Ken Robinson makes a case for changing education paradigms, and Daniel Pink, author of Drive, says that the age we are in requires “a renaissance of self-direction.” To achieve this, the bells have to be eliminated, as emphasized in the film Beyond Measure. People involved with democratic schools and unschooling are giving us visions of how this new paradigm looks. The challenge is to apply these visions to public education.
In his video titled Creative Alberta, Peter Gamwell, a superintendent with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), says that the welcomers of the rebirth of public education are looking for the right midwife. OPERI believes that a workable midwife is staring us in the face, but that we are failing to see it. It’s based on the alternate programs run by the OCDSB to recover and retain students at risk. These programs do not have bells, students are considerably more in control of their learning, and teachers working as facilitators are better able to apply the Principles of Learning and form stronger relationships with students.
These alternate programs are focused on students getting credits to graduate, but an education is about much more than getting credits. The CHIP program provides an example of how the alternate programs can be expanded to provide a well-rounded education. Imaginative people can build on CHIP and turn our schools into learning hubs that every child wants to attend, and OPERI will be doing what it can to aid the process.
The description of CHIP, along with the anecdotes and testimonials by a student and parents give a starting point for the rebirth of public education and kindle the hope that we are finally on the cusp of an exciting new era for students.
OPERI has much work to do to illuminate the role of the midwife, but making a difference will be in the hands of ordinary people and innovative educators who decide the time for change is now.