When scheduling, many schools factor in “snow days” – days that won’t be re-calendared for inclement weather cancellations. What if schools factored in experiment days like snow days? We could plan for radical pilots and seemingly outlandish learning designs to test various hypotheses. We could learn by doing and negate the argument, “We have too much to cover.” Call ’em…”grow days!”
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And this is easier than we might think. Shawn Cornally, Iowa public school teacher by day, and blogger/software developer/college professor/firebrand by night, has convinced his school to try a radical schedule experiment with a group of kids. If you can get county school board to sign off on an experiment like this, why can’t private schools, which should have much less bureaucracy be able to do the same?
I agree, John. And when we have years with “snowcations,” or power outage days, or water issue days that result in cancelled school, then we learn that we could take a few to experiment and risk bold moves.
Yes, yes. We had a huge fight here with faculty three years ago about giving up TEST days so we could introduce an Interim. Now Interim is one of the most valuable times of the year. People just need to experience innovation to get over their fear of change.
Grant, we’ve experienced something similar with days that used to be called “Discovery Days,” now “L.E.A.P. Days.” It was a struggle to factor them into the schedule for different types of learning and experience, but now most see real value. In 8th grade, advisers have become very committed to the programs of these L.E.A.P. Days.
Blow them Snow days-off and replace them with GROW days….
I like that. I think we as a culture need to promote THINK time and we need to teach younger generation to do that as a hobby.
Take care Bo, enjoying your 60-second reads with 360-to think,’Cheers
Sucheta
We definitely need more time and space to think, experiment, and innovate. I agree, Sucheta, that we educators must model this for the students…and guide them to do so, as well. Thanks for stopping by for 60! Hope to see you soon.