Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
What do students want?
Ethan Patrick reckons the future of education is already upon us.
‘‘The way we do school is already changing,’’ Ethan says, considering his six years at Blenheim’s Witherlea School.
The 11-year-old and his classmates have the freedom to plan their own timetables.
They all do maths together in the mornings, but afterwards they choose when to do writing, grammar and inquiry projects.
‘‘It’s called self-directed learning,’’ Ethan explains.
‘‘I like writing and grammar best, but it depends where I’m at with my subjects. I can catch up on things I’m behind with by doing them first.’’
He uses Google Docs for writing assignments, and Google Sheets for maths on a spreadsheet.
One day, Ethan expects tests will all be done on computers, and not with pencils and paper, he says.
Marlborough Boys’ College student Henry Thompson agrees, hoping one day his handwriting will not get in the way of a good essay.
‘‘It’s much easier to communicate ideas by typing.’’
But a more flexible classroom will be the most obvious change in the future, he says.
‘‘I think we will be looking at a more modular classroom, something that can be changed around quickly so it can be used for different subjects.’’
Students will increasingly use the internet, playing audio of foreign phrases for language lessons, or using software to create graphs in maths, Henry says.
A broader range of courses will be offered and many likely done by correspondence, Henry says.
‘‘We will start to look for more diverse education plans for each student.’’
‘‘As more and more technology gets produced, we’re always going to find a way to work it into the classroom.’’
Marlborough Girls’ College prefect Morgan Gurr is helping to create plans for the new co-located colleges.
She is drawing on the experiences of Christchurch’s Avonside Girls’ High School and Shirley Boys’ High School, which unveiled a state-of-the-art design for their co-location in April.
Their English department, instead of comprising several rooms, was ‘‘almost completely wall-less’’ with lots of glass, which Morgan loves.
She also likes classrooms where students can choose from standing desks or high desks with stools, with power points dotted around for laptops.
‘‘As more and more technology gets produced, we’re always going to find a way to work it into the classroom. But not everyone has access to new technology and it’s important for schools to remember that,’’ Morgan says.
‘‘If not everybody can afford a particular technology it will create a gap in learning. Schools have to have realistic expectations of what parents can provide.’’