A Model for Everyone
"The future," said science-fiction author William Gibson, "is already here - it’s just not very evenly distributed."1
Mr. Gibson wasn't referring to education, but he could have been. Across the world, our education systems produce incredible outcomes for some students, while leaving millions more behind. Many students already benefit from instruction that meets their unique needs... but far too many do not. And this isn't just about wealth: there are under-resourced schools that do an outstanding job reaching every student, and wealthy schools that continue to deliver ineffective, one-size-fits-all instruction.
One thing we're really proud of here at MCP is that we are building a model that works for everyone. We aren't just focused on high-poverty schools, nor are we targeting schools that are already rich in technology. We aren't targeting public or charter or independent schools, nor urban or suburban or rural areas.
Instead we believe that our approach can work for any student, in any classroom anywhere, and for that reason we are eager to work with any teacher. It's why we can simultaneously support educators in rural Pennsylvania and inner-city Washington, DC, at a girls' school in Israel and an international school in Nigeria, and countless places in between. We're building the model that we want for our own kids, as well as everyone else's.
In his book A Theory of Justice, the philosopher John Rawls poses the question: If you didn't know where in a particular society you'd be born, how would you want that society to be structured?2 That's a big question and I've never been sure how to answer it. But I do know I'd want to learn in a Modern Classroom.
In the spirit of supporting educators across all contexts, we'd love to support your colleagues as well! If you complete our short referral form, we'll reach out to your colleague(s) with additional information about our work, and let them know how to learn more. We're eager to connect with anyone you think might be interested:
1 Whether or not William Gibson actually said this is unclear, but the idea remains powerful. I am grateful to Torre' Mills for sharing it with me.
2 Here's a great video on John Rawls, and more on his idea of Original Position.At Modern Classrooms Project, we're doing our best to build that operating system. We're grateful to you for being here, and helping us design it to fit your needs.
