The U.S. Education System is Broken, or is it?

The U.S. Education System is Broken, or is it?

Welcome to this month’s edition of news and updates from Ravi Unites!  In this edition:

Please click on a link above to immediately go to that section.

 

The U.S. Education System is Broken, or is it?

U.S. public education is broken, or at least that is what politicians are telling us. While most statistics actually don’t support this notion, public school systems are being forced more than ever to contend with the school choice movement, and are doing so by implementing everything possible to maintain their enrollment numbers and related funding.  Increased rigor, along with ambitious initiatives from social-emotional to personalized learning to whole-child education, are being woven into the school day. Are we getting to the point where interjecting more educational design might actually be breaking education? Should school be responsible for addressing all aspects of a young person’s development?

The U.S. public education system has its issues, but life will always be the most important teacher. Until we redefine the role of school in our lives, no education system can reach its full potential.

PISA Scores Tell A Tale of Two Cities

When you analyze PISA scores (Programme for International Student Assessment), the latest data shows that U.S. students are average at best. Looking at this alone, one could argue that our system is broken--we should be much better than average. However, when you dissect these scores further and look at schools with fewer than 25% of students on FRLP (Free and Reduced Lunch), the United States jumps right to the top (https://www.turnaroundusa.org/2015-pisa-analysis/).  

It’s not our education system that is broken, it is our society.  We don’t have a public education problem; we have a poverty problem.

Granted, public education must serve all segments of society and hasn’t figured out how to best serve the poor. Poverty is a cycle, and the resources required to effectively break that cycle go beyond what public education should bear when its mandate is to help all students achieve the same results.  No school can be all things to all students, but every school needs to be some things to all students. Basic academics give a strong foundation to all, and schools must also create environments where the entire range of its community is represented. It must foster inclusion and collaboration. The future requires this degree of cultural competence.

I believe the challenge of educating the poor out of poverty needs to be dealt with as a separate but coordinated effort outside of the public school environment.  If we are going to break this cycle, we need a 24/7 mechanism that is either a residential school like Shanti Bhavan with whom I partner in India, or an after-school plus online program that has this focus.  The Los Angeles-based organization Educating Young Minds is an example of the latter. In the USA, I like the after-school model because I still believe that full inclusion in public schools--regardless of race, religion, and socioeconomics--is the only way to properly prepare all students for a globalized future.

Segregation on the Rise

While freedom of choice is as American as apple pie, “school choice” is self-selected segregation.  It may offer parents opportunities and possibilities to help their children acquire the best academic achievement possible, but it sends us backwards in terms of cultural competence and what most of us publicly claim to want: racial and social equality. This can only be accomplished through inclusion and integration.

A 2016 study by the Government Accountability Office concluded that poor, African-American and Hispanic students have been increasingly isolated from their affluent, white peers in charter and magnet schools. The proportion of schools segregated by race and class climbed from 9% in 2001 to 16% in 2014. (https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-345)

A recent USA Today article highlighted the details of this disturbing trend. Despite a history of legal efforts that ban segregated schooling, current “choices” lend themselves to this.  Sadly, this will have the lasting impact of instilling a mindset of segregation in young learners rather than teaching and enabling them to truly learn by interacting in multicultural class settings, and to develop the skills and empathy to be positive agents of change.

Where Education Needs to Shift

A holistic education goes beyond the scope of school.  Within K-12 itself, the academic basics and an inclusive environment with mandatory collaborative activities will set a strong foundation for the education of life. Increasing the length of the school day and the pressure on students and teachers to perform reduces interaction with the outside world where children can simultaneously apply their education.  We must pave the way for greater interaction between children and adults who are neither their parents nor teachers, but have much wisdom to share. Finally, we cannot further deprive families of time together. The family unit, for better or worse, is the primary source of a child’s education and identity. For those families who are less stable or functional, having a child with a strong foundation from school can only be a positive influence on the rest of the family, as long as we make sure that the opportunity for outside positive influence from other adults exists.  

School’s primary purpose is no longer educating children, but rather, preparing them to be educated by the world for the rest of their lives.

