Deep Education : Re-visioning Teaching and Learning for today | Paul Freedman | TEDxOrcasIsland

Summary

This transcript explores the limitations of mainstream education, particularly the No Child Left Behind Act, which emphasizes assessment and accountability at the cost of creativity, compassion, and depth. The speaker invites listeners to reflect on their dreams for children and challenges the surface-level approach of education. Drawing on a deep ecology movement, the speaker advocates for an education system that fosters critical thinking, emotional engagement, and real-world connections. Through a classroom project, students engage in deep learning, demonstrating the value of inquiry, collaboration, and the exploration of complex, meaningful topics.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker invites everyone to reflect on their dreams for children, whether they are parents, teachers, or anyone in a relationship with a child.
• 😀 The speaker challenges the idea of mainstream education and whether it aligns with the hopes parents have for their children, such as happiness, creativity, and critical thinking.
• 😀 The current education system focuses heavily on assessment, achievement, and accountability, but misses out on key values like creativity and compassion.
• 😀 The speaker critiques the 'No Child Left Behind' reforms and how they led to an emphasis on standardized testing and accountability, often at the cost of deeper learning.
• 😀 There is a societal obsession with covering surfaces, whether in education or elsewhere, and this is reflected in the education system’s tendency to focus on isolated skills and standards.
• 😀 The speaker introduces the idea of 'deep education', borrowing from the deep ecology movement, which emphasizes depth, connection, and engagement with the subject matter.
• 😀 The Common Core is presented as a narrow subset of human knowledge, focusing on 1500 skills, which the speaker argues is inadequate compared to the exponential growth in knowledge and what could be considered valuable for students' futures.
• 😀 The concept of 'fathom' is explored, linking the idea of 'depth' in education with truly understanding and embracing knowledge, rather than just skimming the surface.
• 😀 The speaker shares an example of deep learning with students studying a local environmental issue, showing how such projects engage students in real-world, meaningful learning experiences.
• 😀 Deep education is happening in various learning environments, including public schools, private schools, and homeschools, but it is not always valued or rewarded in terms of teacher compensation or student assessment.
• 😀 The speaker concludes with a quote often attributed to Ben Franklin, urging a shift in education from quick surface-level learning to more involved, experiential, and meaningful engagement with the material.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main concern about contemporary mainstream education?

The speaker is concerned that mainstream education does not adequately support the development of creativity, compassion, and deep engagement with learning, focusing instead on assessments, achievement, and accountability.

What is the 'Three A's of Education' mentioned in the script?

The 'Three A's of Education' refer to Assessment, Achievement, and Accountability, which the speaker criticizes as the dominant focus in contemporary education systems.

What does the speaker mean by 'deep education'?

'Deep education' refers to an approach that values understanding, engagement, and connection to learning, rather than just superficial coverage of topics. It emphasizes exploration, complexity, and the emotional and intellectual depth of the educational experience.

What was the 'No Child Left Behind' document about, according to the speaker?

The 'No Child Left Behind' document, authored by Arne Duncan in 2010, was a blueprint for educational reform that focused on standardized assessments and accountability, emphasizing measurable achievement rather than deeper educational goals.

What is the speaker's critique of the Common Core standards?

The speaker criticizes the Common Core standards for focusing on a limited set of 1500 skills that are assessed, arguing that this approach ignores the broader, deeper aspects of human knowledge and personal development.

What does the speaker suggest is missing from educational goals?

The speaker suggests that creativity, compassion, and the emotional well-being of students are missing from the educational goals outlined in mainstream education, such as those found in 'No Child Left Behind'.

What metaphor does the speaker use to describe the concept of 'depth' in education?

The speaker uses the metaphor of a 'fathom', which historically means to embrace the depth of the ocean, to describe the depth of understanding and engagement that should be encouraged in education.

How does the speaker relate deep ecology to deep education?

The speaker draws a parallel between deep ecology, which emphasizes a relationship and emotional connection to the Earth, and deep education, which emphasizes emotional engagement and understanding in the learning process.

What was the educational project described by the speaker, and what was its focus?

The speaker describes a project where students explored the history and ethical issues surrounding a local natural site, Madrona Point. They engaged with the history, talked with local officials, and conducted surveys to deepen their understanding and form their own opinions.

What is the central message of the quote often attributed to Benjamin Franklin at the end of the script?

The central message of the quote is that involvement in learning leads to true understanding, suggesting that hands-on, engaged experiences are far more effective than passive learning methods.