Category: Personal

WHY TO LISTEN LIKE A BIRD WATCHER

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What if we approached each day like a bird watcher? Poised, observant, and listening attentively. Such a sagacious approach might translate into a clear differentiation between a “digitally” connected world and what it means to truly be connected. Amidst the increasing prevalence of decomposing communities and growing isolation, it might do humanity well, or even just ourselves. Pause is necessary, as is examining the choices we make. Computers and cell phones, not unlike firearms, cannot and should not entirely shoulder the blame. Rather, it behooves us to closely examine whether we are using the technology, or if it is “using” us.

Countless bowed heads stare at 5-inch screens, drowning humanity in ubiquitous distraction. A relatively recent “dependence” now is considered “normal.” An addictive habit arguably acts as interference in our ability to relate one human to another. Though not entirely true because one must consider how tech is utilized. Still, vying for our attention is very real. One recent report cites how our brain consumes 11 million bits of information every second.  Trapped in such a hurricane, might we return to center? Where possibly at the eye of such a storm is suspended madness; poise and high regard for the art of conversation.

A world of opportunity circulates all around us. If only we will look up in stillness. Like a bird watcher.

If only we will listen.

Like a bird watcher.

 

 

Listening is Difficult

One of the beauties about listening is that is free, and yet so rare. An equalizer of sorts, as listening, cannot be correlated with socio-economics, race, or politics. Though there are listening “skills,” to listen is more a question of willingness than technique. Seth Godin maintains that listening is difficult. “The hardest step in better listening is the first one: do it on purpose. Make the effort to actually be good at it.”

Five years ago I likely would have scoffed at the idea of relationships being forged in an online setting. Students would share how they had “friends” online that they gamed with, talked/chatted with, etc. An inkling of intrigue often led to my asking an array of questions, a desire to understand this “phenomenon” better. Yet, I always grew a little more than disbelieving. The start of a COVID school year online, however, offered my own experience and a window into what it was like to develop relationships online. At the time there was a disagreement about whether or not students should be required to show their faces. Forced as it was, sometimes coaching students to appear on screen was required. All the while, it was interesting to consider how much we might value seeing a person if we are speaking with them. Did it have something to do with visual cues provided to indicate whether students were truly listening?

 

A Sense of Belonging is Embedded in Re-Imagining Learning 

Fast forward a few years as I dove deeper into the “waters” of what it might be like to develop relationships in an online setting. One big difference was that students elected to enroll in the online course. Of equal importance was that Global Online Academy (GOA) was not “just another” online educational platform. Behind GOA was a vision for a new educational system eager to adapt to students, rather than asking students to adapt to educational systems in decay. Their mission is to reimagine learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society. A component of this reimagining learning includes teacher competency to build collaborative communities. Students should not feel isolated but instead, invited into communities that are built on trust, care, collaboration, and high expectations. A place where students feel connected but also empowered. More equitable systems and structures are embedded in such a design, in an effort to create a more socially just world. Learning to listen is a cornerstone and one strategy employed throughout GOA courses are routine opportunities for students and teachers to connect via Zoom meetings. Never under the auspices of a lectured approach, synchronous time is regarded as “gold.” Student and teacher locations span the globe, and such collaboration allows for new perspectives, as conversations are infused with differing cultural and life experiences. Wellsprings waiting to be tapped, however wholly hinged on a willingness to listen.

 

Video Use as a Medium to Build Relationships

A routine assignment employed in the GOA course I facilitated was video reflection at the end of a module. The power of these 2-dimensional recordings can not nor should be underestimated. After the second video, I felt like I knew some students better than I sometimes knew students in an in-person setting after a year. Why? A degree of the power could come down to a distilled approach, the essence being conveyed. But also a greater degree of willingness to be vulnerable as students just looked at the camera and talked. Without the worry of what the listener might be thinking or might say.

Surely we all have found ourselves at one time or another, thinking about what we are going to say in a conversation and not really listening. Wanting to take OUR turn. However, in this case, it’s a talking head approach. Linear, from A to M (or maybe Z!), with no stops or interjections of the listening.

To truly experience relationship building requires an honest willingness to listen to students talk for, 5-minutes at a time. Simon Sinek asserts the need for change so the focus is on input and not the customary output. Maybe a bit of an investor mentality is what is required. To listen to a 5-minute video is not much. However, multiplied by twenty students, suddenly requires nearly two hours. And how often do we just listen for two hours?

Understanding that conversations, like relationships, are not one-way, meant I often responded in video form. This too takes time but has the potential to pay huge dividends. To build relationships but also provide the necessary quality of feedback students can learn from. Often congratulatory but also balanced and encouraging growth. For example feedback on the important role of feedback, “Abigail I understand how you do not want to come off as critiquing someone and I appreciate this. However, you have so much to offer and what might help is if you are intentional about separating the individual from the work/art/assignment. We each have our perspective and I’ve seen how you can offer truly valuable feedback.”

This video exchange approach spurs the conditions ripe for developing a community and a sense of belonging. These relationships developed out of conversations follow a different rhythm, however, are incredibly rich. Possible because we truly are listening to each other. How many students have a chance to share with a teacher for five uninterrupted minutes? And how many receive five minutes of personal and specific feedback?

This is special. A reimagining of methods of learning which truly create belonging and empowerment. Methods aligned with the acumen of Brene Brown, “We have to listen to understand in the same way we want to be understood.”

A Difference Between Hearing and Listening

I wonder sometimes if certain students listen just so they can speak. The beginning of each school year requires a bit of time to develop a community unwilling to tolerate speakers interrupting each other. This is similar in Zoom and yet the presence of lag seemingly builds in a tendency to be more patient and wait for your turn to speak. To listen with true intent requires slowing down.  Simone Buitendijk, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leeds shares, “We need to practice the art of talking with intent and, more importantly, the art of listening with intent.” Adding earnest in our lives, as we trade an ounce of narcism for a pound of that which extends beyond ourselves. This does not mean abandoning the likes of Instagram, nor must we be hard-pressed to develop listening habits overnight. Instead, a growing consciousness of the power of being present is required. As well, equal parts intentionality and habit, as we move beyond mere hearing. In Dr. Kristen Fuller’s “The Difference Between Hearing and Listening,” she emphasizes how “Listening requires empathy, curiosity, and motivation.”

Tis’ the Season to Give the Gift of Our Time and Attention

One might hear the morning bird song out the window.

Then, make a conscious choice to slow down, remove distractions (yes, that cell phone!), and listen.

If only we will listen.

Like a bird watcher.

To truly listen to the birds may just result in a calming of the nervous system, as well as a greater sense of connection. Such a choice need not cease with the birds. Think what might result when we begin to listen with intention to each other! The choice is ours.

Why not slow down, be present and give the gift of our time and attention?

