1. Homework by day, lectures by night. 2. No memorization. 3. No predetermined course order. 4. Precise, focused education. 5. Experience based. 6. Coach not teacher. 7. Lifelong learning. 8. No brand name colleges.
Nick Smith but I think his point is asking why is it important to attend these schools? I believe MIT posts programming courses free online, for example.
His point on connecting the dots. Kids need to be taught HOW to think, not WHAT to think. If this reform can be globally implemented in the 21st century, then humanity might experience the most incredible golden age it has ever had.
In my experience, university is mostly about how to think. Some high school classes (literature and science at least) as well were, to a significant degree, about how to think.
Doesn’t that depend on who’s teaching them how to think… then would you want unsavoury characters planting seeds in teaching humans how to think! Teaching how to think is the same thing as compliance. Encouraging people to challenge and question everything is key
Seth Godin puts his thoughts on "What is School For?" so clearly, that I have now the ability to put all the struggles I had in school growing up into a closed file. I have no questions as to why I was always the kid in the hall in trouble, getting into fights, never wanting to go to class...I hated school, and so many would say the same thing, but they were faithful servants, and I just wasn't able to comply to the mandatory read chapters 1-4 test on Friday way of learning...I knew it was pointless bullshit. I knew that at the age of 12, so I lashed out wanting to create, but couldn't because the system was asking me to collect the dots, not connect the dots...I simply think I was bored, and rebellious to being pinned up in a routine driven way of learning, that crippled my ability to be myself, and explore what it is I really wanted to do with this life...life's a gift, and education creates robots...that do as they are told (processed) or they get held back...the gift has been forgotten as Einstein quoted long ago. Great ted talk...Thank you for your talent and skills to clarify this important issue, I feel refreshed. Thanks Seth Godin for sharing your words with the world...you're fantastic.
In this day of 140 characters there isn't the chance to argue a point anymore. Gone are the discussion or debate. You get maybe two back and forth discussion on the merits of the discussion before it devolves to, "your an idiot" or "i've had enough of your nonsense, good bye." Write an argument and see how many people will read to the end. This guy's video is 16 minutes. I rejected most of what he said by 3 minutes. I gave him the time by speeding up his speech by 1.25. Still got his message but got through it quicker. He didn't impress me because he requires me to accept some of his premises as fact for his argument to make sense. He confuses order and obedience as the same thing. Then uses obedience as a fear idea. I've used the any color but black car statement but not in the context he used. Same with rules. He sees them as without merit unless he sees merit in them. Cannot make an argument when there is a high degree of arbitrariness in the structure of his argument. Public school has a component that every child of the village should be given a basic education so they can better aid in the growth of the community. Its to give that person the ability to understand the rules, structures and direction the community is going so they CAN make an informed decision. For to me, that is a purpose of schools. I don't want lemmings who blindly push a button on the polling booth. I want them to be able to vet the candidates before them with the thinking, what is best for the community and who has promised me the most bread and circuses. The idea given regarding the KKK getting kids out of school is to difficult for me to accept unless we are going to agree that Hillary's Clinton's progressives she holds in high regard supported using the KKK to get little kids out of the factory and into school. I've always been under the believe that the child labor act was against the fat cats of the guilded age who saw little to no value in children from "those" families they deemed as insignificant. Compulsory attendance laws were made to force parents who don't give a damn about these children to break that cycle that has the parents believing in the folly of an education.
As a teacher I know that most of our schools are not those of the 1950s or even 1990s... but also that we haven't got it yet. Good teachers shift power to students and develop learning methods, not content. However, society is still governed by rules and there is some value in understanding financial, social, and even "arbitrary" rules like those in many classrooms (or workplaces). A great compromise exists in "free-choice" education in which students pick classes that are attractive and then learn reading/writing/math through an embedded curriculum that includes production, not just consumption and regurgitation.
My favorite quote from his talk (toward the end, starting at 15:51): "Fitting in a short-term strategy that gets you nowhere. Standing out is a long-term strategy that takes guts and produces results. If you care enough about your work to be willing to be criticized for it, then you have done a good day's work."
@11:20 He's a visionary and I agree with many points but this one I cannot swallow. Knowledge builds, you must have a foundation. I believe there is value in memorizing.
+LaWaune Netter I agree. I was very good at memorization. I still use the math facts I memorized daily, and I know all the countries in each of the continents (learned it by song) close to two decades ago and it has helped for years in my understanding of world events and culture. Memorization is definitely something to be encouraged.
+LaWaune Netter The point is, there is no need to teach "memorizing" in school, which basically is what most of the classes teach you, there is no need at all, you can look it up. Of course, an effective learning strategy can be to memorize things, just lookup ways of learning that skill and apply yourself to it :-). It's definitely worth looking that up.
I'm truly interested in the breadth of responses you received and The outstanding responses. I lectured at a university to juniors who universally said the only thing useful from their time as students had been the internships.
This was powerful. I believe passionately about the necessity of asking this question, "What is school for?" Thank you for the work you do, Seth Godin. I will continue to advocate for change in my corner of influence.
There is no accomplishment that can rival the success of building a child's self esteem and teaching him/her to love and respect others and themselves. I believe you can accomplish your dreams and hers at the same time - what a wonderful thing. Thank you for sharing!
I wish Seth was around and giving this speech when I was in school! I failed so many times because I tried so hard to memorize everything. I hope every teacher, professor watches this and takes it back to the classroom! Thanks You Seth
Innovation; Innovation is the ultimate capability of the human mind and it can be taught through improving problem solving abstractly as he suggests (as well as enhancing knowledge related to S.T.E.A.M). Innovation is vital to our future; it is the only thing that can generate abundance, a gift that humanity could use indefinitely. If we teach students with the mindset of making them innovators then no matter what line of work they were exposed to they would search out and solve the problems more readily because that's what innovators do.
I agree totally with Seth. The truth is so much better than the lies that we have bought. I hated school, however, I loved learning and discovering new things about life and my surroundings. To the system I was a failure but to my inner voice I was a success. Seth and many of his ilk are extremely brave and courageous. If indeed we love ourselves and our children, why then do we subscribe to a system that is killing the innate creativity that God has placed in us. We are free.We must live truly.