I would greatly value your thoughts on this subject, so please feel free to send me an email.  Moreover, if you are a teacher or administrator in education, may I request a maximum of ten minutes of your time and ask you to complete the following survey on these very issues?  Your voice helps inform mine, so please click this link and help me out:

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CK6SDC8

Advisory Board Addition

Ravi Unites, Inc., is pleased to announce the addition of Mary Beth Pelosky to the board.  Mary is an expert in educational policy and leadership, including fellowships with the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), U.S. State Department/ConSed Brazil Principal Exchange, and George Mason’s Confucius Institute (China). She is also a former public school principal, administrator, and teacher.  

View the entire board here >

Ravi Unites Schools Update

  • On April 30, Ravi will host a very special student interaction between students ages 12-14 Wenlock School in Santiago, Chile and MacArthur Middle School in Fort Meade, Maryland, USA.  Both schools are part of the prestigious International Baccalaureate program.
  • As noted above....we want your input and invite you to take this <10 minute survey about the state of US education.  Your voice helps inform mine, and together we really can make a difference.  Click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CK6SDC8

 

 

Equity and Access in Education: Our Need to Think Bigger

Welcome to this month’s edition of news and updates from Ravi Unites!  In this edition:

Please click on a link above to immediately go to that section.

 

Equity and Access in Education, Our Need to Think Bigger

Inequity in education remains a hot topic among stakeholders nationally, especially with the recent higher education scandal where wealthy families and well-known television personalities face federal charges of college entrance admission cheating. With figures from recent studies showing that children living in certain parts of the country are less likely to complete secondary education or be admitted to a university, and those from immigrant backgrounds or minority groups (including Native American Indians) are more likely to leave school earlier, something significant must be done.  It is clear there is a serious ongoing problem.

Many articles have been written offering solutions but the situation still exists. We need to go deeper.  We need to reevaluate the core of how our education system functions and is funded.

Here are four important ways to address the issue of equity in education, but let’s first define “equity.”

What is Equity in Education?

The dictionary defines equity as “fairness and impartiality based on the principles of even-handed dealing,” adding that it “involves giving as much consideration, latitude or advantage to one party as is given to the other(s).”

In the context of education, a more relevant definition is provided by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): “A fair and inclusive system that makes advantages of education accessible to all.”

Equity vs. Equality

The unique differences between equity and equality often cause confusion. Many times they are incorrectly interchanged. While both equity and equality are cornerstones of social justice and fair resource allocation, they are significantly different.

According to the National Association for Multicultural Education, “equality is primarily concerned with treating people the same way or giving them equal access to resources and opportunities.”

Equity is a little different. With equity, focus is on ensuring that everyone receives what they need to be successful – even if it means being unequal across socioeconomic lines. According to the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), equity’s primary concern is “creating school cultures that recognize and value diversity.”

How to Achieve Equity in Education

The OECD lists 10 steps stakeholders can take to achieve equity in education. I've drawn from those steps and narrowed it down to four key areas.

  • Prioritize culturally responsive teaching

In her book: Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain, Zaretta Hammond writes that academic struggles are often attributed to a “culture of poverty” but the real reason for these struggles is the “failure to offer learners sufficient opportunities in the classroom to develop the skills and habits of mind needed to prepare them for more advanced academic tasks.”

Culturally responsive education, or as I call it, "cultural competence," focuses on elevating and expanding learning capacities of students who are traditionally marginalized in the education system, an approach that can go a long way in addressing common challenges associated with cultural incompetence. When we provide traditionally marginalized students with opportunities for high-level thinking, and we also provide all students with training to relate in positive ways with people of different cultural backgrounds, we’re training them to become competitive on the global stage.

  • Provide differentiated instruction, or “personalized learning”

Differentiated instruction essentially means identifying the needs of each student and providing the modalities for learning and challenges that fit those needs. In other words, school systems must provide facilities and environments that are conducive to personalized learning.  This will often mean a change from traditional classroom setups.  Moreover, teachers must plan learning experiences with every student’s needs, interests, styles, and preferences in mind. Just like John Taylor Gatto says in his book: Dumbing Us Down, the Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, “we need to invest in curricula where each child has the opportunity to develop personal uniqueness and self-reliance.”

Data is one tool that can be used in this area. Why? Because people sometimes have perceptions that do not reflect what is actually happening in the school community. Equity-related data can be researched to help educators prepare instruction that benefit all students.

