Note on the video: The debate actually starts around the 53 minutes mark. Also, with the video, my notes are pretty much not needed. However, I blog for my own learning as well, so it helps me makes sense of things after the fact.
This session was moderated by NPR All Things Considered journalist Robert Siegal. It took the form of a formal Oxford-style debate. Here are my raw notes, uncorrected and without thoughts.
“Bricks and mortar schools are detrimental to the future of education”
Audience poll before debate
for 37
against 63
mike horn up for first – for
schools modeled after factories. don’t look that different
“learning by definition takes place in a physical place” how we define a school
brick boundaries restricts learning experiences we might other wise provide
people learn the same way, have the same goals, etc. argues agaist
online learning holds the potential to pull from many different learning oppotunities.
research show online learning can work. hybrid and online learning shows great success
limit socialization to limited community – local monopoly
-distance not obstacle anymore
-communities not defined by distance anymore
-easy to learn from other places, not expensive anymore
-must have the ability to interact with others in a global audience
most Americans won’t work in a factory, why school that way
learning happens everywhere
world has changed, schools have not.
brad jupp
us dept of ed – senior advisor – against
-teaching machine – gizmo that made a light go on.
-school are necessary to get together to learn
-helps community grow
-toss things away before we are done with them
-schools are the vessels of the wishes of our democracy.
-hold together our community
-hold the old men like me that play basketball in the gym
-place of access or Internet
-center of community
-education is our generations greatest civil rights issue
-cannot leave the house of learning
Gary Stager – pepperdine university for
-problem lies with structure of school setup
-nclb = mid evil
-we are robbing kids of great learning experiences
-really going jugular
-need to make student focused learning experiences
-give kids some learning responsibility and that can change the relationship of student/teachers
-whiteboards encourage teacher in front of the room
-stop using “gadgets to sdo the same old things
-
Cheryl Lemke – against
-ceo metiry group
-not here to support the status quo
-here to support learning for all students
-social capital – reconnect student with local communities as well are global communities
-note one or the other. it is a conmbination that we need to provide our students
-need to redefine school to fit in today’s school
-students are not as self directed as they need to be
-nedd to build the ability to do this. teacher need to change for this
-students need to be connected to school. achievement go up research shows this
-distance learning doesn’t have this ability
-research suggest hybrid models work best
-need the briding to global audiences and environmnets and opportunities
-face to face is needed as well
-build capacity for those global connections in school
-need to be connected at home
-need bricks and mortar plus online
marshall thompson – walt whitman high school MD -
-going beyond bricks and mortar
-argument against the local place – we are not limited o having these learning experiences in a physical location.
-why does the learning have to happen in a physical space
-no longer limited
-can live in an international connected place
-why do I only have to learn with people at the local level
-education shouldn’t be limited to my local community
-need a global perspective
-need to have a basis for community argument
-look through bricks and mortar lens
-b and m doesn’t facilitate that
-don’t want to only learn for 8 hours a day
why does learning have to happen only in shcool
erik bakke – west Springfield high school – Springfield VA – against
-schools are crappy – feels an excitement to come in because of an excitement with learning other people
-we see classrooms are adapting to meets needs of different students
-have classrooms for students of different needs
-coming together in these classrooms create strong connections to local communities
-all student have one need in common – the need to work as a team – only through local group do we learn this skill
-through dedication of teacher that students gain love of learning and subjects
-take these into the work force
-it is through schools that you learn passions in life
-teachers inspire him to love life and learning
-my thought, do you need that in a b and m building?
gary stager up again – summation
-students don’t learn the same way
-not b and m support learning with diverse group of students
-scares the hell out of him that students don’t have ties to others out side of their small groups – age and of other diverse groups
-problem lies within the bankruptcy of our imagination
cheryl lemke up again – summation
-we need online learning
-doesn’t have to be at the expense of a location
-don’t want fathers schools
-need to reinvent the school
-if not school we will lose our local communities
-listen carefully to Obama about a speech at notre dame
-there is common ground no matter what side you are on
-time to open classroom doors. technology can augment
-need that personal connection locally and globally
audience questions
-dave wells – pre k principal VT
-q to horn – we have a teacher. how do we support teachers as facilitator, whereever teaching akes place?
-a – that is the role of PD
-we send teachers to PD that are lecture based
-need to be more “just in time”
-can’t be top down model
-question from isteconnects
-q 2 jupp – what will the end of b and m mean for the socialization of students?
-a – if we were to imagine schools away would have to imagine a social space to engage in social learning that schools construct
-current social situations aren’t as good, but need to change that, can’t do it without b and m buildings
-flase dilema to think it is one against the other side
-hybrid is the way to go
-question from audience
-jm from PA – for jupp
-b and m carry burden of the fear of lawsuit whether real or imagined. can b and m break away from this or will the weight crush them
-jupp paused. Laughter from crowd. Jupp needed clarity. Someone in his position should really understand the threats of lawsuits schools face.
-hadn’t thought of it in that manner
-teacher needs to be vigilant
-clear code of conduct
-have to be rave enough to think we can do it without misbehavior
-not argument from other side
-not really answered that well
Final vote
for 26%
against 74%
very surprising outcome
I think there was a big problem with the way the question was asked. It seemed the “against brick and mortar” side took the statement to mean that the way schools are set up now, currently works against our students. The “for brick and mortar” side took it as a question of should we have physical learning spaces. The arguments came across not on the same point. I think most agreed that there is nothing wrong with a physical space for learning. That is probably why that side seemed to win in the end. I wish the statement they were arguing about was a bit clearer. We may have gotten a bit better clearer debate. However, the points made by all participants were great and well thought out. Gary Stager was certainly the most entertaining if not most passionate about his convictions.
My thoughts on the matter? Local schools are a great place for learning. However, we need to be future focused and start designing what happens within the walls around current students needs. If that doesn’t happen then yes, bricks and mortar schools are a detriment to the future of education.
