Good morning, readers! For weeks I have not stopped reading the term in forums and educational groups educational hippies. I confess that although I supposed to know its meaning, the imagination of some people caught my attention. If you are not getting an idea, the term educational hippies includes people who want a change in the educational system and methodologies.
At first glance, the word does not seem bad and it could be said that it is beautiful and different. The problem comes when that term is used by people to offend those of us who realize that our system is a disaster and something must be done soon. So the meaning of educational hippies se returns something negative and even harmful.
Educational change does not mean doing what we want without any objective and order
Unfortunately, that's what a lot of people think who coined the term educational hippies. They should think that we believe that anything goes in education. That you do not have to follow an order, or objectives or develop programs. Please… of course we know and we are aware of it! But the order, objectives and educational programs can (and should) change as society advances. Putting the new education into practice in the classroom does not mean that teachers and students can do whatever they want.
And that is precisely what has happened with the Spanish educational system (at least in my opinion, of course). We continue to have the same assessment methods, the same way of teaching and teaching, and the same programs as over ten years ago. I do not know if it happens to you, but I remember when I attended the third year of ESO and I see that the situation has not changed practically at all: homework, exams, a clear departure from education for life, motivation and emotion in Classroom.
Well yes, the educational hippies we are educated, thoughtful and critical thinking people
Another one of the many comments I have read about educational hippies it is that we do not have the right to speak because we do not know anything or because we are not inside the classrooms. I think that, to know that something is wrong and that it is an educational disaster, it is not necessary to be in an educational center. There are educators, teachers, professors, parents who do not work in schools but who are aware that something is wrong. Do they really have no opinion?
There are many education professionals who want an educational change: pedagogues, educational researchers, trainers, consultants, writers of educational content ... Is it that they do not have critical thinking or the concrete knowledge to give an opinion? Come now! It seems to me very unfair that people who want a real system change are labeled in all the offensive ways that exist. And worst of all, we should all have a common goal: to improve education.
Committed teachers, motivated students and having education for life present
I think the title defines very well what New Education means to me. It has always been believed that educational institutions are only to train students academically. Fortunately, little by little, it has been discovered that the school as such, could give much more to students and families. We have realized that the education for life it should never have been excluded from traditional classroom education.
Committed teachers who strive for the best teaching. Teachers who are involved with students, who guide them, who encourage reflection and critical thinking. Motivated students, eager to learn and interested in knowledge. Families who see their children delighted to go to the educational center of their own free will and not out of obligation. And an educational system that does not leave out emotional education or education in values.
Beyond mathematics, English, history and language
Please don't think that I don't think these subjects are not important! Of course they are. But it is also important that a student knows how to defend his critical opinion with arguments. It is also important to know the type of contracts that exist or strategies to carry out a successful interview. A good part of the students who finish high school they acknowledge that they have not learned anything useful in class. They say that in many cases only memorization is rewarded.
Thus, How can we expect them to be independent people, with the capacity for analysis and reflection? It seems that many educational centers still choose to train in submission and educational authority, leaving aside the students. Precisely, educational hippies we want the voices of the students to be heard in order to take them into account. We believe that math is very important to students. But develop empathy active learning and manage emotions as well.