Disrupting Class

Chapter 1: Why Schools Struggle to Teach Differently when each Student Learns Differently

1. Explain the difference between interdependence and modularity.  How is education currently organized?  

    The concept of interdependence describes a product or service that is dependent upon another component to operate correctly. All products and services have a design that determines how they interact with others, and this interaction can be described as the interface. When there is difficulty in predicting the interaction at an interface then both parts must be developed simultaneously so that both products or services will perform correctly. Items created interdependently tend to be created by autonomous organizations so they will be designed to optimize efficiency. If a piece is changed in one area, others areas must adjust accordingly.

    Products that lack unpredictable interdependencies in components have a modular design. This way all components work together regardless of the whom created the components as long as they meet the specifications. Modular components can be created by independent organizations. This allows for flexibility and customizations since components can be redesigned without altering adjacent products.

    Today’s schools are organized in an interdependent model with several different types of interdependencies. The first is a temporal interdependence, meaning that school is taught in a progressive manner and you have to build on what students were supposed to learn in previous grades. The second type is lateral in where learning in separate contents interact, for example you need a strong English grammar base in order to learn a new language. Next is physical interdependency where the physical environment inhibits the type of education you may like to do. Finally the last interdependency is hierarchal, where mandates from government, administration, or even textbook companies can inhibit education. Since there are so many areas of interface interaction customization of education for each student can be difficult.

Chapter 2: Making the Shift:  Schools meet Society’s need

2. Explain the disruptive innovation theory.  What does this have to do with schools?

    The disruptive innovation theory can explain how some organizations have difficulty with innovation and what they can do to overcome this hurdle. This is a model describing how companies create sustaining innovations at a faster pace than customers can utilize them. Industry can also create disruptive innovations that are not as good as sustaining innovations but will still be used by consumer who were not able to use the sustaining innovation.

    This theory can also be applied to public schools. Schools have been improving over time and increasing their performance, however society keeps changing the parameters by which the performance is judged. And because of the laws and regulations in place the are not any businesses to compete with new parameters. This leaves our schools to try to improve while still working within the existing organization. Historically schools have been asked to change consistently to accommodate societies needs whether it be to increase the number of schools, the breadth of the offerings, increase test scores, or increase proficiency. Each time there is a shift schools must adjust while still operating under the old paradigm.

Chapter 3: Crammed Classroom Computers

3.  Why doesn’t cramming computers in schools work?  Explain this in terms of the lessons from Rachmaninoff (what does it mean to compete against nonconsumption?)

    Adding computers to a classroom didn’t have the desired effect in schools because they were used to marginally improve the way schools are already run. The Rachmaninoff lesson describes how you can profit form a product based on nonconsumption. He sold records of symphonies and made a profit because people would pay for them when the symphony was not available. As opposed to trying to sell them in place of the real show. Adding computers to classrooms doesn’t help if there are competing resources like textbooks, lectures, or other materials to supplement the information that could be gained from the computer.  (I think that’s how they relate.)

Chapter 4: Disruptively Deploying Computers

4. Explain the pattern of disruption. 

    Disruptions tend to follow a distinct pattern.  First disruptions compete in a new area against non-consumption, but over time technology will increase and the price will decrease. Next disruption causes a steep increase where it begins to catch on more and more, and finally there is a plateaus when the disruption replaces the old model. This pattern tends to follow an s-curve where is slowly climbs as it begins to be used a sharp increase when it gets cheap enough for everyone to start using, and a slow climb or leveling off when it replaces old technology.

5. Explain the trap of monolithic instruction.  How does student-centric learning help this problem?
    

     The trap of monolithic instruction is that teachers group their students into batches like a factory and expect them to all come out with the same knowledge. While some student may be able to get through this type educational system, not all can. An example of this type of instruction can be seen in traditional assessments. All students are required to take the same test, then teachers decide if they should move to the next topic based on how well the group does as a whole. With student-centric learning, students benefit from more personalized instruction. The can work at their own pace and asses and move to the next concept when ready. Technology can help make this possible for al students so than they can move at a comfortable pace with guidance form an instructor.

Chapter 5: The System for Student-Centric Learning

6. Explain public education’s commercial system.  What does it mean to say it is a value-chain business?  How does this affect student-centric learning?

   Public education is described as having a value-adding process or VAP. This means that companies input materials, somehow add value, then higher value products to their customers. Similar businesses include manufacturing, retain, and food service. In education students are put into a class, value is added as knowledge through the year, then they move to the next class. This process can be described as a value-chain business because each link in the system should add value to the student to produce a higher output at the end.

This will affect student centered learning because new technologies can be used to help add value to students. It can help to personalize education to create a deeper learning than traditional instruction. However it can also be difficult because new computers and software can be so expensive. Although according to the usual pattern of disruptions it will eventually become more readily available.