From a LinkedIn Question by Jerry Weinberg
What has been the value to you of "schooling" versus other forms of education?
Mark Twain once said, "I was always careful not to let my schooling interfere with my education."
Being in both the schooling (workshops) and education (books and consulting) businesses myself, I've often wondered how other people spend their valuable time advancing their competence. As a recent member of LinkedIn, t occurred to me that this would be an ideal place to survey people on their personal preferences and practices. Would you be willing to share your own story?
Personally, I prefer to obtain my education through experience, but I do love workshops that teach through experiential methods rather than PowerPoint lectures. And I'm a great reader, as long as the writer helps me "experience" the lessons vicariously, rather than just telling me lists of things.
So, how about you?
Jerry - another great question.
This question has many dimensions:
- 'schooling' - primary, secondary, tertiary, post-graduate, professional
+- public school, private, commercial training
+- apprenticeships, mentoring, on-the-job
- cognitive vs experiential, formal/structured vs unstructured
- self-directed vs syllabus-based
- competency based training (ungraded) vs graded assessment
- certificate of attainment/attendance vs award
- Industry/Professional Certification vs Academic/Govt qualification
- Immersion e.g. Military Training
- Personal (growth) vs Work related vs Professional
- Implicit messages (sub-text) vs Overt
Overview
I think the problem decomposes into, at least, three areas:
- Public Schooling - especially Primary and Secondary
- Work/Industry focussed Training
- Education
Training is specific tool/task oriented.
Education is generic 'memes'.
They overlap... They are not necessarily exclusive.
But the way things are progressing in the Western world, Public Schooling is becoming less and less about equipping students with real Life Skills and more about passing assessments and gaining specific training.
Schooling
James Bach is an exemplar of what public schools would class a 'difficult' student. But his actions show he is actually an inspired, motivated, inquisitive and extremely capable student. The system at his school failed him... They were unable to tailor their curricula & teaching methods to engage, reward and utilise his unique gifts and learning modalities.
One of the smartest guys I've met was a horror at school - he was completely unchallenged - which left the outlet for his energy whilst bored undirected - he 'played up' in class and gave the teachers curry.
I've included links to Ron Clark a teacher who's results have been outstanding. A 2006 film was made about his work and success.
What this shows is:
Teachers ain't Teachers.
i.e. The very best teachers, like the very best musicians, artists, surgeons and other professionals, are a very long way ahead of "the pack".
And the worst teachers do incredible damage...
[Bob Sutton's "The No Asshole Rule" is a corollary in the workplace]
One aspect is this question, 'Schooling', can be taken to mean "publicly funded primary & secondary schools". It's trivial to find a lot of anecdotal evidence that the public school system not only under-performs and fails students, parents and teachers, but actively penalises/expels teachers who dare to attempt to be different/better. [Someone in the Industry may have links to real research in the area]
Simple indicators are teacher burn-out, retention and turn-over.
It's a Politically Correct world gone mad [IMHO].
It is not through a lack of knowledge or attempts at change that our public school system is in this predicament:
In 1969, Postman and Weingartner released "Teaching as a Subversive Activity". It was their PhD research and details the systemic problems and paths to solutions... One of their conclusions was: the primary activity of (public) schools is *child minding*. [They list goals & priorities. 'Teaching knowledge' comes in very low.]
Howard Gardner's 1983 book, "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences", lays down some basic and essential research on how kids learn. Could there be *any* valid excuse that these principles are not embodied in every classroom 25 years later? I don't think so..
Nobel Laureate, Kenneth G Wilson published "Redesigning Education" in 1994. I thought his approach simplistic, but the fundamental question of huge importance. He gained interest from the Governor of at least one state in the USA, but I've not followed the outcomes.
And then we have Ron Clark making a huge difference within the public school system circa 2000.
Rediscovering the same lessons all over again...
Many biographies of high achievers link their whole career back to a single teacher/boss/person and often a single incident.
There's a pattern here that Mark Twain noticed and crystalised.
There seems to be a systemic bias that:
- deliberately ignores real world knowledge, research and improvement,
- prevents the take up of new methods & processes,
- prevents corporate and professional learning,
- enforces mediocrity and the rule of "Least Common Denominator" for teachers, and
- rewards poor performance of principals and penalises experiments and improvement.
Changing the 'School System' is a Political Act.
There has to be a conscious, deliberate mass movement to effect this change.
But the number one lesson most students learn in school - they are socialised into - is "Duck and Cover" [alongside "accept authority" & "do the bare minimum"].
There are strong disincentives to excel, actively engage or think for yourself.
People who are 'comfortable' don't want the boat rocked. Unless & until ordinary people are impacted by a failed public school system, there cannot be any change.
