Tony Wagner - Keynote speaker AASL 2013
Great points assessing our “knowledge economy” and education:
· One room schoolhouse à factory model schools were recreated 100 years ago. Now is the time to reinvent schools for the future.
· Internet connected devices need to be leveraged for optimal use
· Knowledge is free on the internet ….
· Knowledge is ubiquitous - White collar jobs are now reinvented
· Radiologists and accountants functions are often done globally in India
· Set of opportunities exists - Can your students create new opportunities?
· World cares about NOT what they know but what they can do with what they know – skill and the will to acquire knowledge, solve problems
· Persistence – skills – and will… how do we develop the “will”
· Growing number of kids prefer the internet over school to learn.
· 4 out of 10 like HS - (8 out of 10 like elementary school)
· no one ever laughs at the questions they ask on Google
· Internet allows kids to be the architect of their learning
· Critical thinking and problem solving - companies engage ALL of their employees to continually improve their product and services
· Critical thinking is how to ask the right questions
· Teach students how to ask the right questions
· Virtually and collaboratively in the work world – they need solutions, not grades
· Internet connected devices need to be leveraged for optimal use
· Knowledge is free on the internet ….
· Knowledge is ubiquitous - White collar jobs are now reinvented
· Radiologists and accountants functions are often done globally in India
· Set of opportunities exists - Can your students create new opportunities?
· World cares about NOT what they know but what they can do with what they know – skill and the will to acquire knowledge, solve problems
· Persistence – skills – and will… how do we develop the “will”
· Growing number of kids prefer the internet over school to learn.
· 4 out of 10 like HS - (8 out of 10 like elementary school)
· no one ever laughs at the questions they ask on Google
· Internet allows kids to be the architect of their learning
· Critical thinking and problem solving - companies engage ALL of their employees to continually improve their product and services
· Critical thinking is how to ask the right questions
· Teach students how to ask the right questions
· Virtually and collaboratively in the work world – they need solutions, not grades
- Students do not know how to write with "voice" - dull
- Access and analyze information necessary
- Memorization will not last – who cares what the 50 state capitals are?
- Test prep is not a curriculum
- We are relying too heavily on multiple choice tests and ranking they foster
- We want kids who can figure it out
- Economic crash – why is 70% of our economy based upon consumer spending (I.e. Shopping) - That type of economy is not sustainable
- We have to become manufacturers again – of ideas
- We have to graduate kids who can solve problems – health care, education, economic, etc.
- Born curious - what influences you afterbirth
- Interviewed successful people - all had 1 thing in common – they were outliers in their educational system.
- Celebrate – measuring independent achievement - built collaboration in every assignment they gave. Cultured schooling compartmentalized education when problems need to be solved by a team -
- Essential questions are imperative
- Failure is not the worst thing that can happen – we punish failure – we create "risk aversion" when we punish failure - No innovation without trial and error (F is the new A…?) We need to get rid of the F – If you show up and try you should not get an F…
- Lastly, motivation, will, extrinsic motivation we rely on greatly. Problem millennial students are more motivated by wanting to make a difference rather than get an A
- How can we nurture the intrinsic motivation? Passion
- Element of wimpy in every assignment
