Tuesday, 27th October

Today I was really touched by a video that Francisco showed us in his class, and which can be accessed at https://vimeo.com/43938001 . It is about the peculiar approach to education that is put into practice in the Kunskapsskolan schools. In these KED schools, as they are called, students seem to have great autonomy and independence. Their schedule, their tasks and their learning programmes are flexible, personalised and adaptable, so the use of resources, time and space can be individually customised. Each student has a personal logbook, where he or she can keep track of his or her particular goals, tasks and assignments. KED schools use a learning portal to provide students with specific learning contents, materials and resources. This is an excellent way to deal with differentiation, as it allows brilliant students to design their own learning paths and rhythms. Such approach makes it possible for an outstanding student in 7th grade to finish its curriculum and move on to 8th grade in the middle of an ordinary school year. Every kid is taken care of, as each individual learning schedule is periodically revised and checked. There is also a coaching system so that every student keeps in close contact with a teacher who monitors his or her development and learning evolution. Typically, the coach will ask his or her coachee which are the goals that he or she wants to attain, and how is he or she planning to achieve them. Such a personalized organization is a wonderful way to grant every student the specific attention that they individually deserve.
In comparison with other schools, these wonderful KED schools seem to be an exotic and unreachable educational paradise. Considering how stressed and busy I am in my own school, I wonder how they manage to organize weekly meetings between each student and his or her corresponding coach. I also wonder whether my own students would be responsible, mature and autonomous enough to rely on a flexible and modular learning portal without the physical presence of a teacher to guide them. I guess that these kids must come from very special families, who must have invested a lot of energy, time and affection in teaching their own children the basic skills that such an independent kind of work requires. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic example of what can be achieved, and a powerful source of inspiration. I wish I could some day work in such a marvellous way!