Yes, he is talking about each individual finding passion and automatically get experience - memory that's relevant. Seth Godin has given us a good picture of how things could, and maybe should look like. It resonates with a lot of my ideas, though he is (perhaps the necessary) steps in front of those. Bravo Seth Godin!
This is brilliant and beautiful. Much grief about "doing time" in public school in 1950's and 60's. Most traumatic and damaging part of my entire life so far.
Brilliant, let's make these changes. I'd only argue one point: working alone is hugely beneficial in some circumstances for some types of work. "I don't believe anything really revolutionary has ever been invented by committee." - Wozniak
Schools teach you obedience. You can not be creative you have to follow. You follow the rules, you follow what the teacher ask to do, you follow the curriculum. School makes you a follower. No creativity, no way to innovate or take initiative. They take your freedom of thinking away. Once I was talking to my son’s high school art teacher who I discovered later on that she was a tailor about how kids have to learn creativity she stopped me saying that she has to follow the curriculum and that she does not have time for teaching the students how to show their creativity through art. I think she is a good example of a true follower.😊
Gostei muito do que foi dito. Moro no Brasil e minha filha hoje tem 5 anos de vida e eu 38. Me pego pensando diversas vezes sobre o futuro dela. Sei que a escola não vai mudar até o fim da vida acadêmica dela. E se questionar regularmente "Para que servem as escolas?" é ótimo para começar a mudar nossas mentes atuais e formar mentes mais fortes nos jovens. De fato, nós somos essas peças substituíveis do mundo moderno, e acho que isso tem sido a causa de muitas doenças mentais atuais. Passar o dia todo no trabalho, que muitas vezes não é o que se escolheu, até porque saber ao certo o que se quer é um privilégio, e esse "saber" pode ter sido comprometido pelo sistema de educação pelo qual passamos. Por mais que nossos filhos vão passar pelos mesmos moldes que passamos, é muito interessante sempre fazer essa pergunta mesmo: Para que servem as escolas? Não sei como é o dia a dia em outros países, mas nós precisamos do trabalho para sobreviver, e não faz sentido nem podemos levar nossas crianças para o trabalho, portanto, a escola é o "local seguro" onde deixamos as crianças enquanto trabalhamos. Temos de tentar fazer em casa, nas poucas horas que nos restam do dia, essa ruptura de paradigmas, para que as crianças de hoje construam as escolas de amanhã, que sejam mais estimuladoras do que "moldadoras". Palestras como esta são iniciativas que dão o pontapé inicial para isso. Aqui no Brasil, um autor muito bom sobre esse assunto foi Rubem Alves, ele foi um verdadeiro educador vocacionado. Enfim, acho que falei, falei e não disse nada. 🤣🤣🤣. Como não sei muito de inglês, abaixo vai a tradução do ChatGPT do que escrevi aqui em português: I really liked what was said. I live in Brazil, and my daughter is 5 years old today, and I am 38. I find myself thinking many times about her future. I know that school won't change until the end of her academic life. And regularly asking ourselves, "What are schools for?" is great for starting to change our current mindset and shaping stronger minds in young people. In fact, we are these replaceable parts of the modern world, and I think that has been the cause of many current mental illnesses. Spending the whole day at work, which is often not what we chose, especially because knowing exactly what we want is a privilege, and this "knowing" may have been compromised by the education system we went through. Even though our children will go through the same molds we did, it's very interesting to keep asking this question: What are schools for? I don't know what daily life is like in other countries, but we need work to survive, and it doesn’t make sense, nor can we take our children to work, so school is the "safe place" where we leave the children while we work. We have to try at home, in the few hours we have left in the day, to break these paradigms so that the children of today can build the schools of tomorrow, which are more stimulating than "molding." Lectures like this are initiatives that give the initial push for this. Here in Brazil, a very good author on this subject was Rubem Alves; he was a truly dedicated educator. Anyway, I think I talked and talked and said nothing. 🤣🤣🤣. As I don't know much English, I asked ChatGPT for help.
"What people do quite naturally, is if it's work they try to figure out how to do less. If its art, we try to figure out how to do more... Someone who is making art doesn't say, can I do one less canvas this month?"
The paradigm shift is away from batch training and obedience in the market so surely education should follow suit. However it will require a revolution in education before this happens as Ken Robinson advocates. The constant revision and reformation of an already broken system is what the majority will continue to tolerate for decades to come. Seth Godin has laid down the challenge we all must take up. #stopstealingdreams
One of the worst investment decisions I have made in my life is going to university. All that time studying for tests, all that money, all that wasted energy. All the part-time jobs, I had to endure to pay for school. All a waste. Everything I use to earn my living I have learned it on TH-cam and blogs. At my own pace, for free... And having lots of fun.
Morning Mr. Godin. It's why public schools are having so many problems. Just look at kids in the hallways. They walk from class to class like zombies. I never understood what school was for... until now. Growing up obedient may have been what was needed decades ago. It's time to change an old "system".
Wow, great video! As a Adjunct College Instructor I have to say that Seth Godin is right on. I have never given a test in my business courses. My students are graded on what they create not on what they have memorized, but for many this is a hard transition.