As a society, we must answer the question:
How many Einstein's, Turning's and Picaso's are we prepared to lose?
Tertiary 'Education'
In Australia until the early 1970's, about 2% of people attended University. There was under 50% 'retention' from Year 10 to Year 12. Years 11 & 12 of High School were to prepare for Academe...
There were mass training programs for 'tradesmen' - carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, nurses, ... - backed by a 4-year apprenticeship system. For non academically inclined people, there was a clear and effective career path.
Children were obliged to stay in school until age 15 (year 10) - it was an offense to employ 'minors'.
There was often a rush to 'get a job' on the 15th birthday.
Then it became fashionable to force students into University courses.
The area I live has a 90% 'retention' to Year 12 and 60-80% go onto tertiary, mostly University, courses.
There is a massive under-supply of qualified tradespeople.
Apprenticeships are almost impossible to find.
In all this, Universities have increased funding - but not proportionately [enrollments up 30 times!]
They are also obliged to pitch courses to "Lowest Common Denominator" - the least able student admitted to a course has to be able to complete/pass it.
The volume of students means lecturers are reduced to something like secondary teachers.
Teaching & assessment loads conflict with Research - but they are still assessed on their "research output".
A good University education was always intended to teach people "How to Think" and "How to Learn".
Nowdays, there just isn't time or space in the curriculum for that. It's not assessed, it's not cogently taught.
The whole reason Universities came into existence 400-500 years ago:
'Critical Mass', Synergy and Serendipity, and Tutoring in the Arts,
have been put aside.
Training
There are at least two broad areas of work centered Training:
- Commercial 'certification', and
- Public Industry Training,some with Apprenticeships (Community College / Technical and Further Education)
Being a long-term I.T. practitioner, I've seen a whole slew of fads - each backed with their own special language and a host of "Training Vendors" desperate to sell "Certification" courses.
And in the absence of any real alternatives, these Certifications become the metrics managers use to hire.
The positive of courses and formal training:
The curriculum is establish by Subject Matter Experts. It should be a definitive survey of the State of Practice.
Education
This is really a self-directed activity:
Lifelong Learning.
Much learning is experiential - you have to 'do it' to understand the problems, pitfalls and to build confidence and execution ability.
[The theory of "10,000 hours" of practice being the difference between also-rans and the best concert musicians to graduate from Music Schools]
Most (all?) professional activities comprise "head and hands" - 'intellectual knowledge' and the experiential learning to execute or implement it. The current buzz phrase for this is "Emotional Quotient" (EQ). It is more than this.
There are two levels:
- The ability to 'execute' (Get things done) of an individual, and
- the full Profession learning - not allowing known errors to be repeated without consequence or known successful techniques to be ignored.
An aside - Learning Professions
- Learning is mediated by Professional Bodies. There have to be clear, well know paths to communicate new 'knowledge'.
- Education & Training courses must embody this Continuing Learning - or suffer consequences
- Learning comes from three sources:
+- Incremental Improvement (add, change, remove) to existing processes, things, practices,theory. Note removal of practices.
+- New Discoveries, Innovation, Theories, Methods.
+- Performance Learning - Detailed Review or Root Cause Analysis of Major Successes, Failures or Incidents.
- Review and Learning bodies have to be (completely) independent of the Compliance/Enforcement bodies.
- A Professional Culture must exist:
+- Learning and Development are accepted as the norm. Recalcitrant practitioners are disciplined or repudiated.
+- On-going Individual Practitioner Assessments by High-Performing Practitioners to identify and address individual suitability for role/task or corrective actions.
+- High-Performers identified by their Performances, not by Politics, Position or Status.
+- Under-Performers identified by their Performances and appropriate consequences despite Politics, Position or Status.
+- Practitioner selection of suitable Practitioners.Proof
The aviation industry. It has continued to improve on every single metric for six decades - accidents, incidents, costs, performance... It is not 'perfect', but by far and away the best example of Real Quality, Real Improvement and Institutionalised Learning.
Analysing, Reviewing and Reflecting on one's own experiences, challenges and success/failures is necessary for:
- improving both the speed and quality of 'performances'
- learning new skills and new techniques
- identifying areas of weakness or (emotional/social) patterns that prevent your best performance.
This is an active process and one that integrates your whole life: it can't be just at home, relationship or work.
Jerry quite rightly recommends the single most important Professional Development tool:
The Journal.
It is also the most important Life Development tool.
Underpinning both are:
- the willingness to embrace Change, and
- the desire to Improve, Learn and Develop (or grow)
Links
Comment on "Redesigning Education"
Ron Clark on Wikipedia
Ron Clark info page
Ron Clark Academy
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