As a background to why mobile learning is a proposal for the current learning process, I share the concept of de-schooling to understand distance learning. Parting from the perspective that mobile learning is part of or works as an extension of distance learning.
The first time I heard the term de-schooling
When we decided to start doing homeschool as a family, we went to a workshop. I remember like it was yesterday, the instructor mentioned that to become homeschool educators de-schooling was necessary. We listened and assumed we were going to nail it from the first try.
Still, it wasn’t until I started organizing instructional activities for my daughter to understand what she(the instructor) meant. Nowadays I apply this conceptualization to how important it is to look with other eyes at the different types of education in the process of making lessons that are appropriate for students.
Traditional education
To give some context, traditional education is the one we know and that has been present for more than a century. It evolves with educational system changes and we see it as teaching adapts and takes over these modifications.
It is where the class is offered by a teacher, face to face, in which you learn by being guided through the content. So classes are offered Monday through Friday, from 8am to 3pm, with approximately 40 to 90 minutes. And this is possibly complimented by homework and projects. The idea is to integrate the family into the learning process. Over the course, schooling occurs in each of those involved.
In my daughter’s case, after 11 years of schooling, face-to-face classes from 8am to 3pm, five days a week, and subjects learned separately, upon entering the world of homeschool we had a slightly (quite) rigid idea of how to lead the education process.
The idea of de-schooling
When it comes to de-schooling, it refers to freedom or to break with the traditional school patterns that bind those characteristics that I previously explained. It eliminates the concept of learning exclusively from Monday to Friday. The teacher’s role can be led by a guide, facilitator, or parent. It also removes the idea that you can only learn in a classroom.
When we de-school, we practically take over education because we understand that any time is a good time to learn.
Yes! At any moment.
Let me tell you, when we started homeschooling, I sat down, and with the mindset of a teacher, I planned the activities and lessons with thoroughly schooled ideas. Our day began at 8 am with Spanish class, then English, Math, and so on, each subject was developed separately. Oh! And of course, classes from Monday through Friday. We also created a designated space as a classroom.
Guess what happened?
After a few weeks, we realized we took the school to our home. There’s a phrase that fits this situation perfectly.
If you’re looking for different results, don’t always do the same — Albert Einstein
A classroom area should not be a critical aspect to educate. Likewise, learning the subjects separately is not a must. These regulations, defined by the idea of schooling, limit the time, place, and acquisition of knowledge. They also define how to explore, how to comprehend, and how to apply knowledge to life. This without taking into consideration whether it is suitable to the student’s experiences, environment, or upbringing.
De-schooling is the idea of a non-traditional school; it’s having the freedom of time and space in the process of education.
When we started working differently on Gabriela’s learning process, everything changed. Her motivation to learn at all times and anywhere increased. She developed independence, human values, perseverance, and maturity.
In my experience, when we decided to do homeschooling, it was sudden. One day my daughter was in school and the next day we became a homeschooler family. Although it was voluntary, it seems similar to the event that occurred a year ago because of the pandemic. The world’s education systems changed in the blink of an eye. They went from traditional education to offering distance classes. This took many people by surprise.
Distance education, different from a traditional one
Distance education is where the learning process is carried out far or separately from the teacher or facilitator. It can also be offered through methodologies that involve audiovisual and virtual media. In this type of education the guide doesn’t necessarily control the process. Media such as books, modules, videos, and audios are instruments required to learn.
The instructional activities in distance learning are similar to that of the traditional school. The difference is the application and evaluation process. It adapts to the student’s reality in the distance. In other words, the situation or condition of life that the student has is taken into consideration when developing distance education.
When it was our turn as parents to offer Gabriela the math course in high school, the homeschooler group parents shared information with us a very useful tool. They recommended Khan Academy, an educational virtual platform. This excellent resource uses tutorial videos, presentations, and writings for volunteer participants to learn for free about math. Honestly, it was our salvation at the time. Gabriela followed the tutorials and completed the exercises by herself. In distance education, the student is the one who takes control over their learning experience.
It is necessary for us to forget (to some extent) our desire to develop distance education lessons the way that traditional school does.
Why to some extent?
Because distance learning uses principles equal to the ones in traditional education. Such as needs study, planning, applying, and evaluating the process. The difference, as mentioned previously, is how it’s done.
Next week I will be sharing more information and examples about a characteristic that relates to empowering us to learning and the way we teach others to achieve it.
I’ll wait for you around here like every Wednesday at 6 pm; follow me on social media to stay informed.
Wish you a lovely week!
Ivelisse