If my teacher handed me a raspberry pi and said make something interesting and i can help you if needed, i would be so i excited i dont even have words to describe it
I was primed to write fiction, since the day I first picked up a crayon. School did nothing to encourage that part of me. It was (Western) literature appreciation and memorization and structure. It was mechanical. I'm 42, and I am just now recovered from my life to go back and *earnestly* resurrect that trampled part of me. No more a sidebar, it will be what defines me. Glad I saw your post, Will. I needed a success story today. Now, to help inspire my daughters more today than yesterday =)
I love it that given the nearly infinite things he might be doing, he's doing this, for kids. The question(s) "What is school for?" and "Does this further what school is for?" are great ways to think critically about what we're doing to children and adults as we educate. This video is good for parents and kids who end up in these systems, and for teachers who find alternative places to teach. I may need to watch it weekly :)
I'm not a teacher, but I am a neighbour, and I have watched some of the local kids being failed by the system in the UK. These kids are not engaged with the curriculum. They barely attend school, because they claim they are ill, or anxious, or worse, they have been tested and have ADHD, or are on the Autism spectrum. This TED talk about stealing dreams is amazing, and we need to keep asking the question, What Is School For so that kids dont constantly feel that they "lack" skill, or artistic ability, or logic etc. Maybe a system that teaches the basics of reading, math, geography until the age of 8 would be useful, and after that, kids get to learn and do something that sparks their interest and joy - whether it's art, physics, woodwork, medicine, history ... and if some kids are so unmotivated by anything, they need our special attention to discover where they are at in their emotional development. Thank you Seth Godin for bringing this into the light x
I love this TED talk, not because I agree with every bit of it, but I think it's so crucial to have brilliant minds like Seth's working hard on the issue of education. In the defense of the current system: 1. Memorization IS crucial. It helps kids to make connections of understanding and innovation they couldn't make simply by flying from source to source in their notebooks. 2. Respect for authority, social skills, discipline definitely need to be taught to kids, now more than ever before.
That line threw me off a bit too, for exactly that reason. I would instead think that anything worth looking up is not worth memorizing. Maybe he misspoke...? Anyway, every day Seth blows my mind. Absolutely incredible and I wish more folks thought more openly and had his ability to reason and analyze. Fantastic.
TRUE Statement: One thing is certain: if we keep doing what we've been doing, we're going to keep getting what we've been getting. Thanks for helping us to see it's time for a change!
This is an oldie but goodie, from Seth Godin whom I like a great deal. Love his discussion of how school has historically been about obedience, which is a complete contradiction to the skill-sets our young people need to develop and thrive in a rapidly changing and evolving world where everyone must be an entrepreneur to lead a passionate and fulfilling life.
I was homeschooled up until 3rd grade and upon entering public school, I realized the miniscule amount of learning that actually takes place and observed the snail pace at which new concepts are presented. Each year is a VERY slight advancement over the last year and the culture is not one of voluntary education, as the kids don't have a choice but to attend.
I am so glad someone can explain this topic so eloquently and freely. Whenever I try to discuss this, I get so railed up about it that I can't even talk properly. I get so anygry I want to break something. I am too emotional about it.
Hey Dude, we have a kindred spirit in this subject. It behooves us to move forward with our own way of learning. Systems rarely work. School is an example. I just wonder why the lies is still being propagated still. Our poor children. Like you, I have learnt more out of school than within it. Hooray to divergent learning. No more programming.
That was great! Everyone needs to be learn how to think and solve problems, not just memorizing facts and going with motions. Making the learning experience more unique, and without generic learning tools, can light that fire of interest and passion.
I couldn't agree more. In fact, I'd go so far as to say every 14 year old should learn to ride a horse before they move up to a Model T. Let's also get them to learn to fasten quills for writing utensils or make them read by candle light until they graduate. You're right, nothing was wrong with how people were taught 40 years ago, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't adapt to better ideas when they arise. The education system is failing because of the mindset of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
I believe in respect. Seth believes in respect. Seth does generalize to a degree - his overall message would take us to a better place. You asked, "What would school have to be to have let you succeed, then?" We need to tailor our teaching to meet the demands of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Right now we are set up mostly for auditory learners. The system is self perpetuating because auditory learning is delivered in college - schools hire college grads - who ask, "what's the prob?
That thing with the blocks is so true! Though it's really hard to remember I was an artful and creative person once, everyone was but that got killed of pretty quickly for me.
"That thing with the blocks is so true!" I don't agree. I think if I got together with a group of people and we were tasked with that challenge, we would find it quite interesting and fun. We would be doing our best to think outside the box, we would be discussing possibilities, and we would come up with SOMETHING. And his comment that "There is no right answer, and there's a million wrong answers" is EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what I would be thinking, and, I believe, what most people would be thinking. We would be thinking, "There are many right answers, and no wrong answers." If you really would think there would be no right answer and a million wrong answers, I would genuinely like to know that. But only speak for yourself.
WOW that that was so simply put. Its a rare talent to be able to express such disruptive ideas in such clear manner. Very impressive talk and very compelling content. I don't think anyone can make a fair argument about how any of this is wrong.
I wish I was certain. Many fail to understand how foundational factual knowledge is for higher-order thinking -- including the creative work that is so dear to Godin.
00:00 Schools need to redefine their purpose 02:14 School should be about education, not just obedience. 04:13 The industrial age promoted productivity through collaboration, leading to economic growth 06:22 Schools were designed to train us to become consumers. 08:21 Art inspires creativity and a desire to do more. 10:17 Technology is changing education 12:26 Education should focus on cooperation and lifelong learning instead of obedience. 14:36 Great performance in school does not guarantee happiness and success. Good parenting does not guarantee high academic performance.
The second time I went back to college was in 1994 ish, I was so used to being told exactly what to do that I didn't know how to learn. I was a good employee because of that mentality, but that wasn't enough if I was going to be as successful as I wanted when I was working on my teaching degree. I had to learn how to learn, I made mistakes and learned from them. I learn how to discover exactly what I needed to know to be the best teacher I could possibly be. It took time but I settled on discovery. By the way, I graduated with a 3.98 GPA, I would argue over how good an "A" I got because the grade was my pay. When I was in industry, I did nothing without a repair manual in my hand. I never could understand the point of making students set up in their chairs, listen with intent to what the teacher was saying, and then on Friday, I had to remember what someone had told me and was tested on that experience. I really like a student that asks me a question that starts with a statement, "Did you know" and they proceed to tell me something that I have got to check. At that point, I know that the kid has got it and knows how to learn more. No test would ever tell you what your student knows about a subject until you learn something new about the subject from the student. If we teach by throwing all those "dots" out there and nothing more, there is no need to connect the dots because evedently whatever the big picture is, it doesn't really matter. That's what educators have been doing for years while wondering why their students didn't care what they were teaching or not teaching, however, you look at it.
As a future educator, I agree that we need to reform basically everything about education, but this will not happen unless all the masses old traditionalists that work in the system die. Then our generation can embrace changes.
