Experience and Education Chapter 8: Lessons for MCL

Mass Customized Learning is a direct descendant of the theory of learning espoused by Dewey in Experience and Education.   MCL is a lens through which one can view the learning environment.  At the center of the MCL learning ecosystem is the learning experience.  All of us learn within the context of our current life experiences rooted on our society and communities.  Meaningful learning occurs when the learning experience encompasses the reality of the student.  When the learning experience is truly at the center of our learning system unnecessary aspects of what we currently do in education will become less important.  For example, building a "master schedule" in any school is an adult oriented  activity.  You have to "fit" the students into the needs of the teacher schedules.  When the learning experience is at the center of the ecosystem, scheduling does not create barriers for learners, rather, it offers opportunities to design learning experiences for kids that are meaningful.

I recently read a book where the author challenged his readers to "look at what they do for the first time".  What would someone that has no knowledge of your profession say about your assumptions, actions and systems if they simply saw it for the first time?  I think about this a lot.  You can make your own list of assumptions that you take for granted in our education world and I will share with you my educational assumptions.

• We assume that important learning only occurs in a school building. 
• Architecturally, schools and prisons are synonymous. 
• Physical, intellectual and emotional control are goals of our current system.  
• Learning is a linear process that can be measured.  Grading tells us all we need to know about students...and the list can go on. Dewey encourages educators to grapple with big questions like "what is education?".  It is difficult for educators to "look at education" for the first time but only when we do will we start to change our assumptions and practice.

The work of creating a system where the learning experience is at the center of the ecosystem is extremely difficult.  The process of systemic change will be hard for parents, students and educators. The important work of change requires courage.  Courage to look at what we currently do in our education system and how we allow students to not be engaged.  Courage to challenge long held assumptions of the role of a student, teacher, administrator and physical school building.  Timidity at this juncture is not acceptable.  If we are timid, someone will be reading about our philosophy of education 75 years from now and will wonder why nothing changed.