Sugatra Mitra Response

I had heard of Sugata Mitra’s “Hole in the Wall” project before watching this video, but I had never seen it in practice or heard him talk about what it was.  I had a vague vision of what happened and how, and that the children where learning but that because it was so informal and disjointed it would not equal the same progress that could be made in a regular school setting.  Watching this video definitely changed my mind.

            I teach a technology class to seventh graders.  When I was first approached about the position I asked what the school was expecting the students to get out of a technology curriculum.  Being in a school where enrollment for Pre-K to eighth grade totals around fifty students, I was not surprised when I learned that there was no curriculum and that I could teach whatever I thought was pertinent for the age and ability of the students.  Being a private school this is easier than in a public setting. 

I was steered towards the “Type to Learn” program by the administration as a starting point, but abandoned that thought after hearing the students’ thoughts regarding the software (which is somewhat dated).  Instead I asked what the class would like to learn about, a principle that Mitra emphasizes in his speech.  He says that children learn when there is the desire/interest to do so.  While I am not allowed to leave the class to explore the many uses of a computer unsupervised, I do allow my students a relatively large percentage of freedom in the choosing of topics that we cover.  So far I have allowed them to select areas they would like to learn more about (Microsoft Office products, how to research material, editing, and so on).  After giving a brief introduction I let the class loose to explore the different aspects of a given program or search.  I was careful to note that internet searches needed to stay within certain parameters, but the class did not seem to need the reminder.  They worked diligently to discover new and interesting facts about a common them (which they had chosen).

Sometimes I have wished that I could perform the type of study that Mitra undertook within a school environment.  Take a group of students from the schools with the least amount of resources and put them in a room with the suggested computer to student ratio of 1:4.  I agree that setting a group of students in a computer lab with one computer per child eliminates the sense of community and shared knowledge that are two key functions of the “Hole in the Wall.”  When the students are forced to interact based on need and curiosity the potential for learning increases dramatically.

Sadly I cannot replicate what Sugatra Mitra has done for several reasons.  I personally do not have the resources needed, and schools are often reluctant to allow unsupervised learning to occur except during lunch and recess times (and even then the teachers and administration do not see these times as academic in nature).  The best I can do is to continue allowing my students choices and offer them topics that interest them.  It is not as much as I would hope to accomplish, but it is more than many students experience in a more traditional setting.