A School in the Cloud

 

In his Ted Talk A School in the Cloud, Sugata Mitra explains the ability of children learning better when big questions are asked, support and encouragement are given, and the adult then stay out of the way. Would this work? Would children really be able to engage in the world of learning if they are given the resources needed, this being technology and to be provided with the big questions, and then left to determine what they need to know on their own? I think that there are many teachers that attempt this type of learning on their own. They may call it something different, such as student centered, and it may take place within the confines of the school determined curriculum, but I think on a small level it does take place.

In my classroom when new topics are introduced we always start with asking the students what they know. We write down on large sheets of paper all the things the students say about the topic. Next we ask them what they want to know. Again the information shared is written on large pieces of paper and hung up in the room. This second list is used to ensure that we have included the topics that the students would like to learn about. This learning may be hands on and it might involve technology. It almost always involve finding someone that can talk to the students about their particular questions. Once the topic is complete we create another list. This last list is what we learned. The students will then tell me a list of ideas that they learned throughout the unit. They also may draw pictures or cut them out of magazines etc. to show what they learned. We then look back at our previous list to see if we are satisfied with all of the questions we had being answered. 

The process I use in my classroom utilizes adults to question students. To encourage them to think beyond their basic knowledge. To find ideas about a topic that they would like to learn and begin to find ways to find out the information they are looking for. The process is also still guided by the box curriculum that is expected within the school system. 

Many of the ideas that Sugata Mitra has presented excite me. First and foremost the students were encouraged. Encouraged to interact. Encouraged to question. Encouraged to learn. Next they were provided with adults that were intrigued and interested in helping them learn. They encouraged and supported the students in the various learning activities they were doing. Lastly the students were able to use their own interest to learn at their pace, which then helped them interact with materials and concepts that would not yet have been in their curriculum. I think Mitra's ideas tie in with Mike Wesch's ideas shared in his Ted Talk Learning From Baby George. Wesch believed that students had to be invested in the topic being learned about in order for the material to matter to them. He saw learning as something that need to benefit students throughout their lives, not just for a test. When providing students with the technology and the big ideas, then standing back and supporting them as they engage in the active process of learning, Mitra is allowing for the same thing. Students that are actively supported will learn the necessary information that is being presented to them. They will  make the learning meaningful to themselves which will continue the desire to continue learning.

I think this is what all teachers want. They want to be involved in an active learning environment where students feel valued, all members are supported, and learning takes on a life of it's own. 

For anyone interested in learning more information about A School in the Cloud the School in the Cloud page is a fun and interesting place to start.