Will Richardson and I had a less than satisfying conversation yesterday about efforts to retool education for 21st century teaching and learning. We struggled with the pivot points of power that might be tipped, and kept coming out at top leadership — a nearly unreachable audience.
Then, upon returning to his room, Will gets an e-mail from the office of Lamarr Alexander (R-TN), inviting him to a conference call on Wednesday.
Will’s blog (Talking Education with US Senators — Questions Anyone?) about this has already stirred up enormous conversation (at least by the standards of my blog) about what he should ask and what he should say. I would recommend coming at it with no more than three main points from which to seek information and from which to express concerns and concrete ideas.
From Three Bullet Dave, I would suggest:
- Economy — It’s global, constantly changing, and it increasingly relies on rich information skills.
- Our Customers — They are tech savvy, effective collaborators, who are accustomed to a rich, interactive, and dynamic information experience. They know how to play the information. They need to learn how to work the information.
- Our Schools — The very nature of information has changed. It is networked, digital, and overwhelming, and it can’t be contained in any folder, book, bookshelf, library, or school. How can we redesign schools (reinvent education) to address and harness this new shape of information?
My 2¢ Worth!