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OF FIRE AND ICE~A TALE OF SUNKEN SHIPS AND EDUCATION

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There is good reason why Newton’s third law did not state, “What goes down must come up.” Two sunken ships more than 6000 km apart, are case in point.  Both will remain on the ocean’s floors, a distant 3,000 meters down but for very different reasons.  The first, protected and memorialized for its historical importance is also a symbol of perseverance, more valuable than any of its remaining contents. The other ship, a modern day toxic catastrophe.

As different as the two are, both have parallels to the field of education as we know it. Not just because some may say the system of education is fraught with challenge and ostensibly sinking.

 

Little Drifting

Exactly 100 years to the day of Sir Ernest Shackelton being buried on South Georgia island in Antarctica, his ship The Endurance, was found.  After being trapped in dense pack ice for nearly a year, the ice floes opened, and the sea ice crushed the ship, eventually swallowing it up.  Shackleton reportedly cried out, “She’s going, boys!” At this time, Captain Frank Worsley recorded in his diary his best calculations of where the masts and hull were last seen.  Poor visibility on account of harsh weather did not allow for estimating the direction nor speed of the floes. Yet, more than a century later, The Endurance was discovered only 4.16 nautical miles from Worsley’s calculation!

In effect, The Endurance did not drift much. Nor has the system of education. Its foundation poured in the later half of the 18th century, is oddly enough, about the same time Shackelton was of schoolboy age. Never distinguishing himself as much of a scholar, author Roland Huntford alludes to how Shackelton was “bored” by his studies. Shackelton was even quoted, “I never learned much geography at school … Literature, too, consisted in the dissection, the parsing, the analysing of certain passages from our great poets and prose-writers … teachers should be very careful not to spoil [their pupils’] taste for poetry for all time by making it a task and an imposition.”

Who would have imagined that arguably the greatest leader of all time would reflect on how “school” seemingly stood in the way of his learning?  Yet still, he managed to hone his skills of compassion, strength, and bravery.  And what about Shackelton’s mastery of developing camaraderie and decision making?

Note: skills. Not just knowledge.

All the fervor around competency-based learning is legitimized as we transition away from mere atomic disconnected facts and towards unity, connection, and application. Students “showing what they know” as they transfer learning.

The Endurance drifting little amidst such extreme conditions, in effect helped with the ship’s preservation. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) recently captured images of century-old ropes, tools, and notably the emblazoned letters “E-N-D-U-R-A-N-C-E” completely intact on the stern. The frigid temperatures, darkness, and low levels of oxygen all contributed to little weathering of the craft.  Further, the absence of wood-eating microbes in the Antarctica seabed surely helped too.  This is not to say we should keep our classrooms cold, dark, and static.

 

A Passive Approach to Disaster

Robert Frost, considered whether the world would end in fire or ice.

“From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.”

 

Just weeks before the Endurance was found, The Felicity Ace was lost.  Fire the element taking the ship down.  A vessel more than four times the length of the 144-foot Endurance.  The three-masted Endurance is a complete contrast to the bunker fuel burning behemoth.  The Felicity Ace carried 2,200 tons of fuel, 2,200 tons of oil, and up to 17,000 metric tons of cargo.  The sinking cargo aboard the ship all the talk; not the waters, reef, and seabed they would eventually pollute.  4,000 luxury vehicles, some of which carried lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, went down.  The ship’s manifest listed more than 1,000 Porsches, 200 Bentleys and dozens of Lamborghinis.  An approximate dollar value exceeding $400 million.  But what of the destruction and environmental risk? Are we morally able to put a dollar value on it?

The latest press release from March 14 reads:

The oil slick seen at the time of the sinking has drifted as it dissipated, and experts say it will soon disappear. During this time, a trace of a small amount of oil was found to have surfaced as an oil film from the site of the sinking. We have also obtained the opinion by the experts that it will gradually dissipate as it drifts. In accordance with expert organizations opinion that it is unlikely that a large-scale oil spill will occur and it is appropriate to continue observation using satellite photographs for a while, we will continue to observe the situation using satellite photos and establish a system to respond quickly to the situation.

The situation with Felicity Ace is synonymous with the acceptance of  a status quo of education.  Regardless of tides and currents but also any hazards that might prevail. To merely observe when ecosystems are at risk. Fish, plankton, and our very own children. A passive approach as evidenced in a fire that would burn for two weeks, eventually leading to the demise of the “Blissful” Ace.

 

Location: 64°Felicity – 56°Endurance – 12°Hope

In the case of The Endurance, the ship was trapped, crushed, abandoned and eventually sunk after 10 months. The value of finally finding the Endurance but deciding to leave it under water, can be ironically juxtaposed with the cost of keeping the Felicity Ace and its thousands of fuel-filled cars amongst the fish. The Endurance centers on respect and all that may be learned. Of great historical value, there is significance to leaving it literally in the darkness of the Weddell Sea.  Instead of being “monitored” as a toxic risk like the Felicity Ace, the Endurance is being protected.  The historic site is safeguarded under the Antarctic Treaty which ensures it will not be touched or disturbed in any way.

Schooling may be sinking, yet learning remains afloat. With excitement might we look upon the near and more distant past as opportunities to become wiser. Stories of sunken ships, fire and ice which in essence might stir our imagination.  Of yesterdays and todays.  Informing but infusing tomorrow with Felicity, Endurance, and hope.

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Springing Forward One Last Time

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Time is considered one of the great equalizers. We all have 24 hours in a day and 7 days a week. But do we?  Some regions of the world recently went to bed but were cheated out of an hour of sleep, as clocks were adjusted to account for daylight saving time.  The advent of this practice is not one deeply rooted in history. 

Just a little over a hundred years ago, Germany was the first to adopt it. Conserving fuel during World War I supposedly played a part. Other European countries would follow and shortly thereafter, the United States gave it a try on March 19, 1918.  However, largely unpopular, the United States discontinued after World War I. President Franklin Roosevelt however would reinstate it for three years, calling it “war time.” Then, in 1966 the Uniform Time Act declared the springing forth of time to be at 2 a.m. local time on the last Sunday in April.  Twenty years later the law would be amended and the date moved up to the first Sunday in April.  But that wasn’t it. In 2005 the Energy Policy Act would extend daylight saving time by another 4 to 5 weeks, establishing the time change to be on the second Sunday in March.  All throughout the shifting sands of time, Hawaii and Arizona would be non-observers. 

Which brings us to 2022. After upwards of 350 bills being introduced since 2015, we are about to see even more change.  Or not!  According to a Reuters article published March 16, 2022, “The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent starting in 2023.”  The move was backed by support to have brighter afternoons. Likely to be positive for the children who still play outside, but also favorable for economic activity. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Americans want more sunshine and less depression — people in this country, all the way from Seattle to Miami, want the Sunshine Protection Act,” said Senator Patty Murray of Washington.

