American Ingenuity and the Role of Education

A recent email I received bemoaned the loss of industrialization in America, and the evolution to new technologies. It is clear to me that the answer to America's continued viability as an economic and world power lies in our educational systems, and their ability (or lack thereof) to turn out a nation of problem solvers that can continue America's prominence as an exporter of ideas.

The trap that Americans are so fond of – rose-lensed nostalgia for the good old days - fails to acknowledge real truths of progress. After all, our country was founded and has operated with “change” as the cornerstone of our nation. Forefathers wanted change, which led to them being here in the first place, and the desire to change individual lives and our nation’s past for the better has been the impetus for all which led to our country’s economic and cultural prosperity. The question posed is whether anyone can demonstrate that a deindustrialized America will be economically viable. A better question might be how anyone could believe that an America focused on industrialization rather than ideas could continue to provide the quality of living Americans have come to expect and aspire to – and the answer to that question is simply that it could not, and the responsibility for our future falls on schools.

The notion that other countries are at economic war with us may or may not be true. What is certainly true is that other countries have copied the American economic model, even under the umbrella of nationally espoused anti-capitalist philosophy. The problem for them is that they are years behind in copying a model that is no longer viable. The truth is that while China may now be the most industrialized nation in the world, that has not translated into a stable economic future even for them. The World Economic Forum publishes a Global Competitiveness Report each year, and for many years the United States has topped that report. Last year the U.S. dropped to # 2, and this year is 4th. Conspicuously absent from the Top Ten, and ranked well down the list, is China, despite being the world’s #1 manufacturer of goods. How can that be? It’s pretty simple – the U.S continues to be the world’s #1 exporter of ideas.

The U.S. so far outdistances the rest of the world in the sale of intellectual property (as evidenced by sales of licenses and royalty fees), that other countries are barely a part of that discussion. The World Economic Forum cites the U.S. strength in ideas , “The United States is home to highly sophisticated and innovative companies operating in very efficient factor markets. The country is also endowed with an excellent university system that collaborates strongly with the business sector in R&D. Combined with the scale opportunities afforded by the sheer size of its domestic economy—the largest in the world by far—these qualities continue to make the United States very competitive. “ (WE 2010). In fact, the nations which have moved up the list (Switzerland is this year’s #1), have done so not so much on the strength of their industrialization, but on the strength of their ingenuity and idea export in a global digital economy. China leads the world in the manufacture and export of toys, but the U.S. leads the world in the creation and sale of valuable intellectual property. I’ll take the ingenuity of my Mac over the engineering of my daughter’s Zhu Zhu pets (furry, mechanical hamsters for those without young children at home...).

The answer for America’s future economic viability as a global competitor lies not in holding on to an industrial model of economics, but in cultivating a future generation of problem solvers. This isn’t to say that there isn’t value in manufacturing “things”, and that holding on to manufacturing footholds isn’t important, but what is more important in our flattening world is the ability to create. In education we are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist. The answer for our future economic viability is creating a generation of young people who will strengthen the United States’ position as the birthplace of valuable ideas. After all, in industrialization, it was not the cars themselves that represented America’s foundation as a country, it was the ingenuity of their design and manufacture. This is the critical distinction that arguments regarding industrialization miss. Should we manufacture things – sure. Should they be the same things we’ve always manufactured? Almost certainly not.

Current education reforms ironically mirror image today’s economic trends. American education leaders are chasing a Chinese / Asian model that even those countries no longer use. While America now requires divulging test scores of competing school districts and states, the Chinese government expressly forbids this practice. They studied American schools (and continue to), and realize that the reason America has created a nation with ingenuity as its greatest strength is that schools have not limited the growth of that ingenuity - in fact they have encouraged it. Ironically, today’s education reforms in America are moving actively away from exactly what the rest of the world is beginning to embrace. That, more than the loss of industrialization, endangers our country’s standing.

The answer lies where it always has – America’s greatest strength throughout history has been its ingenuity, creativity. Did I love my old LPs? Yes, but I wouldn’t trade them today for my ipod. I still hold on to them out of nostalgia, but that nostalgia is based not on the thing, but the memories the thing triggers. The good old days really harken back to memories that we hold dear. Rarely is it really the technology or usefulness of the tool we miss, but the memories we associate with it. If the tool was really more useful in the “old days”, it would still be around. I miss having a newspaper delivered, and despite being a little bit of a tech geek, I still buy a print newspaper every day at the gas station because while I can read it online, I enjoy holding it in my hands. The truth is, the paper is more current and better online – I just like my habits. That’s true of most of us, but those things change over time. The only constant really is change. To change the future for the right kind of America requires a fundamental commitment to our education system as the foundation for creation of a nation of problem solvers that carries and builds our country’s legacy as the most innovative society to walk this planet to date.



