The Future of Teaching is Learning

I really enjoyed Charles Leadbeater's - "We-Think" (see the cool video clip of its premise HERE). He really hit the nail on the head when it came to how the world was changing due to communicative technologies, Web 2.0 and the rise of the "amateur" and mass participation in innovation/ideas.

Today, watched for a second time, his Ted talk. He tackles education this time, how education will be transformed in the future (and specifically where). He does a good job and of course we all love his accent! However, I was a little put off.

There have been many others long before he got on the stage, championing a future of education that is more leveled, participatory and learner driven. He acknowledges some of them but not enough for me. I guess that is how it goes. The dedicated do the leg work and then the well funded and fueled come along and scoop up the accolades (I'm thinking of others, like Seth Godin for example).

Here's my own manifesto from a few years back....

Still, he does the championing well and I urge everyone involved in education to think about these issues. Here are the important ideas as I see them;

* the school is defunct and an outdated concept
* the future delivery tool for knowledge will be some form of the cell phone
* education can be brought to people, on demand.
* students need to be "attracted" (he says "pulled") and not pushed. Otherwise it is useless.
* technology disperses knowledge, knowledge becomes "cheap". It brings learning to the people.
* education is about engagement. Inquiry based curriculum is the future and we should, "teaching through".
* technology allows learning without a teacher. Peer and shared learning/cooperative learning evolve.
* learning needs to be practical and productive (not about the neck up only)
* education will be scaled down and small but everywhere.

In any case, glad he's realizing these things and speaking to others, awakening! What do you think?