  • Inform the allocation of resources

Stakeholders must also think about how resources, ranging from books provided in classrooms to student funding and school building design and setup, impact equity. Students from low-income families and those of color traditionally require more resources to level the playing field. Those with disabilities, meanwhile, require appropriate infrastructure to overcome their challenges. These groups benefit from additional funding. How we allocate these resources within the classroom, in the school district, and at the national level has a huge impact on educational outcomes.  Programs like Title 1 help us achieve equity, but professional development, which is currently being cut in many states and in the President’s most recent budget proposal, is also critical.

  • Provide and support school choice for all

Why shouldn't school choice be a fundamental right in a free society?  Moreover, having one's education be independent of government funding and therefore independent of potential modern-day indoctrination also seems like a desirable scenario. The idea of school choice, in theory, has great potential to provide equity and accessibility. The Model promotes greater individualized education and less of a sheep-herding approach.  The challenge for successful implementation is that additional barriers musts be recognized and overcome for this to truly be a “choice for all.” One simple example is transportation. Some families simply don’t have the resources to transport the child to and from a distant school. Resources must always be provided to offset this need in public education. As our society advances, we must double down on identifying and removing barriers so that every child is more readily able to reach her highest potential.   

Can diverting public funds to private institutions ultimately lead to equity, and isn't equity fundamental to our strength as a country, or as a species?  In my opinion, those funds should be invested in our public schools in order to provide greater equity in education. Further segregation through school choice--ultimately self-selection segregation--generally reduces diversity; if not done with equity and access in mind and deliberate action, this may ultimately hinder students’ abilities to function in a globalized world.

Key Takeaway

As Gatto writes; “It’s absurd and anti-life to be part of a system that forces you to sit in confinement with people from exactly the same age and social class. Such a system effectively cuts you off from life’s diversity and the associated synergy; indeed, it blocks you from your own past and future.” In the education system, addressing equity at more fundamental and deeper levels is the only solution to this problem.

News & Events:

Britannica “Stand Out” Awards Entry Extended Until April 1st

I am honored to be a judge for Britannica’s first ever “Stand-Out” awards.  We want to hear about the character of students and educators, like you, who have exemplified extraordinary and inspiring characteristics that have helped to make an impact on students and classrooms. There are cash prizes for both students and teachers. Check out the following link to learn more: https://britannicalearn.com/awards/

 

Thoughts from my recent keynote for the Shoshone-Bannock tribe and the Northwest Indian Youth Summit

Lots of thoughts go through my mind.  Young people from Native American groups indigenous to the North American continent suffer from many of the same epidemics that the rest of society suffers from: opioid addiction, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, technology addiction, and so on. On top of that, they face significant racism that is on par with most immigrant populations. Yet ironically, they are not immigrants; they are native to this part of the world.

That brings me to the current discussion about building a wall along the southern border of the United States. I can't help but wonder: if we were to turn back the clock hundreds of years but with the indigenous population having the experience that they have now, would they have built a wall to keep out illegal immigrants (whom we now call "citizens") who stole their land and committed crimes and murders against them?

And then there is the issue of integration: how can the native population celebrate and share their cultures without the majority attempting to silence it?  For example, how alienating it must be that some of the first school year holidays include Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. How do we become more culturally competent in the United States so that we can truly embrace the original founders of our land and make their many heritages something that every student will know more about, appreciate, and celebrate?

April 5th, 2019: Mississippi Association of School Administrators Conference, Biloxi MS

Mississippi’s economy is ranked 49th in the U.S. To help educators and administrators elevate the national standard of education and work toward equity in education, it is as important for me to learn as much from those in Mississippi as I hope they will learn from me. For this reason, I will arrive a day early to listen as state and local leadership address the challenges facing education in their state.  This will help inform my closing keynote on April 5, 2019.

Civil Discourse: 3 Ways to Help Students Learn to Engage with Civility

Welcome to this month’s edition of news and updates from Ravi Unites!  In this edition:

Please click on a link above to immediately go to that section.

Civil Discourse:  3 Ways to Help Students Learn to Engage with Civility

 

Politics on social media... the two go together like fire and lighter fluid!

