Learning: what hinders and supports it
In this YouTube video, middle school students communicate that they are the future of America. Instead of learning how to memorize and recite, they would rather be taught how to think and communicate. The students also express the need for individualized learning instead of teaching to the masses, which, in their minds, “creates boredom, not laziness”. For more on this video, click on the link above.
“The 10th International Submarine Races (ISR) drew 21 college and a few high school teams from around the world to see whose 10- to 16-foot-long crafts would impress the judges and win — for innovation, speed, cost-effectiveness and best use of composite materials”, writes Jillian Berman from USA Today. “Brian Green, a mechanical engineering student going into his fifth year at the University of Florida-Gainesville … isn't getting course credit for participating” but states, “‘designing and building the submarine gave them valuable experience. What drove us back here was the hands-on interaction we get with our degrees.’ ISR executive director Nancy Hussey explains, “‘When students are in the classroom they get all the theoretical knowledge and they absorb it and take all their tests, but they don't have the chance to apply it to the real-world environment.’” This competition gives students the chance to put their ideas into action.
In an effort to keep the rotating class schedule at her high school,
“Madeleine Siegmund, a junior, gathered 245 signatures on a petition that implores school officials to abandon plans to impose a fixed six-period day”, writes Linda Borg. Madeleine’s fear, along with her classmates, is that the fixed schedule will lead to problems. “’If there is the same class first period every morning and the student is either exhausted or late,’” Siegmund says, “’he or she will most likely fail that class because of the limited ability to participate fully. CUTTING CLASSES WILL BECOME AN EPIDEMIC.’”
In this YouTube video, students express their profound need for a change in the way classrooms are run today. Fixated more on their Ipods, Facebook profiles, and text messaging rather than on what their professor is saying, this video demonstrates the thoughts and feelings of students while teachers think they are listening. Students want their teachers to change how the curriculum is taught to be up to date with the latest technology rather than lecturing in front of the class.
Project-based learning is in full swing at Poudre High School in Colorado. “FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is all about inspiring and motivating students to become engaged in math, science, engineering, and technology. Each year, teams of students, teachers, and professional engineers respond to the FIRST challenge by designing and building a robot,” writes Roberta Furger. Students on the team have become passionate about their creations. “‘The hands-on experience I gained from working on this project has just been absolutely phenomenal,’ says Tsai, a two-year veteran of the Poudre High Robotics Team…‘It's really neat the way the students design and fabricate the robot. It really shows you what you can do.’”
In this edutopia article by Sara Bernard, students discuss their ideas for using technology to learn core subjects. Students have thoughts for everything from video dialogues to global brainstorming using Skype. “If you want to learn about a country, why not just ask the people who live there about it?” writes one student. This article is full of ideas directly from youth voices today.
Dozens of high school students, mostly from New York's private, top-notch schools, flock to an after-school writing program in hopes of getting help on their work. Their goal? Entering writing competitions. The students’ high schools, which encourage sports and team competitions, have the opposite approach when it comes to individual competitions. “When students are rewarded for participation rather than achievement they don't have a strong sense of what they are good at and what they're not,” suggests Dr. Mel Levine, University of North Carolina.
“Many young people are experts at collaborating through online technology -- the kind of tools that are powering the new global economy” and edutopia.org asked students, “what it takes to succeed”. Across the globe, students have submitted their answers via web video. Social dynamics takes the top spot, with 5th-12th grade students reporting that they would like to learn more about communication, social networking, cooperation, and presentation skills.
"Six students in the Philadelphia public school system were each given a video camera as part of an independent film project. That simple premise expanded radically over the next two years, resulting in this profound and vital documentary covering the difficulties these applicants faced preparing for college while dealing with the daily trials and tribulations inherent in being a student in schools with a 50% or worse drop-out rate. While conditions may be difficult, the film does offer signs of hope", writes reviewer, Alexander Russo.
A special report from Indiana University's High School Survey of Student Engagement, based on 81.000 student responses from 26 states, reports, "Today's high school students say they are bored in class because they dislike the material and experience inadequate teacher interaction." In addition, "the findings, show that 2 out of 3 students are bored in class every day, while 17 percent say they are bored in every class." Furthermore, lack of adult support and skipping school were also mentioned as reasons for high drop out rates among students.