Where's my Education Revolution? We should have it by now!
Sir Ken Robinson has been talking about the Education Revolution for years. He talks about how we need new ways of learning, and to move away from an industrial and production line mentality.
But where is it? It should be here by now! We know that there is an Education Crisis. Common core is squelching creativity. Teachers have been teaching in decrepit schools for decades now, and nothing is really changing, other than we are holding the teachers more and more accountable.
The answer is this: the Education Revolution has happened, is happening, and will happen soon.
It has happened: I remember every single teacher who told me I was worthless. Who squashed my ideas. Who stifled my creativity. At every level: Elementary, Junior High, High School, Undergraduate, Graduate. They were there at every level. I also remember every single teacher who ignited my passion. Every teacher who nurtured my curiosity. Every name, every face... I remember them all. The revolution has been happening in classrooms in spite of educational reform and not because of it.
It is happening now. Look at the uptick in enrollment in alternative schools, un-schools, open classrooms, and so on. The mainstream education model isn't working for this generation of learners and we know it.
When I say it will happen soon, I look at my daughter. She's 6, and fully immersed in digital media. She plays lots of games on her iPad and on the computer, and I see real skills emerging from those games. Logical reasoning skills, deductive skills, storytelling and roleplaying, artistic skills, social skills, math, hand-eye coordination - all of these are coming from her experiences with technology. If those skills are continued, valued, and nurtured throughout her education, then I think she will come out amazing. If what she loves is crushed by her teachers, then I dread the consequences. The future of educational revolution isn't necessarily tacking on technology to old ideas, but seeing technology itself as a passion to be embraced.
