I came to the Asian Region to take up a teaching position in 2005 and found myself in a similar position in terms of having to leave with what little sanity I had left after a year of being a square peg in a round hole. I had gone from a shifting school with a 1:1 program and a curriculum being reveiwed to allow for a constructivist approach to a school that had an incredibly rigid curriculum and no room for personalised learning.

Two and a half years later, I am spending my days working with educators and supporting them to try to make a difference in the lives of their students, often through the carefully thought out use of technology in the classroom. To put it simply, I love what I do on a daily basis and feel that I am beginning to make a real difference.

It is not all good, however. I struggle to develop a model to ensure that I make a living out of what I do. I find myself selling hardware and software in addition to working with teachers as many schools in this region have a problem getting over the fact that you are a classroom consultant yet you are not with a University. The “Master and his disciple” model is still quite a dominant one in this region. Only yesterday I had to listen to a university academic tell a K-12 school what they should do in remodelling a school for 21st Century Learning. I had to bite my tongue many times, especially when I heard all about the RFID system for the library and the Video conferencing equipment with very little in the way of support for teachers and kids in the classrooms. (Good thing it was in Cantonese!)

I look forward to hearing more of what you do in the future. It is not “easy” but it is enormously satisfying.

Aim high!

Cheers

Paul

But what I find distressing is that students, by the time they reach the last years of high school, are so conditioned to be students, they resist the freedom to learn when offered it.

In any case, thanks a million for the very thoughtful addition to this thread.

It gave me a new perspective of looking at the dilemma of formal schooling from the teachers’ perspective.

On another note, though I realize that the students’ side of the story has commonly been elaborated in the many discourses on the subject, if I were to rewrite Clay’s post from that side, here’s how it would probably look like:

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~ On Leaving Studying to Become Students | Beyond Schools ~

More and more I wonder: is school a good place for students to learn what matters for their lives and to the future of the world?

Is there a way to leave the daily farce of classes, tests, homeworks, rigid schedule and uninspired teachers within the framework of a grade-oriented curriculum with little relevance for leading a good life, and one geared more to conform with the flawed value/social-political-and-economic systems of our world rather than teach us how our life can leave a far more positive mark in the world?

I’m thinking yes. I’m quite sure I no longer want to study in schools, though some rare breed of school can surely help me in my studies. All in all, I’d rather study by myself and with others, beyond schools.

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I’ve found a wonderful home for that we call the internet, and would love to see it’s many characteristics and tools for learning incorporated more systematically in formal schooling at all level.

I also long for a day when studying through formal schooling can reflect a UNESCO publication I read a while ago called “Learning - the Treasure Within”, and other more progressive views on how schools should be. And perhaps, have schools change to reflect a yet-to-be-invented English word that means both teaching and learning.

Not sure how this adds to this wonderful post and discussion, but was just wanting to put my thoughts down here.

Best wishes and be well,
Bowo

Wibowo Sulistio’s last blog post..What is Sustainability?

I am working on a new educational model (www.affectedclapping.net), which would never have taken off if not for my experiences teaching, however.

Lee’s last blog post..Teaching Teachers: We Sure Can be Stubborn (Especially with Tech.)

Thanks so much for your quick and enthusiastic reply. I’m glad to have found my way here, and would be very glad to chat with you via Skype.

Ask away!!