‘One-Size-Fits-All Way of Teaching’ Doesn’t Work (VIDEO)
How can we improve our country and make our society happier? Improve our education system, says Howard Gardner, psychologist and professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Watch Gardner shares his ideas on how we can find better ways to teach and learn:
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When it comes to kids learning, it’s important to focus on individuation – ensuring each kid learns at his or her own pace and in the most effective way – and pluralization, teaching important lessons in many different ways.
“We still are falling prey to a one-size-fits-all way of teaching,” he says. “You teach in one way, if the kid doesn’t learn, it’s his or her fault. You test them one way and the kid doesn’t get the right answer, that’s the end of his life. Unless we learn how to individuate and pluralize, we’re lost.”
Gardner suggests a more balanced curriculum - a focus on humanities, arts, philosophy and history and not so heavy on science and technology.
“I think we should take a step back … and say, ‘What kind of human beings do we want to have?’ ‘What kind of world do we want to live in?’”
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I'd like to know if Prof. Gardner thinks that is would be easier to individualize instruction with smaller classes.