Can Schools Really Be About Learning?
Schools are about instruction, not learning. They are in the business of instructing others and not about learning themselves, let alone maximizing their students' ability to learn. I know this is a radical and threatening idea, but, when all is said and done; when the diploma is in hand; when the student is facing life choices; when they go forth into adulthood; what ability matters more--being good at being instructed or being good at learning? We all live in a time of excessive information. It's everywhere all the time, about anything we want to know. It is at the tip of our fingers whenever we want it. But are we taught how to navigate the oceans of information as a function of our own learning? Are we taught how to follow our individual interests, our knowledge wants, and our chosen fields of expertise? Are we encouraged to learn in our natural way? Are we encouraged to venture outside the walls of normalcy and conformity to chase our own curiosi...