Charles Leadbeater: Education innovation in the slums

[insomniacgrace]

Nice one!

[kopi5896]

i know what ya mean during my Undergrad years I have very few Profs that entertained creative new approaches to deconstructing' concepts of absolute "knowledge" unfortunately the majority of us have experienced a dogmatic religious approach to knowledge and even worse is the useless experience of high school.

[many9662]

I agree with "One of the things that always annoyed me is that here in America, the schools didn't teach us practical, productive or usable lessons. This is why we have television shows like "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" -- Most people in America forget the useless information that is crammed into their heads for the first 12 years of their lives."

[claircote4416]

I agree with "in the modern system (i'll leave out the monetary side) if you want to be radical and innovative you better stay at home and pursue ideas which make you feel at home. the current system does not take into account that each individual is different and that educaton should be given on case by case basis."

[careerhuntsville]

nice talk!!!

[aseohosting]

Excellent video

[VideoGameHints]

Mind = Blown.

[donnyslistonline]

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[Fleiaander]

education = decrease in birth rates = better living quality. healthier planet

[karandex]

Hyderabad certainly get better private school then shown

[sgtmcwallace]

i agree, its that same rhetoric of rationalizing inequlaity

[bolizdor]

what if everyone is educated? there will be no hands to work in farms,factories or other low paid jobs. Education can bring many positives to world but it can be destructive to. Just imagine what will happen with Europe or America when millions of highly educated workers from Africa or Asia will take over job markets? these means competition...cheap workers...lower wages.

Sorry for my english

[rodinalex]

@bolizdor So you are saying that we should keep a stratum of the world society in the slums to avoid competition? A rather condescending point of view...

[chriwin5]

I loved this. I am going to school for a degree in instructional design for the very reason that I saw the current system for education in America as an aging system in need of massive change. This video and the access to information I got from it will certainly be used in my remaining years of school and beyond.

[megalibra82]

Pull not Push...wow, am sooooooo sad that my childhood is ruined.

[nikthemaverick]

There is no simple way to generalize education throughout the world. One aspect as he said, that education should serve the purpose of the community (e.g.: to make a living) is completely true. However, the school system that exists 2day tries 2 teach al the BASICS like arithmetic, art etc which lay a foundation n inspire kids 2 develop in somethin they find interest in.Personally, the system called "GURUKULAMS" (in ancient India) is the best system of education.It is simply living the education

[alteritY9k]

From my experience in High School, it was almost an attitude that education and fun are incompatible. I remember my favorite history teacher complaining/apologizing to us that he was almost completely restricted to teaching just the facts required for the SoL (standardized test) and therefore could not make the subject interesting. Basically teaching to the tests. Yet, history as facts serves no purpose. It should be taught like philosophy. Dates and names by themselves are pointless.

[rectril]

american math lessons are bullshit lol

[kurogogyou]

"Learning has to be productive in order to make sense." Damn right!

[hipp6y]

wow, i was listening, and i got excited, because i thought education, school could be fun, relevant, appealing and most of all working for us all

incredible

[thejugglenaut91]

How can we possibly try to revolutionize education in the slums when we can't get it right here at home? Our kids are coming out illiterate and fallacious; not to mention useless in mathematics and the sciences. Here's how you fix education, teach meditation from day one to calm the students down, teach philosophy and pure logic before mathematics, teach pure discursive and critical thinking throughout the career, only teach pure math when kids understand what the hell is going on.

[MarvelsofaLifetime]

@thejugglenaut91 - Why is this message not vitiating through all of our academic departments?  That comment is pure gold and what education should be all about.

[MarvelsofaLifetime]

Fuck school I got all the education I would ever need right here at YouTube. I got the Kahn Academy, science channel, what more would I need?

[thejugglenaut91]

@MarvelsofaLifetime motivation and discipline, 80-90 percent of the education process

[sij747]

accessibility, technology, motivation and relevance is the cure for education, and that these differ from one country to another and from one social class to another

[JPRubber2]

The ultimate school will be the one in the 'cloud'. Pervasive and flexible and localized and very cheap. The tech to bring it there will not matter in the end, whether it is cell phones, laptops, donated computers or augmented reality devices. The use for formal schools in the future will be to archive techniques and knowlege of the past.

[DimitriRytsk]

wtf?

[kinsmed]

Log in.

Log out.

Log in.

For this?

The 'vuvuzela button' came in handy for this talk.

[NietzscheanMan]

What education needs is the state to get out of it

[xilliah]

I'm Dutch.

I had to learn French. I didn't like French. Quite some people told me French people don't even speak English, or any other language, and don't try. If you are not native and speak with them, they act as if they don't understand you. I dislike French even more now.

I met German people online, and this sparked an interest in Germany and the German language. I learned it and am studying in Berlin now.

English was always handy for games and the internet.

Push or pull anyone?

[Nyocurio]

@xilliah

completely agree to that

[Grymyrk]

@xilliah

I'd love to learn German, but as a native English speaker I find it hard to learn any other language. I was never pushed or even advised or motivated as a child to learn another language and I now regret it. I think everyone should. I'll be going on holiday soon, Berlin is one of my destinations :D As I have experienced though, it's much easier to learn a language in it's home land.

[MsWanderer1]

I think Charley is looking at all these people as future customers of AT&T! People in developed nations are too smart to use AT&T; at least most of them are.

[junka22]

I live in Finland :)

[Arthurmax180]

lol @ the vuvuzela button

[Lucky13Vinnie]

@Arthurmax180 I know right! I just found that football and was curious, I lol'd :}

[propker]

Future generations should be grateful for all the improvements in education they will get. I really hated school when I was young, teachers just kept pushing knowledge onto us, knowledge at that time we didn't need or were interested in. It was just boring.

[BFDK]

The current education system has run its course. Change is needed, now.

[veronicachic]

time for a change huh!

[numbersabcdefg]

Education is religion

[malcolmbryant]

@numbersabcdefg Education is The God That Failed.

[MortalTodd]

@numbersabcdefg

...uh... what god does Education teach about? What dogma is there with education? Oh, none? Then how the fuck is it a religion you fucking uneducated twit?

[sl2mmer]

@numbersabcdefg yeah, just stay stupid man, thats the way to go!

[kinraade]

The Khan Academy is part of this revolution

[Galshaer]

Great talk, we need to start questioning the norms and change what needs to be updated..

[yared94]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY they mentioned my school: Kunskapsskolan XD

Our class was the best out of all of Kunskapsskolan.

[Th3Wab3]

His point about the Bismarkian' 19th century schooling inheritance was created to make workers for dead or dieing industries hence why what much of what we learn is inapplicable . why is it that we are in school 16-18 years b4 we are taught critical thinking principles. John Taylor Gatto has written extensively on this subject...

[99missingperson99]

@Th3Wab3 Bang, dead on.Im a returning full time student and its gotten worse in the last 10 years alone.And every teacher tells you that they are gonna teach critical thinking but they are not.I self educated in my lapse of degree chasing,Ive always been that way.If I exhibit real critical thinking in the class instead of memorization and repetition im" being disruptive" and all the classes are remedial at best but theese are bachelor degree courses.I do better at home with a library card,peace.

[creativepower213]

I totally agree with you. My situation and response to the problems with the school system range from a similar vantage point. I've been to two universities in 3 years in search of a better platform that allows me learn and not download data and regurgitate it - but this has left me frustrated and somewhat isolated as many are more accepted and non-complacent of the system. However, I unwillingly am 2 quarters from completion of my B.S after which I will completely customize my learning.

[t3tsuyaguy1]

@creativepower213 I just want to point out that you wrote "download and regurgitate". When I was going through school, some of us complained about "read and regurgitate".  The subtle affect of progress on language is interesting to me.

[Th3Wab3]

@99missingperson99 yea i know what ya mean during my Undergrad years I have very few Profs that entertained creative new approaches to deconstructing' concepts of absolute "knowledge" unfortunately the majority of us have experienced a dogmatic religious approach to knowledge and even worse is the useless experience of high school... even when you find open minded prof they are jaded by yrs of dealing lobotomized youths who crave the broken system model i agree with the home and library card :)

[nublex]

@99missingperson99 totally dude, same thing here

in the modern system (i'll leave out the monetary side) if you want to be radical and innovative you better stay at home and pursue ideas which make you feel at home. the current system does not take into account that each individual is different and that educaton should be given on case by case basis.

the internet is the frontier where we can evolve faster, become better and have fun while doing so. the web = future of education

[2DRonaldo]

You couldn't do that here, too many lazy chavs; Education is an escape for them.

