Posts Tagged ‘TED’

To be honest, not much. I’m not saying that I didn’t gain knowledge. I learned various ideas and expanded my vocabulary in various subjects. I learned how to write papers and express ideas. I learned how to go after a job, do math, read and write, etc. And while it is my diploma that allowed me to move to Japan (because it was required for my visa), work in Tokyo, and eventually lead to me living where I do, it wasn’t because of the skills I learned in school.

I have said this before, but I think we place too much emphasis on certificates and qualifications. Most of us want certain people like doctors, engineers, and mechanics to have certificates, but part of that is because of dishonest people who don’t have the right skills claiming they do. Perhaps more time should have spent teaching honesty and being a good person.

We put all the focus on expensive schools that have prestige and require expensive textbooks, and yet the world has more problems than ever before. The gap between the poor and wealthy has consistently grown and is getting worse each day.

So here is a very inspiring video of another way to do education? What do you think? Is it a good idea?

We’re adults. We know everything right? The older we get, the smarter and wiser we get. Right? It is true that as we get older we gain knowledge and experience which usually helps us to make smarter and more informed decisions. However, past experience and previous knowledge can also limit our creativity and ideas, lead to pessimistic thoughts, and limit our ability to want learn new things. After all, we already know it all right.

In the below video, Adora Svitak, age 12 (who speaks better than many adult speakers I have heard), tells us why we should listen to kids and what they can teach us.