Other proponents simply say it is an outdated tradition.

Regardless of any momentum behind or resistance against the “manipulation” of time, time zones across countries and the world can be complicated enough.  Accounting for daylight saving time is just one more layer.  The decision to not move the hour has the potential to save us from being an hour early or late in the weeks and months to come. Further, as work (and learning!) increasingly adopt more hybrid models, Zoom meetings are not going away any time soon. 

In Yoga, instructors often like to say that finding your way to the mat is half the battle.  A comparison might be made with Zoom meetings, especially when they are international.  Half the battle is getting the timing right. Who needs to account for an arbitrary springing forward or falling back in time?  Recently I noted this challenge in an on-line course I teach. Though offered at three different times, in effort to accommodate for students in various countries, the inconsistency of whether or not countries had changed time or not was not a factored variable.

Jesse in Canada and Derek in the United States recently changed their clocks.  Libby in Europe will change on March 27, followed by April 3rd for Fernando in Mexico. Amir in Jordan adjusted his clock the last week of February, however next door in Israel, Aviv will move the clock back on March 25. Aiden in  New Zealand won’t be making the time change until the 25th of September, long after the course is over. Meanwhile, here in Bangkok we never adjust the time!   

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Of Interest

Did you know  the United States and Russia have the same number of time zones?  Eleven! However, in 2011 Russia abolished Daylight Savings Time.  Twenty years prior to this, China made this same move. However, what remains peculiar is how China has but one time zone, though the country stretches across 5000 kilometers.

 

I Am Not a Moth and My Keys are Not Missing

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Over thirty thousand people evacuated and a thousand homes ablaze in Colorado at the end of December? Difficult as it may be to believe, such impacts of climate change are predicted to be increasingly felt, unless we as a species move out of the heaving blackness and entrapment of the Anthropocene. That worldview which is dominated by a false dogma.  The one where drunken humans believe themselves to be at the very core of existence. Pivotal to the necessary upheaval and shift in human consciousness is a transcendence beyond activism and into action. 

The past few days, I coincidentally came across two very similar jokes. The first about a moth who goes into a podiatrist’s office. When asked about his problem, the response is a long-winded account of all of his troubles. Amongst these is tragic loss and cowardice.  The punchline comes when the doctor suggests the moth see a psychiatrist instead and asks why the moth came to a foot specialist. 

“Cause the light was on!” 

How many of us are similarly drawn to whatever glitters, speaks loudest, or successfully garners our attention? A currently trending stirring satirical film on Netflix called, “Don’t Look Up” does a fantastic job depicting this. The plot centers on how a planet-killing comet imminently hurtles toward earth and yet politics, economics, and society’s addiction to the frivolous divide the world.  Stall followed by avarice, are the only response offered.  Parallels might be drawn between the inappreciable ground gained (or lost!) since the 2015 Paris Climate Change talks.  

The second joke, actually stemming from a 13th century parable, also involves light.  A helpful police officer questions a man on all fours hunting for his lost keys under the streetlamp. “Are you sure you dropped your keys here?” 

“No, I am sure I lost them across the street.”

Dismayed, the officer inquires, “Then, why do you search here?”  

“Because the light is much better here.”

 

Doing Something Different

People’s propensity to search in easier places than those which are likely to honestly yield results being the crux of the joke.  Yet, laughter aside, both jokes contain truth at the core. In vulnerability, I consider my own experience. One which in the past may have been quick to step out on a ledge, even to select “adventurer” as one of three words to define myself. Yet, the moth in me began to be drawn into the known, the comfortable, and the compliant.  Foolery. Or, like the man in search of his keys I seemingly began to illogically camp under the light of a 20 watt bulb instead of under the myriad miracles of the skies.   ​

Obviously, I am not a moth and my keys are not missing.  Yet from time to time I think about how at one training a gong was struck, followed by a call to “do something different!” Anchored by an excitement for uncertainty and a wellspring of curiosity I am ready to do something different. Fussing over school standards or lunch duty responsibilities seemingly dilutes the larger sense of purpose I feel. Especially when I consider how indubitably countries, businesses, and schools are continually shifting. Human consciousness beginning to result in action.

 

Net-Zero Cannot Wait

Net-zero is a critical concept rightly abuzz. It occurs when the amount of greenhouse gas emitted is no greater than the amount removed from the atmosphere. Measuring carbon emissions is important because it has an effect on global warming.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported how a planetary warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius “would be an unacceptably high risk, potentially resulting in major extinctions, more severe droughts and hurricanes, a watery Arctic, and an increased toll on human health and well-being.”  See: Colorado fires at the start of this article. 

Many countries have committed to reaching “net-zero” by midcentury.  Indonesia and Saudi Arabia by 2060.  And India by 2070.  Not only does each lack a detailed plan for how to achieve this, a band-aid will not help resuscitate like an AED.  Thankfully, there are bolder approaches being taken. The Kingdom of Bhutan was ahead of the times when back in 2009, they achieved net-zero. Further the country promised to remain carbon neutral for time  immemorial but in effect progressed and became carbon negative. Little wonder exists if a correlation can be made between Bhutan’s love of the planet and the country’s choice to measure gross national happiness (GNH) as opposed to GDP.

After Secretary-General António Guterres called a, “code red for humanity,” many multinational corporations committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions.  The likes of Amazon and other companies vow to do more to protect the Earth.  Their goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions is 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement goals. However, “greenwashing” or the process of conveying false impressions about a company becoming more environmentally sound, is legitimate.  This especially so after Jeff Bezos decision to add 300 metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere during a 180 second space odyssey.  A figure equivalent to nearly 3 million miles of automobile travel!  

Schools also are beginning to net-zero call. In October of 2021, Hawaii Preparatory Academy made a bold move in committing to eliminating its carbon emissions over the next nine years. In an official press release they pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. Colby College in Waterville, Maine paved the way in 2013 when it became the first  carbon neutral university. Nine other colleges and universities in the United States have similarly achieved this goal.

Ironically or not, it was the natural world and a snowstorm that extinguished Colorado’s wildfires. The influential writer Alice Walker suggested that the most important question in the world is, “Why is the child crying?” For the sake of this post, the Earth is this child. Pretending to not hear, only will offer up more piercing shrill and devastation. Fires, floods, and famine. The answers remain in the actions we take. Not in 2030 or 2070. Resolute must we be.

Now. 

RETURNING THE JOY TO MUDVILLE

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“Yes, please order a pair of gloves for my daughter,” the email response read from a parent of one of our middle school softball players. Her confusion in not knowing only one glove was needed to play the sport was similar to the memorable and mildly entertaining scene the first day of practice. Our equipment included several gloves and the girls put them on every way but the correct way. Backwards, upside down and even on their dominant hands.  Once this was corrected, they began to toss the ball from the mitt, akin to a lacrosse stick. This pre-test of sorts was perfect because as coaches, we knew exactly where the team was beginning.

