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Monday, September 27, 2010

Bricks, clicks and civics — Joanne Jacobs

Bricks, clicks and civics — Joanne Jacobs

Bricks, clicks and civics

In a post on "hybrid schools" that combine "bricks and clicks," Larry Cuban warns that efficiency isn't the only goal: Schools are not "information factories." In some ways, the new hybrid schools are fulfilling progressive educators' dream of student-centered learning, he writes. Digital lessons are "hand-crafted to fit students for part of or most of the day," while teachers coach students on what they've learned or teach a few traditional lessons. There are fewer teachers and therefore lower costs. But techno-enthusiasts' view of public schools is too narrow, Cuban argues.
They equate access to information with becoming educated – more of one leads to more of the other. These very smart people ignore other crucial and purposes public schools have served