PSU students and faculty were exposed to an idea that is trying to change education from the ground up entitled “Follow the Child” in the MPR on Monday April 30.
“Follow the Child” (FTC) is a strategy designed to change school systems, empower students and create well-rounded educational programs by placing the student at the forefront of a personalized learning program.
FTC focuses on personalized learning and developing students in four key areas: academically, socially, physically and personally. The initiative is about personalization, taking responsibility and creating students that are as prepared and knowledgeable as possible. Teaching and guiding students in ways that are effective and inspire them to learn are the ways that the FTC will reach its goals. The FTC initiative was developed under the leadership of New Hampshire Commissioner of Education, Lyonel B. Tracy, one of the speakers at Monday’s presentation.
“The ‘Follow the Child’ initiative captures and expands upon the spirit of No Child Left Behind and the urgency to move each child to academic proficiency and beyond. This initiative prompts personalized learning that plots a track toward proficiency and defines the necessary support system of each child,” explained an FTC brochure.
FTC will give schools, teachers and students choices and opportunities to achieve recognized credit in places other than the classroom. For example, if a student who was interested in music and enrolled in a music program at their school wanted to play in a rock band outside of school for credit, the FTC initiative would promote dialogue between the teacher and the student to create a program to accommodate that student’s interests.
Fred Bamante, a member of the State Board of Education, and Tracy spoke at Monday’s event. Bamante gave an overview of the principles that created the foundation of FTC. Bamante spoke about his experiences in high school, the impact of standardized education and the negative impact those experiences had on him. One of the main points of his talk was how FTC taps into student potential. In speaking about his experiences, Bamante said, “All my skills were still raw and they were present in high school, but no one looked for them.”
Bamante stressed the importance of teachers trying to find out about their students and personalize their learning to create lasting results. “There are so many ways kids can learn. Follow the Child is working on personalizing learning for kids, finding out their interests, passions and dreams,” said Bamante.
Tracy discussed a multitude of issues, but focused on creating a unified education system from pre-school to the end of college. This system would streamline the education process and help create institutions aligned on the FTC goals. “We are going to commit to personalized education for every student. Content is not everything. We’re not trying to make students into somebody, they already are somebody, we just have to help them get there,” said Tracy.
In response to a question from the audience about the financial resources needed to fund and implement the FTC initiative further, Bamante said, “First of all, you need a change of thinking. The Federal Department of Education needs to step up to the plate at some point. New Hampshire is going to be ground-zero for this issue.”
Currently, there are 159 schools in over 39 districts that have embraced the FTC initiative. “It’s all about leadership, every single time. You have to start with students. Start with students, and you’ll be ahead,” said Tracy.