This was exciting. Known as America’s favorite pastime, none of the girls are from there. So, baseball or softball is as foreign as sepaktakraw was to me. Sepaktakraw, originating in Thailand, is much like volleyball but only with your feet! Such clarity of unfamiliarity was extremely refreshing. No knowledge would be taken for granted. Further, how rewarding to share the diamond with children that show up three times a week, simply eager to learn and play a “new” game.  The concept of ego nowhere to be seen nor felt on the field.  This beginnerdom, a melding of earnestness and joy, connects well with being a new teacher, yet the actual experience may run counter.

Death by a Thousand Paper Cuts?

This past week I chatted with a relative of mine who nobly joined the educator ranks within the last year. Before hanging up I pondered the probability of a first year teacher self-reporting that teaching is easy.  Leslie Gray Streeter  of the Washington Post writes about educators, “They’re more than the people who give math and science lessons: They might find themselves makeshift social workers to troubled students, surrogate parents checking if children eat, security guards breaking up fights and funders of the most basic of classroom supplies from their own shallow pockets.” Though the later may not so much be the case for teachers in independent schools or those working internationally, other roles surely are assumed.  As coaches and advisors, but likely also participating on  a slew of committees and assuming other duties. In effect, being extended so thinly that maybe even the phrase,“death by a thousand paper cuts” applies.  Literally, it is all the small actions added up which leads to “the bleed.”

Undoubtedly the pandemic negatively impacted educators’ experience.  Safety measures and lack of trust high on the list of unfavorable factors, as was adapting to emergency, remote, and hybrid models of education. Surveys and polls the past 18 months align with what is termed the Great Resignation.  Some predict an exodus so great that anywhere from one-fourth to more than half of U.S. educators  are considering a career change. Such potential crisis is not mirrored in international schools, however the start of 2022-23 academic year is already positioned for far greater mobility than seen the last few years.

Mindset Atop the List

Several reasons drive the decisions of teachers to switch careers. However, for teachers who are just beginning, why couldn’t their introduction to teaching be like the girls on the softball field? Frustration simply cannot take hold. Carol Dweck, a well-respected researcher in the field of motivation cites a poll of 143 creativity researchers, who concur that mindset ultimately tops the list of creative achievement.  And to educate is clearly to be a Creative.  No one, first year teachers included, must assume a sense of failure.  Yet, seldom do we “get things right” the first time and there remains inordinate power in reframing failure as something positive.  An example I often allude to, is learning to walk. Close to the ground, we as toddlers bounced off our backsides. Without even thinking, we simply popped back up and attempted to put one foot in front of the other.  A fine balance.  Akin to teaching! The mentality clearly one of, “I got this.”  Dweck contrasts fixed and growth mindsets by saying, “In one world (fixed), effort is a bad thing. It, like failure, means you’re not smart or talented. If you were, you wouldn’t need effort. In the other world, effort is what makes you smart or talented.” A network of support and both strong leadership and mentorship are essential for first year teachers to want to sign up for year two. Though it is not enough alone, to claim a teacher just needs to adjust their mindset or try a little harder, however resiliency definitely needs to be in the line up.

Play Ball!

As far back as 1888, Casey at the Bat, appeared for the first time in the San Francisco Examiner.  The first 12 of the 13 stanza poem foreshadow Casey’s success at the plate.  Yet, a twist comes the final line, “But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.”

Failure.

Though the poem may have been about letdown, it might help to examine it from another angle.  Of its success. After Ernest Thayer authored Casey at Bat, a stage actor and comedian, by the name of DeWolf Hopper made the poem somewhat of a national heirloom. For nearly five decades Hopper performed it, upwards of 10,000 times. He just kept “hopping up.”

A similar spirit of just hopping up is to be assumed by teachers.

Batter up!

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POSSIBILITY. PURPOSE. ACTION.

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I am not an old man.

10 print “Hello, I am cool.”
20 goto 10
Run

“Hello, I am cool” would cycle down the screen.  Early days of coding with BASIC in my later elementary years on an Apple 2E.

In high school my relationship with the phone was a bit adversarial and yet I dreamed of a day when I would see on a sort of screen, my aunt and uncle as I spoke with them on the phone.  Likely this was not entirely of my own imagination but influenced by the popular animated sitcom, “The Jetsons.”

During six years of university I borrowed a friend’s Brother word processor to type papers before toting around both floppy and hard diskettes, external writable storage devices. These were helpful when I managed to reserve computer time at the only computer lab on campus, a university with 16,000 enrolled students.

Imagine 16,000 students sharing 15 computers today!

For the first few years of teaching I did not have a personal or laptop computer.  There were no projectors in the classroom, aside from an overhead projector.  Next to it were printed transparencies to share and a stack of blanks for writing notes for the class to copy.

I am not an old man.

A few years into the 2nd millennium and classrooms began to be retrofitted for the digitization that was underway. Digital projectors began to be mounted on classroom ceilings and in one school I worked, SMART boards debuted. The interactive white boards all the rage before they quickly fizzled out.

The intention is not to look fondly back as if to say, “These were the days.”  All the contrary and instead, this short bit of history points at how far and fast we have come. Moreover, might we imagine what is next?  Anything is always possible, as I was reminded of this past week in class.

Oculus Provides a Glimpse Into the Future

“Ten years from now, everything is going to be virtual,” proclaimed one of my quieter eleven year-old students.  Her shyness overcome by both her passion and resoluteness.  We were preparing to have an introductory experience with virtual reality.  The device, the Oculus, aptly named for it means, “eye” in Latin.  Further, oculi are architecturally structural elements that are round openings at the tops of domes or cupolas. The Pantheon in Rome is one of the best examples. Originating in antiquity, the oculus is the perfect name as we begin to challenge ourselves in learning from the future.

The actual VR experience proved stimulating for students, the connection being one linked to our current unit on innovation and how access clearly is a social justice issue. More provocative than virtually dancing with a robot, was the captivating conversation that ensued. One which reflected how students need not wait to create their own reality and how entrepreneurial mindsets  can drive transformative experiences in our schools. A definitive juxtaposition from the default where educational models often result in teachers and students senselessly passing back and forth assignments.  Free of audience and purpose.

An Entrepreneurial Spirit Remains Alive

“So much is already virtual. I am selling my art as NFTs,” voiced probably my second most reserved student. He went on to broadcast the platform where five of his digital art pieces are being auctioned. Students enquired about the cost and the artist further imparted what he understood about non fungible tokens (and though English is his second language, he pronounced this perfectly), cryptocurrencies and Ethereum in particular.  In effect, between the five pieces of his artwork, the value was equivalent to more than $18,000USD.  I remind you, this is an eleven-year old.  So, it’s possible he could enter school, sit all day being talked at by teachers, and exit at 2:30 with thousands of dollars in his virtual pocket, or wallet.

