It’s good that you titled this “Good” German Schools. Because of decentralization of education in Germany, there are examples of good and bad throughout the country. A model that you did not mention, in both Germany and Austria, is the Waldschule.
A great example from the U.S. is the Expeditionary Learning model (https://eleducation.org/). Most of the practices that you mention in the article are conducted daily in EL schools. One variant of the model is the Expeditionary Learning, Outward Bound model. This model combines the EL model with frequent outdoor activity such as camping, climbing, hiking, etc. The outdoor activities are used as a learning platform similar to the Waldschulen in the Germanic countries.
Two challenges often get in the way to these models. One is political-driven teacher evaluations. Even Obama engaged in this with the Race to the Top funding challenge. Politicians in Colorado tried to implement some of the worst Jack Welch ideas from GE such as a vitality quotient. EL trained teachers are hard to find and often prefer to avoid industrial performance management plans.
The second challenge is standardized testing. This mistake was amplified and encouraged by the No Child Left Behind and, unfortunately, is still a legacy in many states. These test scores often privilege schools such with STEM curricula, where students learn uni-dimensional skills in math and science. The teaching of social and relational skills is neglected. Instead, we turn out graduates capable of the same work that extremely bright individuals in India will do for 1/5 the pay.
It’s good that you titled this “Good” German Schools. Because of decentralization of education in Germany, there are examples of good and bad throughout the country. A model that you did not mention, in both Germany and Austria, is the Waldschule.
A great example from the U.S. is the Expeditionary Learning model (https://eleducation.org/). Most of the practices that you mention in the article are conducted daily in EL schools. One variant of the model is the Expeditionary Learning, Outward Bound model. This model combines the EL model with frequent outdoor activity such as camping, climbing, hiking, etc. The outdoor activities are used as a learning platform similar to the Waldschulen in the Germanic countries.
Two challenges often get in the way to these models. One is political-driven teacher evaluations. Even Obama engaged in this with the Race to the Top funding challenge. Politicians in Colorado tried to implement some of the worst Jack Welch ideas from GE such as a vitality quotient. EL trained teachers are hard to find and often prefer to avoid industrial performance management plans.
The second challenge is standardized testing. This mistake was amplified and encouraged by the No Child Left Behind and, unfortunately, is still a legacy in many states. These test scores often privilege schools such with STEM curricula, where students learn uni-dimensional skills in math and science. The teaching of social and relational skills is neglected. Instead, we turn out graduates capable of the same work that extremely bright individuals in India will do for 1/5 the pay.