You even have people that still damage control the outdated culture of education, even if they admit that it's not perfect. It seems rather hypocritical to make excuses for all the flaws of the tradition with the expectation of adapting to it's imperfections, yet anyone else who has flaws is punished for it? This double standard also needs to go away for change to happen in meeting common grounds.
Agree to all points. And to follow up, I think his idea looked on overall answers why a lot of people in general simply cant wake up and vote their real conscious in politics. I can just imagine and hope we will all start by waking up to this, so human progress finally can begin looking like something to respect and thrive in.
yes thats what the future economy wants--kids who can adapt themselves to the system... it doesnt need creative, innovative and passionate people... just people who know how to adapt and follow.
I know it's only been up for 2 days - but I'm actually surprised this only has 10,000 views so far. Odd that this conversation isn't bigger. I've passed around SSD in various formats around my town, and it's as if people can't wrap their head around the real problems in education. Nobody seems to want to sit down and discuss.
We have been saying for a long time that they should teach this, balancing a checkbook, for example or other life skill. We have known for a long time school needs to evolve. Unfortunately there are forces that block charter schools and private schools and other creative public schools. Maybe we need to figure out how to finally do something different instead of allowing those forces to keep this industrial model for schools the way they are!
+J Pierce Yes, this is why I am homeschooling my children also! I was taught at home for 6 years, and in the 6th grade I was put into public school. All I know is I loved learning and loved myself until then, and after public school, I hated learning and hated myself. I have had to undo all of the unnecessary myths and lies public school ingrained in me for so long. I will not do that to my kids!
+Katy Holbein Good for you! It is hard, especially in high school, but worth it. In Georgia where I live, kids can go to college at any age if they pass both SAT tests. My daughter went at 14 1/2.
Agree - this is why we home-educated our daughters. They explored, questioned and taught themselves. They chose to attend school from age 11 and only went to school the days they chose to attend. They are still learning and self-educating
11:20 I vehemently disagree about "There is zero value in memorizing anything ever again." Math tables - multiplication / division was the first thing which came to mind.
Beneath the textbooks and tests lies the true meaning of school which is - "Self-Discovery." Until you ace that course, you are destined to a life of quiet drudgery. We may look good. We may earn good. But we won't FEEL good because we are walking a blind path. Until you "learn" who you are and what you were meant to create and share - you won't really live. You'll bounce between work and play. When you discover how to combine the two - your life will explode into happiness and true worth.
@12:51 What an out of the box thought. :) I love that he said this though I don't see this happening. A more likely outcome is that our higher education system changes to meets the new reality.
+LaWaune Netter I think there will soon be two major "schools" of thought about education. Public vs self driven. I think the self-driven group (mostly kids schooled at home) is growing in popularity, primarily because the concepts this man talked about are being realized. If the government doesn't eventually shut the new way (which is actually the old way) down, it will become just as popular and just as utilized. Public school will have to do something to keep up...
superb presentation Seth... we appreciate the insight and hope that the machine that drives our society and its current system of rewards and penalties is capable of the changes you describe so clearly.
The best of the best educational system cannot MAKE a child want to learn. When you teach your child that they have choices, don't be surprised when they want to start making decisions.
Dr. William Glasser, was a leader in doing what Seth is talking about. He created the Glasser Quality Schools in the early 90's. He wrote his first book about schools, called Schools Without Failure in 1969. Testing never works. He would agree whole heartedly with Seth Godin.
Thank you. This helps me feel like less of a failure in college at the age of 47. Flunked English 101 because I failed to turn in final essay. It didn't matter to the instructor that I worked hard on daily papers and daily readings of his boring textbook teaching. UGH! Never giving up though..
Every Day I used to get Dreams, Some good, Some bad. I researched a lot on Dreams and finally understood that "Dreams are UN-fullfilled aims and activities of the day life" When I searched in Apple Appstore for Dreams, You know what? I got an app called "dreamed" by Lokesh Hanumappa This is really cool app which records the dreams and then converts each dream into a goal which is tracked for completion. This is what I wanted and this is really cool way of maximizing the hints given Dreams.
1. Homework by day, lectures by night.
2. No memorization.
3. No predetermined course order.
4. Precise, focused education.
5. Experience based.
6. Coach not teacher.
7. Lifelong learning.
8. No brand name colleges.
Thank you!
Dont forget DMT.
Nick Smith but I think his point is asking why is it important to attend these schools? I believe MIT posts programming courses free online, for example.
@@greanch1234 you didn't get it
And no degrees!
His point on connecting the dots. Kids need to be taught HOW to think, not WHAT to think. If this reform can be globally implemented in the 21st century, then humanity might experience the most incredible golden age it has ever had.
Michael Oghia I can only agree with you
Logicrats!
In my experience, university is mostly about how to think.
Some high school classes (literature and science at least) as well were, to a significant degree, about how to think.
What are you doing in your community? What are you doing in your local school to help change?
Doesn’t that depend on who’s teaching them how to think… then would you want unsavoury characters planting seeds in teaching humans how to think! Teaching how to think is the same thing as compliance. Encouraging people to challenge and question everything is key
"Fitting in is a short term strategy that takes you nowhere. Standing out is long term strategy that takes guts and produces results" :)
Seth Godin puts his thoughts on "What is School For?" so clearly, that I have now the ability to put all the struggles I had in school growing up into a closed file. I have no questions as to why I was always the kid in the hall in trouble, getting into fights, never wanting to go to class...I hated school, and so many would say the same thing, but they were faithful servants, and I just wasn't able to comply to the mandatory read chapters 1-4 test on Friday way of learning...I knew it was pointless bullshit. I knew that at the age of 12, so I lashed out wanting to create, but couldn't because the system was asking me to collect the dots, not connect the dots...I simply think I was bored, and rebellious to being pinned up in a routine driven way of learning, that crippled my ability to be myself, and explore what it is I really wanted to do with this life...life's a gift, and education creates robots...that do as they are told (processed) or they get held back...the gift has been forgotten as Einstein quoted long ago. Great ted talk...Thank you for your talent and skills to clarify this important issue, I feel refreshed. Thanks Seth Godin for sharing your words with the world...you're fantastic.
