ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS

John Bronkhorst& Jan DekkerRadboud UniversityEdith Stein/OCTNetherlands

Is it possible to learn in total freedom? (Rousseau; romanticism)Nature educates.

Can people only learn in a structured environment? School?(Itard & Sequin; Herbart; Montessori)

Theodor Litt “Führen oder Wachsen lassen?” (1929)

Ivan Illich “Deschooling Society” (1960)

TopicsTopicsFundamental choices in education What is the main objective? What is your position?

What is reform education;Two other waves? Why?What schools are (still) working?

Alternative schools: what? Why?

Knowledge society and alternative schools

Results from research, and new sciences (neuropsychology, neurodidactics)

Fundamental choices.Fundamental choices.

Führen /closed Wachsen lassen; open

Herbart Rousseau

reform education

Peter PetersenHelen ParkhurstMaria MontessoriCélestin Freinet

Knowledge isobjectivedirect instructionScience: empirism

Knowledge is subjectiveConstructivismScience: case based

cultural transmission romanticism

Materialism(Aristoteles)

Idealism(Plato)

Waldorf school(Steiner)

LearningLearning Knowledge is Knowledge is

objectiveobjective Knowledge has to Knowledge has to

be transferredbe transferred Adults know what Adults know what

has to be has to be transferredtransferred

Direct InstructionDirect Instruction Empiric knowledgeEmpiric knowledge

Knowledge is Knowledge is subjectivesubjective

Knowledge Knowledge constructed by the constructed by the individualindividual

Cooperative work is Cooperative work is positive; role of peerspositive; role of peers

ConstructivismConstructivism Case based Case based

knowledgeknowledge

Reform educationReform educationNew Educational FellowshipNew Educational Fellowship

Basic pointsBasic points School situated at the countrysideSchool situated at the countryside Pupils have to be activePupils have to be active Pupils should choose their own activitiesPupils should choose their own activities School and family have to cooperate as School and family have to cooperate as

much as possiblemuch as possible discipline and order arise from structured discipline and order arise from structured

work situationswork situations authentic learning: like real life (or in) authentic learning: like real life (or in) learning is problem solvinglearning is problem solving

Why reformeducation?Why reformeducation?

Neo-romanticism end 19th century; more Neo-romanticism end 19th century; more freedom; no useless disciplin; back to freedom; no useless disciplin; back to nature, to the authentic, the pure nature, to the authentic, the pure

Socialism: being strong for the weakestSocialism: being strong for the weakest

WO-I: better society through education WO-I: better society through education (and possible role for schools)(and possible role for schools)

Who philosophy emphasis

Montessori liberalism Choosing M. learning materials;individual

Jenaplan(petersen)

humanism Education above teaching; group; community;

Dalton(parkhurst)

Pragmatic liberalism

Choosing Tasks;individual

Steiner Antroposophy

Work related to stages in life;No choices; idealism

Freinet Democraticsocialism

Democracy; self government;Personal experience as learning start

1920reform education 1970

seventiesanti-authoritarion

educationreform

sudbury valleysummerhill

tvindetc.

2000reform

home educationnew age

Socrates 4th century (BC)Comenius (17th century)Froebel (19th century)

Pestalozzi (19 th century)

Alternative schools….. A never ending story

Student protest: Middle class society Student protest: Middle class society

Materialistic; more freedom and less adaptation ; post modernMaterialistic; more freedom and less adaptation ; post modern

anti-autoritarian schoolsanti-autoritarian schools; hippy movement ; eastern relgions ; hippy movement ; eastern relgions (bagwhan, buddhism etc.);“all you need is love…” (bagwhan, buddhism etc.);“all you need is love…”

Vietnam war: better society; capitalism vs communismVietnam war: better society; capitalism vs communism

New socialistic and communistic experiments (china; cuba; New socialistic and communistic experiments (china; cuba; commune;commune;

Why a new educational revolution in the seventies?

New schools 1970New schools 1970

Anti-authoritarion education (neo-romantic; psycho-analytic)

Tvind (Denmark) Traveling as a model for learning;learning by comparing and doing

Summerhill school/England (romanticism)

Reggio Emilia

Laborschule Bielefeld (progressivism)

Sudbury Valley (USA) Rebecca Wild (Costa Rica)

Many others……

New New world orderworld order: collapse communism; need for new educational : collapse communism; need for new educational models, also in former Eastern countries; models, also in former Eastern countries;

Criticizing Criticizing schoolsystemschoolsystem; freedom on paper;not enough changes in ; freedom on paper;not enough changes in daily practice; learning has to be more authenticdaily practice; learning has to be more authentic

Learning outside school (Learning outside school (homeschoolinghomeschooling; ICT); lifelong learning; ; ICT); lifelong learning; J.I.T. ; global society; role of ICT in learningJ.I.T. ; global society; role of ICT in learning

Changes: school: more Changes: school: more educational instituteeducational institute, learning also at home, learning also at home

Better Better societysociety: war (Africa; Irak; Afghanistan, terrorism): war (Africa; Irak; Afghanistan, terrorism)

Schoolboards Schoolboards have to put themselves in front (competition)have to put themselves in front (competition)

Why a third wave around 2000?

