Another School Year Into The Future

Today's child has been exposed to a vast array of technological gadgetry and, many times, a myriad of early school programs, even before his formal entry into kindergarten. ... Has the time arrived to modify, re-sculpt and re-structure the public school system to reflect the diverse nature and early experiences of its newest clientele? Has the hierarchy within this complicated public school system lost its touch with the new 'learning' reality? (Whose idea was it to cancel recess - a few years back?) How many symposiums are necessary and when should thinking 'outside the box' become de rigueur?...


We have home-schooling, un-schooling and public education, in addition to private and religious education.  In some jurisdictions in Ontario, Canada, non-Catholic students are being admitted into some Catholic schools. This school system is an appealing choice for many as it seems to incorporate the qualities of compassion, morality, caring and high standards. Getting back to basics is such a cute catch-all phrase intended to bring us all back to a place where good things used to happen. Maybe they did. Can the best of a former period of educational history co-exist with today's modern day approaches? (Making modern-day pies still makes use of old time recipes from the past. We revel in finding grandma's recipes, it seems.)


Some fundamentals never change, such as counting to ten, to 100, to 1,000. The multiplication tables set the stage for 'higher' mathematics beginning with the two times, the three times and four times tables. ....Then there is percent, fractions and other forms of fun. Nothing has changed, there, except, the method of instruction. Why complicate protocols? If simple methods are the norm, then let it be.  (Working with calculators is fine when in the express lane at the grocery store.) ... What happens when the 'cute little assistant' is not working or is lost in the snow? Our minds can become crippled by its absence. Reading sets the stage for all learning. It is a simple act, done repeatedly, without complications. But what happens if our reading plans do not seem to be helping the child in this critical learning journey? Then what? Perhaps, we take a 'leave of absence', removing the child from the structured world of words ( language, reading) to immerse him in the simple world of music. (songs, singing, dance.)

Music and dance form an incredible duo in the art of teaching language, reading and math., too. The child listens to the words imbedded in the carefully scripted musical notes called songs. Reading is the art of moving words on a page. But in a song, reading becomes the action set to music, that helps create the story. ... Language exists in music. ... What is wrong with Karaoke? We do it all the time, one way or another, during the course of our day. In the song- 'When the Love Runs Out” by One Republic, we hear incredible music and lyrics to a story. In “Colourblind”, by Glen Morrison and Andrew Cole, another story is told about the human condition, how alike we all are. Music is much like the teacher in that it sparks creativity and can instill a love of language, while sending its message or telling its story, in a melody. ...

Today, movement for learning for at-risk children is more important than ever. We seem to be moving much less than in the past. Once upon a time, some  educational jurisdictions thought it prudent to cancel recess for young children. The time saved would help these young students academically. Wrong! It was misdirection on a grand scale! (Who was steering the boat, anyway?)Inertia is counter-productive for children mentally, physically and  for their learning health. ... All children require interactive play for learning to occur.  It must be standard operating procedure. ... It is a critical first step towards a healthy, happy, successful life!

In Ontario, Canada, the implementation of full-time kindergarten and the introduction of junior kindergarten have produced a hardier, intellectually superior child, sometimes surpassing the grade 1 curriculum towards which all are working. Our modern day child is advancing the elementary school curriculum. Change is in the air. It cannot be stopped. ...Will primary grades even exist in their present format, years from now? The internet, pre-school learning centres and all-day kindergarten have changed the rules of the game of education. It is simply not just another day, another school year, anymore. ...

Back in the day, there was the one room school house, a rustic, simple almost primitive form of housing, with one teacher dispensing 'learning' to all children, in her care. Times have changed, of course. It would seem to make sense to re-visit our past, in light of our present day educational system, and perhaps re-think today's educational structure and goals. It certainly would not hurt, and maybe, just might enlighten us to a new way of educating all children, equally. ...