10x10 #4 - Finding the Key

Every student has a lock and a good teacher finds the key for each one. It's why learning has to be authentic, relevant and personalised. Otherwise what's the point? How can you justify a young person spending hours of their lives learning something that we deemed relevant generations ago. As Sugata Mitra said it's no good teaching sword fighting and horse riding in school today as those skills are no longer needed in today's world. We need to teach problem solving (or better still problem finding), creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, self regulation. Skills that are transferable and needed. We don't know what jobs will exist by the time a current 8 year old leaves school in 8 years time so we need to open their learning locks with an authentic key.

I remember a story about a school who used it's students to help local businesses solve problems. They ended up saving the aerospace industry millions of pounds by designing 'propellor tape' to patch up damaged jet engines rather than having to replace blades. A real need, a real learning experience and a real world outcome. Imagine how those students felt about their 'school work!"

There's mounting evidence that the chemical reactions generated within a gaming environment can support deeper learning. The risk/ reward, fail/ try again process.

This is something else that should be encouraged in schools. That failing is OK and a good learning experience isn't just a negative situation.

However a student learns best should be exploited by teachers, and supported by a flexible, relevant curriculum and assessment process.