We should be, from the earliest stages of school, pushing, training, encouraging, and developing independent learners--volunteers and witnesses to their own learning, not to what is imposed by the system and adults. Hell, they don't remember most of it anyway. I remember lots of history (my major in college) cause I was interested and read avidly in the field. I remember little of chemistry, physics, meteorology or "general science" because I wasn't interested.
So it is with all learners I believe. Some do take orders well. But for many school is generally a waste of time with only a few bright spots. And mostly learners don't have much control over what they choose to study or where or how--curricula is mandated (now more than ever), school attendance is mandated and the result of these mandates is alienation from not only day to day learning, but lifelong learning. And a change of heart--to love learning, to explore, and to question--cannot be imposed. Learning is a value that must be chosen.
I'm puzzled. I can't understand why there aren't all kinds of schools for our children--arts, auto mechanics, writing, science. I don't understand why we don't ask our children more what they wonder about, what they want from life, what we can do to help them, and what they value. It seems like such a simple and observable lesson.
I think we need many more conversations, with everyone, about where we're going and how we can be more effective for them--the motivational interviewing developed by Miller and his ideas.
