My Beliefs
A more current version of this is at www.stevehargadon.com/p/beliefs.html
My Core Beliefs:
My View of Change:
I've been somewhat stunned, through my interview series (http://www.futureofeducation.com), to find so many good examples of what education could be. Intriguingly, these good examples are usually operating in isolation and have little effect even on schools close to them.
We also don't seem to have the capacity to hold thoughtful dialog at the elite/intellectual/policy level, even though everyone seems to think that's the answer to change. In fact, when you really think about it, it's ludicrous to believe that on a topic as inherently human as education, we would actually get enough agreement at that level to move forward with a particular set of practices. Or, at a deeper level, that we would actually want that conformity of thinking.
So, after over 300 interviews, I've come to a conclusion: that the message of educational change cannot center on the one particular group trying to convince another that their education ideas are the best. In fact, I believe that trying to convince policy-makers and/or those who have had success in the existing system is not likely to have any real impact, as we have seen the overwhelming narratives for political discussion on both sides of the aisle increasingly revolve around high-stakes accountability... and not around the inherent worth and value of every child, and not in the belief that the ultimate goal of education is to develop the ability for students to take responsibility for their own lives and become increasingly self-directed.
If I am right, we need to find a way to help pull out of deep discouragement the huge number of parents and students that are told that they are failures, and to give them hope that learning is not an arbitrary gift bestowed capriciously to a select few but is something anyone can own, and is infinitely better when so discovered. While I believe this disproportionately affects those in poverty, I don't think by any means that it's exclusive to any one group.
So, I'm trying to figure out how to hack at the roots now instead of the branches. We seem to assume that education should be a policy decision, when I think instead it should be a process of individual engagement. A huge population, mostly but not exclusively the poor, are completely out of the discussion--even worse, they are sent the message that they can't and won't succeed. I just want to understand how to help them--to find and craft a message that empowers them to believe in learning for themselves, to believe they inherently own that power, and that to accept someone else's policy decisions for them is an abdication of their rights. This is my attempt to look toward populous movements as a model for change instead of policy initiatives.
- That every child has uniquely inherent worth and value. Unfortunately, we tell huge numbers of children and their parents that they are "defective" or failures because they aren't succeeding based on a relatively narrow set measures used by schools. I don't believe that is the intention of most involved in the education system, but it is certainly the outcome.
- Modeling learning therefore becomes a primary form of learning influence.That agency - the ability to choose and act for oneself - is both the bedrock principle and our highest aspiration for how we should treat others in a democratic and free society. The ultimate goal of education should therefore be to develop the ability for students to take responsibility for their own lives and become increasingly self-directed and productive for their own benefit and for the benefit of society as a whole. Modeling learning therefore becomes a primary form of learning influence. Systems of control and forced compliance are tempting shortcuts that have unfortunately become the basis of most educational philosophies.
- That "education" should not be something that can be owned, controlled, or mandated by any particular group, for as such it becomes a form of power, and a means of enforcing compliance and removing agency from others. Education, like democracy, should be seen as a process involving the general public at all levels, and not as an outcome. Learning is not an elite endeavor.
- That learning and "learning how to learn" help us to lead better lives, to be better members of our communities, and to build a better world. A large part of this is by recognizing and by overcoming uninformed biases, overly-simplistic thinking, the entanglements of personal interest, and cognitive traps. That learning is a form of personal and community power, and that there is a direct connection of independent thinking to the health of a free society. Our current expectation for conformity and compliance, not limited to the educational sphere, ignores the wisdom of diversity and civil dialog that are reflected in some of our most important institutions--witness the balance of powers in our government and the right to a trial by jury in our legal system.
- That active individual participation in decisions that affect us is a right, is a fulfillment of our individual capabilities, and is a protection against unjust rule. Our narrative for governance is democratic participation, and that the process of open and engaged decision-making at every level of society is more important than the particular decisions that are made. Our narrative for education should be the same: that participation, self-direction, and active engagement are more important than mandated curricula, and should be taught and nourished. This is true for students, parents, and educators alike.
My View of Change:
I've been somewhat stunned, through my interview series (http://www.futureofeducation.com), to find so many good examples of what education could be. Intriguingly, these good examples are usually operating in isolation and have little effect even on schools close to them.
We also don't seem to have the capacity to hold thoughtful dialog at the elite/intellectual/policy level, even though everyone seems to think that's the answer to change. In fact, when you really think about it, it's ludicrous to believe that on a topic as inherently human as education, we would actually get enough agreement at that level to move forward with a particular set of practices. Or, at a deeper level, that we would actually want that conformity of thinking.
So, after over 300 interviews, I've come to a conclusion: that the message of educational change cannot center on the one particular group trying to convince another that their education ideas are the best. In fact, I believe that trying to convince policy-makers and/or those who have had success in the existing system is not likely to have any real impact, as we have seen the overwhelming narratives for political discussion on both sides of the aisle increasingly revolve around high-stakes accountability... and not around the inherent worth and value of every child, and not in the belief that the ultimate goal of education is to develop the ability for students to take responsibility for their own lives and become increasingly self-directed.
If I am right, we need to find a way to help pull out of deep discouragement the huge number of parents and students that are told that they are failures, and to give them hope that learning is not an arbitrary gift bestowed capriciously to a select few but is something anyone can own, and is infinitely better when so discovered. While I believe this disproportionately affects those in poverty, I don't think by any means that it's exclusive to any one group.
So, I'm trying to figure out how to hack at the roots now instead of the branches. We seem to assume that education should be a policy decision, when I think instead it should be a process of individual engagement. A huge population, mostly but not exclusively the poor, are completely out of the discussion--even worse, they are sent the message that they can't and won't succeed. I just want to understand how to help them--to find and craft a message that empowers them to believe in learning for themselves, to believe they inherently own that power, and that to accept someone else's policy decisions for them is an abdication of their rights. This is my attempt to look toward populous movements as a model for change instead of policy initiatives.