Education shouldn’t just mean a transfer of knowledge from teacher to student. Education is the creation of an environment that causes students to look inside themselves for answers. So much of the education debate focuses on teaching kinds “how to think” rather than “what to think,” and encouraging independent thought rather than dictated lecture…but even this is an oversimplification. It’s about the creation of an inspirational dynamic. It’s about lighting a fire and fueling it too. It’s about starting a chain reaction by setting an example that inspires a few who then take it upon themselves to set examples as well. Education is not about textbooks or teachers; it’s about leadership more viral than the plague, ideas more reflexive and dynamic than a tennis ball, and an environment where charging forth is more important than correctness. As of today, education and schooling are two different things entirely…Mark Twain said that he doesn’t let his schooling interfere with his education. I don’t think they necessarily have to. If approached more openly, they can be far more complementary than they are now...perhaps even one and the same (though I wonder whether this is desirable or even necessary).
-Ted Gonder
