A Learning Revolution

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

       Ken Robinson ends this speech perfectly with this poem by William Butler Yeats as a reminder that everyday in our classroom, kids are spreading their dreams under our feet.  We must, therefore, tread softly.   Is it true that schools kill creativity?  Is it true that we tread heavily on the dreams of our students, even stamp them out?  What is the solution?  Robinson poignantly advocates for an educational revolution that moves away from the standardized, industrial model of the previous age and into an organic, agricultural model for the new age, a model that allows for students to discover the things that they love and do well.  There is no formula for this; however, it will take good teachers and technology to move us forward.  It will take moving away from a style of education that focuses only on rote memory and suppresses creativity into a style that focuses on inquiry and self discovery through stimulating, meaningful assignments that are not spoon fed to the students.  It sounds like a big task, but reforming a broken system is no longer an option.  Can the revolution begin today?  

          There is a simple answer, and it is yes.  Many educators across the country are catching on, moving away from test prep style lessons toward more meaningful, thoughtful presentations and activities.  They are creating an environment for lifelong learning and self-discovery.  As an English teacher, I feel that my classroom can serve as the perfect poster child for the beginning of the revolution.  It will begin in the form of choice and inquiry.  Allowing students choice in what they read and in the way they approach the reading will ultimately lead to deeper critical thought, self-discovery and synthesis.  Asking big questions (thank you, Socrates and Jim Burke) about literature and the world around us to arrive at a conclusion or solution is how innovation is born.  It's how discoveries are made.  This is what caused the great discoveries of the past, and it will guide us into the unknown terrain of the future.  Take nothing for granted.  Forge on, and disenthrall from the archaic chains that bind our minds.