I have to admit that I was slightly skeptical about the nature of this speech. Generally these keynote speeches, while usually inspiring and interesting, are filled with idealistic visions and tales of impossible-to-achieve potential that have no real foundation in reality. I was very pleased to discover that this was not the case with Dr. Tyson’s address.
The speech began with an introduction to the concept of “School 2.0″ – a program designed to focus less on the “rules and regulations” of school, and instead promote “meaning” in students’ education. Now, this may sound like an idealistic concept on the surface, but Dr. Tyson’s support for the initiative is quite convincing. His method for promoting meaning is in asking “When does life become meaningful?” – The answer? Right now. By showing (not just ‘convincing’) students that they can impact and contribute to society on a global scale, Dr. Tyson has spawned an interest in his students that even he could not have imagined. In giving students the freedom to think outside the constraints of traditional teaching, the student can begin to self-direct their own learning. At the same time, this self-direction leads to a discovery of meaning, and the desire to perpetuate learning. When you compound this idea of self-directed learning with the notion of having access to an ever-evolving global community of educational resources, the possibilities literally become endless. It’s actually a very simple concept that no one’s really successfully attempted. The fact that Dr. Tyson has accomplished this discovery of meaning in middle school students makes the concept even more remarkable.
After discussing his own experiences, Dr. Tyson allows the students and their work to showcase his point. A couple of dramatically poignant videos follow – student-lead projects that ask critical questions that most educated adults wouldn’t think to ask. It’s a fascinating thing to watch these students really explore (for knowledge, not simply a grade), and rely less on simple answers and more on complex solutions and, occasionally, the necessity for compromise.
Seeing the progress these students had made really reaffirmed my belief in the possibility of reforming the education industry to be able to give education a “real” meaning and curiosity to students, beyond grades and standards.
