The past decade has seen
a number of disruptions in education. Google and Apple have been leaders
in this disruption process. The purpose of the planned disruption is to
force a revolution within the education system. To fix some of the “ills
that plaque the current system.” While many of us can debate the
merits of the "ills that plague the current system", it is difficult
to debate the need for continuous improvement and change.
The factory design model, in 2015, still permeates the educational
environment. To be sure, the factory design was a valid design and did
wonders for all institutions – in the1800’s!!!
Frederick Taylor, father of Scientific Management and the eventual
factory system, wanted to solve practical problems that plagued factories all
over the country. He developed the four principles of scientific
management. As you read note examples of these principles in our schools:
- Replace working by "rule
of thumb," or simple habit and common sense, and instead use the
scientific method to study work and determine the most efficient way to
perform specific tasks.
- Rather than simply assign
workers to just any job, match workers to their jobs based on capability
and motivation, and train them to work at maximum efficiency.
- Monitor worker performance, and
provide instructions and supervision to ensure that they're using the most
efficient ways of working.
- Allocate the work between
managers and workers so that the managers spend their time planning
and training, allowing the workers to perform their tasks efficiently.
While I debate that all
schools are truly ineffective and plagued with ills, I do admit that schools
can and should continue to improve. I believe, a stumbling block to the
institutional improvement and future of education, is the continued adherence
to this outdated and ineffective managerial system. Like many others I believe
we need a new model to follow. A model that welcomes the nature of the 21st
Century student, the tools of the 21st Century as well as the needs of the 21st
Century economy. In that vein I offer for debate
the following principles of the 21st Century managerial model. If I could rewrite Frederick Taylor’s Scientific
Management principles for the 21st Century school house they would look like:
- Replace measuring work/success
by rote "standardization" and instead use modern social science
methods to determine the most efficient way to measure specific tasks.
- Rather than simply teach all
students the same, match student’s strengths and interests to individual
capability and motivation, and teach all of them differently.
- Assess individual academic and
skill performance, provide instruction and coaching to ensure that all
students are using the most efficient ways of learning to reach self-regulation.
- Share the work/responsibilities between administration and teachers; teachers and students; remove the functional silo design of education, so that the TEAM can spend their time planning, learning and growing, allowing for greater performance and efficiency from all participants involved.
Hopefully, the reader has noticed that nowhere in these
principles is there any mention of digital tools. That is because, tools (computers, laptops,
tablets or any digital device) are not the needed change. The needed change is in the design of
schools. The change is in the managerial
model.