Alternative Solutions to Traditional Education

One of the benefits that has come out of the development of the Internet is that individuals have become empowered to take control of their own education.  Along with this exciting development has come the realization that, as citizens in a global community, we are responsible to help others learn.  In recent years there has been a great deal of digital noise about the fact that our traditional education system is failing.  More and more students are falling into the category of needing special intervention in order to 'succeed' in school.  Across the US, teacher preparation programs are increasingly focused on 'Special Education' to meet the needs of diverse learners.  

In alternative 21st C education, focus has shifted from the teacher-centered, fixed time model of traditional education to the learner as manager  of his own learning.  The new model is learner center based on theories of cognitive apprenticeship, the new global business model of high performance teams, and emergent curriculum.  In the Fairhaven model the individual has taken on the responsibility for his own education, for seeking out the resources that will allow him to follow and explore his own interests. Teaching in this context is an activity that is common to all participants in a global learning community, as each individual provides access to resources that will contribute to the learning of others. Individuals engage at their own level of expertise, providing varying degrees of social navigation, coaching, and advocacy resources to a global community. Parents, members of the extended family, or friends serve as learning coaches, providing access to resources for the other team members. Learners move in and out of various project driven team opportunities, blending online and face to face experiences.  


Here is an article by Ron Miller about various pedagogical perspectives and learning movements that have emerged in the last century.   http://www.educationrevolution.org/blog/a-map-of-the-alternative-education-landscape/ 

ePortfolio as a new Learning Tool
ePortfolio is the newest genre to emerge from the development of the Internet.  Website authoring  and digital  relational database software provide powerful tools for the development of effective evaluation skills and data-driven improvement efforts, backed by standards based performance assessment. 

 









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