2. CONTEXT
Ideas from RSA Animate “Changing Education Paradigms” (Week 1)
Our education system was designed and
conceived for a different age (The
Enlightenment & The Industrial Revolution)
Right now is the most stimulating period EVER
But we are boring kids with systems of
increasing standardization, specialization, and
separation in schools
3. The ADHD Epidemic
9% of children (ages 5-17) in the U.S. have been diagnosed
with ADHD
There are no blood tests or other neurological markers for
ADHD – in fact most children are merely diagnosed based
on “behaviors [that] are normal variants in childhood
temperament … which manifest in ADHD-like symptoms.”
Instead of training their children to behave better, or
searching for other learning, emotional, or medical problems,
parents (and teachers) often request ADHD medicine to help
them control their children
Is this the big problem?
4. The Problem
We are anesthetizing over three million children with
Adderall and Ritalin to get them through school every
day
5. Possible Solutions?
Instead of “deadening” children to
the world, let’s wake them up!
Let’s provide a system of education
with a standard curriculum as well
as a variety of options to help
students explore new areas that
interest them and get them excited
about learning
Let’s provide more funding for art in
schools – after all, students perform
best when they are engaged, and
all of their senses are fully “alive”!
6. My Solution
Traditional state-mandated curricula (reading, writing,
math, science, history, etc.) in public elementary,
middle, and high schools four days a week
The fifth day (I propose every Wednesday) will be a
designated “Expanded Education Day”
This consists of the following …
7. Teaching: A New Civic Duty
All Americans will have the
option to choose between “Jury
Duty” and “Expanded
Education” when they are
summoned
Those who choose “Expanded
Education” will be assigned to
a school where they can teach
on any subject for the day
Presenters will be asked to
bring in visual aids, tell
personal anecdotes, and find
other ways to engage students
8. Benefits of this System:
Opportunity for adults to actively engage
and educate the youth of our nation
Opportunity for students to explore new
careers, hobbies, etc.
Weekly “rest day” for teachers to recharge
and work on new lesson plans
New opportunities for the personal,
professional, and civic growth of students
New systems of learning geared towards
the skills and interests of each individual
student
9. Conclusion
In conclusion, I propose a day of “Expanded Education” in all
public schools once a week. This will be organized as an
alternative to the civic responsibility of jury duty. It will be a
great opportunity for average Americans to engage students
with real-world knowledge (on a wide variety of topics) and
offer a more personalized education to every child. This will
allow for the personal, professional, and civic development of
students. And it will also allow teachers a day to recharge and
prepare better lesson plans for their classrooms.
Although this is not a complete “cure” for the pitfalls of our
current education system, I believe it is an innovative and
intriguing step in the right direction. That direction is one of
active engagement and interest-oriented curricula in schools.
