Purpose of Schools Assignment

In the discussion forums for the last two weeks, Sir Ken Robinson and Seth Goodin challenged us to think differently about what the purpose of school is.  Seth suggests that students should be able to watch lessons at home and meet with the teacher during the day to engage in deep conversation answering questions from the video and not simply sitting in class listening to a lecture.  In fact, Khan Academy (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. is considered an innovative flipped classroom model that has taken this strategy to scale across America.

In the video, Salman Khan: Let’s Use Video to Reinvent Education (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., Salman Khan, the developer of Khan Academy discusses how shifting lectures to video provides a way to revolutionize education by making learning accessible anytime, anyway, and anyplace.  On the contrary, the video What if Khan Academy Was Made in Japan? (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. suggests that Khan Academy reinforces the American model of learning, which continues to focus on the idea of watching a lesson and practice the skill.  After you watch both videos, think about the focus of this week’s reading: delivering effective lessons that connect your students to learning.  How do you reconcile the two different perspectives on learning exhibited in the videos?  What relevance do you see in each perspective? In what ways, if any, does either approach to teaching and learning reflect constructivism?  If you were asked to pick a side to support, which strategy would have a greater impact on ensuring students master twenty-first-century skills?  Explain your thinking.

Professor: Constructivism is a theory of learning in which the individual uses personal past experiences to connect and build on their concept of new learning. The pathway for each learner may look different. It is considered a middle ground between direct instruction (content is told)  and behaviorism (content is learned).

Part of this Discussion Question is asking you to consider if either approach to teaching and learning shares constructivist views. Get Social Science help today