Monday, September 7, 2015

Stop Stealing Dreams - unpacking the video...



Today I am enjoying this talk by Seth Godin.

To understand what school is for, first we need to explore what school used to be for.  School was about teaching obedience! Respect and obedience!

The invention of the standardised test was set up to sort a problem. Once it didn't work, the originator said it didn't work.  

We are programmed to hold a little bit back - exampled by raising a hand, then ask to raise higher, of which all are capable.  We are programmed from our an early age to hold a little back. 

People in factories didn't have enough workers.  Universal schooling to train people to be willing to work in factories.  Schools churned out interchangeable people, just as factories had interchangeable people.

Normal schools and text books came out, and so people became locked into the system of learning, memorising, regurgitating.  

"If its work people try to do less, if its art people try to do more."

No right answer and a million wrong answers is a challenge!  

With the arrival of technology we do not need one person to teach us - when we can all be connected via the internet. 

Essential changes:
Flipped learning - Homework during the day, lectures at night 
Open book, open note all of the time - memorising is not necessary
Open access to any course, anytime, anywhere
Precise focussed education - 
No more multiple choice - ever
Measure experience instead of test score - 
Co-operation instead of isolation
Teacher role transfers into coach
Death of famous colleges
Arduino - build, create, do something interesting - ask for help

Destroy the myths:
  • Great performance in school leads to happiness and success
  • Great parents have children who perform well in school

"Are we asking children to connect dots, or collect dots?"

Put the learners into a situation where they can fail and learn from it.  We spend so much time measuring the dots, measuring the successes. 

"Grades are an illusion. Passion and insight are reality.  Your work is more important than your congruence to an answer team. Persistence in the face of a sceptical authority figure is priceless and yet we undermine it. Fitting in is a short term strategy that gets you nowhere.  Standing out is a long term strategy that takes guts and produces results.  If you care enough about your work to be willing to be criticised for it then you have done a good day's work."

Ask the question - what is school for?

Have a conversation with anyone - what is school for!

Wow, so many challenges is this talk.  How well are we going at connecting the dots?

Maybe storyhui is our bridge to connecting the dots at the moment. 

Through the power of the story we are able to connect dots, feel your passion and your insight.  We are able to hear of our persistence, and our 'standing out'. We are able to hear our story and our journey as we share 'what school is for', for our targeted individual or group of learners.  We are able to hear our journey as we celebrate the ways in which we are changing, and growing to better meet the needs of our learners. 




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