Teach students to think irrationally
by Terry Heick
Formal learning is a humiliating thing.
As planners, designers, testamentary executors and general guardians of public and private education systems, we are responsible for the insurmountable: to overcome the natural trend of a child to play, rebel and directly in the hope of providing them with a good education ”. Reading, writing, arithmetic, etc.
And it’s not bad. It’s good by almost all measures. Our intention is noble, our extraordinary effort, and certainly the learning of many children, in particular those of disadvantaged circumstances, is better than anything they could have otherwise.
But there is also an unfortunate and darker side to formal learning processes, especially when you search 800 in a school and 32 in a classroom and “keep the teachers responsible”.
It is a side that can be more concerned about this responsibility than anything else – and this means that students are responsible for teachers, teachers responsible for directors, directors responsible for the superintendents, the superintendents responsible for government agencies of the State and each responsible for many measures of “motivation” and / or punitive measures.
See also Student engagement strategies
Net profit can be a learning climate where the spontaneity, curiosity and self -directing of the learner are secondary to the right literacy strategy “based on research” to “pass children to competence” – and a crucial loss of “child” of learning.
It is in this context that I watched the following video of Adora Svitak, who, with eloquence (please, tell me that this child was trained, otherwise I will wish that it is also more “ childish ‘itself) discusses the role of “immaturity” in great achievements. Regarding the “childish” and “immaturity” behavior, she explains:
“Again, who can say that certain types of irrational thought are not exactly what the world needs?”
“For the better or for the worst, we, children, we are not so hampered when it comes to thinking about the reasons why not do things. Children can be full of inspiring and reflection aspirations. Exhausted and rare and leads to chaos.
“And that’s a good thing because to do anything a reality, you must first dream of it.”
It is easy to make this argument further and to wonder what education would look like if it could really get lost in learning and be fully immersed in content and community. Standards? GOOD. Assessment? Fine – but normalize the evaluation without normalizing learning.
What if learning was like the child: irrational, in motion and lovers of discovery?
You can see the video here.
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