We were tasked to find an image that represented 'global education' to us. Several years ago, I first saw the above comic accompanied by Albert Einstein's quote, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live his whole life believing that it is stupid." It really spoke to me at the time as I had just started my teaching career and was thinking a lot about state standards, benchmarks, testing, and all sorts of assessment. I was already noticing how over-tested I feel like our students are and how truly difficult it is to design and administer meaningful assessments.
Fast forward a few years, I still think of this quote and image often. I have very deep concerns about the direction of public education and really wonder why such an emphasis has been put on the competitive nature of learning. I see the amount of stress my high school students place on themselves - sometimes due to family expectations, sometimes from an intangible outside force. The pressure for our students to be the most involved, the best academically, and the most outstanding performer while still getting enough sleep and staying healthy is unreasonable. And to what end? Education should be a process, and when we pit student's achievement against each other rather than celebrate all highs and lows, I wonder about our priorities.
So this then brings me to global education. Why are we also competitive with other countries educational achievements. I understand that we live in an ever globalized world, but when we constantly report how far 'behind' American students are when compared to our counterparts in European or Asian countries, and then take turns pointing fingers (usually at teachers) instead of attempting to learn from the successful things that are happening around the world, it makes me feel like we aren't truly interested in improving. In my revised version of the cartoon, I'd love to see a panel of all of the animal experts who are able to showcase their abilities to learn how truly wonderful and diverse we can be.
HI Lauren,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your two posts! I enjoyed reading them both.
I can't quite believe we haven't worked together before, given your pathway through the program. But unless you have changed your name, I don't think we ever did. So all the worse for me! But I'm really glad for you and your community and proud that MSU helped to contribute to such an outstanding teacher. (fyi, you might want to update the blurb on the side of your blog, as it says you are still an intern, which threw me for a minute :)
I really love the quote at the head of your blog. I can't believe I have never heard of that one before. (Is it from The Little Prince?) It really speaks to a profound understanding of the learning process and the overriding importance of purpose and motivation. It also has a lot to do with assessment (given that's a topic you brought up). No one is prepared for feedback unless they truly desire to get onto the ocean. But if they have that desire, our feedback can be profound, and we can truly shape lives.
I share your concerns about the competitive nature of schooling and society today. But I do think we are on the verge of a cooperative social transformation--one that reformers like John Dewey and Jane Addams saw coming 100 years ago. But schools don't seem to be leading the way. If anything, I fear they might be holding us back.
Cycle one should be really interesting for you because we get the whole discourse of global competitiveness in its sharpest form--and the argument that, in its best form, global education is a reaction against this mindset.
Your cartoon is one I have seen before, and it's one that I also think speaks a profound truth. I don't know what it will take for kids and families to step back from the achievement-oriented culture we live in right now and just start enjoying learning and living. Being too overly goal-oriented, I think we know from psychological research like Daniel Pink's, actually limits our creativity and the ability to get the results we say we want! (Drive is a really interesting book and is something you could check out for this course if you'd like.)
I look forward to working together this summer!
Kyle