"If you care enough about your work to be willing to be criticized for it, then you have done a good day's work."
In this day of 140 characters there isn't the chance to argue a point anymore. Gone are the discussion or debate. You get maybe two back and forth discussion on the merits of the discussion before it devolves to, "your an idiot" or "i've had enough of your nonsense, good bye." Write an argument and see how many people will read to the end.
This guy's video is 16 minutes. I rejected most of what he said by 3 minutes. I gave him the time by speeding up his speech by 1.25. Still got his message but got through it quicker. He didn't impress me because he requires me to accept some of his premises as fact for his argument to make sense. He confuses order and obedience as the same thing. Then uses obedience as a fear idea. I've used the any color but black car statement but not in the context he used.
Same with rules. He sees them as without merit unless he sees merit in them. Cannot make an argument when there is a high degree of arbitrariness in the structure of his argument.
Public school has a component that every child of the village should be given a basic education so they can better aid in the growth of the community. Its to give that person the ability to understand the rules, structures and direction the community is going so they CAN make an informed decision. For to me, that is a purpose of schools. I don't want lemmings who blindly push a button on the polling booth. I want them to be able to vet the candidates before them with the thinking, what is best for the community and who has promised me the most bread and circuses.
The idea given regarding the KKK getting kids out of school is to difficult for me to accept unless we are going to agree that Hillary's Clinton's progressives she holds in high regard supported using the KKK to get little kids out of the factory and into school. I've always been under the believe that the child labor act was against the fat cats of the guilded age who saw little to no value in children from "those" families they deemed as insignificant. Compulsory attendance laws were made to force parents who don't give a damn about these children to break that cycle that has the parents believing in the folly of an education.
As a teacher I know that most of our schools are not those of the 1950s or even 1990s... but also that we haven't got it yet. Good teachers shift power to students and develop learning methods, not content. However, society is still governed by rules and there is some value in understanding financial, social, and even "arbitrary" rules like those in many classrooms (or workplaces). A great compromise exists in "free-choice" education in which students pick classes that are attractive and then learn reading/writing/math through an embedded curriculum that includes production, not just consumption and regurgitation.
My favorite quote from his talk (toward the end, starting at 15:51):
"Fitting in a short-term strategy that gets you nowhere. Standing out is a long-term strategy that takes guts and produces results. If you care enough about your work to be willing to be criticized for it, then you have done a good day's work."
"Anything worth memorizing is worth looking up" ...Love it!
@11:20 He's a visionary and I agree with many points but this one I cannot swallow. Knowledge builds, you must have a foundation. I believe there is value in memorizing.
+LaWaune Netter I agree. I was very good at memorization. I still use the math facts I memorized daily, and I know all the countries in each of the continents (learned it by song) close to two decades ago and it has helped for years in my understanding of world events and culture. Memorization is definitely something to be encouraged.
+LaWaune Netter The point is, there is no need to teach "memorizing" in school, which basically is what most of the classes teach you, there is no need at all, you can look it up. Of course, an effective learning strategy can be to memorize things, just lookup ways of learning that skill and apply yourself to it :-). It's definitely worth looking that up.
Refreshing. Planning to ask my earnest and anxious, soon-to-graduate, public-university, pre-med students "What is school for?" as their final exam.
I'm truly interested in the breadth of responses you received and The outstanding responses. I lectured at a university to juniors who universally said the only thing useful from their time as students had been the internships.
This was powerful. I believe passionately about the necessity of asking this question, "What is school for?" Thank you for the work you do, Seth Godin. I will continue to advocate for change in my corner of influence.
"Homework by day, lectures by night" That's exactly what I was thinking and I believe that Is the future of education.
There is no accomplishment that can rival the success of building a child's self esteem and teaching him/her to love and respect others and themselves. I believe you can accomplish your dreams and hers at the same time - what a wonderful thing. Thank you for sharing!
I wish Seth was around and giving this speech when I was in school! I failed so many times because I tried so hard to memorize everything. I hope every teacher, professor watches this and takes it back to the classroom! Thanks You Seth
Speechless... This is one of the reasons I admire Seth Godin so much.. Kudos to him for speaking up. He is right.
Innovation; Innovation is the ultimate capability of the human mind and it can be taught through improving problem solving abstractly as he suggests (as well as enhancing knowledge related to S.T.E.A.M).
Innovation is vital to our future; it is the only thing that can generate abundance, a gift that humanity could use indefinitely. If we teach students with the mindset of making them innovators then no matter what line of work they were exposed to they would search out and solve the problems more readily because that's what innovators do.
Seth Godin is an amazing public speaker. This topic on education and learning blew my mind.
I agree totally with Seth. The truth is so much better than the lies that we have bought. I hated school, however, I loved learning and discovering new things about life and my surroundings. To the system I was a failure but to my inner voice I was a success. Seth and many of his ilk are extremely brave and courageous. If indeed we love ourselves and our children, why then do we subscribe to a system that is killing the innate creativity that God has placed in us. We are free.We must live truly.
Godin's vision is amazing and should be considered as we make educational choices in our classrooms, schools, systems, States, countries and globally.
Yes, he is talking about each individual finding passion and automatically get experience - memory that's relevant. Seth Godin has given us a good picture of how things could, and maybe should look like. It resonates with a lot of my ideas, though he is (perhaps the necessary) steps in front of those. Bravo Seth Godin!
"Connecting the dots, not collecting the dots." Very critical indeed. Thank you Ted x Youth and Seth. 🙏
This is brilliant and beautiful. Much grief about "doing time" in public school in 1950's and 60's. Most traumatic and damaging part of my entire life so far.
I absolutely agree. Schools should find a way to cater to individuals' strengths and not punish them for weaknesses.
