In New York there is a school called Blue School that I would already want for my children. It is privately owned, and the ratio of students per classroom is around 15 children, who can be assigned two teachers acting as facilitators (a luxury).
This can also be found in our environment (I mean the ratio): rural centers, private schools. But what really caught my attention is that they seem have built an educational model worthy of children, who - as we know - want to learn from life, and enjoy their experiences.
This school has been created by a group called 'Blue Man', composed of experimental art artists. As part of a natural process they set out to create a special formula to capture it in an organization where people were always growing and learning. The beginnings of this very special school are in 2006, and currently the teaching of Infant and Primary Education is taught, although since 2015, they will incorporate the so-called 'Middle' (the equivalent of ESO). In blue school creativity goes ahead, and they seek their development from all the activities and programs that work there; and when they talk about creativity there, they refer exactly to the individual capacity for creation. For example, children are allowed to have original ideas, and also carry them out by providing them with the necessary tools.
This model has a key that I liked a lot, and in which I strongly believe: children learn through questions and through experimentation (The latter was already saying Socrates should be like this), so that they know without imposition, and discover according to their interests. So I imagine that it is not intended that all students achieve the same results, but that they learn and develop their potential.
And for this reason I just told you, it is for what the common spaces are designed to experiment and discover: a 'construction lab', a question room, a 'media lab', etc.
It goes without saying that in the 'Blue School' there are works of Art everywhere
Laboratory School
So many 'lab' have an explanation, Blue School It is considered the only laboratory school in New York, and this concept has its origin in two philosophers (Dewey and Parker). In this way the academic questions are integrated into the proposals or creative solutions developed by the students.
In case someone asks you the question, I will say that the students yes they have an individualized follow-upWhat happens is that they are not valued numerically as the most conventional school does. And even somehow they acquire the practice of completing exams, but there are no notes.
Deep down there is an intention that the little ones are satisfied; and in addition the objective is achieved that they learn to collaborate and adapt to different circumstances (something that, without a doubt, will be very good for the future)
Creativity, and more
If attention is paid to the creative development of students, the same is also done with emotions, since they integrate into relationships within the school, because (according to those responsible), it is unthinkable that children leave them at the door (such as who takes off his jacket or hangs the umbrella).
These little ones (they qualify them that way, although from my point of view they are great achievements) ideas, they make a difference with respect to the Public School. But is that the badge is already in the school's own philosophy, since if the way of working is different, so are the concepts that move it.
In this school the participation (but really) of the parents is admitted; and there are also extracurricular activities such as video game creation workshop, Chinese classes, etc.
But of course, it never rains to everyone's taste, so the testimony of some parents who have taken their children from there, because the results did not match the expectations they had. I have read a statement from parents of children in second grade to argue that their children could not read. It is difficult to be prepared to assume that interests develop naturally; precisely the calculation and reading are learnings that although they are not imposed they end up acquiring, although it happens later than in the average of the student population (but it happens).
I have read that Ken Robinson and Daniel Siegel, known for the development of theories on the implementation of emotional education in schools, were on the council of creation advisors.
Finally, I would like to point out that, as María Ascaso affirms, it may be time to break with the paradigms on which Education is based, because since everything around us is constantly changing, it is more convenient to bet on an educational revolution .
I still have to congratulate himThose responsible for these types of initiatives, which, although little by little, find their place in the educational system. In Spain we have Andolina, Liberi, and many other schools also based on experimentation and active participation of students and families.
