I often recommend Seth Godin’s marvelous free book Stop Stealing Dreams, It speaks to our particular time of massive evolution of educational paradigms.
In a companion article, Godin takes on the idea of enrollment. Not as in, “I enrolled Jane in elementary school” but as Godin writes,
Enrollment is what happens when you’re already engaged in the journey, when it’s something you seek out, something you’re eager for.
It is going to be increasingly crucial that we enroll our children in their education. Why we are learning this is just as important to students as what we are learning, and it is even more important when natural engagement decreases (like, say, a switch to all online school.)
Because I said so is not good enough.
Because the state requires it is not good enough.
Because we’ve always done it is not good enough.
Time to think deep about the justification for the educational experiences we are creating, and then communicate, clearly and effectively, the why of them.
Engage your students in the value of their education, and you will achieve a durable sense of enrollment that can withstand a pandemic, a change in teaching method, and any other interruption that might come your students’ way.
(Read more here about Seth’s particular ideas for this moment in online education.)