Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The battle is still brewing

I like this video which came through via Lucy Gray. Dan Brown has a rousing video entitled An Open Letter to Educators.

There are many great quotes from this, but one I loved the best is:
Empowering students to change the world for the better.

It really is about being a learner. That is what we need kids to be. It is what the world needs to be if we are to finally solve any of our problems.

My questions:
1. How many people would really be considered a learner? Can we make the right changes about "anything" (insert: what kids should know, financial issues, government, anything with the environment.)

2. If I can see why standards are necessary and know that creativity is as or if not more important, how do we not allow the common core movement to stifle the latter?

3 comments:

  1. "If I can see why standards are necessary and know that creativity is as or if not more important, how do we not allow the common core movement to stifle the latter?"

    Because who cares about creativity when I can point to a sheet of test scores and say "See? Now give me more money/elect me."

    Did that sound cynical?

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  2. Dan Brown is right about information, but says little about knowledge.

    I'd love to see his take on that....

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  3. I've now watched this video a few times; I even watched his follow-up.

    Dan confuses information with knowledge, or rather, sets up a straw man that does not exist (unless the University of Nebraska is different from the vast majority of high schools and colleges in this land).

    I wish him well, but I'm not sure how much he is contributing to the conversation.

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