TEDxPhilly - Chris Lehmann - Education is broken

Chris Lehmann introduces a revolutionary idea in education: Encourage learning by allowing students to do things they are good at instead of restricting them. While that may sound elementary, Lehmann's speech carves out an innovative way to teach students success so they will strive for success in the post-graduate world.

Hailing from Manhattan, Chris Lehmann is breathing fresh air into the Philadelphia School District by providing immediate feedback to teachers using an iPad, asking teachers to practice kindness in the classroom, and promoting a student-centered school.

practicaltheory.org

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxPhilly, where x = independently organized TED event.

At our TEDxPhilly event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

• Category

  Education

[VCCTtel]

An amazing speaker on just what we should be aiming for in tertiary education, not just high school.

[LightJM8]

Wow what a closed mind. First of all, you should know that everyone is different and that you are full of misstaken concepts.

[Marcy Sznewajs]

He is spot on. The basics need to be learned by all. He says nothing contrary to that. Allowing kids to dive deep into what they are passionate about and giving the freedom to explore and teach others what they learn is absolutely the best way to teach. This freedom can be incorporated in the early grades along basic math, science, reading, writing and even more so as kids grow into their HS years. My kids are in a school like this. I am thankful every day for that.

[Replayability]

Yep, this could have been great if the sound wasn't ruined.

[TheVanillatech]

I don't agree with you. I think the majority of people watching this video are subscribers to TED, and the majority of them probably well educated. Education is important even to people to like Bill Gates. He is arguably no more or no less talented than any other who graduated in his class, but that he is only the one that got lucky in the 'right place, right time' sense.

Education should serve to open doors to everyone. Not just a pre-selected minority of our society. It should be equal.

[TheVanillatech]

George Carlin said (and with much given evidence) that the policy for improving pass rates in our western Education System has been to consistently lower the pass mark year after year. He humorously proposed (probably correctly so, however) that this has led to a steady decline of the average American's IQ score year after year. As a person who was privileged enough to attend one of the best schools in the UK, this solution concerns me a great deal. Something epic must be done.

[Kg277]

The sound gaffer needs to go to school.

[Ali Erenkol]

0:25 Notes started

[conman2317]

I'm about to graduate engineering school, and, I can tell all of you, 89% of the crap I learned in High School, I will not need in my career.

[Michele Parent]

Education, learning, creativity, self drive all those things are important. Schools aren't, they kill creativity, define kids by grades and alienate creative geniuses because they happen to hate math. The world is full of opportunities, allowing children to learn on an interest and passion base will get kids further in life. Took me 10 years to pay my student loans that were useless and made a career out of something I learned in an apprenticeship and paid to learn because I was passionate.

[shagggzzzz]

I want to know Wtf he said when the mic distorts

[Tyler Hopkins]

I'm sick of people offering a false dichotomy argument against people like this.  Just because we say that school sucks (as it is currently formatted), doesn't mean that we want NO school. We just want to change it to something more efficient. Just like any old car can get you from point A to point B but it has horrible gas mileage.