Simply post something about politics on Facebook and watch how fast the conversation becomes negative and polarizing. I've been intentionally sharing provocative reflections recently on my Facebook Page, Ravi Unites, to promote civil discourse and have found that the discussion heats up quickly. There is a lack of effort or ability to seek productive dialogue which results in fruitless conversation that draws boundaries instead of building bridges.  What are we teaching the next generation of young leaders? Moreover, in a society where admitting fault has become akin to being unpatriotic, how do we progress as a nation and encourage our children to grow into lifelong learners if the art of being wrong and learning from it is no longer available as the pathway to success?

I believe strongly that the skill of civil discourse is a critical learning objective that needs to be addressed more intentionally in our educational systems. Unsurprisingly, I’m not the only one that is troubled by this trend. Chris Lundberg, an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, shares the same concerns and notes how we have become a society of incivility. He explains that politeness is a prerequisite for good public discourse, and like I, feels that avoiding the truth in the name of preserving a good discussion does not serve society well. The issue is that we have a lack of training and healthy modeling of productive sharing of ideas and opinions. Therefore we must develop the skills for civil discourse that can enable a healthy exchange of ideas rather than devolving into negativity and outlandish attacks.

How Do We Regain Civility?

The original concept of societal civilus (or a civilized society) meant that members of the society were supposed to comport themselves in a way that seeks well for the society. We must help future leaders understand and learn how to engage in civil discourse from a young age by preparing them to confront and civilly debate even the most charged topics. And, no, civil doesn’t mean hiding the truth.

While we all have a duty to practice good manners when addressing other people, being civil also comes with the responsibility to do what’s right for society – tell the truth. This is what we need to instill in these leaders of tomorrow.

The following are three practical ways to introduce students to civil discourse in the classroom:

1. Have Students Watch Public Debates

Like any other skill, the ability to engage in civil discourse is learned one step at a time. So, in order to take the first step, I recommend educators start with this simple activity; something that doesn’t feel personally threatening to individual participants.  

Watching (rather than participating in) a debate is an excellent learning opportunity. Let students watch other people debate contentious topics and then discuss the discourse that took (or didn’t take) place.   What was helpful? What was not? What can they learn from what they have observed? There are several places to find excellent material for this kind of teaching: Oxford Union, National Debate and Speech Association, and Intelligence Squared.

2. Introduce Private, Silent Journaling

After watching several debates, move to the next step – silent, reflective journaling. This is where students are presented with a debatable statement and asked to; Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree with it, privately; no one has to know their stance.

This strategy works very well because students can confidently express their views without fear of confrontation from others who may not share the same viewpoint. More important, it gets them into the practice of taking positions on difficult topics. With time, you can ask them to defend their choices by giving reasons for their answers. This further instills discipline as it cultivates the culture of taking a position for a reason rather than just following the herd.

3. Introduce class debates

This is where art of civil discourse flourishes. Begin with relatively easy, non-threatening topics and slowly move to more highly charged topics as the students become used to publicly expressing and defending a viewpoint (and not necessarily their own).  Lay out your ground rules and share tips for positive and civil discussion. The key is to assign each student a viewpoint to defend. This way they are challenged to think critically and respond respectfully, whether or not they agree with the position or not, and always give participants enough time to research the topic and come up with points.

It’s Not Too Late

Current trends on social media are not overly positive, but it’s not too late to salvage the future and make sure that poor discussion habits do not dominate social and professional situations. Introducing these three strategies in the classroom can help bring back some sanity by weaving critical civil discourse skills into tomorrow’s leaders.

Ravi Unites Schools Update: Practicing Civil Discourse Together

If you live in the United States, I hope you will agree that it is time to practice civil discourse and to guide our students to do the same. This spring, I am hosting free real-time audio-video interactions between students within the country. I strongly encourage you to make every effort to participate when you receive an email inviting you to select a date and time for an interaction. If these dates do not work for you, please write sandy@raviunitesschools.com to be placed on the waiting list.

Participating now will not interfere with future opportunities and you will still be notified as new international dates and times emerge. I continue to work to build a feasible schedule with schools registered from China, Chile, India, Japan, Canada and New Zealand. The vast differences in time zone, cultural norms, video communications systems, school day and time availabilities continue to inspire and challenge me.

Upcoming Events:

March 18th, 2019

Northwest Indian Youth Summit, Fort Hall, ID

I am very excited to work with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe and deliver the keynote to their youth community on developing a growth mindset. Native American Indians are an essential and marginalized segment of the US population, and I look forward to learning more about how to help them overcome the cultural biases and obstacles they face, preserve and promote their culture, and help others learn, respect and appreciate their values, traditions, art forms and more..

