Changing Education Paradigms September 12, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Mindfulness, Nature, People.trackback
The world is changing . . . so must we. Check out this video about some of the issues with schools.
Human beings are more than FWU’s ~ Fungible Work Units. The factory style approach to elementary and secondary education is failing.
Our increased focus on standardized testing (and learning) is stifling our innate intellectual creativity and curiosity.
It’s time for a change . . . a paradigm shift.
Pause, Reflect, Enjoy, Explore, Dream, Discover, Create, Consider, and Never Stop Asking . . .
What else could I do with this paperclip?
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Thanks to Creating Reciprocity for re-introducing me to RSAnimate yesterday in her post, Interesting Discoveries About The Brain.
Watching the video on Mirror Neurons in her post caused me to stop, look, and listen to 6 or 7 other RSAnimate Videos, including this one. Enjoy!
No rules. Just write!
Related posts: HATCH ~ Uniting Creative Minds * Lateral Thinking * Creating Our Futures (Creating Reciprocity)
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Spirit Lights The Way 
Good stuff, Nancy. I really love this for of teaching. It uses multidimensional presentation and appeals to most senses. If we could add touch and smell it would be amazing.
By the way, when it comes to paridigm…
Remember this: A Paradigm is 20 cents..
Sorry. Can’t resist sometimes.
Shave and a haircut . . . 2 bits.
Sorry, buddy, all I’ve got is a paradigm! 😉
I hear they’re bringing back home ec. That’s good. As long as they do it right!
Art, Music, Drama, Home Economics . . . all should be included to allow students FREEDOM of expression and an opportunity to EXPLORE their creativity.
Yes! Education desperately needs a revamp!
This is a FABULOUS video ~ showing the analogy between schools and factories . . . with students on a conveyor belt by “date of manufacture” (their age) instead of being grouped by their interests.
this past weekend I was listening/speaking with/to a relatively new mom. Her daughter was ‘slipping’ on her potty training.
After listening, i asked, ‘is your daughter healthy?’ ‘yes she is.’
‘Is your daughter happy?’ ‘Yes she is quite happy.’
I said, ‘ your daughter has her own time frame and it will all come in time. And I think it is natural for you to be concerned…since this is new to you. Children learn on their own with our guidance. ‘ Then I gave her my ‘mom’ smile. 🙂
When we start looking at our children or even ourselves as having a ‘problem’ when it is just nature flowing and ebbing…then THAT is when we have the problem.
thanks Nancy for more great posts 🙂
Wonderful response, Debra. If we want healthy, happy, and well adjusted kids . . . we need to allow them to ebb and flow on their own tidal schedule.
Children are to be unfolded . . . NOT molded.
some interesting stuff from a south american business guru, making sense of things in different ways. I listened the other day to his approach – absolutely amazing
I agree, Sidey. He’s definitely using his lateral thinking genes ~ not just to think outside the box . . . but to build a completely new and different box!
Unfortunately, a one size fits all approach is all we seem to have at the moment.
And life is NOT one-size-fits-all.
AMEN! Loved this, Nancy. Time for change. Exciting!
Instead of motivating kids to learn stuff that they may never need to use . . . let’s motivate administrators to CHANGE the curricula so that kids are EAGER to learn.
[…] Changing Education Paradigms – Spirit Lights the Way Spread the word:FacebookTweet ThisMoreEmailPrintDiggLike this:LikeOne blogger likes this post. Read more from Mrs O, Our New Life Australia, children, Education, MacBeth, postaday2011, Rote learning, teenagers, The Giver ← We are honoured… […]
Slightly related to my topic today, about moving from one education system to another.
We must always keep re-evaluating how we educate the next generation.
In the past, manufacturing “conformity” in kids worked to our advantage . . . since many of them ended up on production lines (as just another cog in the wheel).
That is less frequently the case these days due to automation and machination. We need less “standardization” and more innovation and imagination.
I look forward to reading your post, Robyn.
