German free school teaches without grades, timetables or lesson plans

[aikimo]

@thaumatechnicia

Just as is the case here, with you, it can take multiple long conversations to tease out someone’s complete lack of understanding of a subject.

Well, that’s rather condescending.

@thaumatechnicia

I was talking about just how much she didn’t understand how evolution works.

I understood that. I simply disagreed as to its importance.

@thaumatechnicia

Besides, do the teachers have time to spend one or two hours every few weeks with each student to properly assess their progress?

One or two hours? I think 10-20 minutes would be enough for an experienced educator.

@thaumatechnicia

I suppose you could argue that, since they’re not teaching at all, they have time to asses…

I wouldn’t argue that.

@thaumatechnicia

how can a student, who know (sic) little about a subject, decide what’s important but not interesting.

“How?” is an interesting question, and an important one. But that it’s been happening is well documented. Not for all students, but there are a lot who know more about what they need than the adults who reflexively assume otherwise.

@thaumatechnicia

I;ve seen enough self-evaluation of what’s what that I’ve come to distrust it.

Pretending that incestuous religious fundamentalists represent what self-guided learning is all about is as intellectually honest as pretending that Stalin represents what social safety nets are all about.