You Might Be a Geeky Teacher if You've Been Having Conversations about Education Reform

I am on my annual girls weekend with four friends who raised our kids together and help each other survive!  We go somewhere different in the Colorado Mountains every fall.  This year we are in Carbondale, halfway between Glenwood Springs and Aspen.  I  opened up the Sopris Sun Newspaper today and found an article on a fascinating conversation they are having in Carbondale.  They are organizing Our Children, Our Schools (OCOS) events throughout the community to have conversations around dreaming and envisioning new schools.  They  have a website and even give the community some homework videos to watch before they come to the meetings.

Much of their conversation revolves around Sir Ken Robinson's contention that we are anaesthetizing our children and the example of what is happening in Finland.   "There is a country where students start school at a later age...spend less time in school per day... have barely any homework...are rarely tested " So begins a video showcasing Finland the country whose education system consistently ranks at the top of the world by almost every measure.

Among the many contrasts between schools in Finland and the US is their approach to the teaching profession.  Whereas U.S. teachers today must comply with an onslaught of accountability measures, Finland's teachers are trusted to work as professionals.  "If people are trusted then they want to be worth that trust."  In Finland, "people perform better when they are trusted....They are not controlled."
Roaring Forks Schools are inviting people to "Think outside the box, explore what's possible and participate actively in the district's visioning process."  Check out their website for more information!  Kuddos Roaring Forks!  We should all be having these community events!  http://www.carbondaleconversation.org/