Designing Schools for WeKids

By John Steinberg and Christer Westlund

Designing schools for WeKids urges a new purpose of education: Creating meaning for students and value for the community.

When schools, parents and the local community dedicate themselves to the higher aim of developing responsible citizenship, schools will benefit both the student and society. When schools, parents and the local community dedicate themselves to the defense and development of democracy, the content and process of education will become much clearer. Designing schools for WeKids claims that educational transformation is both necessary and possible. There is optimism because there are signs that educational transformation has already begun.

 

Each chapter demonstrates how superintendents, headmasters/principals, school politicians and teachers can design the elements of a new learning environment. This transformation is not primarily technology based. The transformation taking place around the globe is a change in perspective about the purpose of schools, the result of brain-based research about learning, and a realization that a new age needs new solutions.

Introduction

School Inspectors From Planet Edu

WeKids Are Here

The Seven Higher Aims of Education

The Question Park

The Three Modes of Teaching

The WeSchool Construction Company

Alignment – When Purpose and Action Come Together

Design Your Own School for WeKids

 

John Stienberg, Ph.D is the author of 55 books on education, leadership and values. Christer Westlund is the author of twelve books on personal leadership, communication, study methods and learning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Steinberg
• Release date: Apr 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223181002

John Steinberg

How to become an even better teacher, leader or communicator. How to teach teachers to teach and trainers to train. How to improve leadership in schools and businesses. How to enhance learning in the classroom and at work. The purpose of teaching and leading and knowing your purpose. Personal development for teachers principals/headmasters/managers. School and organizational development. Alternative learning strategies. Alternative schooling. I have a passion for pedagogy... Teaching is an art, science, and political statement, at least if you are trying to save and improve democracy. Knowledge is the key. Understanding how you are influenced and influenced others is crucial. I am an educational psychologist, Ph.D., and the author of 55 books and 20 e-books. My books and interests include education, teaching, leadership, values education, classroom management, communication - and now even e-book publication. I was born in the USA but have lived in Sweden all my adult life, where I have worked at Örebro university, as an elementary school principal and run my own education and publishing company since 1984. My life theme is empowerment and as I usually say "I train trainers to be trainers and teachers to be teachers, and leaders to lead." My main passion is for learning and how to help individuals and groups learn. I do lectures in both English and Swedish. www.steinberg.se is my Swedish website. Yes, there is an English section too. I also have do The Empowerment Talk Show. Look it up on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIipUkghgIBCIgH413k4Gt7Mzfeeu7wPv I am in the process of producing a series of short books for educators, leaders, trainers and communicators.

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Introduction

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Ask yourself the following questions:

What kinds of citizens are needed to best be able to preserve and develop our democracy?

What kinds of schools and communities best help students and staff to discover, develop, and take advantage of their talents?

How can a school foster the type of collaboration that is needed to build both a just and entrepreneurial society?

How can schools enhance trust, civility, and collaboration, the foundations of democracy?

These are questions that need to be asked – bluntly and urgently.

Why this sense of urgency? Today, society is confronting great challenges – challenges concerning the environment, health, our means of governing, our forms of education, our ability to collaborate despite differences of culture and belief as well as our sense of safety.

When schools find a proper balance between individualism and collaboration (me and we), between traditional culture and student interests, between teacher initiatives and student initiatives they move towards more relevancy and value.

A school for WeKids gives a sense of hope, a belief in the future and the skills needed to play a constructive role in improving society.

Designing schools for WeKids urges a new purpose of education: Creating meaning for students and value for the community.

When schools, parents and the local community dedicate themselves to the higher aim of developing responsible citizenship, schools will benefit both the student and society. When schools, parents and the local community dedicate themselves to the defense and development of democracy, the content and process of education will become much clearer.

Designing schools for WeKids claims that educational transformation is both necessary and possible.

There is optimism because there are signs that educational transformation has already begun. Each chapter demonstrates how superintendents, headmasters/principals, school politicians and teachers can design the elements of a new learning environment. This transformation is not primarily technology based. The transformation taking place around the globe is a change in perspective about the purpose of schools, the result of brain-based research about learning, and a realization that a new age needs new solutions.

It is easy to be an optimist just looking at the curious eyes of an infant eager to experiment and explore.

It is easy to be an optimist looking at the curious eyes of a child in his or her first year or two at school, eager to learn.

It is easy to be an optimist looking at the eyes of a teenager yearning for a sense of meaning, purpose, and righteousness.

It is easy to be an optimist looking into the eyes of a young adult about to embark in a program of higher education, a first job or a first entrepreneurial challenge with a belief in a better future.

