Sugata Mitra: A School in the Cloud

Sugata Mitra is an educational scientist who studied what would happen when he gave self-supervised access to the internet.  He claims that modern schooling came about in the Victorian era when it was essential that everyone be able to read, do math in their heads, and have good handwriting.  He made an interesting argument in stating that schools as we know them now are obsolete. They’re outdated.”   

Mitra’s curiosity about what children would do if left alone with a computer led him to the conclusion that children would learn- in a language other than their own and content that is a decade ahead of their time.  He argues that all they need to succeed is access and encouragement.  His video clips of children gathered around a computer show children who are engaged, excited, and seem to be learning.

Prior to distance learning, my 3rd graders did not use the computers and internet in my classroom a whole lot.  They would use them for additional math practice and to do some research (we were in the middle of researching animals when we got called out of school).  But after being thrust into learning in a virtual environment for the last 3 months, I can see how I will be incorporating technology much, much more when we do return to school.  I love Mitra’s idea for SOLE (Self-Organized Learning Environments).  I love the idea of posing BIG questions and having students find the answers.  I can see how I would reframe the questions that I have students research.  For their animal project, for example, instead of saying, research all about tigers,  I could say What would cause tigers to go extinct?  

However, I struggle with the idea of just asking a question and then leaving students to their own devices- no pun intended.  I think, yes, teachers should ask the big questions that will spark curiosity and get their students excited about learning, but I also believe that teachers should be there as a guide- not just as a cheerleader.    Teachers are trained to ask the right questions at the right time to help guide students to learning and a deeper understanding.  Thinking about our science curriculum, for example...We start by asking a question, engage in a discussion to reflect on background knowledge, give students some materials, and send them off to find out.  But then we also observe our students and listen to their conversations and ask more questions based on what students are saying and doing.  Then we come back together to make sense of what was learned.  Or when we have book clubs...we gather with a group of students who are all reading the same books.  We listen to them share about the reading and we chime in at just the right time to ask a question that helps them to see the book in a different way or perhaps helps lead them to understanding the deeper meaning of the text.   So I am struggling with Mitra’s proposition that students just need someone to encourage and admire students, or a “granny.”  They do need a granny, but they also need a guide.

The School in the Cloud