Can we just put Sir Ken Robinson in charge of the Department of Education, please?  I have read two of his books and have seen every recorded talk of his (I think), and every time he puts out something new, I feel like someone finally understands everything I see and feel as I work in my schools every day.  I get so inspired by his work. Take a few minutes to watch this video. I’ll wait. It’s really worth the time.

One of the things he touches on is the fact that schools no longer serve the needs of our students.  Our school model is based on factories of yesteryear, and really aren’t relevant to today’s students.  Our schools aren’t taking advantage of channels of communication that students use every day.  Instead of embracing those, schools try to lock those down for fear of students getting into trouble.  Schools are pushing everyone into college, when many students would do better in trade schools or skilled apprenticeships.  Our system standardizes education, when everything we know about learning tells us that students learn and retain more when we differentiate instruction.

In the last 20 years, technology has completely changed how we get and give information, how we communicate with one another, how we shop, how we learn on our own, and how we store important information.  Marketers now collect information about us through our technological interactions to use to target us with advertising for things we’re most likely to buy.   Technology in schools allows teachers to differentiate instruction for each student, and also allows us to collect data on student progress so we can analyze each student’s educational progress and address special needs.  That being said, we have focused more on standardized testing than on differentiation, and we have limited student access to technology.  We prioritize seat-time over quality of instruction, and we cut programs like the Arts because these subjects are not on standardized tests.

The best thing we could do for our students is to embrace the technological advancements that have shaped just about every aspect of our lives, and use them to provide educational experiences as individualized as our marketing.  Students need choice in their learning experiences, ownership of their learning and their work, a voice in their work and in its process, and authentic learning experiences.  This could easily be attained through the technology we have in our schools today, but we must let go of outdated priorities, first.

Media courtesy of TED.com.