 

April 5th, 2019

Mississippi Association of School Administrators Conference, Biloxi MS

Mississippi’s economy is ranked 49th in the U.S. To help educators and administrators elevate the national standard of education and work toward equity in education, it is as important for me to learn as much from those in Mississippi as I hope they will learn from me. For this reason, I will arrive a day early to listen as state and local leadership address the challenges facing education in their state.  This will help inform my closing keynote on April 5, 2019.

Three Reasons Non-Urban School Districts Need to Increase Cultural Competence and Learn the Positives of Globalization

Welcome to this month’s edition of news and updates from Ravi Unites!  In this edition:

Please click on a link above to immediately go to that section.

Three Reasons Non-Urban School Districts Need to Increase Cultural Competence and Learn the Positives of Globalization

It’s that time again when the calendar flips, we evaluate the past and plan for the future.  The school year in the U.S. follows a different cycle, and regular evaluation and reevaluation in school districts must happen year round; this includes undergoing professional development.

In 2018, I had the privilege to deliver the keynote address for several district-wide convocations. I tend to focus on national and global conferences but was reminded that significant change often happens at the grassroots level, perhaps now more than ever.  I began to embrace the opportunity to interact with teachers directly—they are the face of education and, if empowered to do so, have the greatest gift to offer society.

My concern in speaking at convocations for non-urban, small, and especially rural districts was that my messages of the need for greater cultural competence and the positives of globalization might be perceived as irrelevant to them.  However, as I became more familiar with these local communities, I was struck by how culturally diverse many are. For example, Harrisonburg, Virginia has a rapidly changing and diverse population due to refugee resettlements (http://www.wmra.org/topic/refugees-virginia#stream/0), and there are many others that may seem homogeneous but actually have or will have a high degree of cultural diversity that needs to be included in education strategy and planning.

The Country is Becoming more Diverse as a Whole

While it is commonly accepted that diversity has increased in urban areas, diversity has significantly increased in rural areas as well.  In fact, data shows that 97% of smaller cities (10,000-50,000) in the U.S. have increased diversity since 1980 (Theconversation.com).  This emphasizes that the impact of immigration and growing diversity is not limited to major metropolitan areas only but extends out to all communities and thus all public school districts across the U.S.  

With this trend comes the need for education leaders to foster the cultural competence of students and communities; to help them proactively seek common ground and overcome any potential fear, bias, and closed off interactions. As we saw last week in Washington DC, implicit bias appears to have contributed to misinterpreted hostilities between three diverse groups (Native Americans, white Catholic school students, and Black Hebrew Israelites) who had separately convened at the Lincoln Memorial to exercise their freedom of speech. Moreover, with the heated debate about building a wall along the southern border of the United States, the distinctions between illegal, legal, and refugee immigration are often intentionally muddled. Education must aim to correct what is at the core of such misunderstandings.

Increase of Immigrants Settling Outside of Large Cities

The number of immigrants settling in suburban and rural areas of the U.S. has grown substantially and the trend continues to move in that direction. Since 2014, over 61% of immigrants now live in suburban areas (The Atlantic). These individuals seek the same things we all look for: affordable housing, job opportunities, and quality schools for their children, to name a few.  This outward mobility from urban centers means that suburban and rural school districts are indeed more diverse than ever before, and the skills to understand, appreciate, and value people from different backgrounds and cultures needs to be high priority.

Diversity Has Become Self-Sustaining

Not only has diversity from immigration increased across all areas of the U.S., this diversity is generally self-sustaining.  Minority groups are maintaining and growing through the birth of children. The majority of U.S. Hispanics are now native born. Of the 57.4 million people in 2016 who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino, only 34 percent (19.6 million) are first generation immigrants (Migration Policy Institute).   Cultural dynamics in the U.S. are changing permanently and all communities and school districts are impacted.  We must each increase our own cultural competencies and develop pathways to instill skills for listening, learning, and appreciating the value of people from different cultures and backgrounds. Forward-thinking educational leaders must equip teachers to model and teach cultural competence in the classroom. It’s an amazing time to be alive.

