Studio Schools Remix Vocational Education for a New Generation
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
From Good.is This is a tantalizingly exciting teaser article and video (TED.com) about a radical reshaping of what we used to consider vocational schools, in England. It’s spreading there quite rapidly and I for one, can’t wait to hear and see more.
The founding group has attempted to wrestle with and address two fundamental problems in education and society: 1. Many teens are bored and tuned out from school. They’re failing and disinterested and they don’t see any relation between school and the real world. Further, they’re disenfranchised because they don’t see jobs at the end of their school story. 2. The second problem is that employers feel too many kids come looking for work with a lack of skills, including their attitudes towards work and fitting into a team.
Studio schools operate by having 80% of the schooling take place out from behind desks. The idea of a studio is a place where learning and real work happen together and gets integrated. Working on real projects on small teams in areas such as engineering, creative and media industry, tourism and health care are some of the examples they cite.
From the sounds of it, they’re getting great results.
We need something different.
This looks like an excellent idea and it’s quite different from what American businesses have been asking for, it’s more like what many art schools in the US were doing when I was in school in Oregon.
This kind of thinking is lacking here in the US and I’m afraid with our highly polarized society who blames everyone but themselves for all problems we’re a long way from doing it.
I figured you’d like this Richard.
They’re working so they’re spreading. Right now we don’t have the political will to do much of anything except stake out ideological territory. The structure of the studio schools sounds a bit like our charter schools.
Maybe one day.
Sandy: after seeing that talk I am soooooo very glad I’m out of the educational consulting business. There is no way on earth a country as messed up as ours could ever come close to understanding what these people understand about learning, motivation, and all of this leading to work. We are so messed up here…. Ugh.
Richard,
Yes, I know it’s not a pretty picture. The thought of leaders agreeing on much of anything is not a reality at present.
My source of inspiration about education comes from local and grass roots efforts that are admittedly few, but that’s where it begins.
Some of the therapeutic schools for struggling teens are trying and implementing new approaches.
A residential treatment center I recently visited uses arts of all kinds as the main vehicle for therapy and expression. Another uses triathalons and engages in bike preparation and repairs as a major tool.
Public Schools and the bureaucracy attached however, is another story. Stuck and rooted in seat ‘em and bore ‘em.