[seomoz]

so true.

[rytis1]

Panda Express is a Chinese food chain! Hello!

[DavidSabine]

@rytis1 Is it really a Chinese chain? Or a stereotype funded by Americans?

[Shalek]

Repeal drug laws, use the money to buy computers.

Pull not push, that sums it up pretty damn well.

[MrDarkbloom]

Fantastic. If you liked this, see Ken Robinson's videos on YT also.

[xHighallTimesx]

Imagine an education system thats starts with a question .. good god what a concept.

[t3tsuyaguy1]

@xHighallTimesx I've taken on a practice from a character in one of my favorite books, and use it with all the younger people in my family. I intend to use it with my own children when I have them. I point at things/people/scenes/etc and ask, "What do you see? What else?" It nearly always leads to teaching conversations. They start becoming excited about observing and thinking and discussing the world around them. It's fun.

[ACANOFSODA]

Eh..I think intrinsic is more important. Education and Learning best works with leisure, and with lack of extrinsic means. If you have a lack of entrinsic means, your mind becomes more open to possibilies, instead of practicalities that result from an individuals small sphere of knowledge. Plus the intrinsic individual will get more things done. Extrinisic motivators work when individuals "think" they know what will bring happiness, intrinsic works on the function and prolonging of happiness.

[DackIsBack]

Education should revolve more around creativity and creative thinking.

It should teach you How to Think, NOT What to Think.

I find that my education is revolving around an old, Failing business model.

It revolves around old standards of software we already have (windows and other business orientated software/programming), If you're going to make a name for yourself in software you have to be EXCEPTIONALLY Creative, Not a businessman, Marketing helps, But put the product first..

[ACANOFSODA]

@DackIsBack I agree, Many people think of education as memorization, when it is more of developing ideas, and building on them. Hence why many think mathematics is difficult, or people say "you cant have negative distance". When in reality, these incorrect shemas they have built are a result of blind acceptance, and not creativity in ideas. If you explain that "Positive and Negative are oppositions implying direction from a relative point", their world will open up.

[t3tsuyaguy1]

@ACANOFSODA My trig teacher in high school built her whole teaching style on the kind of instruction you describe. "Math is the language of patterns," she would say. "I'm going to teach you to have a discussion about patterns." I think she would smile at your comment. :)

[t3tsuyaguy1]

@DackIsBack "It should teach you How to Think, NOT What to Think."

Indeed. Especially because What to think necessarily changes as more knowledge and information is discovered and developed, by those who know How to think. :)

[slicingwater]

Maybe education should be taught like a religion?

[Kroystuffyeah]

@slicingwater

Dogmatically?

[jwil2570]

@slicingwater

That's hilarious. Makes you think.

[clearmenser]

@slicingwater that's a horrible idea.

[7at2]

@slicingwater Learn or burn???

[shunnehling]

@slicingwater Through guilt and self loathing? Nahh. 

[Shalek]

@slicingwater Don't they already do that? "Memorize all of this and shut up."

[slicingwater]

@Shalek Well I figured since most people consider it a meaningful part of their lives and are absolutely devoted to it, some are even obsessed about it. Maybe it be a way to solve the education crisis if people were that devoted to education. Maybe the schools wouldn't be short on cash either since people would be willing to donate more to the school.

[t3tsuyaguy1]

@slicingwater Religion was taught to me as "Accept this and don't ask too many questions."  I think there is too much of this in our schools already.

[malcolmbryant]

@t3tsuyaguy1 And religious education is a contradiction in terms.

[t3tsuyaguy1]

@malcolmbryant :)

[malcolmbryant]

@t3tsuyaguy1  cheers!

[siasabora]

It is impossible to stay focused in class when tribal warriors have utterly destroyed your livelihood. In the inner cities hunger is used as a political tool...vote-for-food.

[MetaCraken]

Brilliant!

[P00P0STER0US]

I love talks like this. Making education relevant to kids is so so important. Helping them understand how they can use the information they've learned, and how to learn things on their own and like it.

