So, some thoughts. I've been thinking a lot about 'school' lately. Noah (my eldest child) is fast approaching that age when we 'start school'. This has caused me to reflect on my schooling and what I want for my kids during the school years.
The big question for me at the moment is, "Is it worthwhile asking kids to spend years of their lives doing stuff they aren't interested in, and, that will be of little value in the future?" I like the look of an education that looks like this:
If you follow this link you will discover a school that is doing something pretty fantastic. They aren't filling kids heads with stuff from a curriculum. They are letting students define what it is they want to learn and collectively shaping a learning pathway with them.
I can hear the cry of worried parents everywhere, "I couldn't send my child to a school like that. I would be too worried they would fall behind." And I understand that concern! However, I will reference myself briefly to explain why this shouldn't worry us too much. School for me was a very average experience. Besides being toward the bottom of the popularity food chain for much of this time in my life, I was unmotivated! I failed 6th Form Certificate (the second to last year of school). But for reasons best known to others I was allowed to move into what is now Year 13, which I promptly dropped out of before the year was half over. I left school "well behind". In the time that has past since then I have discovered what I am really passionate about, gained two degrees and developed tremendous job satisfaction - as a teacher! At school I was well behind and I had to leave school to discover a love of learning! Ha, the irony! To support my argument I will mention that Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and this guy...
...where all drop outs! The first two from college and the third from high school! And we would all agree these guys have/are making a pretty profound impact with their creative abilities.
So, my thoughts (that are currently in progress) surround this notion that current schooling is suppressing creativity and inhibiting life in many. But, I should say, probably not all!
I am thinking about how school needs to change and would love to hear your feedback. Drop me a line on FB or by email or comment here.
In my next post I want to talk about the concept of "10% Time" a self-directed study time I used in my class last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment