For “Week 2” of our EDCI 336, we watched the documentary Most Likely to Succeed (see the trailer below). While watching, I found myself questioning both the educational system I was raised in and the educational system I will be entering as a teacher. The why behind the what we teach is changing. Should students learn things? Or, should students learn skills? This is sitting at the front of my mind.

Do we need to reimagine education?

Yeah, absolutely.

The documentary starts with a dejected child who is disconnecting from traditional educational practices. (~vibe~) It then profiles a new type of school, where inquiry, collaboration, and perseverance are at the forefront. At first, I was resistant to this idea . . . even though I immediately agreed with it. Why? While, to be honest I felt jealous. I grew up doing school a certain way and it is hard to admit that the way that I learned likely wasn’t ideal.

But (and it is a big but), it is crucial for me not to impose what I have done as what should be done. Just because I had to memorize every single muscle in the body, instead of learning how muscles really work, doesn’t mean that students nowadays should have to learn that way as well.

In his book Building Thinking Classrooms, Peter Liljedahl explores why students tend to mimic (copy), rather than think. These sentiments, which are at the forefront of the documentary, are a powerful citation to me as to why education must be reimagined.

What obstacles to educators face when they try to change pedagogy?

Throughout our classes at the University of Victoria, we have discussed how curriculum partially politically guided. Social issues, government bodies, and layers of bureaucracy underpin what becomes pedagogy. Our system is baked in anti-innovation, a slow system with many “formal reviews”. In his TedX Talk, Jeff Hopkins discusses how he is leading an innovative school in Victoria, BC. He discusses how public perception around what school should be and he thinks students need to “learn to know” rather than just “know”. Change takes time, time that our young students don’t have.

Pros & cons of Lesson Plans vs Learning Plans?

Every individual learner is different. However, we are not always treated as individuals in school. Growing up, I never had any major issues in school. This meant that I never got any individual attention from teachers.

In order to create a school system that works for all, we must teach to both the class and the individual. This is where understanding the difference between Lesson Plans and Learning Plans comes in.