Because creating a generation of problem solvers is infinitely complex, it hinges on education. In my opinion, America must:

1. Require schools to emphasize inquiry and problem solving delivery models.
2. Develop a system that promotes higher education for all – the greatest issue facing our country is not accessibility to health care (although that’s obviously important), but rather accessibility to education.
3. Develop a model that requires more significant training and development of talented people as educators, and weeds out unqualified or incapable candidates.

The guys that design the cars, design the buildings, and design manufacturing systems, have always been in great demand, perhaps more so than those who built them. Today that is more true than ever. In today’s world, the demand for the former is growing exponentially faster than the demand for the latter, and adapting to that need is our greatest challenge. Education is the answer.

Catching Up or Leading the Way

There is a perception prevalent in the media and in American society that American public schools lag behind the rest of the world, and are in a race to catch up. In fact, the federal government has sponsored "Race to the Top" legislation that our own state embraced with some sweeping changes to the ways public schools in Michigan operate. What many don't realize is that outside of the U.S. our education system is viewed by many as the model system for turning out the kind of creative problem solvers that today's digital age requires.

Dr. Yong Zhao of Michigan State University has written a book titled Catching Up or Leading the Way, in which he makes the argument that the U.S. is leading the world in producing the kind of high school graduate that will lead this millennium. He deconstructs arguments that because the U.S. is behind other nations in some standardized academic assessments that our educational system is failing, and refutes them by pointing out that the U.S. is still the world leader in terms of economic prosperity and the export of knowledge. He quantifies that our country is the leader in knowledge exports by demonstrating that the U.S. leads the world by a huge margin in the export of license fees and royalty fees which come from the sale of intellectual property. While China leads the world in the production of toys, the U.S. leads the world in the sale of ideas, and Dr. Zhao proposes that ideas are the economy of the digital age. Further he points out that while all U.S. students take the standardized tests, many nations select the students who will move forward academically at a young age and these comparisons are therefore not "apple to apple" looks at educational systems.

Ironically, as our country rides the wave of standardized testing, other nations are moving away from this trend and towards educational systems that embrace the whole child and develop strengths wherever they are found. In other words, while we strive to be more like other nations, they are striving to be more like us. Dr. Zhao uses the analogy of the Olympics as an argument against the kind of content specialization necessary to succeed on standardized tests and for a diversified education that allows individuals to develop their strengths. He points out what a dismal competition the Olympics would be if we forced everyone to compete in only one or two sports . It is the diversity of options that play to a variety of strengths that makes the games exciting and an event that we all want to see. Similarly, it would be a mistake for educators to narrow our focus at the expense of eliminating programs in arts, technology and athletics that allow students to develop well-rounded educations and develop in areas of aptitude.

At Grosse Pointe North we have continued to focus on cultivating a student body of problem solvers. Our goal is to deliver the content necessary for a knowledge base that when applied creatively and logically will deliver solutions to problems and needs that we haven't yet even identified. Our focus on inquiry and project based learning is about developing problem solving graduates who will "lead the way" in our digital, global economy. Historically, America has prided itself on being a nation that is independent, self-sufficient, and a leader on all fronts. To continue to lead the way, and be the nation that others aspire to be, our educational system must continue to set the standard for whole student instruction that molds leaders of tomorrow. We don't need a nation of test-takers, we need a nation of creative problem solvers.

You want something. Go get it. Period.

This is a great clip from the movie Pursuit of Happiness starring Will Smith. As we near the end of the first quarter, it's a great reminder to our kids that they have the responsibility and the ability to achieve whatever they desire. This is not just an actor in a movie, but a father talking to his son. Send it to your kids, post it on their Facebooks, use it as a reminder that we all have ownership of our dreams and their pursuit!

Spirit and Cereal

It's Homecoming Week around North High School, and the theme is cereal...really.

North has a very unique Homecoming Week, and while many things have changed over the years in the world of education, fortunately some of the traditions like Homecoming at North H.S. have remained. For administrators Homecoming weeks can sometimes be a little trying. The routines are different, students act differently, and sometimes our kids forget that they are in school despite it all being school related. Nevertheless, even after all these years I still appreciate that Homecoming week is a week when some of even our most apathetic , listless students show some life.

At North, each class has a color - freshmen are gold, sophomores green, juniors black, and seniors white - and the entire class wears a class shirt designed by a student in the appropriate color on their designated day. We have the usual class competitions: banners, floats, spirit at the pep rally, charity fundraisers and so on. The difference between North and some other schools is that virtually every student participates. It's a great reminder that if we find the right trigger there's some enthusiasm in all of us.