Why not tap into this?

None of the art was done at school.  None of the computer platform learning or marketing if you will.  None of the background on cryptocurrencies and NFTs.

Yet, he and so many other students, find a way to learn.  To follow their passions.  In this case, business and art.  But what about the child studying the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, ensuring a clean and stable water supply and effective water sanitation for all people?  Is she effectively contributing to making a difference so this goal might be realized in the next eight years?  Or, might she simply be researching, taking notes, and making a Google slides presentation?

Possibility.

Purpose.

Action.

Seems these three words might best become a mantra of sorts in our schools.

10 print “Possibility. Purpose. Action.”
20 goto 10
Run

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Humanity: The Antidote

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SEL, AI, SDGs. Awash in acronym-dom, which one grapples most for your attention? “Yes,” you may answer with a non-sequitur because holistically, no one is more important than the other. Each related but also if not rooted in humanity, layered in complexity. Yet, in a certain degree of stillness, there is a possibility to return to the simple. Not a gadget or gimmick. But, to what always has and likely always will matter most. Relationships and humanity.

The purpose of education is not only to prepare students for the future. In a more humane world, education exists for today too. A paramount need is for students to relate one with another but also with adults. Considered an “unshakable optimist,” best-selling author Simon Sinek attests to this fact, “I would love to teach us all to be a little more human.”

When learning shifted to virtual it illuminated a need to slow down. To make choices of what curriculum might best be pruned for the sake of going deeper with students and prioritizing relationships. So students are not lost in the labyrinth of online learning or possibly even left feeling overlooked, cameras off and speakers muted. It is not hyperbolic to recommend every day check-ins, with every single student. To add more spontaneity and fun, sometimes it may even be advantageous to ask students random questions like, “would you rather have the superpower to fly or to be invisible.” The point is to lighten the “mood of school” and simply connect.

Building Online Communities Does Not Just Happen

Or maybe it does, just not the types of communities educators might feel are most healthy, equitable, and conducive to learning. So, what with intention can be done to design virtual learning spaces to be optimal? Focusing on what matters most, students, is a precursory. Next, is the importance of a genuine desire to listen a little more attentively, making every effort to honestly develop in our abilities to have empathy.

“We’ve been forced to examine our lives through the lens of others and understand, accept and champion their individual situations and experiences,” reflected Andres Angelani in a Forbes article titled, “Empathy: A Priority For Business Leaders In 2021.” Central in this prioritization is to invest not only in IQ but also Emotional Intelligence (EQ). A broad spectrum of experiences led to various opinions of new ways of learning (ie. virtually). The summer of 2021 and its array of “realities” likely extenuated perceptions. Some students may be returning to school after summer months of free-roaming city streets without a mask or any restriction. Whereas, others possibly did not leave the confines of their home. With a new year of school in sight, some countries face more lock-downs. Others optimistically and nimbly prepare for what will hopefully be a “normal” start. Whatever the case, if the past two years have impressed upon us one principle, it is that the only certainty the future holds, is more uncertainty. Again, empathy and understanding others are essential. Stacey Goodman’s pre-pandemic article,  “The importance of Teaching Through Relationships,” is one testimonial to the pertinence relational aspects have on learning and teaching.

The Human Skills We Need in an Unpredictable World

Writer and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan gave a TED talk in July of 2019 titled,

“The Human Skills We Need in an Unpredictable World.” She spoke of “preparedness, coalition-building, imagination, experiments, bravery — in an unpredictable age, these are tremendous sources of resilience and strength.” She then transitioned into the role of digital tools saying, “…the more we let machines think for us, the less we think for ourselves.”  Before concluding, Heffernan shared how during the pandemic and such stressful and turbulent times, she asked a number of chief executives the question, “What kept you going?” Some wept when they remembered but all had exactly the same answer, “It was my friends and my colleagues who kept me going.” Would teachers and students respond the same? If not, might schools embark upon this noble journey of developing communities where everyone feels they belong?

Deeply connecting with students and forging relationships is at the apex. Naturally, the next step might be to begin the school year by providing students an opportunity to closely examine their communities and their place within them. The exploration is a guided revelation of how communities, whether defined in global or more local contexts, ultimately exist without regard for time or space. Nalakui Academy is one example of a project-based, entrepreneurship, leadership, design program. Students consistently comment on relationship building as their favorite part of the experience. A component is learning alongside like-minded students, but also connections are established with start-up industry leaders already having an impact.

For example, for a more entrepreneurial student, she may envision her community as part of a group of young scientists interested in bionics, engineering, and modern technology. Whereas, another student may define his community as fellow students who frequent the local library. Place-based or not, both are in a position to lead to authenticity. Purposeful learning because their students feel a sense of agency. After a student identifies her community, getting out of the classroom (even virtual space) and inquiring to learn more, is a logical next step. The invitation is for students to speak with others in “their” community and to begin to explore ways in which they might be able to be of service. Quite possibly some students may feel even less inhibited doing this digitally if learning is virtual. Ultimately students likely will gain a better grasp of their identity but also can meaningfully contribute, feeling a sense of purpose.

Learning is a Social Endeavor

A June 18, 2021 article titled, The Remedy For Children’s Pandemic Isolation? After School Activities,” makes a case for the important role of social development outside of school. Clearly, this involvement is a helpful step but is in no way a panacea. Further, I can only imagine the famed social learning theorist Lev Vygotsky and how he might be rolling in his grave at the suggestion that society might be able to rebound simply by signing a child up for a softball team. Rather, social-emotional recovery cannot be envisioned as an extra or something that happens outside of school. At the foundational level, teachers must leverage intentional design as they construct active learning communities. Not only because we learn from our interactions with others but inherent also is our very identity. Who “we” are, as opposed to just who “I” might be as an individual. In this pursuit of who we are, it behooves us on a more macro level to consider what is a school and what purpose does it serve?

Transformation Necessitates Slowing Down

In 2018 authors Valerie Hannon and Amelia Peterson gave us, “Thrive: Schools Reinvented for the Real Challenges We Face.” Little did they know at the time that soon the pandemic would serve us much more fodder to reimagine education. This led to, “Thrive: The Purpose of Schools in a Changing World 2nd Edition,” in which four levels of thriving may prove worthy of our close consideration:

  • global – our place in the planet
  • societal – localities, communities, economies
  • interpersonal – our relationships
  • intrapersonal – the self

This is theoretical, so what about practically speaking? As simple as it may sound, but of critical importance is the response to the question, “What might happen if we slow down?” National Geographic fellow and explorer, Paul Salopek exemplifies this. Recently he wrote, “I am walking across the Earth. Over the course of perhaps a dozen years and roughly 24,000 miles, I’m trekking continuously along the pathways of the ancestors from Africa to South America. I document what I see at boot level.” All of this is in an effort to align with what Salopek believes matters most, people. “Slow journalism is about slowing down enough to actually inhabit the stories of the day. To immerse yourself in the stories of the day and to get to know the people who are behind the headlines, the ordinary people who are behind stories about mass migration, refugee crises, climate change…”  Might we be emboldened enough as educators to know our students? For our students to know each other?

