We need to stop saying that our primary objective as educators is and should be to facilitate a students learning. This is because the verb ‘to learn’ carries with it strong connotations. Many, especially those in the teaching profession, know that it means a lot more, but for most ‘to learn x’ suggests ‘to understand x’. To learn suggests consumption. To learn suggests passivity. The objective for a learner is to consume information or instruction in order to understand the world better. As a result, we say science is the priority and have students learn about Newton’s Laws of Motion through text, lecture, and at best experimentation. And don’t get me wrong, we should value and emphasize science, as we have been for the last three centuries. But what about the application of that knowledge, is that not what matters most? In this post-internet era, when Newton’s laws are readily available and verifiable from a host of sources, more time should be allocated to the application of these laws to solve problems, design solutions, and create realities. And again, those in the profession of teaching might chime up and say that ‘learning’ most definitely includes an application of knowledge (hence the ‘Creating’ pinnacle in the Bloom’s Taxonomy pyramid), but the point is that application of knowledge through avenues like design, craftsmanship, and engineering is not ubiquitous because we still talk about school as a place where students ‘learn’.
We need a new term. A new term will help communicate a collective intention that what we really want is for students, for people, to be creators instead of consumers. And certainly, this intention is already manifesting around the world and across the country but language, as it has so often, can work as a catalyst to accelerate and shape that intention. Here’s an important fill in the blank:
The priority of an education system should be to provide an experience where students _____________________
As I’ve stated, I think the default now is ‘learn’. In my opinion, it should be ‘create’, but I’m open to other ideas. I think design thinking, engineering and skills based language play an important role. Maybe an entirely new word is needed. Either way if we want students to be active participants in our economies and democracies we should have the language to convey that.
TL;DR The verb 'to learn' suggests a passive consumptive relationship with knowledge. If we want students to be productive citizens, we need a new language that communicates that intention.
We need a new term. A new term will help communicate a collective intention that what we really want is for students, for people, to be creators instead of consumers. And certainly, this intention is already manifesting around the world and across the country but language, as it has so often, can work as a catalyst to accelerate and shape that intention. Here’s an important fill in the blank:
The priority of an education system should be to provide an experience where students _____________________
As I’ve stated, I think the default now is ‘learn’. In my opinion, it should be ‘create’, but I’m open to other ideas. I think design thinking, engineering and skills based language play an important role. Maybe an entirely new word is needed. Either way if we want students to be active participants in our economies and democracies we should have the language to convey that.
TL;DR The verb 'to learn' suggests a passive consumptive relationship with knowledge. If we want students to be productive citizens, we need a new language that communicates that intention.