Barefoot In the head

If you think so....

My Photo
Name:
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom

I am around if you are around.

Sunday, August 31, 2014


From the
Hole In The Wall
to the
School In The Cloud
The story so far....



Experiments
1999-2014


The Hole in the Wall

Groups of children can learn to use computers and the Internet by themselves,
If they are left unsupervised





Later experiments 

Groups of children can learn almost anything using the Internet







 This kind of learning happens in unstructured, unsupervised and free environments



Why did we not have this before?

Schools of the 19th century were meant to produce soldiers, clerks and factory workers

There were no telephones, computers or the Internet

Creativity would adversely affect the smooth operation of Empires



This

is meant to produce these people


but we still have them!





SOLEs



Self Organised Learning Environments can be created inside schools




Creating a SOLE

One computer with Internet for every four children

Children make their own groups around each computer

They can talk to each other and to other groups

They can walk around

They can change groups if they like.

They research a Big Question


Create the 'Edge of Chaos' in the classroom and you will get Emergent Order






The ‘Granny Cloud’




Children react well to encouragement

Children exceed targets if encouraged

Children like to show off to a friendly adult




A New Primary Education

Convert the curriculum into questions

Preferably, questions to which no one has an answer

Change assessment from factual recall to creative expression of ideas

Look for methods of problem solving rather that the application of memorized procedures

Use SOLEs as a major pedagogic method where children find their own answers




                            SOLE+Granny Cloud+Big Questions






This can be built anywhere


It is a space, not a school


It may produce people


for offices like this....




Will this improve:

 Reading comprehension?

Critical thinking?

Creativity?

Self confidence?

Searching skills?


We think so, and are collecting the evidence….