It is easy to be an optimist looking into the eyes of a teacher longing to make an impact, longing to bring out the best in each individual, longing to create a sense of cohesion in his or her group.

It is easy to be an optimist looking into the eyes of a new parent and seeing love, caring and sense of knowing that one’s life has a new purpose, something greater than just living for one’s self.

It is easy to be an optimist looking into the eyes of the tens of thousands of entrepreneurs around the globe, eager to build enterprises not only for profit but also for the benefit of citizens wherever they may be.

Most of the elements of transformation are already present.

The knowledge: There is more knowledge than ever about how the brain functions and about the importance of motivation, metacognition, drive, collaboration as well as the impact of meaning and value.

The urgency: Not all, but a growing number of citizens, are quite aware that our current system of education is in the midst of a deep crisis.

The sense of necessity: Not all, but a growing number of citizens, are quite aware that global challenges need to met collaboratively.

The tools: The connectivity necessary for increased collaboration through digital tools, while not in place in each and every country, is growing rapidly.

The basic institutions: While we can argue that the institution of school is not currently adapted to the needs of the future, the basics are in place in most countries. Children go to school to be met most often by trained teachers and mentors.

The children: Children and young adults already possess the lust to learn and grow and understand learning is no longer limited to one place, at a certain time, with certain people in a certain way.

New teaching methods, new technology or even new school buildings will not in themselves renew the educational system. Renewal happens as society gives schools a new, higher purpose. Renewal happens when there is an understanding of the importance of creating value for both students and the local community. Renewal happens when there is an understanding of the importance of collaboration to reach aims higher than test scores and grade averages.

Our purpose as authors is to give you hope, courage and faith in the journey to educational renewal – as well as key principles, models, and examples.

Let’s start the journey.

Join us and others gathering information about educational transformation. At the end of each chapter in Designing Schools for WeKids there will be suggestions for what is called Behavior-Based Learning challenges. Each chapter is part of a three-step mini-course with three tasks to complete, one each week, in order to confront and explore the concepts presented. For example, you might be asked to interview a student or former student or experiment with a pedagogical method. There will also be suggestions for reflective discussions among colleagues, parents and with your students at the end of each chapter. Engage colleagues, friends, parents, students and do all you can to also engage administrators and school politicians, so important to setting the agenda for learning and schooling. Grammar checks and feedback appreciated! Contact: [e-mail], [e-mail].

1.

School Inspectors From Planet Edu

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Pretend that you are a school inspector visiting planet Earth from planet Edu to learn how Earthlings organize learning for their fellow Earthlings. You wonder about their assumptions about learning and their rituals and traditions. You look at the patterns and behaviors that make up their school system and draw some conclusions about their beliefs and priorities.

Time

Earthlings are very concerned about time. There are clocks in almost every room, at home, at work, and at school. In these places they call schools, time is of utmost importance as the day is divided up into specific segments, often between 40 and 60 minutes each. Almost every school in every nation opens up around 8 AM in the morning, and the children go home sometime between 2 and 4 PM. The teachers often give assignments or tasks with strict time constraints saying things like, You have ten minutes to do this, or This paper shall be presented in two weeks, or You have 45 minutes to complete this test. It is as if Earthlings believe that time restrictions are crucial to learning and motivation.

Place

Earthlings also seem to be very concerned about the place where learning and teaching take place. All over their planet they have built buildings specifically for learning and teaching. While they seem to recognize that some things can be learned outside of these places they call schools, there seems to be a general agreement that the most important learning takes place in physical buildings, specific rooms and behind tables or desks. Sometimes they even call these places homerooms though they hardly ever look like homes. Indeed, they seem to be so concerned about teaching and learning taking place in these schools that some countries make it illegal to spend time learning at other places. The children have to go to these schools. Yes, they are let out every once in a while, to go on a field trip or to another part of the school, but the school and a specific classroom seems to be a central part of the way learning is organized. Occasionally they use distance learning but often the students are asked to do the same types of tasks as they would do in school.

Another interesting thing is that Earthlings must surely believe that learning takes place in groups of about 20 to 40 students at a time. Rich countries tend to have relatively small groups. Poorer countries have larger groups. These groups are determined by the age of the students, not by their interests, abilities or needs. Most of the time they go to buildings that are very close to where they live. This is convenient, apparently, but means that groups are formed after the income of the parents living in the same area. This doesn't seem to disturb Earthlings very much because little is done about this.

Content

What do these children and young people do at school? What are they supposed to learn? That seems to be very much predetermined. Every once in a while, a teacher asks what the students wish to learn, but the teachers feel very restricted by something they call a curriculum. That’s a document that elderly people write far away in a big building in the capital city of the country, region or state that explains