Brilliant, let's make these changes. I'd only argue one point: working alone is hugely beneficial in some circumstances for some types of work. "I don't believe anything really revolutionary has ever been invented by committee." - Wozniak
Schools teach you obedience. You can not be creative you have to follow. You follow the rules, you follow what the teacher ask to do, you follow the curriculum. School makes you a follower. No creativity, no way to innovate or take initiative. They take your freedom of thinking away. Once I was talking to my son’s high school art teacher who I discovered later on that she was a tailor about how kids have to learn creativity she stopped me saying that she has to follow the curriculum and that she does not have time for teaching the students how to show their creativity through art. I think she is a good example of a true follower.😊
Gostei muito do que foi dito. Moro no Brasil e minha filha hoje tem 5 anos de vida e eu 38. Me pego pensando diversas vezes sobre o futuro dela. Sei que a escola não vai mudar até o fim da vida acadêmica dela. E se questionar regularmente "Para que servem as escolas?" é ótimo para começar a mudar nossas mentes atuais e formar mentes mais fortes nos jovens. De fato, nós somos essas peças substituíveis do mundo moderno, e acho que isso tem sido a causa de muitas doenças mentais atuais. Passar o dia todo no trabalho, que muitas vezes não é o que se escolheu, até porque saber ao certo o que se quer é um privilégio, e esse "saber" pode ter sido comprometido pelo sistema de educação pelo qual passamos. Por mais que nossos filhos vão passar pelos mesmos moldes que passamos, é muito interessante sempre fazer essa pergunta mesmo: Para que servem as escolas? Não sei como é o dia a dia em outros países, mas nós precisamos do trabalho para sobreviver, e não faz sentido nem podemos levar nossas crianças para o trabalho, portanto, a escola é o "local seguro" onde deixamos as crianças enquanto trabalhamos. Temos de tentar fazer em casa, nas poucas horas que nos restam do dia, essa ruptura de paradigmas, para que as crianças de hoje construam as escolas de amanhã, que sejam mais estimuladoras do que "moldadoras". Palestras como esta são iniciativas que dão o pontapé inicial para isso. Aqui no Brasil, um autor muito bom sobre esse assunto foi Rubem Alves, ele foi um verdadeiro educador vocacionado. Enfim, acho que falei, falei e não disse nada. 🤣🤣🤣. Como não sei muito de inglês, abaixo vai a tradução do ChatGPT do que escrevi aqui em português:
I really liked what was said. I live in Brazil, and my daughter is 5 years old today, and I am 38. I find myself thinking many times about her future. I know that school won't change until the end of her academic life. And regularly asking ourselves, "What are schools for?" is great for starting to change our current mindset and shaping stronger minds in young people. In fact, we are these replaceable parts of the modern world, and I think that has been the cause of many current mental illnesses. Spending the whole day at work, which is often not what we chose, especially because knowing exactly what we want is a privilege, and this "knowing" may have been compromised by the education system we went through. Even though our children will go through the same molds we did, it's very interesting to keep asking this question: What are schools for? I don't know what daily life is like in other countries, but we need work to survive, and it doesn’t make sense, nor can we take our children to work, so school is the "safe place" where we leave the children while we work. We have to try at home, in the few hours we have left in the day, to break these paradigms so that the children of today can build the schools of tomorrow, which are more stimulating than "molding." Lectures like this are initiatives that give the initial push for this. Here in Brazil, a very good author on this subject was Rubem Alves; he was a truly dedicated educator. Anyway, I think I talked and talked and said nothing. 🤣🤣🤣. As I don't know much English, I asked ChatGPT for help.
"What people do quite naturally, is if it's work they try to figure out how to do less. If its art, we try to figure out how to do more... Someone who is making art doesn't say, can I do one less canvas this month?"
The paradigm shift is away from batch training and obedience in the market so surely education should follow suit. However it will require a revolution in education before this happens as Ken Robinson advocates. The constant revision and reformation of an already broken system is what the majority will continue to tolerate for decades to come. Seth Godin has laid down the challenge we all must take up. #stopstealingdreams
One of the worst investment decisions I have made in my life is going to university. All that time studying for tests, all that money, all that wasted energy. All the part-time jobs, I had to endure to pay for school. All a waste. Everything I use to earn my living I have learned it on TH-cam and blogs. At my own pace, for free... And having lots of fun.
Morning Mr. Godin.
It's why public schools are having so many problems. Just look at kids in the hallways. They walk from class to class like zombies. I never understood what school was for... until now. Growing up obedient may have been what was needed decades ago. It's time to change an old "system".
Wow, great video! As a Adjunct College Instructor I have to say that Seth Godin is right on. I have never given a test in my business courses. My students are graded on what they create not on what they have memorized, but for many this is a hard transition.
If my teacher handed me a raspberry pi and said make something interesting and i can help you if needed, i would be so i excited i dont even have words to describe it
I was primed to write fiction, since the day I first picked up a crayon.
School did nothing to encourage that part of me. It was (Western) literature appreciation and memorization and structure. It was mechanical.
I'm 42, and I am just now recovered from my life to go back and *earnestly* resurrect that trampled part of me. No more a sidebar, it will be what defines me.
Glad I saw your post, Will. I needed a success story today.
Now, to help inspire my daughters more today than yesterday =)
We need to ask the "What is school for" question over and over and over and over!
School prepares you to be a useful worker. There, I answered it for you.
Kristina S. but what happens if you don’t want to be a worker. A TH-camr or a business owner? Dummy
I love it that given the nearly infinite things he might be doing, he's doing this, for kids. The question(s) "What is school for?" and "Does this further what school is for?" are great ways to think critically about what we're doing to children and adults as we educate. This video is good for parents and kids who end up in these systems, and for teachers who find alternative places to teach. I may need to watch it weekly :)
EXCELLENT video. One of the best TEDx talks I've ever heard! WOW
I'm not a teacher, but I am a neighbour, and I have watched some of the local kids being failed by the system in the UK. These kids are not engaged with the curriculum. They barely attend school, because they claim they are ill, or anxious, or worse, they have been tested and have ADHD, or are on the Autism spectrum. This TED talk about stealing dreams is amazing, and we need to keep asking the question, What Is School For so that kids dont constantly feel that they "lack" skill, or artistic ability, or logic etc. Maybe a system that teaches the basics of reading, math, geography until the age of 8 would be useful, and after that, kids get to learn and do something that sparks their interest and joy - whether it's art, physics, woodwork, medicine, history ... and if some kids are so unmotivated by anything, they need our special attention to discover where they are at in their emotional development. Thank you Seth Godin for bringing this into the light x
the baseball analogy is spot on
I love this TED talk, not because I agree with every bit of it, but I think it's so crucial to have brilliant minds like Seth's working hard on the issue of education.
