses, so should our assessments.
Physical Space
Sweden's New School System
Designed by architect Rosan Bosch, the new school in Sweden has a different view of how the classroom should look like. They strive to create an environment in which a student feels safe, yet not trapped. The furniture and the building structures are both ways to try and get the students engaged in their learning. They encourage "both independent and collaborative work.
Instruction
The Role of the Teacher
Teacher are crucial to the progression of education reform. They need to be supportive and encourage such changes for they are the ones who truly see the damage that our system is bringing to the students. The teaching style does not matter, as long as the teacher engages and aids all of their students. Both online and face-to-face teaching can brings benefits, but a small class is essential for the interaction with the teacher. Tennessee's statewide Student/Teacher Achievement Ration Project found that the learning gains students made in classes of 13 to 17 students persisted long after the student moved back into average-size classes.
How Long Should Our School Day Be?
Model
Finland
As a model to all educational reforms, school's worldwide should look at the Finnish model. They have a High School Graduation Rate of 93%, about 2/3 students that will attend college, and their PISA test scores surpasses all other nations. Their education is public, they value good teachers and they most of all, give their kids time to be kids (by keeping standardizes testing and homework to a minimal).
Finland's Revolutionary Education System
Finland's education success