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Interesting research project in India..

Sugata Mitra shows how kids teach themselves | Video on TED.com

Hi John,
Thanks for that link, it was lovely to see the kids so eager to learn from this new tool they had been provided with!

The best way to learn is through natural curiosity!

Really inspiring!

Violeta

Have you read Rogers work - Freedom to Learn. This book outlines a programme where children took responsibility for their own learning. It is a fascinating read and it certainly made me think. I read it while I was doing my teacher training, some years ago, and have had a passion for active learning ever since.

Wendy

Hey, Wendy,


I think I have some information which might be of interest to you. I was home schooled and then became an autodidact (self leaner). I also have several friends who have done, or are in the process of having a similar learning experience.

We have found that many people find it difficult to envisage how this might work for a child's entire upbringing and how risks might be mitigated.

If your interested and would like to ask me or any of my friends questions send me a message here and if you like we can arrange to chat in maybe an AIM client, I could tell you lots of stuff now but people generally have very personal questions so it's best to have a live conversation.

Alfie

Very interesting clip.

John, you posed the question as to whether children need teachers and the clip shows some really remarkable aspects of learning. You could argue that Sugata Mitra actually was their 'teacher'. Although the term 'teacher' is maybe a little stereotypical of a formal 'chalk and talk' style of practitioner, many 'teachers' do look at themselves as a 'learning facilitator' which certainly is a role in which the researcher Sugata Mitra playes in the clip.

I mentioned in a thread with Phil about grouping kids by their language styles rather than academic ability (or lack of) and putting the kids in an environment that faciliated 'guided discovery'. Many schools are getting better at offering less formal lessons to students but it is so very difficult to assess (I will refrain from mentioning SATS or league tables!) student progress and ability using the same approach. It is not impossible but assessment strategies are well behind learning strategies.

I have never seen this kind of thing done with fundamental IT skills. By the way, I really like his term ET, (Educational Technology) which really strips away alot of the hang-ups teachers have about using IT in facilitating learning.

Great clip,

Thanks john,

Matt

Depends on what you mean by the term "teacher".

For me, everything everywhere is a teacher. The plastic "wood" table in front of me taught me something about life a short while ago...

So in my case, I would say that for children (of any age) to learn, there must be some outside entity for them to learn from.

But the teacher doesn't have to actively be trying to teach anything in particular. And oftentimes, education works better if the teacher is just doing what they do best, and doing what they love, rather than trying to do something else (like what they're not so great at, and what they don't love :-)

When I describe my teaching style, in job interviews and otherwise, I tend to use the term "guide". I'm there to offer a variety of options for students to learn from and explore, while the students themselves are in charge of what interests them and what direction they want to go next.

Peace, Love, and Bicycles,
Turil

Isn't googling a part of the future of education, as Sugata hinself said he googled. Let your mind run free on the internet and let the learning commence, as well as some fresh air and activities, life's good!

I don't think the internet is the answer to everyhting, children, and adults learn by doing not just surfing. The internet is one of many tools which help children learn, but total reliance on this is as unhealthy as being a couch potato. In learning, as in life variety is the key.

A good teacher, facilitator or guide, whatever term is used will encourage variety by providing the children. or adults, with a wide range of activities and resources from whcih they make the choice.

Wendy

I'm not sure how exactly a person would come to have a specific terms of reference filter,but in terms of metaprograms,some people are more autodiactic,so some flexibility in this regard would be useful.

I go along with the question "what do you mean by 'teacher'?"

Children don't start out with anything except the physical requisites for learning, nevertheless we learn to walk and talk with little or no overt "teaching".

Or do we?

In fact kids learn to speak like the people around them. The same accent, the same pronunciation, and very often the same errors (defining words incorrectly, etc.) and mispronunciation.

So, a heavy-handed teacher may be a pain in the butt, and actually put children off learning. But children who were left with NO human teacher at all might end up just as badly off, albeit in a different way.

Be well

Andy B.