We've all heard the stories of the public school student who continues to pass from one grade level to the next without the ability to read or perform simple math operations. Some critics call it a form of social promotion, when attendance and catch-up projects are enough to get a student promoted. In an age when the achievement gap between the more and lesser educated continues to grow, it's unthinkable that we, as Christian school leaders, could allow this to happen to our children.
Happen, it does — everyday in classrooms around the world, where progress is based on the antiquated model that has at its center "seat time." This is why we must provide parents an alternative to the public school system.
The concept of measuring educational attainment by the number of hours a student sits in his seat originated in the late 1800s. This was simply a measurable (if ineffective) way to evaluate how much learning was actually happening. Although this concept made it easy for college administrators to translate high school courses into something they could measure to enable college admission, two students having spent the same time in a seat might have a vastly different knowledge base.
Over the last century, seat time in conjunction with standardized testing has become a gauge for learning. Unfortunately, we're measuring many things, but learning isn't one of them. We're measuring attendance, memorization skills, and compliance to guidelines.
The problem arises because many students make it through "the system" without the skills necessary to compete in the global world in which they live. On the other end of the spectrum, other students are quick learners, able to zip through many of their lessons and spend the rest of their seat time in boredom. This inaccurate method of assessment actually holds them back and disconnects them from taking responsibility for their own growth. Lessons become something they must simply get through, and learning is no longer exciting, but uninspired.
Thankfully, many schools today are moving away from this one-size-fits-all method of measuring academic development, allowing students to drive their own learning with curriculum that puts learners in the driver's seat. This allows students to move through lessons at a pace most comfortable and effective for them. This not only gives slower learners time to actually grasp and apply the information to real world situations, it also allows students who quickly grasp the material to move on to the next benchmark.
This learning model is much more effective for today's students, many of whom are accustomed to independently working on their computers or digital devices. For those students who learn best in traditional ways, this model can be applied to groups, allowing discussion and group projects to support the material.
Student-driven learning, combined with alternative assessment methods such as projects, essays, portfolios, and exhibitions, helps students develop a lifelong love of learning, and sparks curiosity.
We are responsible to provide an environment where students experience the joy of learning in the context of a Christian worldview. It's time to look inside your classroom and ask yourself if the learning model in place rewards seat time or supports real academic achievement. Reprinted from Alpha/Omega Messenger