A Little More Human

As we look to transform the future of education, developing relationships must be in the crosshairs. Machines might speed up the world around us but must we? Or, might we focus on what matters most, understanding ourselves and others. Flexible and resilient. Though we may not control schools staying or returning to virtual mode, what we do have control over is that which we choose to prioritize. Like Simon Sinek, I too “would love to teach us all to be a little more human.”

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EMBRACING WONDER AND GRACE

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“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”    ~Epicurus It was the first day of a new school year.  At lunchtime a message appeared in my inbox with the subject line, “Where will you be teaching in 2022?”  It would be errant to claim this to be the first wind I caught of peering into and “preparing” for the future.  Days prior, colleagues shared how they already registered with international recruitment agencies. A part of me was left reeling, falling perfectly into the “trap” of the subject line.  Wondering where might I be in a year’s time.  Try as I might, I wrestled with reality, asking, “Was it really already time to begin thinking about recruitment?” Regardless of the answer, any answer, I instead firmly plant myself in the present.  Teachers and administrators who have had “skin in the international game” for years may have the a priori belief that it never is too early to begin thinking about next year.  However, my experience in observing and listening to international educators for more than two decades, showcased how sometimes there was a sort of psychology of transition.  One that confirmed the necessity to be in the moment. Like it was yesterday, I can remember how my first two years played out teaching overseas. The initial few months seamlessly fit with what is often called the honeymoon stage. The newness exciting to the cohort of teachers I entered alongside.  Differences such as conceptions of time, piqued our curiosity and were seen positively as stimulants. Later it would be these very items that would be irritants. We would settling in by winter break, still intrigued by cultural nuances and dedicated time to learn the language of the host nation. Friendships would continue to deepen. The first year was equal parts whirlwind and respite.  Life being lived in the present moment. Recruitment those days seemingly kicked into gear much later and so the start of year two was a continuation of positivity.  But, by March the second year some teachers in the cohort made the decision to move on. Seemingly overnight, there was a shift in mindset.  Certain friends became mere colleagues, ones I found myself no longer really wanting to even share conversation. Lightheartedness, laughter, and appreciation for any differences in culture were substituted for mockery and scorn. I wanted no part. It wasn’t until my second international post that I would be permitted a clearer window into what possibly was happening.  Again, a similar trajectory of experience played out.  From awe to contentment and then to frustration and even disdain.   Were there forces at play?  I was not sure.  But what I did recognize as truth was how there appeared to be a sort of uncanny coping mechanism, where individuals unconsciously deceived themselves.  As if darkness needed to exist to know light. Yet, it went beyond the paradoxical.  Little was in flux but the individual themselves.  The country was by and large the same.  The inhabitants, students, and school too.  Yet, ostensibly all that was celebrated the first year and a half, now was spoiled. The aspirations of the “next place,” and far greener grass left some colleagues living in what might best be called purgatory.  Arguably they were living in two places.  Or possibly in no place at all.  What was certain was they no longer were fully present and appeared stuck. Of course this was and is not the case for all people in transition.  However, with each move I have witnessed a similar occurrence for some. And here we are.  Living in times where recruitment is no longer pegged to the seasons.  This is fitting as a result of the ubiquitous nature of so much in life, as we grow increasingly connected. Teachers for hire anytime, anywhere. A truly globalized world. Kind of like feasting on asparagus in Iceland in December.  Time and place no longer barriers. In the case of education; LinkedIn, Zoom and all the other platforms serve to displace the traditional recruitment fairs. Regardless, the subject line, “Where will you be in 2022” brought into focus for me, how there is a layering of beginnings.  Beginning a new school year, while already considering a beginning somewhere else. Simply becoming more aware of this, brought more contentment. Yet, this “layering” does come with some risk. The risk of living for today. What if instead of getting caught up in where we might be in 2022, we dedicated ourselves to doing as Will Richardson suggests?  “What if we committed to radical love, of one another and of the planet? It’s clear, I think, that anything less will prevent us from solving the problems we face. That and, of course, going out and jogging or walking or biking a few miles each week, turning off the narratives of strife and gloom, taking in the beauty that’s right in front of us, and honoring this current moment for all of its wonder and grace.” Where will I be in 2022? Hopefully still feeling grateful for my life, just like today. #############

UNITED IN EMOTION, IMMERSED IN HUMANITY

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Barshim

Biles

Hubbard 

Tamberi

Tsimanouskaya.

Names to remember but moreover examples for our students to follow.

 

Qatar, United States, New Zealand, Italy, and Belarus. The athletes represent five different countries and five different events.  Each individually could be envisaged as   one of five olympic rings.  Their stories, like the rings, intertwined and embodying hope.  A heroism that supersedes athleticism, for they are harbingers of the dawning of a more humane future. 

 

Olympic History 

In 2012, the motto of the London Olympics  was “Inspire a Generation.”  In 2016 in Rio it was “A New World.”  How befitting that this year in Tokyo the motto was “United by Emotion.”  Originating in ancient Greece as many as 3,000 years ago, the games have not lost significance socially or culturally.  Yet, there was a hiatus in the Olympics in 393AD under the reign of Emperor Theodosius as the ancient pagan Olympiad system was disbanded. Not until 1896 were they revived.  

According to the International Olympic Committee, “Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind… Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.” A lofty goal if we think back to the original games where all all athletes competed naked and corporal punishment awaited those “guilty” of even a false start on the track. This summer 200 nations convened in Tokyo for the XXXII Olympics, competing in 339 events, or 33 sports, over the course of 16-days. Much more than victory or failure, the Olympics are unable to be distilled to a single element.  They are a spirit. One in which may bear witness to the good, the bad, and the ugly.  

 

Generosity and Sharing Joy

Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi set an example of what is possible when we set ourselves aside, our maniacal egos, and consider that winning does not necessarily indicate someone must lose. The high-jumping duo have a history of competition but more importantly friendship. Each has battled hardships in their career and received support from the other.  So, after both successfully cleared the 2.37m mark, a “marathon” two-hour attempt to outdo the other ensued.  Until finally, an Olympic official offered them a jump off to see who would prevail.  Time seemed to slow as Barshim questioned, “Can we have two golds?”  Almost in perfect unison with the response, “It is possible,” Tamberi leapt into the arms of Barshim.  Nicole Jeffery for World Athletics described how Tamberi then tore off on a hop and a skip across the track, before finishing up in a pile on the floor in floods of tears.  The headlines would read, “High jumpers sharing gold medal dubbed ‘the greatest moment in Olympic history.” Watching the video leaves the viewer with warm feelings of just what is possible.