 

I’d welcome the opportunity to talk further about these trends and how your school district is working at increasing cultural competence among students and families.

Ravi Unites Schools Update

Looking Ahead: Refining Methods for Matching Schools in 2019

Last year, we tested Ravi’s assertions that students crave opportunities to connect in real time with their peers in other parts of the world, that educators seek new ways to increase their students’ cultural competencies, and that this stimulates greater empathy and action on behalf of others. By August, over 100 schools and districts had registered to Skype with a student group in another geographic region through the Ravi Unites Schools initiative. 12 classrooms with over 100 students ages 9-18 have now interacted between India, United States, China, Chile and Japan, and many more will in 2019. The Association of School Superintendents (AASA) and STEM Institute are strategic partners, and we are in discussions with Britannica. The overwhelmingly positive results were captured on video, through teacher testimonials, and in previous blogs and e-newsletter updates: learn more here.

In 2019, we will offer registered educators a larger array of dates and times from which to choose. This will increase the likelihood that schools will be able to participate. Due to the large numbers of U.S. schools participating, most opportunities will be domestic.  This spring, we will also work to build a feasible schedule of opportunities with schools registered from China, Chile, India, Japan, Canada and New Zealand. Wish us luck! There are inherent challenges in overcoming the vast differences in time zone, cultural norms, video communications systems, school day and time availabilities. Thank you for your patience. We hope that many more schools will be able to interact in 2019.

Ravi to Judge Britannica “Stand Out” Awards

I am honored to be a judge for Britannica’s first ever “Stand-Out” awards.  We want to hear about the character of students and educators, like you, who have exemplified extraordinary and inspiring characteristics that have helped to make an impact on students and classrooms. There are cash prizes for both students and teachers. Check out the following link to learn more: https://britannicalearn.com/awards/

Ravi Announces Advisory Board

Ravi welcomes his first few advisors to his board: Bob Moje, principal of VMDO Architects specializing in educational spaces, Mary Luehrsen of National Association of Music Merchants specializing in policy development and government relations efforts affecting access to music education, and Jeffrey Sexton of the US Department of State with over 30 years of US international public and cultural diplomacy experience. Learn more at https://RaviUnites.com/about

Reaching Beyond Rigor

Reaching Beyond Rigor

In the words of USA Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin: “True merit consists of an inclination and ability to serve mankind, and this merit can only be acquired or significantly increased through true learning. This should be the great aim and end of all learning.”

Franklin’s ideology resonates with my view of a “holistic education”--one that is based on the tenet that people find their identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, nature, and humanitarian values such as kindness and peace.  Most schools recognize the importance of this and adopt a holistic or “whole child” education philosophy, but are they executing it effectively, and is it even possible for a school to achieve this alone?

The philosophy of Wenlock School in Santiago, Chile, resonates with me (their students participated in last week’s Ravi Unites Schools Real-time Audio-Video Interaction...see video). Its fundamental principle is that parents are the first educators of their children and the school is a collaborator in this task. Indeed, my influences outside of school (including family) were the most significant contributors to my becoming educated. Leaving time for life lessons rather than elongating school days and scheduling school-related activities on weekends is essential to comprehensively educate a child.

Every educator must consider whether he or she is most effectively helping students to develop the necessary “inclination and ability” to serve themselves and the broader global community.

Busier and Longer Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better

I encounter many school schedules and environments that leave me wondering if students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. The structure, demands, and wide array of school day and extracurricular offerings may actually have unintended consequences by forcing students into silos, restricting the release of creativity, and inhibiting their overall development. Consider this: can too many choices for students lead to adults who are only able to choose from opportunities presented to them rather than to create opportunities themselves?  This may be the difference between followers and leaders, and employees and entrepreneurs.

To properly prepare the next generation to pivot with a growth mindset in a rapidly changing society and job market, I believe that education systems must consider:

  • Reducing the demands and time commitment of the total school day, including extracurricular activities and homework
  • Limiting school related activities on weekends to create more opportunities for family time
  • Allowing for “downtime” and even boredom to foster creativity and inspire students to create choices rather than choose from them.

