30 strategies for Education Innovation

As a Microsoft Pathfinder school we are attending Virtual university conferences via net-meeting once a month. Next up is:  Effective Learning Environments by Randy Fielding and Prakash Nash. As a good student I am doing my homework reading up on the 30 strategies for Eudcation Innovation.

Of the 30 strategies I would like to dwell on, the two I for the time being believe in the most are:

1. Multi- disciplinary curricula with block Scheduling
2. Cooperative Learning

I quote:

1. It is true that nothing that is worth learning can be taught or learned in the traditional 45 – minute block that most schools employ. Block scheduling is an alternative way to break up the school day into larger time segments that permit students to enjoy a richer learning experience.
2. Education Week defines cooperative learning as, ” a method of instruction that encourages students to work in small groups, learning material, then presenting what they have learned to other small groups. In doing so, they take responsibility for their own learning as well as their classmates”.  In other words cooperative learning is a system in which students become both motivated and motivators.

I’m happy to say that we have the block scheduling for all our subjects and that we have had several cooperative learning work-shops at our school. I have to agree that they both are important as strategies for Education Innovation!