A Review and Comparison of Three Educational Alternatives
by U.M. Schin
Tech Assessment Solutions, Inc.
Aug 2011
This article is a review of three educational models that are currently alternative to traditional education in the US. The basic philosophy of each is discussed briefly and a comparison is forthcoming.
Tech Assessment Solutions, Inc.
Aug 2011
This article is a review of three educational models that are currently alternative to traditional education in the US. The basic philosophy of each is discussed briefly and a comparison is forthcoming.
Virtual School
Virtual School (VS) is an online alternative to attending public school. VS is available in many school districts across the US and is free to students who reside in a participating school district. Parents register their child through the school district either as as a 'virtual' or 'home' education student, and the child is considered to be enrolled in school in the State funded school district. VS is generally available for children beginning with 6th grade. If a school district does not offer VS, parent may enroll in the K-12 online school and receive the same instructional services for a tuition fee. For more information, visit K-12.com.
VS teachers are employed by the school district and are State certified teachers. The program requires an assigned 'at home' learning coach, who is generally the child's parent or guardian. The Designated Learning Coach (DLC) is required to be present at the location with the child during the school day and to keep attendance records. The child is required to 'attend' school following the school district's schedule.
VS uses the public school curriculum. Parents register the child for classes in recommended courses. Teachers maintain websites with curricular resources and correspond with students by phone, email, and instant messaging. There are no textbooks or materials required, unless the child is enrolled in the K-12.com alternative program. In the school district program, all instructional materials are online. In the K-12.com program, all textbooks and materials are free (or included in the K-12 tuition). Exams are posted and completed online and grades become part of the child's official educational transcript. Students completing grade 12 can take the GED to earn a high school diploma.
Sudbury School
The Sudbury School philosophy is based on principles of democracy, individual freedom, and communal responsibility. Curriculum is completely emergent. Children are free to pursue any activity that they find interesting. Outside expertise may be provided to encourage further exploration. This review is of one particular Sudbury School. Because each school develops its own culture, experiences may vary at other school sites.
Attendance policies are driven by State requirements for school attendance, that is, so many days per year and so many hours per week. State health regulations require that staff keep each child's health records on file. The daily schedule revolves loosely around the child's participation on various task teams. There is an emphasis on personal responsibility for one's own actions. Disputes are handled and activities planned in regularly scheduled school meetings, in which each individual has an equal voice. Parent participation is encouraged.
When a child expresses an interest in something, staff may engage with the child, the child may explore the topic in whatever way they find, or outside assistance may be sought from a parent or other individual. There are no value judgments made about any activity. Children explore ideas until they lose interest or become engaged in something else.
Fairhaven School
Fairhaven School philosophy is based on John Dewey's ideas about education having its roots in a child's home life. The ideas that a child explores at home should be the basis for the child's education. Children and adults participate on high performance teams. It becomes the role of the adult to provide the child with an expert model of whatever idea the child is interested in. The child explores the expert model and develops the ability to imitate the model and identify parts in similar models (their own and those of peers) that are not likely to function as expected. The goal is the development of effective evaluation, problem solving, and communication skills...lifeskills for a Digital Age.
Children begin at an early age to develop a digital identity. They develop sophisticated skills in the appropriate and effective use of digital tools and web-based software, to accomplish goals that were not possible before the Internet. Expectations in the Fairhaven model are high. The ability to imitate a model, which is currently the basis for traditional education from PreK through higher education, is considered to be a lower-level pre-requisite skill in the Fairhaven curriculum. Learners are expected to have mastered the ability to select, analyze, and imitate an expert model at the early stages of skill development. Around the ages of 12 - 16, children are expected to begin developing higher order thinking skills, such as more sophisticated evaluation abilities and eventually the synthesis of original ideas.
Secondary education includes online enrollment in college level courses of interest, following a personal learning plan leading to a mastery level certification. Time is not a factor in the pursuit of personal learning goals. Learners progress at their own pace and share their work when they are comfortable that it meets pre-defined standards of expertise.
