School in the 21st Century

In the midst of these chaotic times, with COVID-19 moving education to online forums all over the world, I started to imaging what a successfully integrated 21st century school would look like.

I believe the answer lies in our psychology. We gravitate to things that give is pleasure. Learning is hard and doesn't give immediate positive feedback. But video games are fun while encouraging us to spend inordinate amounts of time solving puzzles and practicing things ad nauseum just to get to the next level. Can we harness our love of video games to build the school of the 21st century?

I see a video game universe with quests and Easter eggs and entertainment that has integrated lessons, with automatic progress tracking for every student Teachers won't have to spend inordinate amounts of time on repetitive tasks like grading, lesson planning, and assignment creation. Instead each child could have an individualized learning experience where they are limited only by their imagination. They could explore a vast network of information that is formatted in a way that makes them want to keep going.

This is not science fiction. This is possible with existing technology. This cold be cheaper than current school models while increasing the quality of our education system, and teachers and students lives. It would free up teachers to spend time with kids one on one and advocate for them. It could mean every child gets the attention they need to flourish.

Submitted March 19, 2020 at 11:27PM by sparklpuppy https://ift.tt/33z9kkT