Education: At it’s breaking point

If you have ever been a part of a public school system in America, you know it’s flawed. But how deeply? Will Richards attempts to dig into some of the flaws of America’s school system in “9 Elephants in the (Class)Room That Should ‘Unsettle’ Us”, a must read!

One of the “elephants” he talks about is: 3. We know that deep, lasting learning requires conditions that schools and classrooms simply were not built for. Ouch.

So, basically, schools aren’t doing what they’re meant to do anymore. Which is: shoveling information into the minds of children for good test scores, and ignoring actual learning. This is so sad! How do we battle this?

We can battle this by focusing on what’s best for the student and their future. We can make learning something that is enjoyable and useful, and we expand it beyond the concrete walls of a school. We make it obvious to students that learning happens EVERYWHERE and that real life won’t give you A’s, B’s, or even F’s. You fail, you exceed, or you go along in life with no obvious momentum at all.

Children NEED real experiences to be successful in our society; more lessons on how to talk to be people and less on how to find the amount for an imaginary number.

This elephant can also coincide with #4: We know that we’re not assessing many of the things that really matter for future success. And #1: We know that most of our students will forget most of the content that they “learn” in school.

So, why waste time teaching children things that one, they won’t remember, and two, they don’t need or won’t use to succeed as a citizen in our country?? Wasn’t school created to make students better citizens???? SO when and WHY did education become all about test scores and less about people skills?

So irritating to me.

I digress.

We really need to recognize these elephants in the classroom and become innovative educators so that we can help to sculpt an America we will someday be proud to leave behind.

Someone once said (in one of those videos on Facebook) that “America isn’t the greatest country in the world anymore”. And I firmly believe that one of the main reasons for that is our education system and the way that we lead children on to believe the world is like.

So, let’s step back, realize we have REAL problems with the education system, and get to fixing them. Let’s forget about test scores and start thinking about the future of our children.

 

Innovation and Unlearning

This semester in my digital literacy course I have learned and unlearned some things (I have recently learned about unlearning… interesting concept! But anyways…). This particular digital literacy class has been all about stepping out of my comfort zone, challenging my knowledge on education, always pushing myself to do better, and to be a better learner. It has taught me to always be an innovator and that it’s okay to change your mind about traditional ideas.

Essentially, it has been all about innovation and unlearning.

Innovation in learning is all about being discontent with mediocrity, and challenging traditional norms. As George in The Mindset of an Innovator put it: “I believe that my abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed, leading to the creation of new and better ideas.” It’s about pushing through and past obstacles in education and finding ways to do better.

Unlearning is all about breaking those norms and habits so we can innovate. Unlearning wants us to challenge the traditional standards so that way we may one day advance further than ever thought possible.

One thing that was stressed throughout this course is how to combat the traditional teaching standards that public school systems have had for years (and in my opinion, continue to make worse). 21C teaching says “We need to unlearn that idea that every student needs to learn the same content when really what they need to learn is how to self-direct their own learning.”

Pushing past the “everyone learns the same” mentality is one that can be hurdled if educators and learners continue to unlearn and innovate. Learning is all about challenging ourselves and coming to conclusions no one ever expected, so we as learners have to do things that we never expected (like unlearning!).

Life is WAY too short to sit around doing the same thing everyday that people were doing 20 years ago, so we HAVE to stand up for our education and the education of generations to come and PUSH past norms and innovate whenever we can!

Unlearn that the minimum is enough.

Unlearn that anything has to be the way it is right now.

Unlearn that education is boring.

Unlearn that education only happens at school.

Unlearn that test scores and grades are all that matters.

Unlearn that learners can’t be educators.

Unlearn that social media isn’t for education purposes.

Unlearn that the internet can’t be used to our educational advantage.

Be innovative and unlearn, that’s what I have learned this semester in Digital Literacy.