Being Progressive

While Orchard is a progressive school, the question the school and its teachers grapple with every day is "How progressive are we--and should we be?"

The reality is every school and every teacher move around on the progressive-tradtional continuum (see below): no school or teacher is "purely progressive".

Traditional-Progressive Continuum

Traditional……………………………………………………Progressive

Behavioralism……………………………………………….....Constructivism

Emphasis on Academics Only………………………………....Emphasis on Whole Child

School Imparting Society’s Values…………………………......School Changing Society

Teacher Centered……………………………………………….Child Centered

Teacher Directed………………………………………………..Student Directed

Teacher-Generated Homework………………………………....Student-Generated Homework

Assessment through Tests/Quizzes………………………..........Authentic Assessment

Breadth……………………………………………………….....Depth

Separate Disciplines…………………………………………......Integration or Interdisciplinary

Set Curriculum for All…………………………………………...Differentiated Curriculum

Tracking……………………………………………………........Flexible Grouping

Individual……………………………………………………......Collaborative

Product…………………………………………………………..Process

Memorization…………………………………………………....Access Information

Isolated Facts………………………………………………….....Conceptual Understanding

Extrinsic Motivation……………………………………………..Intrinsic Motivation

Competition……………………………………………………...Cooperation

Regardless of whether a school views itself as being more on the progressive or traditional side of the continuum,  it does want to equip its students with "21st Century Skills", which include collaboration, character, communication, creative and critical thinking. These are the skills needed to be successful in the today's workplace.

I feel these skills are better developed within a progressive educational environment than a more traditional one.

In the past few weeks, I have seen a number of short videos on ways schools can be more innovative and better develop 21st Century skills in students.

One explains what is meant by project-based learning: Click

The other two are Ted Talks: one focuses on a new way to teach: Click. The other focuses on what education will probably look like in the not too distant future: Click

Each one in its own way is inspirational.

Watch and enjoy!

Joe