Kids speak out about what they want/need from schooling.

It was my honor yesterday to have a discussion with kids from Turning Point Learning Center for my podcast. The 5-8th grade kids and I talked about the things they thought schools should be focusing on as well as their opinions about what they needed for future success. They are sharp and were quite willing to share their real thoughts and I was amazed by their passion. Some of these kids are leaving the charter school this year and heading to public school and have real concerns about the freedoms they fear they will lose. I appreciate Ginger Lewman's willingness to let me talk to her youngsters and I feel that we in education must listen to the voices of our learners and we seek to redesign schools for the 21st century.

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Comment by Kevin on May 25, 2007 at 10:56am: Thanks Skip, I am lucky to have access to these thinkers and to have the chance to work with their teacher/mentors. I imagine what it would be like to get to work with them every day.

Comment by Kevin on May 25, 2007 at 12:11pm: That thought has crossed my mind. It is fun for me and feels like something that matters but more than that, you can hear in their voices a yearning to be heard. Getting more kids to talk openly in educator venues and getting adults to listen and learn might be a delicate dance.

Comment by Ginger Lewman on May 25, 2007 at 9:50pm: Wait a minute, guys! Wasn't there a movie kind of like this in, what was it--1968? (thank you, imdb)
Wild in the Streets (http://imdb.com/title/tt0063808/) came out before I was born, but it had a serious impact on the lives of my parents and they raised me with the same attitude: "If you're thirty, you're through!"

hmmm... it's not so off-kilter in so many ways!