I ran across another great video (via Kim Corfino - blogging from Malaysia) that I think all educators should watch. She also led me to this post at Dangerously Irrelevant (blogging from Minnesota), which led me to this list of quotes regarding the need for change in education (including "no one jumps a 20 foot chasm in two 10 foot jumps"). That led me in turn to this post (I'm pretty sure Kathy is just up the road in Boulder), which I had read about 6-8 months ago but really resonated with where I'm at right now (blogging from Centennial, but I meant where I'm at emotionally or intellectually or philosophically or something). I love the graphic with the "Big Wall" at the beginning of Kathy's post.
I feel like I'm standing on the precipice of that 20 foot chasm and/or hitting that big wall . . . and I'm not sure what to do about it. Sorry, just felt the need to wallow for a moment.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the video.
Karl,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the though provoking post. I like the quote page idea too.
I actually had seen the video a while back. It also resonated with my own daughter's current expriences in college. If I remember correctly not only is the message great but the story of its creation is powerful too. It represents students from widely disperse places who outside the structure of their classes and schools used the tools they understand to create this powerful message. However, it was also this video which in part made me concerned about what would happen when the students leave our school.
I understand the temptation to wallow (at least for few minutes) and in essence that was what I was doing when you posted your comment of encouragement.
If we each take a jump at the wall and stand on each others shoulders we will not have to settle for incremental improvements and we will have done the best for our students. (Gee whose phrase was that?)
Maybe that is the problem of leadership. Every so often, leaders get frustrated when they have to wait for others to catch up. People can be pushed to move quicker, but often if we push too hard, they stop or resist. When a few others reach that cliff, iit will get easier to cross. I hope.
ReplyDelete