In the defense of the current system:
1. Memorization IS crucial. It helps kids to make connections of understanding and innovation they couldn't make simply by flying from source to source in their notebooks.
2. Respect for authority, social skills, discipline definitely need to be taught to kids, now more than ever before.
That line threw me off a bit too, for exactly that reason. I would instead think that anything worth looking up is not worth memorizing. Maybe he misspoke...?
Anyway, every day Seth blows my mind. Absolutely incredible and I wish more folks thought more openly and had his ability to reason and analyze. Fantastic.
He is one of the most inspiring personalities of our time. Quite agree with his point of view on future of education..
TRUE Statement: One thing is certain: if we keep doing what we've been doing, we're going to keep getting what we've been getting.
Thanks for helping us to see it's time for a change!
This is an oldie but goodie, from Seth Godin whom I like a great deal. Love his discussion of how school has historically been about obedience, which is a complete contradiction to the skill-sets our young people need to develop and thrive in a rapidly changing and evolving world where everyone must be an entrepreneur to lead a passionate and fulfilling life.
I was homeschooled up until 3rd grade and upon entering public school, I realized the miniscule amount of learning that actually takes place and observed the snail pace at which new concepts are presented. Each year is a VERY slight advancement over the last year and the culture is not one of voluntary education, as the kids don't have a choice but to attend.
I am so glad someone can explain this topic so eloquently and freely. Whenever I try to discuss this, I get so railed up about it that I can't even talk properly. I get so anygry I want to break something. I am too emotional about it.
Hey Dude, we have a kindred spirit in this subject. It behooves us to move forward with our own way of learning. Systems rarely work. School is an example. I just wonder why the lies is still being propagated still. Our poor children. Like you, I have learnt more out of school than within it. Hooray to divergent learning. No more programming.
That was great!
Everyone needs to be learn how to think and solve problems, not just memorizing facts and going with motions.
Making the learning experience more unique, and without generic learning tools, can light that fire of interest and passion.
"Cooperation instead of isolation."
BRILLIANT!
I couldn't agree more. In fact, I'd go so far as to say every 14 year old should learn to ride a horse before they move up to a Model T. Let's also get them to learn to fasten quills for writing utensils or make them read by candle light until they graduate. You're right, nothing was wrong with how people were taught 40 years ago, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't adapt to better ideas when they arise. The education system is failing because of the mindset of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
This is definitely one of the greatest lectures I've heard, on any subject, of all time. It couldn't be any more relevant to our situation!
I believe in respect. Seth believes in respect. Seth does generalize to a degree - his overall message would take us to a better place. You asked, "What would school have to be to have let you succeed, then?" We need to tailor our teaching to meet the demands of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Right now we are set up mostly for auditory learners. The system is self perpetuating because auditory learning is delivered in college - schools hire college grads - who ask, "what's the prob?
That thing with the blocks is so true! Though it's really hard to remember I was an artful and creative person once, everyone was but that got killed of pretty quickly for me.
You're not supposed to be creative, you're supposed to be useful.
Kristina S. That's fuck up
Kristina S. Creativeness prosper uniqueness and that uniqueness become usefulness
@@christinas.4342 Creativity can fuel usefulness.
"That thing with the blocks is so true!"
I don't agree. I think if I got together with a group of people and we were tasked with that challenge, we would find it quite interesting and fun. We would be doing our best to think outside the box, we would be discussing possibilities, and we would come up with SOMETHING.
And his comment that "There is no right answer, and there's a million wrong answers" is EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what I would be thinking, and, I believe, what most people would be thinking. We would be thinking, "There are many right answers, and no wrong answers."
If you really would think there would be no right answer and a million wrong answers, I would genuinely like to know that. But only speak for yourself.
Learning the system is a creative challenge in itself. Every professor is like a new boss. Hi Deanne
Visionary!!! This is absolutely how we need to shift the practice!
WOW that that was so simply put. Its a rare talent to be able to express such disruptive ideas in such clear manner. Very impressive talk and very compelling content. I don't think anyone can make a fair argument about how any of this is wrong.
Great video! Of course, I want to congratulate and thank its rapporteur, Mr Seth Godin.
Genius! Especially the lectures at night homework during the day part 10:50
I wish I was certain. Many fail to understand how foundational factual knowledge is for higher-order thinking -- including the creative work that is so dear to Godin.
As always Seth Godin rocks!
School is about compliance, sorting, and grading, not humanity. Rules and organizations are not more important than humans. Thanks, Seth...
00:00 Schools need to redefine their purpose
02:14 School should be about education, not just obedience.
04:13 The industrial age promoted productivity through collaboration, leading to economic growth
06:22 Schools were designed to train us to become consumers.
08:21 Art inspires creativity and a desire to do more.
10:17 Technology is changing education
12:26 Education should focus on cooperation and lifelong learning instead of obedience.
14:36 Great performance in school does not guarantee happiness and success. Good parenting does not guarantee high academic performance.
Listen to Seth and ignore the people questioning your view..it doesn't matter man, you are doing great (25 books is no joke!) :)
The second time I went back to college was in 1994 ish, I was so used to being told exactly what to do that I didn't know how to learn. I was a good employee because of that mentality, but that wasn't enough if I was going to be as successful as I wanted when I was working on my teaching degree. I had to learn how to learn, I made mistakes and learned from them. I learn how to discover exactly what I needed to know to be the best teacher I could possibly be. It took time but I settled on discovery. By the way, I graduated with a 3.98 GPA, I would argue over how good an "A" I got because the grade was my pay. When I was in industry, I did nothing without a repair manual in my hand. I never could understand the point of making students set up in their chairs, listen with intent to what the teacher was saying, and then on Friday, I had to remember what someone had told me and was tested on that experience. I really like a student that asks me a question that starts with a statement, "Did you know" and they proceed to tell me something that I have got to check. At that point, I know that the kid has got it and knows how to learn more. No test would ever tell you what your student knows about a subject until you learn something new about the subject from the student. If we teach by throwing all those "dots" out there and nothing more, there is no need to connect the dots because evedently whatever the big picture is, it doesn't really matter. That's what educators have been doing for years while wondering why their students didn't care what they were teaching or not teaching, however, you look at it.