I’m at school now, handing out stuff to kids (that I didn’t design – I’m just casual) that they aren’t interested in and the teacher has made no effirt to gloss up or even relate to them. They are bored and hence difficult. We really do need a change and I wish that those who come up with curriculums spent time in an actual school, faced with real kids every day, because it’s obvius that they don’t.
I’d like to see the entire system revamped.
Kids 5-7 in classes together . . . learning to love learning. Older kids teaching younger kids how to SHARE and CARE.
Once they love to learn . . . teach them to read and write without cramming ridiculous classics like The Lord of the Flies down their throats.
Let them read what they want to read in the genre of their choice ~ fiction and non-fiction. Encourage them to devour books until the juice runs down their chins.
Teach them basic nutrition, budgeting, how to shop for food, and . . . HOW TO COOK it. Have gardens for them to grow their own food on the grounds ~ using Alice Waters model.
Let them take Art, Drama, Music, Woodworking . . . so they learn to appreciate their innate creativity.
Ugh Lord of the Flies. I protested against that book and horrific and disturbing films we had to watch in the 9th grade. I sat in the hall and took an F.
I hated music class because I had no interest whatsoever in playing that stupid little plastic flute. I had no musical ability and that sure wasn’t the way to find it. Plus the teacher was mean as crap. How inspiring.
The only good thing I have to say about school is that in the 10th grade I had a most wonderful teacher who made learning about Africa so interesting it was my favorite class of all my school time. School was a waste. I already knew how to read and I read far above grade level so I had to sit and listen to people read who never really learned to read. Mind numbing.
That’s the thing . . . Africa is no more interesting than Australia or South America or Europe. What made it interesting is a teacher who caught your imagination instead of cramming dry dates down your throat.
Other than a general timeline of civilization, do we really need to known exactly when the Battle of Hastings was fought?
Of course not. And, if we do, we can look it up easily enough.
Reading could be taught by grouping disparate ages together ~ with older kids “teaching” and “leading” the younger kids (while reinforcing what they’ve learned). That would free up teachers to provide one-on-one guidance to kids who struggle with reading. Each child reading to the teacher and being questioned about comprehension as well as recognition.
I LOVE this. My daughter sent me this about a year ago. Wonderful.
I’ve been enjoying these RSAnimate Videos.
I don’t agree with all of them, but they definitely present some thought provoking arguments for changing how we do business.
My son’s kindergarten teacher has forbidden him to draw a picture under the sentence that he writes during his “independent study” time at the end of the day. That’s the paper(s) he puts together for me. She told him he could only write words, not draw pictures. The first thing that came out of my mouth was, WTF??? I can’t wait for parent/teacher conference and ask why art is banished from the classroom.
I expect she’ll have some “valid reason” for saying he can’t . . . keep asking, Why is that? What do you mean? That makes no sense!
We weed out the most innovative and wonderful parts of ourselves when we conform to the norm.
Once I mentioned to his teacher she could let him draw when he’s all done with his assignments (as in he’s done everything she needed him to do, as well as the extra worksheets).
She said she’d rather not as she prefers he works on something more “academic”. Huh??? I was so floored to hear this I couldn’t find anything to respond with!!! She obviously has no clue drawing is not just used for art but also in many jobs, such as engineering, drafting, architecture, science, etc.
Sometimes I just want to bang on head on the wall…
One goal of modern schools is to create a sheep like mentality in kids . . . a follow the leader approach to life.
I’d rather they encourage a “follow your own road” focus.
[…] comment from fellow blogger Nancy at nrhatch. (Thanks, Nancy!) She suggested I read her post Changing Education Paradigms where she features a great video from RSA Animate (I love their videos) enhancing a speech from […]
A thought provoking post about education and challenges:
http://inthestillnessofwillowhill.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/the-perfect-place-for-shining-stars/
A fresh perspective, indeed. Perhaps we need to switch over from our relentless pursuit of GDP numbers to Gross National Happiness and then work back to arrive at an education system which fits in!
That’s the ticket!
We are cranking out cranky and moody over achievers who suffer from addictions and mental health issues instead of raising the next generation to be happy in their own skin.