In a 2009 article, I proclaimed School of One — a model of individualized learning that blends computer-based instruction and traditional lessons delivered by teachers — to be the future of public education. Yet a recent article in this newspaper characterized the program, which is operating in a handful of New York City schools, as “disappointing” — implying that the experiment can already be deemed a multimillion-dollar failure.
Big mistake. If we condemn School of One to the ash heap so soon, we endanger a bright future of new models that blend customized, technology-enabled instruction and old-school, top-down learning. |
