iTeacher

I want to be careful not to turn this forum into a political debate.  However, I do like some of Barack Obama’s comments about moving America’s education system into the 21st century.  He recognizes that America’s future economic strengths lie in science and innovation.  It sounds like Obama wants to invest in science and technology, as well as a more comprehensive assessment framework that involves critical thinking and problem solving skills.  I place the video here simply as an information resource, but feel free to comment if you support or oppose his viewpoints.

As you may have figured out, I am a huge fan of author and lecturer Sir Ken Robinson, who speaks about education transformation through creative engagement and an awakening of the arts. I recently discovered another inspiring lecture, called Changing Paradigms, which Sir Ken gave in June at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. The lecture lasts 55 minutes, but it is an hour well spent. Robinson is inspiring, humorous and very informative. He hits the nail right on the head if you ask me. Here’s the link to the video:

Changing Paradigms

Already a fan of Sir Ken Robinson’s work, I came across an inspiring video on Edutopia’s website. Entitled Creatively Speaking, this lecture was recorded at the Apple Education Leadership Summit in April, 2008. In this lecture, Mr. Robinson discusses the need for curriculum reform that recognizes the changing dynamics of our global economy. He argues that our current education model is based on an industrial-age economy. In the Information Age, we need to tap into children’s creative and problem-solving qualities in order to prepare a generation of students who can think on their feet and adapt to an ever-changing work force. The video and an accompanying article can be found on this Edutopia link. (I couldn’t get the video to embed here.)