The #1 …. (myth in education)

Number One** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1.

Learning = School = Education

mark_twain_educationLearning is not 9 to 3, Mon. to Friday. Learning is not with a teacher and sitting at a desk. Learning is not a diploma or certificate. Learning is 24/7, learning is in our own hands, learning is possible without school.

Slowly the myth that learning only takes place in school, is being eroded through the pervasiveness of new technologies allowing people to connect and access knowledge. The library is much more powerful than it once was. People are waking up to the concept of self-directed learning, independent study……. Soon we won’t be asking, “So, what college did you go to?” but rather, “So, where did you learn about “x”?”.

It isn’t anything new, as Twain suggested long ago. Many of the men we herald as “geniuses” didn’t get much from school. The list would be too long to mention here.

Right now, we are experiencing a tipping point I believe. Things are going the way of allowing for more informal learning to be “accredited” and given credence. As the formal side (schools, government, institutions) begins to recognize informal learning and learning outside “4 walls” and a school, we will see a flourishing of human potential and creativity. I truly believe this. Let’s keep going forward!

A couple of reads on this topic.

1. John Taylor Gatto.
2. OECD report on informal learning + country practices.
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If you liked this post, you might like: Self directed learning or Teachers. Who needs them?

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ddeubel

Teacher trainer, technology specialist, educational thinker...creator of EFL Classroom 2.0, a social networking site for thousands of EFL / ESL teachers and students around the world.

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