Stop Stealing Dreams: Seth Godin on Education & School

The older I get the more I take to heart the old Mark Twain chestnut: “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” In March of this year I created a post entitled Videos to help you rethink education, learning, & school. That list of videos included a provocative interview with Seth Godin. This month Seth put those same thoughts together in a new short-form presentation which he delivered at TEDxYouth@BFS. I heard Seth say many of the same things before. Yes, I can quibble about a few of his strongly asserted points, but for the most part I think he is spot on. Of course there are great teachers doing good work around the world, and there are even some outstanding schools. But it's also true that the very system of mass schooling needs to be questioned.



Head over to Squidoo.com to download Seth's "Stop Stealing Dreams" 30,000 word manifesto. Definitely worth your time.

The importance of doing
Confucius said "Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Let me do and I understand." My favorite years in public school were spent in the elementary school years. Perhaps because there was a lot more doing throughout the day compared with the rather dull and passive experience of sitting and listening during the Jr. high and high school years. This short presentation below features Gever Tulley talking about the importance of tinkering.



Presentation Generation
Presentations and digital storytelling play a key role in 21st-century education. I share some of my thoughts about presentations today in this TEDxKyoto talk from earlier this Fall.

Comments

[Askthequestion]

Seth Godin asks the question: What is school for? I think the more interesting question is: What does it mean to be an "educated person" in the 21st Century? We should talk about outcomes not process.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Bullshit. The "problem" with education is too many parents who think it's a service they purchase, rather than a core duty of being a parent.

You want inspired, creative kids? Spend more time with them. Introduce them to cool things. Do cool things with them.

Stop blaming teachers for your own failings.

[Jason chan]

My dream was dead in my high school.LED Flood Lights

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I can quibble about a few of his strongly asserted points,

[Web Design Company]

Mr. Seth Godin, very well asked about schooling that what is school about? I have seen that now schooling is for not education but it's becoming business & student just pass out for the degree. Can anyone see the future with great & obedient school for just education. In the past it supposed to student is being made for the fight with life with all the activities but now they are supposed to make a currier by their parent not for their choice, WhY?????

Can anyone change the system? Can I have school name which is totally pressed free where students can study with pure 100% interest not by force but presser free.
I really like your start & learn the great subject that is "OBEDIENT"

Really thankful to you Mr. Seth Godin,
Looking for great more topic soon.

[CoCreatr]

Yes, and: To #innovate, go out there and break the rules.

TEDxBerkeley - Carl Bass - The New Rules of Innovation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKV3rhzvaC8

[MicroSourcing]

The thing with students is that they learn in different ways. While it's true that some kids learn faster through action, some do well with sitting down and listening to lectures. It's a matter of diversifying the way schools educate children.

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[Jim Dickeson]

As I say at PapayaWorks (http://www.papayaworks.com/video), if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth a million.

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[Language Translation]

Recalling my school I can just say we need overhauling in our education system. Most of the schools that are in far furlong areas they only teach what a book has in it. While the question of child and the curiosity to know the world around him/her is rejected. And just asked to focus on the marks. This is why I opposed and left the school. But I am sure such schools are still persist to prevent child's growth.

[Kiss]

Interesting video. Totally agree that dreams can be true ;)

[Alex Morris]

You only have to look at a school lunch to see one of the real problems with education. How can kids be expected to pay attention to anything when they have huge amounts of sugar surging through their blood streams? All those sweets, can of fizzy coke, McDonalds, chips etc. Talk about an afternoon slump. Get them eating healthy food and they'll be able to concentrate more, then start to look at other areas of education.

[Alessandro Segalini]

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth a million.” Maybe today, Jim, when we call pressing keys writing. If you get the word-shape correct, not only you form an image for language, but you give it appropriate expression as well. Here is a good article I recently read: “Philip Hensher: Why handwriting matters” http://guardian.co.uk/books/2012/oct/07/missing-ink-handwriting-art-hensher-extract

[Kent]

I am not sure if this is correct. Robert Kiyosaki told that this was because Rockefeller needed workers to work for his empire.

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[Gerald]

Wow! Very interesting concept.

[Everyclass]

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[MicroSourcing]

The video critiques the education system. Some of the points raised are things that we've already heard before though the speaker gives a new take by elaborating on industrialism's effect on education.