When I think about our current education systems, a quote often attributed to Albert Einstein comes to mind: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” This quote reminds us that students have different strengths and weaknesses. Instead of making everyone learn the same things and take the same tests, students should be encouraged to explore what they’re passionate about and give them the resources they need to develop their skills. This approach can make learning more engaging and personal, helping students solve real-world problems and develop critical thinking and creativity.
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was very young and anything that I didn’t find interesting seemed impossible to pay attention to or find the motivation to learn about. I am excited about the potential for more personalized and engaging learning experiences. If I had this approach in school I may have been more motivated to learn by aligning education with things I’m interested in. I also hated studying for tests because I knew I would forget the information as soon as the exam was over. What’s the point of an exam if you’re not going to remember the information afterward? Hands-on projects help you learn through trial and error while also being more effective in helping retain information and content learned through the project.
Lesson plans offer a structured approach to teaching, which is great for making sure that content is covered and learning objectives are met. This could be beneficial to younger students who might need more routine and guidance in their learning. The downside to lesson plans is that they limit flexibility and do not always take individual student needs into consideration. Learning plans, on the other hand, can be personalized to the individual students. This allows students to work at their own pace and focus on things students are already interested in, which can increase engagement and motivation. This is great for older students who can benefit from more freedom and creativity in their learning. The downside is that learning plans need more time to develop and can be hard to introduce to a traditional classroom.