The Price of the Wishes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea3oQeP2nPM

This MCPS video provides some insights (and coaching, I presume) into what students wish for, expect, and deserve. It is an interesting list and in most cases requires more change in attitude and procedure than in funding.

I believe there are many opportunities to save money while implementing the 21st Century Initiative. Do you?

Here is an abbreviated transcript of the student wishes. Following the wish, I added my thought about the cost of such a wish. Although I leaned my guess on the generous side, my point is that we can do much with little or no change in cost.

Each question is followed by the gist of the student response.

· How do you feel you learn the best?

· When it’s quiet with a touch of music Free

· … teachers demonstrate things Free

· …my teacher demonstrates stuff Free

· I see how to do it, then I do it Free

· When I have a partner who can help me Free

· By doing the project. Not just by watching them Free

· …when someone shows me Free

· …with interactive projects Free

· …when I have music on Free

· being able to stand up and move around Free

· hands-on experiments Free

· when my teacher shows me it and we work it out on our whiteboards Free

· when you work in partners Free

What do you wish the school day looked like?

· …start a little bit later Free

· ? fun and friendly with math Free

· start later and end later Free

· start the same but end at 4 Free

· more social studies Free

· perfect, no problems

· an hour in gym Free

· science every week Free

· come in at 9 and end at 2:30 everyday Free

· start at 8:40 Free

· longer so we could learn more Free

· more geography in our school day Free

· more science Free

· bright and sunny Free

· started a little later and end later Free

· 20 days in a row school and then an 8 day break Needs study

What do you think students need to learn to help them be successful adults and community members?

· Read higher ranked books…push themselves to the limit Free

· Math and science Free

· More science Free

· Science and math Free

· Math and reading Free

· More science and social studies Free

· More math Free

· More English Free

· Math and reading Free

· How to handle real-life situations Free

· Fish and hunt Free

· More math Free

What technology do you wish you had at school?

· New computers Large expense

· iPads Mild expense

· more internet access Free

· faster computers Large expense

· laptop Large expense

· iPads Mild expense

· iPad Mild expense

· iPad Mild expense

· iPads Mild expense

· smartboards in our desks Large expense

· iPads Mild expense

· iPads Mild expense

· touchscreen computers built into the desk Large expense

· newer computers Large expense

· touchscreen computers built into your desk Large expense

· iPads Mild expense

· laptops Large expense

· iPads and computers Mild and Large expense

· new computers Large expense

· laptops Large expense

· five cameras Mild expense

How would you make a better learning environment?

· Bigger with more ? Free?

· Like how it is Free

· Wouldn’t change anything Free

· Like it the way it is, perfect… Free

· Having kids pay attention more Free

· Standing up desks Mild expense

· Like it the way it is Free

· Get the weird smell out of there Needs study

· Have a longer school day Free

· Stand-up desks Mild expense

· Art Free

· Take reading tests Free

· I like it just the way it is Free