Preface: The System in BC
First and foremost, it should be stated that BC has a great education system. It works very well for some, affording them extracurriculars, versatile electives, and some wonderful teachers. Having said that, not all students have access to these features, and many great minds go unchallenged. The conventional system leaves much to be desired for many people. Regardless of its current success, it can be more successful in future. Project Free Education is the solution. It is a supplemental (and sometimes stand-alone) education system to increase the quality and volume of education presented to any end user in any education system in any country. Its support of BC's current education system will bring the quality of education in BC to a new level. It will be a free eSchool to rival all other eSchools because of its efficient, effective approach.
Major Issues
Normalization
The current system is based on children of the same age learning the same material. While the conventional approach is completely supported by Project FrEd, we also feel that integration of some Montessori ideals might be in the best interest of the students. Every child is different and learns different material at a different pace. If a grade 2 student would rather learn Math at a grade 1 level and rather learn English at a grade 4 level, it is unnecessary to try and force the child to learn material that he or she will not enjoy while depriving the child of the subject he or she is currently interested in. Through the Lesson Planner software, students or their teachers/parents can set up time blocks to do each subject separately and also allocate free time blocks, offering more flexibility for students. This approach thus can be used by either theory of education as both are supported on Project FrEd allowing parents to mix a little bit of both to help encourage not only school work, but a love of learning.
Teachers Are Specialists
We are all only human, and teachers are no exception. In BC, these well-trained specialists spend time completing a degree first in their area of interest and then get a form of certification. While some are professionally certified, spending an additional two years in school and able to teach a wide range of subjects, many are also certified in a subject-specific fashion. Regardless of certification, all teachers will teach one subject better than others. In fact, all teachers will also teach certain units better than others. That is not to say that their other teaching is not good, but rather that some is better. Conventionally, it has been impossible to get the best teachers and the best teaching to every student. Project FrEd makes this possible allowing every educator a chance to teach thousands if not millions of students every year.
Though a unique content engine, many copies of material are available and certain copies are better for certain learning styles. By having students take Learning Orientation tests and therefore show their dominant styles of learning, students can be matched to the material that will most likely teach with the highest efficacy and efficiency.
Passionate and Effecting Teaching
Instead of pushing teachers to teach material they neither have an interest in nor necessarily have a specific desire to teach, FrEd encourages teachers to teach what they're passionate about. FrEd's solution is to use a modularized approach where each learning outcome is taught by one or more modules and each module is taught by one or more teachers, each attempting to produce the highest quality product possible (see modularization on The FrEd Approach). As a result, teachers will only create content for subjects they're truly interested in, and as a result, education quality will rise.
Planned Lesson Times
Some would argue that children need structure. This is certainly true for many children; however, each child may need a different amount of structure and that need may increase or decrease with age. The Lesson Planner software allows the educational structure to vary from very rigid to very inflexible. For a structure day, start time could be pre-planned, and punctuality/attendance recorded. The duration of time spent on each subject could be stated, monitored, and recorded. Finally, the order of subjects could be pre-planned and recorded. Conversely, a student seeking freedom from structure could start at any time they desired (and would still reach their goals so long as they put in the right number of hours per week). That student would have a minimum number of hours for each subject, but also have a large amount of time for self-directed learning in whatever subject the student chooses. Moreover, that student would retain the ability to switch between subjects at any point and complete modules in any order. Thus, as always, Project FrEd allows for greater flexibility and caters to the needs of any and all students.
Class sizes are always an issue for educators. While there is legislation limiting class sizes, and while having peers to interact with is very important socially, different students may learn better in groups or by themselves. Project FrEd allows the user to use fora or sit together in a computer lab to pursue material together. Moreover, "classes" can be assigned on Project FrEd allowing several users looking for a class to pursue material together to be assigned a class, daily assignments, and a designated area to ask questions and interact with each other. However, Project FrEd allows all of these resources to be available to anyone, including learners that work best alone. The versatility of Project FrEd is ultimately what makes it so powerful.
While eSchooling is not necessarily right for everyone, certain people have a definite need. For starters, eSchools are available in rural areas where it would be too expensive to set up a conventional school- especially where there are too few individuals who would need or use it. For new mothers or for individuals that are disabled, access may simply be easier from home. For those who are excessively bullied it may be a preferable option. It may even be easier for those with Attention Deficit Disorder. In some cases, an individual may have responsibilities (like caretaking or working) where they must be able to stop what they're doing. While this may not be the best way to learn material, FrEd gives users the time flexibility they need. If someone has a chunk of time that they're not using (even during downtime at work), they can make good use of that time to pursue their learning goals. Ultimately, it lets the user decide when it's time to learn, and when it's not.
