The Brass Ring

My wife volunteers at a local elementary school where >90% are poor minorities.

There is a huge cognitive context of standards, benchmarks, tests, LMS systems, and published accountability tables. The State has labeled the school an “F” school based on the reading/math scores after the 2nd grade.

Her assignment is to get kids in the 2nd grade to pass the reading test. The teachers ask the students to read a book three times and then go to the computer to take the “test”. If they pass then they can go on to the next book. As a former computer science instructor myself, I appreciate the power of exams to motivate when some would rather play video games. Working hard is a good “behavior”. Yet this is not enough. These 2nd graders just don’t get it.

The small network of a single student working with my wife is a help. She is able to communicate the joy of reading and explains all the concepts the students have no idea about. Yesterday a boy thought a dentist was where you got ketchup (checkup). The students have to be given the possibility of “constructing” their own knowledge but something is missing.

How could Connectivism as a learning theory be of some assistence? I speculate that Connectivist theory would imply that simply expanding networks would help. Reading together in groups. Reading with parents. An on-line book available both at home and school. The Constructivists would then add writing a note(email, twitter) to Grandma. Talking about a book in class. Acting out a scene with several friends. And yes, an on-line quiz would be a chance to see some holes and celebrate. Not all Behavior implies failure.

Just a start. Any ideas?