Templates, Rule Books, Textbooks, Complete planned curriculum with all the activities laid out to be executed by a teacher etc...
Classrooms enclosed by the idea of freedoms and the reality of empty promises; perfect students, perfect jobs, perfect tables and the idea of who owns the key to knowledge...
While designing products or curricula or workshops for teachers and students, I am stunned at the creativity and leadership that flows once the doors are opened and equally startled by the powers that control and dam this creativity and ask for templates and rule books instead of intelligence and thoughtful expression, creation and application of ideas.
'We' become so used to teaching people to follow, that to believe they can be original, they can create and they can own their minds has become a 'wonderful possibility' starkly out of reach always. 'We' are constantly told students can't be 'all that' original, teachers can't really be so "creative" and we take away ownership and responsibility. Then we lament the lack of ownership and responsibility. It is indeed much slower, it is indeed more demanding and it is indeed more risky to let go, but why do we not trust the very people we claim to empower....the very people we believe are going to change the world!
Do share your thoughts if this issue means something to you.
Classrooms enclosed by the idea of freedoms and the reality of empty promises; perfect students, perfect jobs, perfect tables and the idea of who owns the key to knowledge...
While designing products or curricula or workshops for teachers and students, I am stunned at the creativity and leadership that flows once the doors are opened and equally startled by the powers that control and dam this creativity and ask for templates and rule books instead of intelligence and thoughtful expression, creation and application of ideas.
'We' become so used to teaching people to follow, that to believe they can be original, they can create and they can own their minds has become a 'wonderful possibility' starkly out of reach always. 'We' are constantly told students can't be 'all that' original, teachers can't really be so "creative" and we take away ownership and responsibility. Then we lament the lack of ownership and responsibility. It is indeed much slower, it is indeed more demanding and it is indeed more risky to let go, but why do we not trust the very people we claim to empower....the very people we believe are going to change the world!
Do share your thoughts if this issue means something to you.
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