Return to the One Room Schoolhouse (on Steroids)

Return to the One Room Schoolhouse (on Steroids)

During a recent trip to Boogersburg School with my son and his 3rd grade class, it struck me that the type of activities that we are aiming to perform on a tablet PC are similar to the tools available in the old days (and since have seemed to disappear). While in a spelling lesson at the school, the teacher asks the students to take out there slate (not a slate computer, but the old style slate with chalk). The students would use their slate to practice their spelling words (and then erase them), and then draw maps for geography (and then erase them). After performing each activity, they were asks to hold up their slate so the teacher could see their work. They were all proud to do so.

There were some other interesting concepts that the one room schoolhouse model contained that seem to have become almost extinct. One was the role of student as a teacher. In the schoolhouse which had students from grade 1 to 8, the older students would help younger students. With our current segregation by grade and specific topic, opportunities to take advantage of the 'learning by teaching' concept are limited. The school also had many families with multiple siblings in the class. This was also good for older children teaching younger children.

The schoolhouse in general was an excellent learning opportunity for the children to learn about true sustainability. They did not waste items. They did not use paper (instead the slates), they were careful to conserve water (primarily because they had to walk to the nearby farm to get water), they used natural ventilation in the building, and they even had a very early model of the waterless urinal (an outhouse).

While we have come a long way in education, sometimes we may wish to reflect on what we have given up in the process, and take advantage of the past...