Thoughts on Education - Part 2

Previously, I talked about how a change in education system means a change in a lot of things. Now let's take a look at the brighter outlook if it really change...

Imagine if Education is Done Differently...

Part 1

Project Spectrum

I first found this from Daniel Goleman's EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE book. It's interesting to know that Harvard took on the project of alternative curriculum for preschool. Howard Gardner, the principal investigator mentioned:

"It is time to expand our understanding about talent spectrum. The only important educational contribution for children's development is to help them find fields that suit their talents, which will make them satisfied and competent... [All this time] we push everyone to go through education where if you succeed, you can become a professor at a university."

I love how Goleman wrote that Project Spectrum observed a kid, Judy, sat in the corner and observe how other kids play and interact. She has high interpersonal skills apparently. When given a task to divide the class into groups, Judy grouped kids who usually play together.

Gardner mentioned than outside the academic curriculum we know, there are other skills. All in all, they make 7 different talents.

1. Verbal skill
2. Mathematics and Logic skill
3. Architect (artistic) skill
4. Physical skill
5. Musical skill
6. Inter personal skill
7. Intra personal skill

When You Go Against the Current

I even imagined to counter my own arguments. Let say, we told our kids not to go to higher education because it's a failure. That means they do not have the university background which can be necessary for employment.

Why can't we make our own money? I immediately thought of investments and how anyone, at any age can start their wealth management (well, except that you need ID and source of income I guess to register in any funds). The earlier we become concerned about financial freedom, the earlier we plan and think maturely.

Aren't there are places where standard norm don't apply? I then thought of start-ups. Wild and disturbing as it is, they are growing rapidly in our society. Essentially, entrepreneurship can become one strategy for those who go against the current.

Is It A PULL or A PUSH?

I made a point that education system is hard to change, because it is correlated with how everything is valued. However, I found a small counter argument to that.

Take a look at the fashion industry. One company can create wedges, or anything that apparently customers like. That little innovation, becomes a huge demand in the industry. Thus... wedges become wildly known. And the society accepts that 'hey, there's a new shoe.' and it's normal for people to wear it around.

In Michael Lewis' LIAR'S POKER he wrote how an investment banker can see a paper company as an investment target. He can make a proposal out of it and sell it to his investors (actually, it's a junk bond proposal but let's not go to deep! Haha). Then other bankers started to copy the product, because their customers started to ask for it. All of a sudden, the whole paper industry become a demand from the customers' side.

Point is... maybe, just maybe. If we make a small change in the education and create products customers like (even better, believe) then we start the ripple. Just like a drop of water in a huge lake, we start at the center... giving certain pressure to the surface, which later transfer energy through waves... (yep. I just geekily adopt Physics concept on Longitudinal Wave. Haha!)