​​Borrowed from: “Mutaz Essa Barshim” by Doha StadiumPlus is licensed under CC BY 2.0                                          

Foto di Giancarlo Colombo/A.G.Giancarlo Colombo

 

Biles Overcomes with Persistence

Simon Biles is so successful in gymnastics that we may even lose count of her eight National Championships, five World Championships, and 2016 Olympic All-Around Gold Medal. Yet, she is much more than her accomplishments. There may be apparent levity in the word “twisties.” Kind of like what you might think when you hear the words “twinkies” or “slinky.”  Yet, the twisties are serious.  When Biles’ 2016 Olympic teammate Laurie Hernandez was asked to explain them, she said “ twisties can set in when doing high level elements, typically on floor or vault, and it becomes difficult to compartmentalise the exact element a gymnast’s body is attempting. The rhythm is off, and your brain will like stutter step for half a second and that’s enough to throw off the whole skill.” So, for Biles to report having the twisties while on the world’s greatest athletic stage, without the comfort of falling into a foam pit, creates more than a sense of uneasiness. It was understandable how she would take herself out of four of the five individual events she qualified for.  Yet, she could not be psyched out of the balance beam. Her courage to perform along with her extraordinary skill would result in winning the bronze. Biles shared, “It (the bronze) means more than all of the golds because I pushed through so much the last five years and the last week while I’ve even been here.” 

Borrowed from: “simone-biles-gymnast-olympics-usa-team” by vfutscher is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

 

One Small Lift for a Woman, One Giant Leap for Humanity

It is a lot to snatch 133kg, a movement that requires pushing the weight overhead.  Laurel Hubbard set the Oceania record in 202 for doing just this.  Yet, what she has achieved usurps gravity. The focus of intense scrutiny, the 43-year-old never sought attention for being the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics.  The last time she even gave a major interview was in 2017.  Yet, who could deny the journey taken to arrive at the XXXII Olympiad. 

Born Gavin Hubbard in 1978, she stopped weightlifting in 2001 due to personal issues.  In 2012 she began the transition as a transgender woman.  Then in 2015 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cleared the way for transgender athletes to compete in the Olympic women’s events.  However, “the way” was not cleared completely in society.  And still is not.  Headlines reflect this; “Gender-Confused Male Athlete Takes Gold Medals in Women’s Weightlifting.” Yet, in a brief statement issued through the IOC, Hubbard remarked, “I see the Olympic Games as a global celebration of our hopes, ideals and values and I would like to thank the IOC for its commitment to making sport inclusive and accessible.”

Admitting that she was “overwhelmed,” Hubbard’s just showing up was a victory.  D’Arcy Maine of ESPN recounted how as she made her way to the 120 kg weight in her first lift attempt someone in the crowd yelled, “Go, Laurel!” And another, “You got this, Laurel!” Unable to complete the first three lifts, Hubbard recognized the moment was much larger than herself.  The contentiousness and debate leading all the way up to the event, were pleasantly replaced by what Maine reported as, “just applause and cheers inside the venue — and an audible buzz that has been nearly impossible to find elsewhere during these fanless Olympic Games.”

Borrowed from:

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mes7N1QHCTg/XXalYtjS5aI/AAAAAAABanI/1LxOWRmoovYnWLiJb

Mz6HUKi8otxkRtgwCLcBGAs/s1600/New-Zealand-powerlifter-Laurel-Hubbard.jpg

 

The Courage to Speak Up 

Belarus sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was scheduled by team officials for the women’s 4×400-meter relay.  She had never competed in the event before.  Tsimanouskaya posted criticism on social media for how the team was being managed, “with negligence.”  Tsimanouskaya would not complete the event.  Instead she would be told to pack her bags.  Further, that she would face punishment.

Alexander Lukashenko, dubbed “Europe’s last dictator,” was banned by the IOC from attending the Tokyo games.  IOC president Thomas Bach said, “we have come to the conclusion that it appears that the current leadership has not appropriately protected the Belarussian athletes from political discrimination.”  However, not only athletes.  In May a prominent blogger critical of Lukashenko was on a flight that was diverted, forced to land, arrested, and jailed.  But even more recently, one week after  Tsimanouskaya’s Instagram post, an activist by the name of Vitaly Shishov was found hanged in a park in Kiev.  

The threat was real.

Instead of boarding the plane back to Belarus, Tsimanouskaya was provided police protection.  According to the Economist, “The next day, Poland granted her and her family asylum. She claims that the call to send her back came not from the sports ministry but from “a higher level”. 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken summed it up best by, “denouncing Belarusian officials’ attempt to force Tsimanouskaya to return to Belarus for exercising free speech as ‘another act of transnational repression.’” Blinken would then ironically utilize a social media platform to express his views.  Much like Tsimanouskaya did.  “Such actions violate the Olympic spirit, are an affront to basic rights, and cannot be tolerated.”

Borrowed from: https://uk.anygator.com/article/belarusian-olympic-sprinter-%E2%80%98forced-to-return-home%E2%80%99-after-publicly-criticising-national-coaches-in-alleged-kidnappin__14862986

 

Roses Also Have Some Thorns

Vitalina Batsarashkina’s gold medal in the women’s 10 metre air pistol, an event I did not know even existed, triggered even more learning.  What country was ROC? After being lost in a rabbit hole of sorts, I came out with one big understanding.  There was a gaping loophole.  ROC stands for Russian Olympic Committee, a team of  333 Russian athletes.  Though banned as a country, Russian athletes still were able to compete in Tokyo.  Just not under the name, flag, or anthem of Russia.  However, the country’s colors for uniforms were permissible. “You don’t really need to have a strong imagination. In those uniforms that you saw, our national flag can be seen really really obviously,” Russian Olympic Committee president Stanislav Pozdnyakov said. 

ROC came about because in 2019, Russia  was banned from international competition for four years. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Banka released in a statement, “The panel has clearly upheld our findings that the Russian authorities brazenly and illegally manipulated the Moscow Laboratory data in an effort to cover up an institutionalized doping scheme.”  The use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids.  The New York Times called it “one of the most elaborate — and successful — doping ploys in sports history.” Even an Oscar-winning documentary, Icarus, of the doping scandal hit Netflix. Yet, even after the facts were revealed and the verdict conclusive, the Court of Arbitration for Sport would later reduce the penalty to just two years.  Furthermore, they would plant the seeds for ROC, allowing Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag if they proved they had no link to the doping scheme.

