Category Archives: education

Education Revolution!

Sir Ken 2-2Welcome to Day 16 of write31days. Over the hump, so to speak. For this installment of 31 days of Great Ted talks, I have to bring Sir Ken Robinson back for an encore.

Though this presentation isn’t as popular as the first, it is just as poignant and urgent.

Robinson argues that we should revolutionize our model of education rather than reform it (which he views as “simply improving a broken model”).

This isn’t about “privatizing”. I believe public education is already privatized (public money going to huge corporations that control everything in the form of textbooks, testing, testing prep, “technology”, supplies, constant assessment of students, evaluating teachers, food service, “health” initiatives and all manner of “consulting” costs and “studies” before any program, facility or change is implemented).

Recorded around 2010, the exponential infiltration of new technologies affecting nearly every industry and disrupting linearly-oriented institutions make Robinson’s argument even more relevant and urgent. The idea that there’s one linear path to “success” and anyone who takes it will be secure is laughable and irresponsible today-yet that’s how schools prepare students for the world.

Adopting Robinson’s suggestion would allow teachers to teach in the way they are wired and most gifted, instead of conforming to a standardized format. Maybe it’s impossible but worth trying.

Ultra Low-Cost Higher Education Model

Free college education
The University of the People (UoPeople), a fully accredited online college, provides an affordable Business Administration or Computer Science degree (B.A. or Assoc.) to any high school graduate in the world with access to the internet (doesn’t have to be high-speed).

The interactive, virtual university has no facility costs, no textbooks and the professors volunteer their time. Though, the model is designed to limit the time commitment by faculty members which includes chancellors, presidents and other high-performing professionals.

Students are asked to pay $100 for exams which are graded by supervised peer review but scholarships are available in the case of financial hardship.

This is just one example of how technology can disrupt any industry, in this case, the business of higher education.

 

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Every High School Student Should Learn Statistics

When a MATHEMATICIAN argues that statistics should be taught to high school students before calculus, how can’t we listen? Yet, the pinnacle of mathematics is calculus, a subject that’s important to students who will go on to study mathematics, engineering and the sciences but it doesn’t really apply to daily life.

On the other hand, probablility and statistics if everywhere and can be fun!

Arthur Benjamin argues that our world has moved from an analog to a digital age and statistics drives it (GOOGLE ALGORITHM ANYONE?). In fact, one reason Amazon has become so huge and successful was Jeff Bezos’ foresight in collecting consumer data.

It’s unbelievable that this TED talk was recorded in 2009 and there’s no evidence that stats has taken a front seat in high school curricula. In fact, it’s largely regarded as a “lower level” math.

Wouldn’t you love to know the probability that a guy named Arthur would wind up an academic?

 

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Kids Can!

This TED talk by Gever Tulley is a great go-along to Sugata Mitra’s research in self-organizing education. Instead of giving kids access to a computer and having them learn biochemistry on their own, the kids at Tinkering School get tools and learn equally impressive skills and concepts.

Of course, Tulley’s written a book which I bought a few years ago and have to admit, was too scared to have the kids do most of the challenges. “Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do” would make a great challenge series. One challenge at a time is enough for me!

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Wanted: Cyber Grandma!

What happens when you put the internet in a hole in the wall of a slum? Find out in this Ted™Talk by education scientist, Sugata Mitra.

There’s so much here that I’m going to let this one speak for itself. Applications for cyber grandma’s will be accepted right here at the conclusion of the talk. (wink wink)

If you’re interested in how self-organized learning can be integrated into any classroom (Good luck with that), you might be interested in the Kindle short “Beyond the Hole in the Wall” where Mitra provides step-by-step instructions.

 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.