Adapting education

I recently watched a story on the news that was about the need for more space for students. It raised in my mind a concept that I have not yet heard much about but feel it may have some relevance and effectiveness during these times. I am not, and will not pretend to be, someone who intimately knows the difficulties of modifying a system that is already in place but I do think that an alternative to the struggles our educational professionals and the facilities might be something to look into.

A proposal I would offer is that we divide the system into part classroom learning and part online lessons where students would be offered classroom sessions for half of the week, and online courses for the remainder of the week. For example; in the first week the student would attend classes Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and they would have online learning on both Thursday and Friday. There are most likely several different formulas for this equation that may prove more effective but a regular system that cooperates with both online and classroom learning could be achieved, taking the pressure off of those school districts that are in want for more physical buildings.

By adapting to this modified learning format we could not only possibly allow for; smaller class sizes providing more one-on-one attention between students and teachers, lessen the need for more schools to be built as often as needed now, still being able to have the social construct of the classroom where students learn social skills, and having a structured system that allows the parents to create a solid schedule to allow them the consistency to be able to work uninterrupted. I have heard the concerns about young children needing the social learning to properly develop the skill set that will assist them in the rest of their lives, and this concept aides to that because it is an important time for those skills to develop, but it also limits contact with others which is something that needs to be priority during the current pandemic. Under this model students would still experience social environments where moral and behavioral learning could occur, while also teaching responsibility while not immediately supervised by a teacher but still being required to do the work (not unlike homework). For older students this model would also allow them to be able to effectively manage a school/work schedule which is something many students can find challenging.

I am not sure if this is something being considered as a long term solution to a short term problem, but I know that if such a procedure had been an option when I was in school I likely would have opted for that option. I know that every student has different needs and some function better in a classroom environment, others can excel learning on their own. This is why proposing a combined system that allows the students to thrive in the environment that assists them best in their learning experience is something that I strongly feel should be considered.

Cadence Moon