Family Time Plays a Key Role in Holistic Learning

This brings us to family time. With busier school days, lots of homework, and weekend school-related activities, school-related education takes up nearly all of the students’ (and parents’) time. If we are to achieve holistic education, children must have more time with their families for these reasons:

  • Family gives children a lifelong sense of belonging: Schools offer no shortage of opportunities for students to grow their identity through school pride: sports teams, mascots, school motto, etc.  However, students eventually graduate from school but remain part of their families for life. Identity should not be so tightly tied to transient experiences, as that can foster loneliness and disaffection.
  • To learn important life lessons: As already mentioned, the most important life lessons come from outside the classroom. Many of these lessons come during family time, including acquiring the coveted soft skills.
  • To learn the value of family: Family is more than blood relations. It is also a set of values and skills that lead to a more collaborative work and societal environment. Sufficient family time is the greatest opportunity to instill these values in our children (there are of course exceptions with dysfunctional families, and that must be considered on case-by-case basis).

Education Is What Remains After You Forget Everything You Were Taught

Authors Russell L. Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg, in their book; Turning Learning Right Side Up: Putting Education Back on Track, poke holes in the current education system saying that it is time that we accept that nothing worth learning can actually be taught. Perhaps that is true, and many incorrectly assume that for every ounce of teaching, there is an ounce of learning. As I say in my keynotes, “Education is what remains after you forget everything you were taught.”  If we spend school time focused on teaching students learning strategies and techniques and then give them the free time to implement them on their own, make mistakes, become bored, and muddle their way out of obstacles (often self imposed), they will become lifelong learners.

How can we create more holistic education system?  I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please comment below and let me know.

What Do You Have to Lose? The Value of Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

What Do You Have to Lose? The Value of Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

 

My father went against conventional wisdom by frequently encouraging me to live just beyond my means. He believed that by doing so, it forced me to try harder, go further, and expand my comfort zone step-by-step.  

The “comfort zone” as defined by LifeHacker, is “a behavioral space where our activities and behaviors fit a routine pattern that minimizes risk and reduces stress.”  The comfort zone has been termed a killer of dreams by some experts and identified by others as the main reason many people never live to taste true success. It is the antithesis of a growth mindset. Although the zone can reward you with some happiness and reduced anxiety, it has been shown that staying cozy within your comfort zone ultimately reduces creativity, limits vision, and stunts growth.

Benefits of Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

Despite the “at home” feeling we get in the comfort zone, life gets way more exciting when you decide to explore the world beyond those boundaries. Having a growth mindset is central to innovation. The following are three key ways you will benefit;

You Become More Productive

Comfort is the antithesis of productivity and growth as it causes us to be satisfied with the status quo. You won’t strive to accomplish more because you can survive on what you have. You will also feign “busy” as a way of justifying your current outputs. Pushing yourself out of the comfort zone inspires you to want more and therefore work harder and smarter to increase your output, along the lines of what my father was trying to teach me.  By taking more risks we develop a higher risk tolerance over time and thus increase our capacity and productivity.

It Helps You Deal With Change

In a recent New York Times article University of Houston Professor Brene Brown explains that the worst thing we can do in life is pretend that fear and uncertainty don’t exist, because they do - and we experience them every day. Learning to live outside your comfort zone is one of the best ways to prepare for unexpected changes in life.  If you have a higher capacity for readiness to accept change, which being outside one’s comfort zone helps foster, then when forced change happens you have the fortitude to deal with it in a positive way.

You Get To Harness Your Creativity

Creativity is innately risky, but also tremendously worthwhile. When you share your creativity with others, you’re opening up to vulnerability and possible rejection. Yet there is a silver lining! The same risk-taking increases the possibility of great creative achievement, including creating opportunities where you may not have achieved otherwise. Like Forbes contributor Steve Kotler once said; “Creatives fail and the really good ones fail often.”  Stepping out of your comfort zone boosts self confidence, improves quality of life, and allows us to learn more about ourselves.

It is Not an Easy Task

Getting out of your comfort zone is easier said than done. The main reason for this is that humans are creatures of comfort. We are wired to seek comfort. Therefore, when you finally reach a mental state where you feel comfortable, leaving that place becomes a fight.

Another reason leaving the comfort zone is never easy is the fear of failure and possible rejection. What if you take a big risk and fail? Will you lose your credibility and perhaps even a few friends? Always ask yourself, “What do I have to lose?”You will find more often than not that you have very little to lose, but so much to gain.

