Education Next – Dan Goldhaber
“Han Solo, condescending to the lightsaber-wielding Luke, later scoffs, “Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.” The gist is that the advocates of modernity can be snootily proud of their creations and dismissive of the backward tools of older generations. You can see this play out in education, with the Young Turks of reform offering up dazzling new solutions and looking down on the old guard and all of their mistakes. Think of all the times reformers have mocked “the factory model” of schooling, voiced exasperation that classrooms look the same today as they did one hundred years ago, and lamented that the school calendar still reflects an agrarian economy. Why, wonders the confident reformer, can’t these old-timers just stand down so we can make progress?.”(more)