I’m still getting us ready to take off on our 9 day adventure. However, I did take a break yesterday to watch this video that hubby shared with me. I’ve thought of it several times since and wanted to share it with you.
Please take a few minutes to watch it and tell me what you think. Not what you think of the artist or the music style, but what do you think of the message?
worldofweeks 
I’ve got to say I fall on both sides of the fence on this one. He ridicules high school because it is not more “skill” oriented and he has some great examples. Completing an application for employment, balancing a check book, understanding compound interest and credit cards are all worthy and necessary skills in today’s world. However, what about critical thinking skills? What about creativity? What about collaboration, research, goal-setting, finding your passion? I have always maintained that the purpose of school is to “learn how to learn”. That curriculum should be student-led, project-based and authentic is one of the hot topics in education right now. It will require a huge paradigm shift and there is the possibility that it will take students in unison to make that happen. I don’t know. But one thing I do know is how extremely difficult it is to get the voting public on board with any change as monumental as this “question of relevancy” in education. We KNOW how students learn best; we (meaning researchers, educators) KNOW what changes need to be made. But resistance is everywhere. As is grasping at straws. Yes, he’s got a message; but it is only part of a much larger, all-encompassing challenge for education. How to meet the needs of children, how best to prepare them to thrive in their world, what exactly they need to know before leaving high school, these are the guiding questions on which we should focus. But that’s just my opinion:)
Schools have limitations. They are limited to the curriculum chosen, time at school, number of students per class, etc., etc. A benefit to my girls is that we don’t have to stick with a specific curriculum. We can spend as much or as little time as is necessary. We have a small class size 🙂 How does a public or even a private school setting go about instructing that many children to leave the school setting with all the tools necessary to live in todays society.
I’m not saying that home education is the answer for everyone, but I certainly think this guy has some good points and if he were to cover absolutely everything, the song would have been much, much longer 🙂
Good discussion though.
I homeschool my kids and agree, that’s a great message. Here’s another video with a similar message, which I love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Tbhxz5l1k&feature=youtu.be