What if the way we think about learning is all wrong? A groundbreaking idea is shaking up the education world, and it’s coming from an unexpected place—a music teacher in Midlakes. Chris McAfee, the Middle School Band Director at Midlakes, is making waves nationally with his research that challenges traditional classroom norms. His work, recently published in the Journal of Educational Thought, explores the blurred lines between formal and informal learning, and it’s sparking conversations that could change how we approach education.
But here’s where it gets controversial: McAfee’s research, co-authored with Columbia University professor Dr. Drew Coles, draws inspiration from quantum mechanics to argue that learning isn’t a rigid, binary process. Instead, it’s a fluid spectrum where students absorb knowledge through observation, interaction, and experience—often without even realizing it. Imagine a student noticing a teacher’s gesture that makes music louder, only to later connect that moment to the concept of a crescendo. McAfee calls this ‘knowledge suspended in experience,’ and it’s a game-changer for how educators can facilitate learning.
And this is the part most people miss: While informal learning—like how popular musicians learn through listening and discovery—is valuable, McAfee argues it doesn’t diminish the importance of formal training. ‘It devalues the hard work and structure that formal education provides,’ he says. This counterpoint invites a heated debate: Can one truly master a skill without structured learning? Or is the blend of both approaches the key to success?
McAfee’s journey to this publication began during his master’s program at Columbia University, where his collaboration with Dr. Coles evolved from a student-teacher relationship into a full-fledged partnership. Their paper, Quantum Degrees of Formality in Learning Facilitation: Interrogating the Space Between Formal and Informal Learning, appears in Volume 58, Number 2 of the journal. It’s not just theoretical—McAfee has seen this approach in action across multiple districts, including Midlakes, where educators already intuitively blend formal and informal methods.
From theory to practice, McAfee emphasizes that this isn’t about overhauling the system but about evolving how we think about curriculum. ‘Students are constantly learning, seeing, discovering, and even deconstructing their knowledge,’ he explains. It’s a dynamic process that adapts over time, not a one-size-fits-all model.
McAfee has shared his research widely, from the International Society for Sociology in Music Education’s conference in Wayne, New Jersey, to professional development sessions with the New York State School Music Association. His message is clear: learning is not confined to textbooks or lesson plans—it’s embedded in every interaction, observation, and experience. But how do we ensure these moments are anchored as meaningful knowledge? That’s the question McAfee leaves us with.
What do you think? Is the traditional divide between formal and informal learning outdated? Or does structure still hold its place in education? Share your thoughts in the comments—this is a conversation worth having. And while you’re at it, stay informed with the latest local headlines by signing up for our Get Local newsletter at https://www.fingerlakes1.com/newsletter/. Want more FingerLakes1.com stories in your Google feed? Add us to your preferred news sources at https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=https://www.fingerlakes1.com. FingerLakes1.com has been your trusted all-digital news source since 1998—keeping you informed, one story at a time. Got a tip? Send it to emailprotected.
