Sunday, October 3, 2010
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Once upon a time in the long lost world of education, learning was real and learning was fun. Students were curious, and they had an almost unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
The giants of this lost world of education were the teachers, who actually made decisions on how learning should take place. These amazing creatures collaborated with others like them, in order to create amazing interdisciplinary projects and assessments that the students were eager to attempt.
An awe-inspiring world
Back then, the world of education was an awe-inspiring, sprawling place that expanded well beyond the walls of brick and mortar. Students were inspired by everything around them, including museums, theaters, parks, farms and more. When asked to demonstrate their understanding of this vast world, these powerful thinkers with sponge-like minds, worked in groups building stunning projects that included the written word, mathematical calculation, artistic design and oral presentation.
When these students were ready to leave the supervision of the giants of education, they were well-prepared. Those who left the ancient world of education became some of our brightest minds -- doctors, counselors, business owners, engineers, computer scientists and artists.
Today's world
Sadly, this tale does not have a happy ending. You see, some of those phenomenal students from the old education world decided to return, hoping to become one of the giants who had pointed the way to knowledge for them not so long ago. After the dreamers were pulled in, though, these once-brilliant minds awoke to the horror of today's world of education.
The dream of shaping the minds of tomorrow's Michelangos and daVincis was quickly mangled into a nightmare filled with rote learning, mindless homework assignments and boring facts -- all aimed at teaching today's students to pass achievement tests, created only to satisfy politicians, making empty promises to the masses about fixing a broken world of education.
Once upon a time in education, learning was real and learning was fun.
If only fairy tales could come true.
