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The Post-it Man by Tim Ove ((Ove, Tim. “The “Post-it” Man.” Flickr. 22 Dec 2009. Web. 31 Dec 2009. |
It is customary to offer your new year’s resolutions — a custom I usually avoid. Why set yourself up for disappointment. But over the past few mornings I’ve been thinking that NYRs might be an interesting way to make a statement — something I’m obviously not very shy about.
So, here are my 2010 New Year’s Resolutions.
- I will accept that I may no longer be a believer — Over the years, I have been gradually, and not without resistance, losing my faith. I am afraid that I may no longer believe in education.
There is no problem with education.Education is the problem.
Our goal is preparing our children for their future, and I am becoming convinced that education — our belief in education — is preventing us from accomplishing that goal.
- I will avoid, at all (most) costs, using the following words:
- education — It gets in the way. Anybody know what I might substitute the word education with? 😉
- student — Implies learning as passive and separate from living. I’ll try to use learner instead.
- technology — What does it mean to you? ..to me? I think it is better to tell the story — what the learner is doing, with what, and to what ends.
- teach — The active and accented verb in our conversations should be “learn” not “teach.”
- teacher — I’m actually not too sure about this one. I may start referring to us a teacher-learners.
- I will try, at all costs, to speak plaining and to clearly paint pictures for what I am striving to convey. If we agree that “it takes a village to teach a child,” then we need to be speaking in villagese, not schoolese. We need to try to avoid the vague terminologies that portray us as experts, and instead, use sentences that more effectively spread our knowledge and experience.
- I will more aggressively and compellingly speak out against standardized testing, and to direct conversations toward alternatives.
I believe that standardized, high-stakes testing has done far more harm to more children then all the social networks on the planet.
- I will try to spend less time sitting at my computer and more time doing something unrelated to “education” and “technology.” Anybody know where I can download the guitar tabs for It is One, by Jackson Browne?
- OK! I will also get my weight down to 190, hug my wife more, be nicer to the dog, and eat less meat.
Happy New Year, My Friends!
The problem is not education, the problem is schooling. We spend too much time and effort on trivial things that will help no one. What we should be doing is teaching our students how to teach themselves. Really it was not until I learned how to do that, that I became an educated man. And once a student learns that, the he/she become their own teacher. They may still need help with certain concepts after that, but they will no longer need a guide, but an educational partner. That should be our goal.
I think that we are talking about the same thing. But it is important to note here (and perhaps should have in the actual post), that I’m not saying that education should die, or that we should never teach our students. Somethings need to be taught. But through our language, we paint pictures and reinforce those pictures that experience (from decades ago) has painted. If we can talk more about learning and learning in ways that are appropriate for our students and their future, then we can start to alter that image.
Using the same old language perpetuates the same old images.
Hi David,
Interesting thoughts here. But I noticed you left out how you’ll learn.
I’m curious what books you’ll read, what theories you’ll study, and what new topics you want to learn about, be them related to learning or not (i.e. gardening).
This post is much about what you’ll do or not do. What will you learn or not learn?
Chris
Tough question to answer. I could read out the stack of books I have here on my desk, left to read in the coming weeks. But none of them even existed at the beginning of 2009. I wish that I could calculate what part of what I learned last week that I thought I wanted to learn the week before.
I guess it goes back to one of the shifts I think is happening in the world of education, that how you learn has become much more important than it use to be, and what you learn is less. It’s all changing too fast.
I can say that I want to learn more about data visualization and that whole family of related topics. Right now, I am using some concepts I learned while playing with Processor 1.0 (http://bit.ly/5cg6Q2) to finish up the tool I plan to use at Educon the end of the month. Will you be there, Chris?
Nice thoughts, but I don’t believe in resolutions as we tend to break them each year. I believe in setting goals for each quarter of the year, making a list of how to achieve it. I then have more success because I have a plan. I actually wrote about this in my most recent post on my blog. I do hope that your goals are ones that can be achieved.
Happy New Year!
Hi David,
I’m especially drawn to numbers 1 and 2. I’m in the same boat. The word I’m using instead of education (and “school”) is learning. Just shifting the language in my mind has helped focus on what’s important.
Oops – looks like you’ll need to change your blog header…education pops out front and center! 😉
On another note, semantics aside – in this case, I think we need to focus on action, as the belief and the words are not getting the job done. Yes, I’ve been told to be patient as change takes time, but we can’t afford to keep waiting IMHO.
😉 I’ll have to look at my blog header, and I agree about the patience part. I feel a bit of a twinge under my skin everytime I hear, “Small steps! Small steps!”
Love your thoughts, David
Happy New Year.
Only change I would make — #6 should be #1.
Will see you at ICE…hope hope.
Jen
David, thanks for posting your New Year’s resolutions. I can relate with your doubts and struggles very well, even though we live on different continents. I have followed your blog for many years now and realise that you did not become a non-believer quickly or rashly. I am a parent for the last twenty years and I have worked in K12 and university education for the last ten years. It has been a great time of leaning and exploration for me personally, but I have this great sense sadness knowing that the majority of skills my children have learnt, that will serve them in their futures, have been found outside of their classrooms. And, though I would not advocate closing schools, I do know that they are a “lost generation” in our responsibility in offering children a formative education. Thirteen years of discussion, debate and whining on the part of politicians and governmental officials. My children’s K12 school education is frozen in the last century and has no hope of being fired up by the inadequate political and financial resources available.
My son will graduate grade 13 this year with a wealth of knowledge gained through voracious reading on the Internet and many skills acquired by actively participating in social and community programs. My daughter will, hopefully, follow in his footsteps. They do well in school and participate in school programs, but the bottom line is: a school system that teaches learning by rote and utilises standarise testing fails in its mission.
David, couldn’t agree more with your first resolution. As soon as I called students, learners, and stopped using the words “teacher” and “teaching” I began to focus on learning from the viewpoint of my learners.
When I did this, I provided more choices for my learners as to how they learned and demonstrated their learning. It really helps move to a more differentiated learning environment. Now, most of my students are in charge of their own education (with me as a guide).
“Technology” is one of our “tools.” Whether we’re using Google Docs to collaborate, “prezi” to present or a pencil, they are all “tools.” (by the way, you showed me prezi at the Iowa technology conference in Iowa City earlier this year — a big thank you))
Really enjoy your work and willingness to share your ideas. Have a great 2010.
Every blessing and best wish for 2010 David.
I like your idea about calling students learners – I also like to use the word children as we are a primary school.
You will no doubt know that we in NZ are entering a high stakes testing era. My goal is to work towards a system for school which does as little damage to the children as possible.
Enjoying some lovely summer days here in P Nth – not doing too much running at present and have just brought a dog!
David,
I make the same resolution every year… to lose 30 pounds. I usually do, only in time to gain it back by December 31st!
I appreciate your viewpoints here, especially the first point about school and education. Perhaps the most frustrating part of public school how the institution itself gets in the way of its purpose. Politics, red tape, and the need to (try to) satisfy, not educate, everyone pull us further away from our ultimate goal.
Last year I wrote these 9 assumptions: http://transleadership.wordpress.com/about/. I review them periodically and I have been trying to figure out a way to incorporate some of your thoughts above. Thanks for moving my thinking along.
Education is never the problem. The box we currently put it in (school) is the problem. Education will have less and less to do with schools. What do we do about that?
All the best for 2010.
Point taken and our meaning is the same.