In a recent EdSurge interview, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan gave the standard political response to questions about the state of precollegiate education in the United States. Essentially, he said, we need serious academic rigor, common core standards, and higher scores on national and international standardized tests. However, in a follow-up question about what Duncan would like to do if he were in middle school today, his tone changed. After quipping that he'd play more basketball, he said he'd like more opportunities for experiential learning.
What is interesting about this comment is that Duncan didn't appear to see the disconnect between what he'd want for himself and what he wants for the 'educational system' — for all other children. The two visions aren't exactly incompatible, but the standards/accountability conversation clearly overwhelms any serious national discussion of experiential learning.
In their new book, That Used to Be Us, Thomas Friedman and Michael Mendelbaum take a similar stance. In a chapter dedicated to education reform, they spin out what they believe students need today without a word about experiential learning, except in the narrow context of training for a trade. Mostly, they want children to work really really hard at pure academic studies so that we can stave off the Chinese.
I mention these names because they represent the dominant view on education these days — a kind of systems thinking about education that takes its cues from broad economic indicators. The federal government is investing billions of dollars in this perspective. A whole for-profit educational industry is following close behind, collecting what funding it can.
Fortunately, we have other voices we can listen to — from John Dewey to Martha Nussbaum, from Ted Sizer to Lisa Delpit, from Howard Gardner to the writers in this issue. These are voices that should hold greater sway in shaping quality education programming today, but which are too often pushed to the margins. It's time we help move them to the center.
What I wish is that those in positions of power — those influencing and shaping educational policies at the national and state levels — would (1) start by outlining the educational experiences that worked best for them and (2) converse with experts who have a holistic view of education based on quality research into healthy psychological, emotional, and intellectual development. If they do so, they'll start to see that tough standards and excessive micromanagement of teachers are not the answer. Academics do matter. Experiential educators have never dismissed the importance of studying core disciplines. But all the research tells us that social-emotional intelligence and physical engagement matter, too.
By connecting learning to life, engaging students in their local communities and connecting them to global communities, linking disciplines to each other, encouraging students to make things, and setting them loose to solve real-world problems, we are helping students find that essential spark not only to build their academic r'sum's, but also to be creative, caring, capable, engaged human beings.
Michael Brosnan
Editor