When we have our pep rally on Friday, all approx. 1400 students in the school will attend, and 90% plus will all actually be interested and care about what happens. When we have our dance Saturday night, we will expect a crowd of around 1200 students in a school of 1400. Despite claims to the contrary, our kids still care about school - maybe just not always about the classroom...

What does all this have to do with education and cereal? Well, the float themes are based on cereals. We have lucky charms and frosted flakes and all of the various slogans and characters associated with different cereals. The creativity our kids have already shown in creating their banners demonstrates some real abilities. Kids have come together and identified artists to draw, writers to write slogans, future interior designers to place everything, future leaders to organize, and everything comes together without a lot of adult aid (or interference depending on your perspective...). The implications for the classroom are significant. Find the right project, the right trigger, and the kids will do the rest. They'll create, organize and learn. Sounds simple right?

The art of teaching is finding the right approach to stimulate student interest. Homecoming is a reminder that all of our students are creative and enthusiastic about something - even if it's cereal. It's our job as educators to stimulate the kind of creativity and enthusiasm that a Friday Homecoming pep rally does.

As Tony the Tiger would say, "That would be Grrrrrreat!".

Nice Bike...Drive It

This term I'm teaching a class at Madonna University on current theories in teaching and learning. The theme of this week's class is motivation, and what role motivation has in learning. In preparing, it struck me how often the theme of motivation is central to discussions I have with students, parents and staff alike. There are as many motivation theories as there are theorists, but two books I've read recently really put some things in perspective for me.

A few years ago, North had well known motivational speaker Mark Scharenbroich do a presentation for our students. I've had the pleasure of knowing Mark for many years, and have often asked him to speak to students and/or staff. For several years, he has used a theme that I really believe most of us can identify with.

Mark tells of coincidentally being in Milwaukee for the 100th anniversary of Harley Davidson motorcycles. Hundreds and thousands of Harley owners were in town with their bikes. Now Harley owners think of their bikes as part of their family. They are closely connected to these machines, and they are part of each owner's identity. Mark observed that to make someone's weekend required only two words - "Nice Bike". Sounds simple, and it is. Unfortunately, many of us fail to realize that to teach and to connect with another person requires that we understand what is important to them and reach out to acknowledge others. "Nice Bike" is now the title of Mark's new book. In his words, " 'Nice Bike' is a gold star on your paper in elementary school....'Nice Bike' is going out of your way to let people know they matter. " Mark summarizes his "Nice Bike" philosophy in three powerful actions: Acknowledge, Honor and Connect.

Based on my many years of experience as an educator, coach and parent, I really believed that Mark Scharenbroich was right on the money when I heard him speak and read his book. In fact, one of my mentors often says "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"...in other words, until you give someone a "Nice Bike" you haven't connected enough to teach them anything. I really believed this concept...then I I read the hot new book Drive by Daniel Pink, and found much of what I believed to be true about motivation challenged.

Pink challenges traditional "carrot and stick" methods of motivation, and focuses on his three elements of motivation - autonomy, mastery and purpose. As I read, I found myself questioning whether what I thought I knew about motivation could have been entirely wrong. As the book developed though, what became clear is that Pink hits on what should be painfully obvious. As the world has changed, and continues to change, what motivates people will also change. We think and learn differently now than we did twenty years ago. It makes sense that we should be motivated in different ways.

Ultimately (and I recommend you read both books!) I was able to reconcile the themes of the two books. While what motivates us changes, and will continue to evolve, what hasn't changed is the need for human connection. In fact, that need has grown exponentially with the advent of social media. We're connected to more people in more places than ever before. Where schools, and in some cases individual educators, have sometimes failed to progress is in understanding what it is that our young people value.

To illustrate this point, last week I was standing outside the cafeteria and observed a young lady reading a graphic novel. I asked her what she was reading, and she reluctantly held the book high. I recognized the title and said "Those are cool. Have you read 'The Helm'?". She hadn't, and I told her about having read it this summer to get an idea what graphic novels are all about - it's a great, funny story. We talked for a few more minutes, and she thanked me for not calling her novel a "comic book" as others had. A few days later she stopped me in the hall and held up The Helm. "Mr. Bearden, this is so cool. Thanks for recommending it. I think it's cool that you read this."

What started as an attempt by me to give a kind of "Nice bike" to a student I didn't know ended up with me being on the receiving end of a "Nice bike". I'm now motivated to read more of these graphic novels because I know there are a growing number of kids who like them, it's a growing genre of literature, and because that connection made me feel good. I acknowledged our student's interest in something that was important, and she acknowledged me noticing. Both of these connections were motivating.

