Parents speak up...

On Friday we asked the students to present their projects to us and to some of the parents. After the children presented the projects, we asked the parents how they fell about the project and about what the children are doing. First they were quiet, but they slowly started to open up. Of course they were happy with what the children are doing, but they were still worry about children paying too much attention to the computer and other technologies.

Parents are starting to notice that children use the computers to do other things besides learning about technology. Since children are taking the computers home, the parents have started to notice that the children are using the computers to work on project that have to do with the school. They still worry about the children paying a lot of attention to the computers, or getting the computer skills, but not learning what other children in Costa Rica are learning.

Only few parents have really understood that the children integrate content from all the subjects as they work on projects. There was actually one mom who was defending this point when other parents said that the children were not doing Science, Math, Spanish, etc.

I think parents really need to see much more happening before they understand this new way of learning. I think they have been open enough to let us work with their children on this pilot experience, but they really value their children education and they worry that the project is going to affect them in the long term. I am glad that we were able to discuss these issues today!