GRANDE: New Thinking Creates Higher Learning

(Grande: Page 7)

By Todd Curran
Peter Senge, a scientist and director of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT said, “It is a tragedy that, for most of us, school is not a place for deepening our sense of who we are and what we are committed to. If it were, think of the lasting changes it would have made.” Peter was referring to our educational system when it was defined by chalk dust, urging students to regurgitate dates and places, teaching what to think rather than how to think. Fortunately, new thinking has educators developing programs that appeal to students who don't excel through traditional learning methods, and the programs are keeping more kids in school.
Kids at risk of dropping out of school are embracing alternative methods of education that work to these students' strengths or teach core subjects in a manner which the students are more receptive to. Known as The Airplane Guy, experienced educator Allan Gallant works with the Calgary Board of Education, the Calgary Separate School Division and home schooling groups across Alberta, using aircraft and flight as springboards to incredible learning experiences.
The Airplane Guy has created aviation themed programs that highlight a wide range of the Alberta Schools Curriculum. Not limited simply to Theory of Flight, Allan's programs explore History, Social Studies, English Literature and more by adapting his versatile material to specific student needs. “The results are remarkable,” Allan says. “The method is a fantastic trigger for the kids to really invest themselves in this learning time. They focus and it makes a huge difference in their learning.”
Allan's passion to empower youth with knowledge and teach them to be critical thinkers has led him to work with over 60,000 students of all ages and abilities. By attending schools, he delivers his innovative learning approach one classroom at a time. “In good schools and with good teachers, education is always growing,” he says. “I would like to start attending some smaller rural schools where I can reach all of the students at once. With all the transportation costs and logistics involved, bringing an expert into the schools is a much better investment of time and resources rather than bringing students to the expert.”
Educational innovators like Allan comprehend that the world is a different place than when we were in school. It changes so fast with technology and learning that the kids have to keep up and that can be a tough go for them sometimes. Understanding that our learning is ours to define and to create an educational system that values idealism, human connection and real, in depth learning, we will have to create it ourselves. Some kids simply need to be shown how to look at the world in a different way that engages them with wonderment, curiosity, imagination and even a little magic. It's this understanding that led to the creation of the Quest Program at Oilfields High School.
The Quest program was developed to target students not flourishing in traditional classrooms and keep them interested in high school. Twenty nine students are enrolled in the program, which provides academics through self-directed learning with the assistance of two full-time teachers. The students also participate in the Outward Bound program and will also start participating in job placements. Through this blend of classroom work and experiential learning such as field studies, class trips and outdoor education, the program is succeeding with increased attendance and better grades.
A snapshot of Oifields High School in May of 2006 would have indicated a lack of community and belonging within the learning community. Acts of vandalism and disrespect were frequent and many discipline issues were dealt with daily. There was declining academic success resulting in failing or low achievement among students.
As faculty efforts progressed, so did the learning culture in the school. Acts of vandalism and disrespect declined and the number of students performing acts of service increased. The community and parent voices acknowledging the positive shift in the school were evidence that the program was moving in the right direction.
The next step was to harness the passion for learning and to develop the curiosity, the knowledge, the skills and the courage to imagine and actualize a better world. The students acquire responsibility and personal development through active participation in the program, fundraising for their program as part of the ownership for their learning journey and attending three extended off campus expeditions.
Quest's service learning supports young people in discovering the positive impact they can have on their community and helps them discover the value giving to others has upon their own lives. Students need opportunities to develop their personal strengths and to determine where their strengths fit within the community. Through team and individual volunteering, they gain work skills and confidence in the work world, also securing a reference for future job searches.
In today's world, the demands on our educational system and consequences of failure are severe. As Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” The essential skills exceed the traditional educational staples of 'The 3 Rs” (of which, ironically, only one begins with R). Alternative learning programs developed by OHS or The Airplane Guy are increasingly needed to engage youth in multiple facets of learning, integrating principles of experiential education and maintaining interest and motivation for learning.
These are sink-or-swim times and our educators are leading by example with the abilities to learn, innovate, adapt and navigate the numerous paths of opportunity. Some people learn better by seeing and some learn better by doing, but life itself can be a learning experience for the curious mind.