Making Student Learning Lemonade from the Old Paradigm Schooling Lemon

We may transform the institution of School by bringing it in line with the new Paradigm of Education, BUT it will remain. School is simply too far entrenched in our cultue and in the practical ways our society has organized itself to raise our young for it ever to disappear.

However, by addressing the real needs of The Whole Student, School can be rendered a truly nourishing experience, making it something far more valuable educationally (and far less damaging psychologically) than today's test score mills. The ways to accomplish this are vast and that discussion too deep for a single blog post...BUT, there are some perennial approaches that can always be counted on:

• Fire up student imagination
• Engage youngsters in the production of authentic products, things that will have them making real statements to set before real audiences
• Encourage personal expression and teach the methodologies that support and promote it
• Bring the ARTS into the learning experience... to name a few.

Here's a project that engages youngsters in producing their own short digital videos. THIS is not only New Paradigm Education, but it is that most valuable variety of it that eases itself into the structure of school - No violent revolution here, just an opting for a newer, more authentic approach! It doesn't get much more meaningful than this....

The project is The Great Minds Video Contest at Barrington High School.

Here's the project website: http://www.greatmindsfoundation.org/channels.php

But before you do anything else, I recommend you watch this student video submission which I feel sums it all up...the wonderfully nurturing, yet healthily subversive way the new can replace the old in Education. Check out this kid's work: http://www.greatmindsfoundation.org/view_video.php?viewkey=20aa6c7c996a5ee53a70&page=1&viewtype=&category=mr
Hey, you gotta love the title "Wasted Day" (Be a Studier, Not a Slacker...hmmmm???)

And if you want a little more background and additional perspective, I'll recommend the following item from TechLearning.com magazine...
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196604861

ENJOY! ENJOY! ENJOY!

Mark