Is it the content?

I just returned from a Fall Family Weekend at my son's boarding school. It was interesting being on the other side of mini-classes and discussions. I was intrigued with a couple of members of the faculty in the classes. First, there is an atmosphere at this school where it is cool to be smart. I believe that we have it at St. Margaret's where I teach as well. Students come wanting to learn but need to learn how to learn. Those at the top of the class are models and not pariahs. Secondly, at his school, I appreciated that even the honors classes were still focused on skills such as communication and critical thinking, not so much on content. In this age of Google, content is less important, it's about learning.

I then came across this video from Chris Lehman. Nice for some inspiration on developing schools for the future.

I have been reading Chris Lehman for a while now and had come across a pdf of one of his presentations. I like his speech, although he is speaking quickly, is inspiring and motivating. The ideas are also a good starter for school conversations. I think why I have been drawn so naturally to Web 2.o and its application in schools are the principles of progressivism but with new tools. "21st Century Schools are about educating for 21st century citizenry not the 21st century workforce.

I really like the quote of Alvin Toffler, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

His talks reinforce how I want to engage teachers that we teach kids before we teach subjects and it's about them--not US!

I also like Chris's commentary on Neil Postman that technology when done right is not additive but transformative. "Technology should be like oxygen--ubiquitous, necessary, and invisible."