Comments on: The One-Room Schoolhouse Killed (and is still killing) Collaboration and Innovation

By: Jim Oase

Jim Oase — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 02:09:59 +0000

I believe the one room school house setting is the formal education setting that meets this statement; “…and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them,…”. We’re talking about “We the People in order to form a more perfect Union…”. Education is an inside and personal job.

The bed rock of our nation is individuality that is entitled to each of us as a law of nature. The fabric of our individuality is woven together by dependence on each other remaining independent. The more technology we use the more individual skills we need. There are a lot more parts to an iPad than a pencil and no one person can make either one of them.

Our nation’s strength is individuality. The common core of successful individuals, families, communities and nations is ethics, morality and integrity which are laws of nature from nature’s God. These are subjects no longer taught in K-12 compulsory education.

By: Kathleen Jasper

Kathleen Jasper — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 09:45:00 +0000

Thanks Dawn. It is going to take a lot of time to change the system. Students constantly ask for more space, less rigidness and more time to work on projects the love. Why not let them? Thanks for your comments!

By: Dawn Casey-Rowe

Dawn Casey-Rowe — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 01:29:46 +0000

Great post. The idea of making collaboration space is really good. I did teach at one “school w/o walls” and it was pretty loud for me, but if it was EdCamp style where students could really choose and engage at times, that’d be great. I’d love for them to get assignments, have teacher mentors, and learn extra things outside the cannon.

By: Kathleen Jasper

Kathleen Jasper — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 01:09:20 +0000

I love this perspective, Jim. You were not the only one who saw the one-room school house like this. In fact, on Facebook many teachers said the same thing. I see your point for sure. So glad you’re here reading and commenting. Your perspective has many valid points. I love what you say about the education super charger; it’s a great way to look at the school house.

By: Kathleen Jasper

Kathleen Jasper — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 01:04:57 +0000

No grammar judgement here, Jim. We all make mistakes. Sometimes I go back and read previous blog posts I’ve written and cringe!

By: Sam J Shelley

Sam J Shelley — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:00:44 +0000

It should be a dialogue and not a monologue. Although society seems to prefer a monologue most of the time. There seems to be an unwillingness to engage. I suspect their mind has locked them in a box and they are afraid of being seen as “wrong.”

By: Jim Oase

Jim Oase — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:35:32 +0000

Sure be nice to edit some of my grammar, structure and spelling.

Jim

By: Jim Oase

Jim Oase — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 15:30:35 +0000

I see one room schools differently. No grades, teachers hired directly by the community, generally older students acting as tutors. My experience with students who attended one room schools when they joined our main school classes is they were months a head of us.

On the playground, at home, any place but school we learn from mixed aged and skills groups. I look at one room school like environment as an education super charger. The youngest are taught buy those who learned that information before them. Two things happen, the younger person knows they will be the tutor next, the tutor will be asked a question that causes them to learn more about the subject.

Further everyone will learn ethics, morality and integrity because they will be counted on to learn and teach, a skill needed to become good parents of the next generation.

Where did grades and compulsory education come from? 1850s Prussia at the time Marx was active, which evolved into Germany and Hitler laws on education.

Why classes? In large part, immigrants. Classes make mass education work like mass production in a factory. Mass production works best when every products produced is the same. No one us We the People are like anyone else.

We have two consistencies, unique individuals and a common goal to survival. As humans joined humans in families, communities, states, and nations we learned to specialize, yet work together. Together we can make a pencil. Yet today, with all our knowledge and technology, no one individual can make a pencil.

One room schools can and have a history of training individuals.

We the People of our nation are dependent on remaining independent, unique individuals. We created a government of the people, by the people, for the people to insure our individuality.

Jim

By: John Harkness

John Harkness — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:28:38 +0000

RIGHT ON!!!!!
What a concept: Actually listening to students. That is almost as innovative as administrators listening to teachers.