Rick Hess names New Classrooms an intriguing idea in education
January 3, 2022
Writing for the American Enterprise Institute, Rick Hess cites New Classrooms as an intriguing idea in education, one that prioritizes engaging young minds and amplifying the reach of talented educators. Hess says,
“New Classrooms tackles middle-school math instruction by abandoning the traditional self-enclosed classroom so that students can work their way through scores of specific learning objectives at the pace that suits them. Meanwhile, teachers work together to curate and provide varied kinds of instruction, including live teacher-led lessons, software-based lessons, collaborative activities, virtual tutors, and individual practice. A computer algorithm helps sequence each student’s learning objectives and suggests the learning methods with which each student should tackle the unit, taking into account the student’s needs and learning styles as well as the logistical challenges of the whole class. Students who need more time on a unit aren’t herded along, while those ready to move on are able to do so. Teachers divvy up work so that they can devote more time to the areas where they excel while drawing on online instruction and computer-assisted exercises as needed. Absent students aren’t left behind, and an absent teacher doesn’t bring learning to a halt.”