Constructivist purposes and Constructivist purposes and designsdesigns

problem oriented activitiesproblem oriented activities visual formats and mental modelsvisual formats and mental models rich environmentsrich environments cooperative and collaborative cooperative and collaborative

learninglearning learning through explorationlearning through exploration authentic learning; authentic authentic learning; authentic

assessment methodsassessment methods

21th century21th century

Reggio Emilia (art as important Reggio Emilia (art as important factor)factor)

Rebecca and Maurizio WildRebecca and Maurizio Wild Sudbury Valley schoolSudbury Valley school Home school movementHome school movement Reform education revivalReform education revival New Age/idealismNew Age/idealism Netherlands: ‘het nieuwe leren’Netherlands: ‘het nieuwe leren’

1920 1970 2000 romanticism Tolstoi

v. Eeden Summerhill Sudbury valley

Iederwijs

Progressi-vism

Montessori Dalton Jenaplan Freinet

Tvind Laborschule EGO OGO

Wittering Romero Wonderwijs Fasenonderwijs

Art Julius Langbehn

Reggio Emilia

Holthuus Kindercentrum

Idealism Steiner (vrije school)

Communes

New wave

democracy Freinet Sudbury valley

Iederwijs (sociocratie)

ThreewavesIn the20th century

KNOWLEDGE

EXPERIENCE

Norms and values

General aims of the school

Specific aims of the school

Learning situations

Children/Students

What is the kernel of a good schoolconcept?

The new generation..The new generation.. Non linear thinkersNon linear thinkers Living in a global societyLiving in a global society multi taskingmulti tasking technologically fluent at a very young agetechnologically fluent at a very young age learning all the time; learning cooperative/ICTlearning all the time; learning cooperative/ICT controlling their mediacontrolling their media looking for “hard fun”, challenges, solving problemslooking for “hard fun”, challenges, solving problems no need for a step by step approach; figuring out the no need for a step by step approach; figuring out the

rulesrules high tech is my techhigh tech is my tech

Tapscott, D.: Growing up digital

Learning and ICTLearning and ICT

linear, sequential hypermedia learning

instruction construction

absorbing materials learning to learn

school lifelong

one-size-for-all customized

school as torture school as fun

teacher as transmitter teacher as facilitator

broadcast learning interactive learning

Teacher qualificationsTeacher qualifications Knowledge of learning processes Knowledge of learning processes Knowing the tools: e-mail, www, video-Knowing the tools: e-mail, www, video-

conferencing, multi-media, edutainment, conferencing, multi-media, edutainment, computoys.computoys.

Flexible didactical knowledge and Flexible didactical knowledge and attitudesattitudes

HelicopterviewHelicopterview Global awareness, knowledge and skillsGlobal awareness, knowledge and skills Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

Canadian Dutch Exchange (1995)E-zine

“My grandpa was in your country duringthe war. He mentioned the townof Groesbeek. Do you know it?

His friend died there, during a Germanattack….”

Melvin, 11 year, Toronto

Educational futureEducational future

What will education look like in 2030?

Same educational concept all over Europe Or all over the the world?

Same kind of schools in every country?

Same kind of content in every country?

Teachers able to work in all countries?

Or still in the footprints Or still in the footprints of…..of…..

“In the footprints of Comenius…”From Naarden to Uhersky Brod..”Preparation by using ICTmaking a multimedia product writing an article in a periodical, using ICT

A rich learningenvironment; meetingComenius, Froebel,Petersen, Lutherand many more.. Sharing theheritage of famous educators

Naarden, where Comenius is buried Uhersky brod, where Comenius was born

Assignment/taskAssignment/task

*Choose for one or more Alternative schoolsand write a report on it (description page 8)First wave-Second wave-Third wave

*Compose a map of educational changes, including school concepts mentioned, for an European region with a short description of the changes (aims and causes)

* Compose a map of educational changes, including school concepts mentioned, for your own country with a description of the changes (aims and causes) and the connection with the educational system and the teacher training education