Message to Inspire Change in Education:

Questioning is the beginning of understanding!
Franklin

What is Important to Learn in School?

This is a question every student, parent, school, community, and nation must answer. Below I have some ramblings with my collected thoughts.

Curriculum - While most people agree that there is a fundamental amount of information students must learn to be educated, they differ on what that information is and how deeply it should be acquired.

Instructional experiences - In my opinion, the real challenge lies not in determining what information and how much should be learned, but rather in the experiences in how it is learned. If there is information that students could learn easily, and master, then most people wouldn't complain about learning it. Therefore, the learning experiences students encounter and the circumstances in which those experiences occur are what is most crucial for their education; as powerful experiences lead to every student learning both how to learn along with the information, curriculum.

With these two ideas let's explore different ideas.

Each individual's response to these questions forms the basis for their assessment of their school's ability to effectively educate their children. However, more people are beginning to recognize that the current curriculum and experiences offered in their schools are not meeting their desired outcomes for their children. Consequently, they are turning to more out of school experiences based on their interpretations of what they believe will best position their children for future success. Often drawing from the shortcomings they perceive in their children's schools' curriculum. Club sports, library programs, faith programs, museum related activities, music lessons, art programs, private tutoring, and other related experiences.

Unfortunately, the number of parents who are successful in meeting these needs is insufficient. The reason for this is that most people lack knowledge of what needs to be learned for education or how to achieve it. In fact, when asked what schools should teach, most people respond with basic subjects like reading, writing, and arithmetic, and sometimes how students should be treated in school. Beyond that, they remain silent, allowing schools and teachers to decide, often to the point of neglect.

Their responses are based on their own educational experiences or what they wish they had received. However, their ideas are mostly dated and lack support by the research and practical wisdom on how children and adolescents learn and how to facilitate that learning. Which is well document in the few schools and countries who have found successful ways to achieve high educational standards.

If we observe learners in various learning experiences, we'll notice a wide range of behaviors, from focused and engaged learners to those who avoid learning and disrupt others. For an honest assessment, students can usually provide accurate descriptions. They often tell us that they're being asked to learn and do things that don't offer any useful information or skills. If they believe the information might be beneficial in the future, they may think they have plenty of time to learn it and will wait until they truly need it. However, without the willingness or patience to accumulate information for its potential future benefits, they stop learning and resort to simply getting by. They do what they need to do to play the system. As a result, they develop a negative view of school as a place that does not provide them with anything useful. This leads to either little or no learning at best, or disruption of theirs and others learning at worst.

Without serious inquiry and reflection, parents and teachers often tell oversimplified stories of student failures, mostly labeling them as defective or simply not caring. They suggest simplistic ideas or quick fixes like more time on task, longer school days, longer school years, more rewards, coercion, consequences, or taking back control of the classroom. They may also suggest to retain students who don't make the grade, fire teachers, and close failing schools. All these supposed fixes have been tried in the past for the same reasons and have never achieved the supposed benefits, especially not at the percentage of students we hope to be successful in schools today.

Children today are bombarded with messages and expectations, such as thinking before acting, saying no, walking away, looking before leaping, being cautious, not trusting strangers, and deciding from a host of electronics and social media to use or not. Making it extremely difficult for them to know what decisions are in their best interest. Particularly with all the money that tech is spending to keep them on their devices. We must figure out how to empower them to make wise choices, However, empowering them to assume responsibility for their behavior and decisions is not something that can be given or taken away arbitrarily. When it is, it becomes a behavior problem. We must decide whether we want children to make decisions or to obey instructions. We cannot expect them to develop that responsibility if we only tell them not to use technology rather than helping them learn how to use it responsibly. If we do not, they will be confused and perceive us as manipulative, distrustful, or ignorant.

To foster responsible decision-making, we must provide opportunities for students to make genuine choices. This includes the freedom to decide what and when to learn. It is inconsistent to expect students to make good decisions if we dictate their learning path, including the content, timing, and practice methods. The sole rationale for this approach is to pass tests, which contradicts the way most students, and adults for that matter, think.

Expecting such behavior is misguided. Therefore, how can we learn and make good decisions simultaneously while developing a strong desire to learn? Many people have educated themselves without formal teaching. Learning to read and becoming educated is not difficult when there is a desire to learn, an opportunity to learn, and a positive mindset. We often overlook the most crucial factors that influence student education: curiosity, a strong desire or need to know, a personal belief in their ability to learn, a sense of safety, a belief that other students and teachers support their learning, a desire to make decisions beneficial to themselves and others, and the empowerment to do so.