[VitriolicAC]

I still can't get over this guy's name. Leadbeater. What a badass.

[wetyewruyrtsutrdhjfg]

@VitriolicAC

Leadbeater is a cool name. But I don't know it means he's beating the lead or he's hitting some silvery metal.

[stevenaudet]

a computer is not as valuable as learning through human interaction

[EndlessAxis]

lol .. lead beater.....

[vortical911]

One of the things that always annoyed me is that here in America, the schools didn't teach us practical, productive or usable lessons. This is why we have television shows like "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" -- Most people in America forget the useless information that is crammed into their heads for the first 12 years of their lives. We need completely new and radical thinking to help reform the Education systems

[macks3123]

@vortical911 ROCKEFELLER SAID

I DO NOT WANT A NATION OF THINKERS

I WANT A NATION OF WORKERS

there are no coincidences

[t3tsuyaguy1]

@macks3123 Nice. :)

[majinspy]

@vortical911 I'm sure a lot of people agree, but I'm not sure that those people would be able to make informed decisions such as when voting. Nor do I think they would really understand the world around them. I understand the reality of practical "right-now" concerns but people still need to know about history, science, and literature. Otherwise you just have millions of HVAC technicians who don't really know anything :\

[DrQuijano]

@vortical911 @vortical911 I agree. Instead of teaching facts (the square root of X is Y) we should teach techniques (to get the square root of X do this). If we did that we'd have capable, creative thinkers and problem solvers who learned organization and analytical / problem solving skills instead of "facts". Even courses DESIGNED to teach critical thinking (ie. Literature) have been turned into fact-giving courses (Language Arts)

[JamesThWilliams]

@DrQuijano

So you are saying we should teach calculus in elementary school?

[DrQuijano]

@JamesThWilliams Applied to elementary school math it would be more along the lines of instead of teaching "5x5 = 25" teach "to multiply you need to add the first number to itself x ammount of times, x being the second number". I teach at the university level and have students who can multiply up to 12 x 12 instantly but have no idea how to go about tackling 13 x 14. Now imagine those people trying to work out dosification in hospitals. It's not teaching facts, it's teaching skills.

[JamesThWilliams]

@DrQuijano

I actually understood your point and agree with it. I just couldn't keep quiet with the example you gave. To find the square root of a number ie 3.14 requires calculus. Ignore my response it was a little toungue in cheek.

[TheBigTaste]

@vortical911 watch Sir Ken Robinson's videos from TED. My favorite.

[turbosamvara]

@vortical911 yeah! history, math, reading, writing, science are such useless things.

[eduAIR77]

@vortical911 Its the same kind of education that we are also getting in India, more memorization and theory n little practicals. We need much more practicals than theory in the school education. I agree with you.

[MusicStudyMan]

@vortical911 FOR THE REASON WHY THIS IS SO... watch Ken Robinson's TED Talks. Make sure you watch the "Do skills kill creativity" first. regards

[chairde]

I did my student teaching in the city of Camden, New Jersey 30 years ago. It was listed as the most dangerous city in America. It hasn't changed very much except for the influx of Mexicans. You can't understand that degree of poverty unless you see it with your own eyes. Education is bullshit until you change the social situation of the people living there. You have to provide even the basic needs of safety, shelter and food before you become clever with your teaching methods.

[P1ranh4]

@chairde Sure, teaching math is bullshit when your students are hungry, but if you teach them practical skills they'll be able to improve their standard of living rapidly (build shelter, cook food, defend themselves). Just throwing money at the problem of poverty is amazingly inefficient in my opinion.

I think Leadbeater makes that point. As long as there are poverty related problems on the mind of children or young adults you can't push them into school. Instead you teach them what they need.

[t3tsuyaguy1]

@chairde I have been to Camden. I've seen the poverty you're talking about. I don't think there is a choice between Education and changing the social situation of the people living there. They are part and parcel. We need to provide support and aid in cleaning up their environment, while we improve the education of their children, so they can sustain whatever good work is done.

[koneye]

I have no money for food but i'll go to school , are you crazy or what

[princeofexcess]

@Mygo666 Are we naming hand expressions now? if so middle finger