A few observations regarding the survey completed by the upperclassmen in AP Biology. Almost all of them said they did NOT enjoy the learning experience in the SOLE environment. After analyzing the open-ended question, almost all of them said that they needed more time. So they're willing to try it again. One student was so frustrated because she claims to learn stuff better on her own. Perhaps this is the reason she did not enjoy the learning experience.
I wonder if there will be a better reception for the 9th graders tomorrow. To be honest, the AP biology class is somewhat of an academically homogeneous population. These are kids who have been successful in classes in the traditional format--memorizing information, meeting stated expectations, studying on their own because they are self-motivated. The ninth grade general biology classes are much different. They are far from homeogeneous. The diversity ranges from low achieving with learning disabilities to high- achieving. Students come from a variety of backgrounds and degrees of access to the internet. Many have tremendous experience with computers, others do not. Some are curious about the natural world. Most are not at all. Several students in these classes have what most would consider "behavioral issues". Many can not sit still for very long. And almost all of them can not maintain attention for more than 3 or 4 minutes of a lecture. Most are visual learners and not auditory learners. I'm wondering if, if not predicting that, students in these classes will, for these reasons, embrace the format and freedom of the SOLE and accomplish amazing things. Time will tell!