As a future educator, I agree that we need to reform basically everything about education, but this will not happen unless all the masses old traditionalists that work in the system die. Then our generation can embrace changes.
I've heard that progress is science made one death at a time.
You even have people that still damage control the outdated culture of education, even if they admit that it's not perfect. It seems rather hypocritical to make excuses for all the flaws of the tradition with the expectation of adapting to it's imperfections, yet anyone else who has flaws is punished for it? This double standard also needs to go away for change to happen in meeting common grounds.
Pretty much
@12:31 Good point. Cooperation and collaboration must become like breathing.
Seth Godin blows my mind!
I am crying right now at how far behind my child has been left because he wants to do exceptional interesting things and not comply.
Agree to all points. And to follow up, I think his idea looked on overall answers why a lot of people in general simply cant wake up and vote their real conscious in politics. I can just imagine and hope we will all start by waking up to this, so human progress finally can begin looking like something to respect and thrive in.
Great, great talk.
The amount of truth spoken in this video is immense..
Great talk! Educational Reform is critical!
yes thats what the future economy wants--kids who can adapt themselves to the system... it doesnt need creative, innovative and passionate people... just people who know how to adapt and follow.
I know it's only been up for 2 days - but I'm actually surprised this only has 10,000 views so far. Odd that this conversation isn't bigger. I've passed around SSD in various formats around my town, and it's as if people can't wrap their head around the real problems in education. Nobody seems to want to sit down and discuss.
this video is a 'Gem' don't lose this.
Seth I am your biggest FAN! You are brilliant
We have been saying for a long time that they should teach this, balancing a checkbook, for example or other life skill.
We have known for a long time school needs to evolve. Unfortunately there are forces that block charter schools and private schools and other creative public schools.
Maybe we need to figure out how to finally do something different instead of allowing those forces to keep this industrial model for schools the way they are!
This is why I homeschooled!
+Phonominal Let's just say my baby is 31 and I had 4 kids in 5 years.
+J Pierce Yes, this is why I am homeschooling my children also! I was taught at home for 6 years, and in the 6th grade I was put into public school. All I know is I loved learning and loved myself until then, and after public school, I hated learning and hated myself. I have had to undo all of the unnecessary myths and lies public school ingrained in me for so long. I will not do that to my kids!
+Katy Holbein Good for you! It is hard, especially in high school, but worth it. In Georgia where I live, kids can go to college at any age if they pass both SAT tests. My daughter went at 14 1/2.
Agree - this is why we home-educated our daughters. They explored, questioned and taught themselves. They chose to attend school from age 11 and only went to school the days they chose to attend. They are still learning and self-educating
Your next class should be grammar 👍🏼
@12:07 Revolutionary! Computers are smarter, I love this observation. We can assess more effectively now.
Seth is the man
11:20 I vehemently disagree about "There is zero value in memorizing anything ever again."
Math tables - multiplication / division was the first thing which came to mind.
Great insights from Seth about the origin of our schools and the education system.
Beneath the textbooks and tests lies the true meaning of school which is - "Self-Discovery." Until you ace that course, you are destined to a life of quiet drudgery. We may look good. We may earn good. But we won't FEEL good because we are walking a blind path. Until you "learn" who you are and what you were meant to create and share - you won't really live. You'll bounce between work and play. When you discover how to combine the two - your life will explode into happiness and true worth.
This needs a FREAKING love button! A like is not enough!
Great insight that I had not before considered, thank you for sharing.
Such an important talk. Thank you Mr. Godin! ;)
@12:51 What an out of the box thought. :) I love that he said this though I don't see this happening. A more likely outcome is that our higher education system changes to meets the new reality.
+LaWaune Netter I think there will soon be two major "schools" of thought about education. Public vs self driven. I think the self-driven group (mostly kids schooled at home) is growing in popularity, primarily because the concepts this man talked about are being realized. If the government doesn't eventually shut the new way (which is actually the old way) down, it will become just as popular and just as utilized. Public school will have to do something to keep up...
Thank you Serh. Gina in lights
Could you be the president please?
+Alphfirm He'd be a wonderful Secretary of Education
Next election, I'm writing Seth's name in when I vote.
superb presentation Seth... we appreciate the insight and hope that the machine that drives our society and its current system of rewards and penalties is capable of the changes you describe so clearly.
The best of the best educational system cannot MAKE a child want to learn.
When you teach your child that they have choices, don't be surprised when they want to start making decisions.
Man this Ted talk totally explains why my interests died when I started working in those areas.
Dr. William Glasser, was a leader in doing what Seth is talking about. He created the Glasser Quality Schools in the early 90's. He wrote his first book about schools, called Schools Without Failure in 1969. Testing never works. He would agree whole heartedly with Seth Godin.
Brilliant story teller
I would just like to thank your for the content! Impactful and powerfull!!
Hi, thanks this is future of young generation
Thank you. This helps me feel like less of a failure in college at the age of 47. Flunked English 101 because I failed to turn in final essay. It didn't matter to the instructor that I worked hard on daily papers and daily readings of his boring textbook teaching. UGH! Never giving up though..
Very Powerful IDEAS, Thankyou for sharinf
I fully agree with Seth Godin About School
Wonderful talk, Seth.
Fantastic! Thank You, Seth!
Every Day I used to get Dreams, Some good, Some bad.
I researched a lot on Dreams and finally understood that
"Dreams are UN-fullfilled aims and activities of the day life"
When I searched in Apple Appstore for Dreams, You know what?
I got an app called "dreamed" by Lokesh Hanumappa
This is really cool app which records the dreams and then converts each dream into a goal which is tracked for completion. This is what I wanted and this is really cool
way of maximizing the hints given Dreams.