Zooming out, what did this add to the rancor of many athletes?  Lily King, gold medal and world record breaststroke swimmer, was quoted as saying, “I’m sure there were a lot of people competing this week from certain countries who probably shouldn’t have been here.”  Certain countries?  Hint. Hint.  Cough. Cough.  No prominent Russian swimmers were left home from the Games and Ryan Murphy, silver medalist in the 200 backstroke, did not mince words after coming in second.  “At the end of the day, I do believe there’s doping in swimming. That is what it is.” Again, a bit of an implication as the gold went to a swimmer from none other than, team ROC. An abbreviated version of a tweet on ROC’s page rebutted, “…Through the mouths of athletes offended by defeats. We will not console you. Forgive us those who are weaker. God is their judge. And for us – an assistant.” 

 

An Explanation that Empowers

Some may say Tokyo 2020 (or is it 2021?) was a flop. That the pandemic wreaked havoc on the games. The spectator less event a nadir to the sporting world and that even the host country could not get behind the Olympiad. Yet, all over the walls and in the cracks is evidence of success. The sharing of a gold medal, overcoming fear and pressure, courage and the freedom of speech, and inclusivity. Each of these in addition to the spirit of the Olympics, mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. Ubiquitous is whatever we look for, stories of encouragement or burden. Hopefully, the heroism and humanity of Barshim, Biles, Hubbard, Tamberi, and Tsimanouskaya is what we will choose to remember.  

 

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STUCK CONTAINER SHIP: A METAPHOR FOR THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM?

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What could be harder to turn around than a 220,000 ton ship measuring nearly a quarter of a mile long?  The education system. The Evergreen however served as a fantastic metaphor.

For six days, the colossal three year-old was stuck. In a stretch of water narrower (985 feet) than the length of the boat (1,312 feet).  Not even a 3-point Austin Powers maneuver back and forth was possible “baby.” 

 

Not What It May Seem

Though the word “Evergreen” is painted on the ship’s side, on its back and bow in smaller letters is its official name, “Ever Given.”  A Taiwanese company called Evergreen Marine is responsible for operating the vessel, though it is registered in Panama.  Further, it is managed by a German ship company, but owned by a Japanese billionaire.

Education, more than a fifth of the way through the 21st century, is also not what it might seem. 

 

Roots of Education and Where We Find Ourselves Today

For most of human existence children educated themselves simply through play and exploration. A scary concept for most today.  Agriculture and the eventual systems of servitude resultant of the Middle Ages may have been what led to the death of children’s free will to organically learn.  In its place, obedience and reverence for lords and masters. The Industrial Revolution further squelched the innate desire to learn, as children were used for labor.  Once industry began to become more automated children were no longer as needed as much and at the advent of the 20th century child reform efforts surfaced. Finally, in 1924 opponents of child labor in the United States sought a constitutional amendment to allow Congress to “limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of persons under eighteen years of age.” However, “the conservative political climate of the 1920s, together with opposition from some church groups and farm organizations that feared a possible increase of federal power in areas related to children, prevented many states from ratifying it.”  Not until 1938 were child labor laws enacted.  

 

Mind you, this is but 83 years ago!

 

Until Jean Piaget (1896-1980), pedagogical theory envisioned children as merely “empty vessels.” To be kept in line and “filled up.”  A diametric opposite of the very meaning of education. Etymologically, the term “education” derived from the Latin word “educare,” meaning “to bring up, rise, or to nourish.” Or, even more fitting is to consider the Latin “educere,” and its meaning to “to draw out.”  

 

Nourishing and Drawing Out.  Are Schools Doing This Today?  

More aptly, are schools whole-heartedly bent on settling for nothing less than a child’s best and allow for personalization?  I would argue we still have many miles of road to pave.  However, traction continues to be gained as educational systems move from compliance to empowerment.  The narrow ideologies of the past may pervade, yet however steeped in “control” they may be, such views are being sabotaged by digitization and connectivity.  Now, a teacher in the virtual world likely contends with YouTube, chat rooms, and possibly even Netflix, for a student’s attention.  “Armed” with pre-determined and trite curriculum, it often feels like a losing battle.  Vying for students’ attention and dumping curriculum on them was not the impetus most teachers got into the profession.  

An alternative approach might instead based on respect and trust.  Where the knowledge, skills, and standards checklists become more invitation than imposition. Or, what about the powers of collaboration?  How many educators are trusted, willing, or daring enough to set out to build a sort of kinship with students, where curriculum might be co-created?  A return to a more master and apprentice style; exploration as opposed to inculcation. For an example of how one middle school teacher does this, take a look at the basic structure for a unit design in a post written by Allison Zmuda titled, “A Play-By-Play Strategy for Co-Creating Curriculum with Students.”

 

Damage Done

The Suez Canal, a slit carved between the Mediterranean and Red Sea, took 10 years to build.  An investment well spent because today it is the preferred path connecting east and west. Ten percent of the world’s trade purportedly flows through these waters. From the 23rd to the 29th of March, the world watched as more than 360 ships were forced to wait.  A behemoth blocked the way. According to Lloyd’s List, a maritime intelligence organization, a total of $9.6 billion worth of cargo was held back each day.  Not until April 3rd did the Suez Canal Authority declare the logjam over and that all waiting ships finally crossed through.  Then, on April 13th, the Evergreen was seized and “Egyptian authorities said they wouldn’t release the massive ship… until its owners agreed to pay up to $1 billion in compensation.”

 

Are today’s schools similarly being held for ransom?

 

What is it going to cost to free our brittle, antiquated, and traditional system of education?  Though there is a clinging on to a delivery of knowledge; something seemingly more ubiquitous than even clean water or air, I remind you how the duration of this model, is but a flash in time. A “new normal” if you will. Yet, cracks in the system, like the ones the pandemic is inducing, continue to create a sort of vacuum. The rays of light clear the space for teachers to be more daring and for learners to return to what is instinctual.  Learning which is constructed, not consumed. Actively uploading, as opposed to passively downloading.  

 

Nothing New or Particularly Earth-Shattering

The late Sir Ken Robinson was turning heads 14 years ago, claiming how schools actually squash creativity. Further, in a visit of over 200 schools, Ted Dintersmith shared his observations in a book called, “What Schools Could Be.” Further, for specific schools standing out in the field, you may want to take a look at Getting Smart’s list of “Middle and High Schools Worth Visiting.”  Here you will see project-based learning, personalization, purpose, and a variety of other “ingredients” necessary to “unstuck” education.   

The stuck container ship is in fact a fitting metaphor for the education system. A difficult system to turn. One that still is wedged.  However, I like to think progress is being made, even if  transformation has not freed the “ship.” Marketer and author Seth Godin says it best, “Most difficult, quite rare and precious is the idea of transformation.”  The idea is there! Allies and advocates alike, we are tugboats.  Please stay the course, because your pushing and pulling is critical.  

 

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