By neglecting any of these variables we diminish or eliminate the sense of satisfaction, empowerment, and self-confidence that arises from the struggle to learn? What truly matters for students in today's world? What can provide quality and strength to students during their learning journey and beyond, fostering a desire to seek more knowledge? What information do our children perceive as truly important and valuable in their lives? What have they learned that they believe is essential for their well-being and development? If these factors are the most crucial determinants of children's learning and subsequent education, then are they being given the attention and respect they deserve to guide effective instructional and curriculum decisions? Or are we attempting to force-feed children with information that lacks their interest and enthusiasm? Without considering their lack of appetite for what they are being presented with, or the tastelessness and lack of practicality of the information compared to their daily lives.

In the past, most individuals acquired reading and writing skills with minimal formal instruction and support, relying solely on their observations of the personal empowerment that reading can bring. Why do we believe that children who possess the ability to teach themselves to speak and walk must undergo intensive instructional sessions filled with repetitive drills and meaningless information to acquire reading proficiency? What are they truly learning? Are they being taught that they lack the capacity to learn independently? Are they being discouraged from relating relevant information to their lives in a way that makes learning meaningful and impactful? How can we build trust in adults who believe or act as if trivial nonsense is essential for education? And if schoolwork is the sole indicator of education, then what inherent value does education possess?
Not being able to connect school learning to their lives creates a sense of helplessness and anxiety, leading to environments where tasks are perceived as useless and school definitions of success are unrealistic for their needs. Regimented instruction disregards the significance of emotions, caring, and relativity in the classroom, neglecting the learners' emotional well-being. If there's any gain in achievement, it won't matter because children have learned that school is boring hard work and that the information they're learning does not connect to their real world. For them, learning is simply following directions to complete tasks and cross the graduation finish line.

Without emotions associated with learning, students lack the desire to inquire, think logically, and critically. Consequently, they fail to develop visual spatial abilities, observational skills, investigative skills, literacy in science, art, music, social sciences, and a sense of self-care, caring for themselves, others, and the world. Students become indifferent or fail to comprehend the value of education beyond completing tasks, securing jobs, and acquiring material possessions.

If children aren't given the time and opportunity to develop their abilities in a broad sense rather than the narrow focus currently prevalent in schools, most children not only waste time but also miss out on the optimal period for nurturing these abilities. At the same time, the vast reserve of curiosity and passion for learning and life they brought to school is extinguished instead of being ignited into a lifelong passion for learning, essential for their and our economic well-being.

The prospect of each student having the opportunity to select their occupation and secure a satisfactory living remains increasingly distant for those attending public schools and most private schools. It is naive to believe that everyone has an equal chance of achieving this. While we can point to a few individuals who have succeeded, why are we willing to accept such limited outcomes? Shouldn't we identify numerous children who have followed the conventional school path to secure their desired career?

For many, this path is not feasible, and for future generations, it will likely remain so. Significant changes are necessary to achieve better educational outcomes. We understand the steps required to accomplish this. It is not about adopting a traditional factory school model that relies solely on banking information. This approach robs students of their curiosity, fascination with learning, social development, and emotional growth, hindering their ability to become lifelong learners to succeed beyond the classroom and enjoy the satori of learning. It instills in them a sense of inadequacy, believing that they are incapable of learning and will become a financial burden to society or be stuck in dead-end jobs with low wages.

As Jim Steinman and Meatloaf express in their song:

"Life is a Lemon and I want My Money Back"

... about your school?

It's defective.

It's a pack of useless lies.

"Life is a Lemon and I want My Money Back"
Song

To stop the cycle we need strong educational advocates for change and

Professional educators who have mastery of curriculum and pedagogy.

Curriculum & pedagogy

• Professional development - We continual inquiry & reflection
• Knowledge drives our decision-making - We use theories, attitudes, research & wisdom of practice guides our decision-making
• Curriculum - We know how to use it, review it, & change it when necessary
• Subject areas - We stay up to date in the subjects & disciplines we teach
• Research & wisdom of practice - We know how to make informed decisions

Pedagogy - Learning & Teaching (instruction)

• Learning & human development - We use a researched based learning theory & knowledge of human development
• Pedagogy - We know several instructional methodologies
• Unpacking content - We know how to select & unpack content appropriate for diverse learners
• Instructional planning - We know hoe to plan instruction that facilitates learning
• Selecting instructional procedures - We know how to select & use appropriate teaching methods & procedures for our learners
• Assessment & evaluation - We know how to assess & evaluate our learners
• Instructional assessment - We know to assess our instruction
• Self development & individual, group, & classroom management - We know how to manage self development, for individuals, groups, & classrooms

AND

Quality schools - what are the characteristics of quality schools?

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