The time of day that school is available is fixed in the conventional system. Some individuals prefer to learn at night or early in the morning. Some individuals prefer to learn certain subjects in the morning or after lunch. Since our brains work in cycles and one hemisphere is dominant at any given time, certain times of the day will be better for learning Physics while other times of the day will be better for learning Poetry. Trying for make a room full of people learn one kind of material at a certain time will inevitably be easier for some than others. In fact, the same individuals that excel one day may struggle the next. It may not be the material. It may simply be the timing.
This is not to say that struggle has no merit. In some cases, the individual may develop coping strategies and develop greater ability when not in a prime learning environment; however, we at Project FrEd seek to offer the versatility to make learning easier for everyone. Moreover, we believe that the benefits of Project FrEd outweigh any potential drawbacks.
Is Gender A Factor In Learning? How Should We Proceed?
While I do not believe we know enough to say that each gender learns differently as a definite rule, it is fair to say that most of one gender learns differently from most of the other. While the school system took criticism for being male-centric in the past, it has more recently been suggested that our system now caters to the learning styles of girls, resulting in a reduction in the success of their male counterparts.
Project FrEd will consider gender a learning style; however, based on that user's feedback, the system is flexible enough to observe a user's feedback and determine if that user more often prefers modules liked by girls, modules liked by boys, or evenly prefers modules liked by both. As a result, one's gender does not define one's learning style, but offers a starting point. Instead, gender is used as a flexible learning style where the rule only applies to the majority. In this fashion, Project FrEd will not ignore gender differences, but will not allow them to define its students either.
eSchools: Enhancement Not Replacement
There are approximately 42 eSchools in BC currently that teach K-12. Not a single one is free. When a child is enrolled, the eSchool course replaces the conventional school alternative. In BC, the government sponsors a child for either conventional or electronic schooling making the cost of schooling seem invisible to most individuals until they pay their taxes. Since eSchools also cost the same amount per student to enroll as conventional schools, a student can either take a course through one or the other. Unlike these commercial eSchools, Project FrEd does not intend to replace a conventional course, but to supplement it.
Project FrEd aims to be not only the first Non-Profit eSchool, but to provide the utmost quality in every aspect. Unlike conventional eSchools, FrEd uses a revolutionary system to generate and control content quality and then serve different versions of content, each one catering better to different ages, genders, and learning styles, maximizing learning efficiency. It also allows unprecedented versatility in the ordering of content and the pace of learning. The only requirement to use this system as a student is to have access to a computer with an internet connection.
Complete with workbook problems and solutions manual in innovative applets, FrEd will sport video, wiki textbooks, and flash animations as necessary to get as complete and as high quality an education as possible using a digital medium. Every child should have access to a free education of the highest standard, and we now have the technology to do this at very little cost per student.
The current system is based on children of the same age learning the same material. While the conventional approach is completely supported by Project FrEd, we also feel that integration of some Montessori ideals might be in the best interest of the students. Every child is different and learns different material at a different pace. If a grade 2 student would rather learn Math at a grade 1 level and rather learn English at a grade 4 level, it is unnecessary to try and force the child to learn material that he or she will not enjoy while depriving the child of the subject he or she is currently interested in. Through the Lesson Planner software, students or their teachers/parents can set up time blocks to do each subject separately and also allocate free time blocks, offering more flexibility for students. This approach thus can be used by either theory of education as both are supported on Project FrEd allowing parents to mix a little bit of both to help encourage not only school work, but a love of learning.
Teachers Are Specialists
We are all only human, and teachers are no exception. In BC, these well-trained specialists spend time completing a degree first in their area of interest and then get a form of certification. While some are professionally certified, spending an additional two years in school and able to teach a wide range of subjects, many are also certified in a subject-specific fashion. Regardless of certification, all teachers will teach one subject better than others. In fact, all teachers will also teach certain units better than others. That is not to say that their other teaching is not good, but rather that some is better. Conventionally, it has been impossible to get the best teachers and the best teaching to every student. Project FrEd makes this possible allowing every educator a chance to teach thousands if not millions of students every year.
Though a unique content engine, many copies of material are available and certain copies are better for certain learning styles. By having students take Learning Orientation tests and therefore show their dominant styles of learning, students can be matched to the material that will most likely teach with the highest efficacy and efficiency.
Passionate and Effecting Teaching
Instead of pushing teachers to teach material they neither have an interest in nor necessarily have a specific desire to teach, FrEd encourages teachers to teach what they're passionate about. FrEd's solution is to use a modularized approach where each learning outcome is taught by one or more modules and each module is taught by one or more teachers, each attempting to produce the highest quality product possible (see modularization on The FrEd Approach). As a result, teachers will only create content for subjects they're truly interested in, and as a result, education quality will rise.