Finally, leaving your comfort zone is also difficult because of the way our brains work. The famous Yerkes-Dodson Law shows that our brains can only be pushed up to a certain limit, beyond which performance drops. In most cases, after performance drops, the brain works out that the risk isn’t worth it anymore, forcing us to reset to – our comfort zones.  

Steps to Successfully Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

There are at least two key types of comfort zones, including habits of thinking and habits of acting.  Awareness is key in moving beyond the comfort zone, but action is also key. Here’s a primer on how to successfully get out of your comfort zone and focus on a growth mindset:

  1. Start small:  Begin with small steps. By changing just a small part of your daily routines, you can slowly learn to get outside your comfort zone. This can be as simple as changing the order in which you do things in the morning, and then asking yourself what, if any, result it produced.
  2. Help others:  Find situations that you can proactively resolve for other people. This exercise helps you move beyond your habits of thinking and acting by entering someone else’s world.  It will also strengthen your sense of empathy, which will undoubtedly make your actions outside of your comfort zone more impactful and rewarding.
  3. Find a mentor:  A mentor is someone whom you want to emulate in life. They can also be directly involved in your life and give you feedback.  Following their success path can help you overcome some fears and latent comforts that hold you back from growing. For me, Sir Richard Branson has always been a role model in terms of taking calculated risks and expanding one’s comfort zone.

If you’re up for the journey, why not begin today? It takes effort and steps of faith, but it is definitely possible.  

 

New Growth Mindset Keynote Topic

Ravi has developed and launched a new keynote in the growth mindset arena titled, “What Do You Have to Lose? Step Out of Your Comfort Zone”.  Based on the core belief that the future requires a growth mindset, this motivating keynote focuses on the value of developing a tolerance for risk.  

Ravi uses his compelling journey to showcase how lifelong learning leads to success.  

Read more about the keynote here…

 

Education Leadership Results Are In On the Future of Multiplayer Online Gaming

This past June we published a blog post entitled, “Can time spent playing online games help teens develop cultural competency?”  The post detailed shared interests between students in India and the United States, including multiplayer online gaming.  The blog invited education leaders to weigh in on this global teen phenomenon, and results are in from our quick survey, Digital Priorities and the Future of Multiplayer Online Gaming.

While only 25% of the professionals and educators responded that they participate in online gaming themselves, 58% believe that multiplayer online gaming is a good activity for young people. Educators appear willing to recognize that the level of engagement students demonstrate when involved with multiplayer online games is worth noting and perhaps channeling for positive impact.  One educator reflected that “The content of the experience/activity is of concern, [but] I believe the problem solving, creative thinking and language skill development can provide greater relevance and purpose for young adult learner, which may lead to enhancing their growth and development in technology-rich environments.”  

Interestingly, that same number feel that multiplayer online gaming could provide an even greater interaction, and thus educational opportunity, than a structured Skype conversation (such as the one offered by Ravi Unites Schools). “A deep established relationship could occur,” says one administrator, “however I believe to work it might need teacher interaction, reviewed or completed during schooling hours.   I think it is such a perfect way to reach kids where there are, because that is where the real learning takes place.”

When asked whether multiplayer online gaming could have a useful place in the classroom experience, educators did not hold back their views.  In addition to encouraging social collaboration and teamwork, problem solving skills, creativity, and an opportunity to share common interests, multiplayer online games could be used as an assessment tool -- a ‘gamification’ of assessment, as one participant called it. More expressed caution, including one who indicated “if there is a way to assess the educational impact on a student's learning, then yes. [However] those that are combative and foster unhealthy competitiveness and agitation can impact the child's entire day.”

Survey respondents felt there is potential for this type of gaming to increase cross-cultural competency. Beyond the 75% that responded affirmatively, those that responded with a specific reply felt that it depended on the game, content, and purpose.

The general consensus was that online gaming does have potential to be used for education purposes and increasing cross-cultural competency, and those responding indicated a trend towards seeking out an educational multiplayer online game for the students in their schools and classrooms to play.

The results were very interesting and trended towards favoring the involvement of multiplayer online games.  The survey gave us a window into the minds of educational professionals in the classroom and within administration positions.  

Here’s a link to the first blog post on multiplayer online gaming. What do you think about the survey results and potential for online gaming to be a valuable educational tool and method to increase cross-cultural competency?  Please feel free to respond with your comments.