Here's how YOU can change education
People seem to feel really strongly about schools. Whether they are a teacher, parent, a business professional or student, everyone has an opinion (many times a rather strong one) about education.
There are not as many people working to change and fix and innovate education as there are strong opinions about what?should?or?could?be done. I want to encourage more action and less talk.
So if you have ever had a strong opinion about education here are some things you can actually?do?to help fix education:
1. Study the problem
I have devoted my life to solving the conundrum that is education. I work at it every single day. I have read countless books and articles, I have taught, I have built curriculum, I have tutored, built tutoring programs, coached, built a school you name it. In eight years, I have done about as much as I can do to figure this problem out.
I don't fully believe in the?10,000-hour rule?but some version of it applies here. One of the first steps to fixing education is taking time to study the problem. Do you actually know how schools work? Do you know what a school day is like for a teacher? For a student? For an administrator? Do you know the pressures teachers face? Do you know curriculum ideologies? Have you built a lesson before? Do you know the history of public and private schools?
You don't need to know all of that information but you should go through the process of becoming well informed about education and its problems. Then you will know how to help.
2. Pick an issue
There are a lot of places for improvement in schools. No one person or entity can fix them all. Make no mistake about it, there is no panacea here. A really great way for you to help fix education is to pick an issue that is manageable for you and begin to do what you can to help remedy that issue.
3. Support a teacher
If you want to play an essential role in helping to change or fix education, support a teacher. Tons of teachers post Amazon wish lists on their social. Consider buying them an item they need for their classroom. Maybe buy the whole list. Offer to come in and help clean their room, help grade some papers, offer expertise, write a thank you note for all the work they do.
All in all, the best way to start having an impact on education is to impact those on the front lines.
4. Support students
There are various ways to support students. Generally speaking, supporting a teacher does support students. However, if you would like to change schools, consider joining an after school tutoring initiative. Many schools allow people to come in and read to elementary ages kids as well. You may also consider giving some time each week to teaching an after school life skills course. Education exists to serve students. I'd hope that we can figure out more ways to serve students, even from outside of the classroom.
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5. Fund something
I recognize that not everyone has the ability to fund projects. But, for those of you who do, this is the biggest and best way to impact the future of education. The bottom line is that the school system is antiquated. Everyone knows it is broken. Everyone. We know that political policy hasn't saved education yet. We need to look elsewhere. We need you.
We need new and innovative education options that come at a low cost for the family. Yes, it is hard to do that but it is not impossible. If you have the means, I highly recommend you take this ride as you could have an astronomically big impact on schools.
Here are some folks who are making a BIG impact that you can support:
1) The Reinvention Lab is working to bring innovation to one of the largest education non-profits in the US, Teach for America.
2) 4.0 Schools is working to build community centered education models through coaching, philanthropy and other important supports.
3) Transcend is A Research & Development Engine For Innovation In 21st Century School Design. Transcend supports many schools around the country and helps them to move the needle with respect to equity and innovation.
4) K20 Educators is a global social learning community for educators. Simply put, they are smashing silos in order to connect educators across the globe which is ESSENTIAL for education innovation.
5) The LIFE School is redefining how students can design their own high school experience.
6) SocialPreneur Lab is changing the way students build, access and manage wealth!
7) Rhymes with Reason is a platform that uses Hip Hop to teach literacy.
So if you want to fund the future of learning here is a GREAT list to start!
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Thanks for reading! I hope this informed and inspired you. Now I just have one question:?What will you do to impact education?
Head of Business Development at the National Math and Science Initiative
3 年Merisenda Alatorre and Brenda Neuman-Sheldon -- here's the Schoolish newsletter I was telling you about. You'll love it!
Founder & CEO of ASPINTOA s.r.o. | Emo?ní inteligence v praxi | EQ knihy | Vydavatelství Aspintoa | Měníme vzdělávání pro globální svět | Ekosystém celo?ivotního vzdělávání bez u?ebnic
3 年Yes, we picked an issue - Passive learning and repeating information instead of active learning through open questions and thinking instead of repeating. We picked English as a second language and we made a follow up system in boxes so kids can be motivated to speak, think and evaluate their level of English. We turned information to action. We turned kids to daily collaboration, communication so they could become leaders, not followers. The system of methodologies - one box for one year - is filling the gap between classrooms and books and giving teachers a new tool how to activate the whole classroom without waiting for a teacher to make all the question. It's a new way of education based on questions, not answers. It's finally kids/people centred. We started with English but I am sure we can twist other "subject" too. If we want to change the education we need to also twist and give the teachers new tool to work with and support them with active learning. Books are not able to do that, the communication cards are the next generation tool. Not for every student, but for every teacher. They are flexible, you can work with many children at once, they support collaboration and communication, you can play lots of games.
Student-Centered Learning [Co] Designer, Project Based Learning expert/coach, #1 PBL Podcast Host, Author, 12 SHIFTS Creator. Helping educators go from passive to active, student-centered environments through 12 shifts.
3 年'Pick an Issue' resonates most with me. Fixing a broken system starts by mending one of the key pieces. Thanks for sharing Mike.
Went Back to Teaching After 5 Years | Author of "Raise Your Hand! A Call for Consciousness in Education"
3 年Thank you for sharing this Mike Yates! I love the 10,000 hour rule - and these tips were so essential for all of us to become a part of the collective movement for change.