Planned Lesson Times
Some would argue that children need structure. This is certainly true for many children; however, each child may need a different amount of structure and that need may increase or decrease with age. The Lesson Planner software allows the educational structure to vary from very rigid to very inflexible. For a structure day, start time could be pre-planned, and punctuality/attendance recorded. The duration of time spent on each subject could be stated, monitored, and recorded. Finally, the order of subjects could be pre-planned and recorded. Conversely, a student seeking freedom from structure could start at any time they desired (and would still reach their goals so long as they put in the right number of hours per week). That student would have a minimum number of hours for each subject, but also have a large amount of time for self-directed learning in whatever subject the student chooses. Moreover, that student would retain the ability to switch between subjects at any point and complete modules in any order. Thus, as always, Project FrEd allows for greater flexibility and caters to the needs of any and all students.
Class sizes are always an issue for educators. While there is legislation limiting class sizes, and while having peers to interact with is very important socially, different students may learn better in groups or by themselves. Project FrEd allows the user to use fora or sit together in a computer lab to pursue material together. Moreover, "classes" can be assigned on Project FrEd allowing several users looking for a class to pursue material together to be assigned a class, daily assignments, and a designated area to ask questions and interact with each other. However, Project FrEd allows all of these resources to be available to anyone, including learners that work best alone. The versatility of Project FrEd is ultimately what makes it so powerful.
While eSchooling is not necessarily right for everyone, certain people have a definite need. For starters, eSchools are available in rural areas where it would be too expensive to set up a conventional school- especially where there are too few individuals who would need or use it. For new mothers or for individuals that are disabled, access may simply be easier from home. For those who are excessively bullied it may be a preferable option. It may even be easier for those with Attention Deficit Disorder. In some cases, an individual may have responsibilities (like caretaking or working) where they must be able to stop what they're doing. While this may not be the best way to learn material, FrEd gives users the time flexibility they need. If someone has a chunk of time that they're not using (even during downtime at work), they can make good use of that time to pursue their learning goals. Ultimately, it lets the user decide when it's time to learn, and when it's not.
The time of day that school is available is fixed in the conventional system. Some individuals prefer to learn at night or early in the morning. Some individuals prefer to learn certain subjects in the morning or after lunch. Since our brains work in cycles and one hemisphere is dominant at any given time, certain times of the day will be better for learning Physics while other times of the day will be better for learning Poetry. Trying for make a room full of people learn one kind of material at a certain time will inevitably be easier for some than others. In fact, the same individuals that excel one day may struggle the next. It may not be the material. It may simply be the timing.
This is not to say that struggle has no merit. In some cases, the individual may develop coping strategies and develop greater ability when not in a prime learning environment; however, we at Project FrEd seek to offer the versatility to make learning easier for everyone. Moreover, we believe that the benefits of Project FrEd outweigh any potential drawbacks.
Is Gender A Factor In Learning? How Should We Proceed?
While I do not believe we know enough to say that each gender learns differently as a definite rule, it is fair to say that most of one gender learns differently from most of the other. While the school system took criticism for being male-centric in the past, it has more recently been suggested that our system now caters to the learning styles of girls, resulting in a reduction in the success of their male counterparts.
Project FrEd will consider gender a learning style; however, based on that user's feedback, the system is flexible enough to observe a user's feedback and determine if that user more often prefers modules liked by girls, modules liked by boys, or evenly prefers modules liked by both. As a result, one's gender does not define one's learning style, but offers a starting point. Instead, gender is used as a flexible learning style where the rule only applies to the majority. In this fashion, Project FrEd will not ignore gender differences, but will not allow them to define its students either.
eSchools: Enhancement Not Replacement
There are approximately 42 eSchools in BC currently that teach K-12. Not a single one is free. When a child is enrolled, the eSchool course replaces the conventional school alternative. In BC, the government sponsors a child for either conventional or electronic schooling making the cost of schooling seem invisible to most individuals until they pay their taxes. Since eSchools also cost the same amount per student to enroll as conventional schools, a student can either take a course through one or the other. Unlike these commercial eSchools, Project FrEd does not intend to replace a conventional course, but to supplement it.
Project FrEd aims to be not only the first Non-Profit eSchool, but to provide the utmost quality in every aspect. Unlike conventional eSchools, FrEd uses a revolutionary system to generate and control content quality and then serve different versions of content, each one catering better to different ages, genders, and learning styles, maximizing learning efficiency. It also allows unprecedented versatility in the ordering of content and the pace of learning. The only requirement to use this system as a student is to have access to a computer with an internet connection.
Complete with workbook problems and solutions manual in innovative applets, FrEd will sport video, wiki textbooks, and flash animations as necessary to get as complete and as high quality an education as possible using a digital medium. Every child should have access to a free education of the highest standard, and we now have the technology to do this at very little cost per student.
If you would like more detailed information as to how the software will work, please visit us at www.fredsoft.weebly.com. If you'd like to contact us, please e-mail projectFrEd@live.ca.