Daniel Pink is brilliant, and I loved the book Drive - in fact I think it's a very important book. That being said, I know that one thing will never change - real, honest, personal connections that involve us honoring, connecting and acknowledging others not only open the doors of relationships, but they are inspiring and motivating. For parents, educators and coaches, that's what it's all about...Nice bike Mark Scharenbroich, Nice bike.

Perspective

As we prepare to begin a new school year, I was reminded this past weekend of the importance in maintaining a perspective on what is really important in education, and in working with young people.

My 9 year old daughter played on the west side of the state this weekend in her first travel soccer tournament. This was a major event for her, and the first time she had participated in a sporting event of this magnitude - traveling across the state, staying in a hotel, and competing against girls she didn't know, from places of which she's never heard. The evening before the tournament, we overheard a conversation between my daughter and her younger sister. Her younger sister asked her, with all of the 7 year old innocence in the world, if she was more excited about going to the tournament to win, or swimming in the hotel pool with her friends. My little soccer player responded, "It's not about winning - it's about having fun". We couldn't have been more proud...

As we begin this new year, there will be literally hundreds of classes and sporting events each semester. We sometimes have a tendency to forget that learning, competing, and performing are all supposed to be fun. At North this year we will have an emphasis on project based learning. We truly believe that learning should be fun, competing and performing should be fun, and school in general should be fun. As the school year progresses, I want students and parents alike to communicate with our staff and administrative team about the experiences you are having. Our goal is to truly make the learning experience the best one possible for each individual.

School might not be as fun as swimming in a hotel pool with your friends, but 21st century focused, project based learning that engages every student can be a close second (o.k. - maybe not second, but we can still make it a great experience!!)...

Lessons from Camp

My son just returned from four days at a camp called Author Quest, run by renowned thriller author Johnathan Rand. It was, as he put it, "the best thing I've ever done in my life". We were apprehensive, as most parents would be, to send our young son away to camp in the woods for four days with people we didn't really know. Nevertheless, it could not have been a better experience. From this opportunity, both he and his parents learned some valuable lessons that I think are applicable to schools.

When we dropped our son off, and when we picked him up, one of the things that struck me was the "openness" of the other campers and the counselors. These kids were remarkably willing to put themselves "out there" in ways that are uncommon in many classrooms today. Certainly a level of trust is involved, and one of the campers in attendance filmed a segment for the camp's website in which he said he loved being around other kids who were just like him. He didn't mean kids who were the same age, height, ethnicity or religion - I think he meant kids who were creative, intellectually curious, willing to take risks, and excited to learn.

In the development of American schools, there has long been an argument on the pros and cons of "tracking" or segregating by ability. Most current achievement gap research suggests that such segregation is detrimental to overall success of schools, and for the most part, my personal experiences verify that belief. High performing students may perform exceptionally well in segregated, tracked classrooms, but low performing students need model students and positive peer examples to be successful. I have read research that indicates high performing students can also benefit by being in classrooms with students of lesser ability if the classes are well structured. Peer mentoring and tutoring allows high performing students the opportunity to reinforce that which they know by assisting in the learning process of others. The adage that one doesn't really know something until he or she has taught it certainly has some truth.

Which brings us back to my son's fellow camper who loved being where the kids were "like him"...

The clear lesson I took from this camper's comments, my son's experiences, and my observations was that the trait that was shared by the kids at Author Quest that made them immediately drawn to one another is that they were all enthusiastic and intellectually curious. So often today, educators face the challenge of apathy. Students are apathetic, and sometimes parents are equally so. The art of teaching in today's Twitterized world is really engagement as much as instruction. Teachers face greater and greater challenges in engaging students than ever before, and unless students are engaged, they will not be active learners. We have to cultivate classroom experiences that somehow make all the students feel that their peers are "like them" in their enthusiasm for learning.

Our focus has to continue to be inquiry and project based learning that taps into student interests to engage them in a learning process that tweaks their intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm to learn. Author Quest was a great reminder that when kids are engaged in something, there can be some amazing moments both for the learners and the instructors.

Finally, one of the things that I noticed when picking up my son was the parent support for these kids. All of the parents appeared, at least outwardly, genuinely invested in their child's work and experiences. There is no doubt that parental guidance and support played a part in cultivating the spirit of these young writers, as it plays a part in the success or failure of each student in our school.

Our two main areas of focus this school year at North are to cultivate parent involvement in our school and our students' learning process, and to emphasize inquiry and project based learning that engages our students' natural intellectual curiosity. Hopefully, at the end of the year, we will have some students say they loved their experience at North because they like being around other kids (and teachers) with the same interest in learning.