Why School?By: Will Richardson

What is it about?

“Why School?” is about schools’ changing responsibilities and roles in

today’s technological world.

It addresses:

• Why standardized testing is ineffective

• How and why schools need to adapt

• Teachers’ roles in the “New School”

Problems In Today’s Schools

Curriculum is irrelevant and meaningless

Students are not learning “real world” skills

Standardized testing takes the passion out of learning

The focus is on making schools BETTER rather than Different.

Better vs. Different

The focus of education as an institution is on making schools BETTER, rather than DIFFERENT. This

needs to change.

Better:-Higher test

scores-Competition

-Standardizati

on-Efficient

DIFFERENT:-Different ways to

assess-Collaboration

-Unique/individualized

Curriculum-Meaningful and

relevant to the real world

Ways School’s Can Change

1) Share everything

2) Discover, don’t deliver, the curriculum

3) Talk to strangers

4) Be a master learner

5) Do real work for real audiences

6) Transfer the power

1) Share Everything

Don’t be afraid to share the things you’ve learned

We are smarter when we share and use each other’s knowledge

As teachers, we should share what works and what doesn’t to constantly grow and help others do the same

Teach our students to share information and knowledge

2) Discover, Don’t Deliver Curriculum

Curriculum is more meaningful when discovered

Students should be given the opportunity to create their own learning

“Discovery allows for the unexpected.”

Students will be more passionate about curriculum that they create and discover, that is relevant to their world and their interests.

3) Talk To Strangers

There are EXPERTS on the topics that your students are learning about

Teach students how to safely find and talk to strangers to expand their knowledge

Strangers are great resources to enhance your student’s learning

Talking to all kinds of people from around the world has become easy with the growth of technology and social media

4) Be A Master Learner

Teachers should never stop learning

Teachers should be models for their students on how to be life-long learners

We should constantly be unlearning and relearning things so that we are constantly the best we can be

5) Do Work For Real Audiences

Your students should be doing things that actually matter

Students should be engaging activities that are meaningful and the lessons should be life long

The purpose should not be to hang things on walls or send things home, but to make the world a better place

6) Transfer The Power

Teachers need to transfer the power to the students

Students should have a say in what and how they are learning

The role of the teacher needs to shift from being the all knowing dictator of the classroom, to being a guide in a democratic classroom.

Teacher’s Role

Just because students should be in charge of their own learning, doesn’t mean we don’t still need teachers.

Teachers should:

• Be an example of how to learn

• Provide the inspiration and means for students to create their learning

• Help students learn how to learn safely and effectively