The story so far…
In this course, we have touched on two important aspects of education:
- real learning happens when it is done in a way which allows us to experience something for ourselves, rather than just being told about it;
- we all have unique strengths and capacities, so our understanding of the world around us depends on who we are.
This brings us to Constructivism which is, broadly, an approach which attempts to promote this kind of education.
1: Watch this video of a TED talk by Sugata Mitra (22:32). He can be seen as a radical constructivist. What do you think?
2: What are the main points Mitra makes about:
- What the original purpose of schooling was?
- Why schooling is so resistant to change?
- What happens when children are given powerful resources and the space to learn in their own way?
- How should schools be run ‘in the cloud’?
Make notes in your note-making app.
3: Think, about your own schooling:
- How much freedom were you given to work things out for yourself in your own way?
- To what extent was your school a relic of the bureaucratic machine referred to by Mitra?
In your lesson 3 discussion group called 2.3 Does Learning Happen in a School? share your thoughts on: How my schooling encouraged me / did not encourage me to work things out for myself in my own way.
When you are ready to continue to the next activity, click on the Mark Complete button below (first time) and Next Topic on subsequent visits to this page.
