The School in the Cloud is a new documentary feature-film by director Jerry Rothwell which will revolutionise what you thought you knew about learning. Watch the first 5 minutes of this film and you will have learnt enough for one day. Class dismissed. But seriously, the opening scenes of this film deconstruct what you thought you knew about learning in order re-educate you about education. If you’re a teacher you might feel threatened, if you’re a pupil this will make you feel like a rock star cue Alice Cooper chanting ‘schools out forever!’
In a pitch-black Indian street market where the only electric light appears to be coming from the directors camera the locals are being told about a plan to educate their children using just a computer screen. Most of the locals, especially the children, have never even seen a computer before let alone used one. Yet they are about to be connected to the internet for the first time in a purpose built self-sufficient classroom with no teachers whatsoever. It’s part of an experiment by Professor Sugata Mitra in ‘Self Organised Learning Environments’ SOLEs and it’s not only happening in India it’s happening all around the world.
For physicist Prof Mitra learning takes place in ‘clusters’ and ‘at the edge of chaos’. By asking children a BIG question and letting their curiosity run-wild. In small groups they explore the subject matter online, collaborate and present their findings to each other. Which in-turn gives them a better understanding of the subject matter. “Mitra argues that the information revolution has enabled a style of learning that wasn’t possible before.” so says Wired magazine. The traditional role of the teacher and pupil has changed and so have the test results.
In 2013 Prof Mitra was awarded $1 million dollars by TED the internet based ideas organisation to develop his pioneering research. His original ‘hole-in-the-wall’ experiments (1999) had spawned the block-busting film Slumdog Millionaire. The TED2013 Prize money was supplemented by another award from the Sundance Institute for documentary film-making. British director Jerry Rothwell was given the task to record Prof Mitra’s progress as he attempts to rapidly scale-up his experiments in India and the UK. The resulting School in the Cloud film had it’s World Premier in March and will be out this October.
One of the most novel ideas presented in the film, other than having the students design the classroom themselves, is the Granny Cloud. A network of volunteers who encourage the students without actually giving them any answers or telling them what to do. The introduction of the first ‘Granny’ a young football playing accountant saw test results shoot-up from 30 to 50%. In a subject and language that the students previously knew nothing about!
The results are impressive but the novel approach and the subsequent search for a methodology is understandably not without it’s critics. Enter director Jerry Rothwell (Sour Grapes, How to Change the World, Town of Runners) and co-director Ranu Ghosh. The film gathers-pace piecing together clips of previously published TED talks with footage shot in India and UK. Allowing us to see the world through the eyes of the participants currently taking part in the ‘experiment’.
The early experiments all took place in India in situations where computers and technology were novel. So the next challenge was to take the lessons learned in India and try to apply them to children and schools in the UK and elsewhere. The BIG question that applies to all of us ‘What is the future of learning if anyone can find out anything they need to know in under 2 minutes?’ Search engines have fundamentally changed the nature of knowledge and the Internet has revolutionised all aspects of society so why not education.
When watching and listening to Prof Mitra I am reminded of the wolf in sheeps clothing. His charisma and determination to provide an education system for all, even the most highly-disadvantaged is very persuasive. Enough to disarm all but the staunchest of critics but in reality he is somebody who is set on a collision course with society. A disruptor who for better or for worse needs to be heard. As Prof Mitra so eloquently says ‘The future seems to be forming itself faster than the past can catch-up’.
I am currently looking for SIX regional venues and Sponsors to screen the film when it is released in October (Dorset & Surrounding Areas). If you are interested in helping then please contact me NOW thank-you [email protected] / 07789865934
