School Of The Future That Time Forgot

At the Mountain School, in Vershire, Vermont, high school juniors, many from elite New England private schools, spend a semester immersed in nature. Until lately, the school has existed without the so-called benefits of modern information technology. There is no high speed internet in the town. Satellite reception is spotty and weather dependent. Even cell phones have little reception.

With fiber optic cable being introduced this fall, that is about to change and the school is facing the challenge: "how to regulate the use of smartphones and other devices that serve as a constant distraction for 21st-century teenagers, who are here to engage with the rural setting and with one another."

The schools director has been asked to ban these intrusive technologies by many of the students, alumni and faculty. The school has decided to leave the decision to the student body and alumni.

This is the kind of careful and thoughtful way all things should weighed when it comes to our children's education and especially the children themselves should be involved in the process. We want our kids to grow up and be able to make good choices. Perhaps they should be involved from the first day of school.

For more on this, here's the link to the source in the New York Times and a link to the Mountain School itself.