Supporting Students to Ask More Questions May Narrow the Achievement Gap→

Lory Hough, writing for Harvard Ed. Magazine describes the finding of a study following 103 children aged 5 to 7 as they participated in a series of virtual science lessons, with one group being encouraged to ask questions and the other to listen carefully. The study aimed to determine whether encouraging children to ask questions or listen carefully would lead to greater learning and curiosity. Unshockingly, it did.

Furthermore, practice with question-asking was more beneficial for children with lower baseline knowledge, suggesting that question-asking shows promise for enhancing children’s motivation to learn and equalizing academic disparities.

Honestly, it's frustrating that we're still having this conversation: student-centered learning should not be a novel concept in 2023. And yet, there are still those who believe that this approach only “works” in advanced classes, or that it doesn't work for all students. This could not be further from the truth.

The Search for a Truly Individualized Education Model→

Chester E. Finn, Jr., writing for Education Next:

Let’s finally face the truth: Since kids move at different speeds, the amount of instruction that student Q needs in pursuit of mastery of a lesson, a unit, a 'grade level,' etc. will differ from the amount that student R needs, which means that, yes, they’ll face different quantities of schooling. That’s the alternative to the batch-processing of today’s age-based attendance-and-promotion systems. It means treating kids differently.

As much as I agree with the sentiment, there is still a lack of personalized learning models addressing the needs of all learners, particularly those at risk.

Online schools have made efforts to offer self-paced learning, but often fall short in providing the necessary support and resources for struggling students. These students may fare worse in online environments compared to traditional schools.

I am fully on board with the theory and the mindset that is required. We absolutely should have an education system that adapts to each student’s unique learning needs and provides the necessary resources and support to ensure their success. I’ve simply not seen it done effectively … yet.