Comparing Site 1 to Site 2

Comparing SEEC to MLK Elementary is like comparing apples and oranges. Their only true similarities seem to be that they are educational facilities and are run by dedicated and talented teachers.

The teaching methods are very different on each site. At SEEC the students were led in small group activities and then let loose to explore the topic as their individual interests guided them (ie through art making, playing, reading, etc) At MLK the students are guided through a lesson starting with a seeing activity (I believe based on Visual Thinking Strategies concepts) and then the completion of one activity that everyone participates in creating. The students are able to explore their creativity in a guided manner, lending structure to the the classroom dynamic.

This leads me to my second point of comparison. The students at MLK are given much more structure in the classroom. The students are not given leeway in the manner that the SEEC students decide what particular way they would like to explore an area of interest. The structure of the MLK classroom is also useful in dealing with timing of activities and the handling of disciplinary issues. For the students at SEEC, their day was freely structured with very little adherence to a schedule aside from approximate times for meals and napping. For the students at MLK a bell system keeps them on track in terms of timing. Their activity was also very structured in terms of 'teaching time' and 'creating time'.

Looking at the two side-by-side it makes me wonder if both sites could benefit from incorporating more and less structure as applies.