Teaching & Learning at Home & at School

I just went to the coolest Seminar this morning that was really inspiring. It was held at a nearby Private School and the theme was Teaching and Learning at Home. The premise was that schools in the US are not in their full and best form right now because

1. there is sometimes too much of a focus on achievements and grades, not learning
2. Young students don't have enough play time (the ideal should be 'no child left inside' not 'no child left behind,' :)
3. the students are told to often to sit down, be quiet, and listen
4. there are a lot of standardized tests

This results in students who might make it through college and even enter work force but

1. can't self direct
2. have been so scheduled and celebrated and programed that they don't know how to complete things on their own!
3. cry a lot
4. expect that after such a list of achievements, they should be promoted all the time

and just basically haven't learned as much as they could in their schooling.

What schools really need is

1. to encourage students for their effort not results
2. be more project based instead of having students spew out memorized facts
3. collaborate with local businesses, charities, and cultural centers so students are more experience rich and not information rich/experience poor as they are now
4. to have individualized lessons to help students develop their own unique talents

This results in students who are

1. creative, innovative and problem solving
2. more like Steve Jobs/ entrepreneureal
3. curious, self directed
4. communicative and able to collaborate

So those are some of my thoughts after the seminar. It was interesting. Of course this is a generalized summation of some pretty deep ideas that are supported by studies and observation, but it was definitely eye opening!