After listening to Sir Ken Robinson talk about the history of education and challenge why we do things and then listen to Chris Betcher continue the challenge with a DaVinci in the classrooms – I poist so what do we need to do?
To help answer this question its useful to listen to Tony Wagner.
I first met Tony Wagner at a 3 day Change Leadership Course at Harvard University some 5 years ago. Tony and his colleagues challenged us about change management in schools. He prodded our assumptions on schooling, gave us a few tools to manage new ways of thinking and sent us off back into school systems around the world to continue the conversations we had started.
Well Tony’s challenging continues with these clips.
At a recent parent forum I was asked why have flexible spaces – why can’t we go back to straight year 6 classrooms. Its an old question but a good one for it challenges us to explain our thoughts. The fact that I’m still asked about straight classes says that we haven’t been too successfully in perhaps continuing the conversations started a few years ago with a new generation or intake of parents.
So why don’t we have straight classrooms – well Sir Ken has a thought that this promotes a safe lock step approach to thinking about how we learn and might teach in spaces.
A new model is emerging – not quick enough for some parents – and who could blame them.
But its hard work educating student by day and parents by night – don’t give up – don’t accept the old paradigm because its safe – for if we do go back we do this next generation a disservice.
Have a look and contribute a comment.
The full version of this presentation can be sen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS2PqTTxFFc
Or access my Facebook page where I share the clip.
