Take 53 seconds to watch this snippet from Stephen Heppel via Greg Whitby.
Hard to pack more thinkable ideas into that short a time. But the one I love is the idea that we have to start thinking of learning like health; it goes with us throughout our lives. And the idea that schools don’t want to grow up.
It troubles me that my kids are a part of what he calls this “lost generation,” stuck in this “never-never-land” period, but I just can’t get my brain around the idea that it’s only going to take 10 years to play out. (See previous post.) If our students’ frustration really is becoming a policy issue, I wonder how we can work smarter to harness that energy for change.
Learning = health. This is something I come back to time and time again. What if every teacher – and school administrator, DOE official, etc. – had to take a form of the Hippocratic Oath? First, do no harm. What if we addressed every student like a doctor would treat their patient (a good doctor, that is). Until we start truly differentiating instruction, it’s tantamount to giving everyone the same pill because “it works for most people”?
Will – I agree that this generation (since the passage of NCLB) will be considered the “lost” generation. The idea that it will “only” take 10 years to play out, will only occur if we have world-wide leadership that are willing be educational leaders. Unfortunately, leadership with that kind of vision is not in place at the national, state or local levels (in the U.S.for the most part) to instigate (I use that word on purpose) what “we” see as necessary change.
Due in part to your efforts in Maine…our DOE Commissioner is attempting make some of these changes, but faces a great deal of partisanship, a lack of understanding of what is being attempted and probably most difficult the amount of time politically that it will take and when her term will be over. So while Maine’s leadership may be headed in the “right” direction????? not everyone believes the same.
As I have stated in one of my previous posts abut it being too late for my children (unless they decide to personally do something about), and Mr. Heppel’s description of the “lost” generation, I am now concerned about the education of my Grandchildren. That is cause and banner I will fight for now. — Harold
This video led me to think about the district that I work in. In 10 years will there be a dramatic shift in what we do? I hope it is true (and that it will take a lot less than 10 years). We all need to do our part in sharing best practices that will allow students to maximize their potential as 21st century learners.
Having 6 year old twin boys, I am without a doubt concerned about their being the ‘lost generation.” 10 years from now they will be juniors in H.S. NCLB and state mandated testing are not going to prepare these students for the future.
Part of my job as an educator is to work with at-risk math students. I have seen them all make progress this year but at what expense? They are being taken out Health, Music, Art, etc. I have seen some of these students in concerts and plays and they are fantastic.
We need to give all students what they need now.
Thanks for highlighting this video Will. I have to present to the board who manage our school and this will be a terrific starter for my presentation. We have to start initiating the change – I’m thankful I have a Principal who can see that the changes I have been talking about are being taken seriously in my school.
Thanks for sharing this, Will. I met Stephen at a conference in Toronto a few months ago, and was dissapointed that our schedules did not coincide for the NAACE conference.
He’s doing some fantastic things will schools around the world, and they are mostly very small, third-world or near-third-world countries where they are inventing education from scratch. No old metaphors, no factories to base their “schooling” visions on. It’s fascinating and being mostly ignored by US.
— dave —