A Look at Teaching Methodologies Used in Charter Schools By: Jacqueline Bodnar

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, there were over 1.2 million students in charter schools as of May 2008. In just the 2007-2008 school year there were 362 new public charter schools that opened their doors. With each new school, as well as being a continued concern in existing ones, comes with it the choice of which teaching method will be followed.

Choosing a teaching methodology is likely one of the hardest decisions that any educational institution will make. They need to find and implement the one that they feel will benefit and reach their students the most. And what works for one school, may not always work for another. School demographics, goals and missions vary, making it important that they adopt a teaching approach that best suits the needs of their students. While there are many methods available, we have narrowed down several of the more popular ones to offer a review and assessment.

Montessori
The Montessori teaching method was founded by Dr. Maria Montessori, the first female physician in Italy, in 1907. The foundation of the method is based on the idea that children teach themselves and thrive in a prepared environment where they can choose from various activities that are developmentally appropriate. In this teaching method, children under the age of six learn through their senses by reading, observing, and listening, while children over the age of six learn to gather information, take field trips, do independent research, engage in the arts, and do group activities. An emphasis is placed on children learning at their own pace, rather than simply meeting a set standard of where the entire class should be. Montessori students do not generally sit as a group and listen to a teacher, or use standard text books, rather they are involved in group and individual activities, and with the materials they have been given.

The focus in this teaching method is placed on learning through the discovery process, which leads to increased self-discipline, motivation, concentration, and fosters a love of learning. A con of this program that some cite is that it tends to keep parents at bay, which may leave them feeling left out of the educational process of their child.

Reggio Emilia
The Reggio Emilia approach was named after a city in Northern Italy, by its founder, Loris Malaguzzi, after World War II. The approach was developed as an educational program for those children under the age of six. This method is based on the idea that children are curious, imaginative, inventive, competent, and resourceful. The program is based on the principles of respect, responsibility and community, and the focus is placed on children learning through discovery and exploration, while in a supportive environment. The Reggio Emilia teaching method is also known for giving children more control over their learning direction, making sure they are able to learn through their senses, and are encouraged to express themselves. Many professionals cite the time commitment this program requires as a draw back to using this method.

Advocates of this method maintain, however, that there is an important emphasis placed on respecting the child and being considerate of his or her point of view. Today it is used in the U.S., as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K, among other countries.

Inquiry Based
Inquiry Based learning is focused on seeking out information, truth, or knowledge. Students do this by acting as scientists in a situation that the teacher has constructed. Through this method, they learn to observe, question, draw conclusions, and pose explanations of what they are experiencing or seeing. They are also encouraged through this route to conduct tests that may contradict their findings, as well as create and design models. The learning experiences that students engage in are generally open-ended, so there is not a single correct answer; rather they are encouraged to think of the possibilities that exist.

Inquiry Based students adhere to standards that are pre-determined, but are active in learning through trial and error and careful reasoning. The focus is placed on inquiry, the students observing as scientists would, to learn through examination and thought-provoking experiences. They are engaged in the learning and exploration process, carry out investigations, communicate their ideas, propose explanations, and raise questions. This teaching approach was first developed in the 1960s as an alternative approach to the weak method of simply having children try to memorize information.

Project Based
The Project Based Learning (PBL) method was first used as early as the 1900s by John Dewey, an advocate for learning by doing. This approach places the emphasis on the learner and allows for in-depth investigation of what the students are learning, rather than having them adhere to a set of strict lesson plans.

The students are encouraged to construct personally-meaningful projects that will help to get them motivated, maintain their interest, have more control over their learning experience, and be more responsible throughout the process. The projects often involve presentations, plays, poems, or other such opportunities, where the students demonstrate what they have learned. This method of learning embraces different learning styles, student interests, and diversity. PBL places an emphasis on learning groups, where students determine their project, and work together to accomplish their goals. One of the cons of this program is that many find it difficult that a syllabus cannot be created in advance.

Core Knowledge
The Core Knowledge method was first introduced to schools in 1990, and is based on the idea that every democratic society must have people that have a common base of knowledge in order to function well. The idea is that, by having this common knowledge base, people will be able to function while also improving society. The core areas that students focus on include geography, world history, visual and music arts, language arts, and math. The program was designed to take about 50 percent of the total instruction time each day.

Success for All
The Success for All approach to teaching is an achievement-oriented program that focuses on elementary-aged children. The program was designed to intervene or prevent learning problems in the early years of a child. The approach is centered on the beliefs that all children can learn, success in the early grades is essential for their future school progress, learning deficits can be prevented through intervention, and that effective school programs are both intensive and comprehensive. The program includes a 90-minute daily reading program, one-to-one tutoring, special education, eight week reading assessments, and children having a family support system that works with the child to ensure their success.

Differentiated Instruction
In Differentiated Instruction, the focus is placed on the fact that each student does not learn the same way. This method maximizes what a student learns by using flexible guidelines that aim to ensure that the students understand the material, rather than just covering as much material as possible. This approach offers options when it comes to taking in information, making sense of all the information, and for expressing what the student is learning. The foundation of this approach is based on the idea that the methods used in the classroom should be adapted according to the diverse student body it aims to serve. In order to truly adopt this method, however, schools are required to invest significant time into staff development, a con cited by some professionals who have considered this method as an option.

Love and Logic
The Love and Logic approach to teaching focuses on allowing children to learn through the consequences of the mistakes they make, while putting the teachers in a position to feel more empowered and skilled while interacting with the students. The goals are to teach children to be responsible and prepare them to live in society, recognizing and making decisions about the various choices and consequences that exist within it. Professionals may question how viable this methodology would be in a variety of environments, such as in many inner cities where outside influences may interfere with the teachings within the schools.

Waldorf
The Waldorf teaching method was developed by the Australian philosopher Rudolph Steiner, with the first school focusing on it opening around 1919. The approach it takes is to emphasize the role that imagination plays in the child’s education, while aiming to raise students that are moral and integrated. Within this methodology, those in early learning focus on imitative and sensory-based learning, while those in elementary school are focused on artistic expression. By adolescence, Waldorf places an emphasis on fostering abstract thought, judgment, and ethical thinking. One of the cons of this program is that reading and writing are not introduced until age six or seven.

Conclusion
Deciding which teaching method to use is a complex decision, thanks to the variety of teaching methodologies, each having a number of proponents. Armed with the proper information, this decision is perhaps made easier in the context of each school, the unique student body guiding the way.

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Sources:

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Fact Sheet.