The other day I saw an Instagram post of a quote from John Lennon that said, "When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy.' They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life." Then I watched this, and that quote was the first thing I thought of. I wonder if Logan LaPlante has this quote posted up in his bedroom. He seems like a very bright young man and his talk provides some great insight into the minds of those we will be trying to serve: our students.
His talk discusses an area that schools many times miss the mark on teaching. How to be healthy and happy. In the end, and I agree with him that, that is all that really matters. When asked the age old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" the discussion is rarely about being healthy and happy and tends to be aimed more at what job are you going to be prepared for. But just like being prepared for your future work (whatever that may be) we must be prepared for life. A key point of his talk is about incorporating this mentality into the education system. Logan was pulled out of traditional schools because of their lack of this focus, but it is just as important.
He also discusses Sir Ken Robinson's "Schools kill creativity" AND Dr. Roger Walsh's 8 TLCs that schools don't focus on that are a important to fostering this happy, healthy life: exercise, diet/nutrition, time in nature, contribution/service, relationships, recreation, relaxation/stress management, and religious/spiritual connection. Coupled with his skiing idol Shane McConky's creative "hacking" of the sport of snow skiing we get what Logan refers to as Hackschooling (Thought I'd never get there did ya...?). It's a way of thinking to challenge and change the system, or as he calls it, a "mindset."
According to Logan, Hackschooling pairs creativity, the 8 TLCs, Technology, and experiential activities to foster a "mash-up" learning environment that can also be used by traditional schools to give students experiences and opportunities to learn in ways that make them happy. Students get some choice in their education. Some freedom.
As a learner and budding professional educator, I hear what Logan is saying. And coupled with technology that brings masses of information to our fingertips, the sky should be the limit (or NOT). We have the ability to create an education that is so much more flexible and opportunistic, we just have to think outside the box a bit...
LaPlante, L. (2013, Feb 12). Hackschooling makes me happy. [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11u3vtcpaY
His talk discusses an area that schools many times miss the mark on teaching. How to be healthy and happy. In the end, and I agree with him that, that is all that really matters. When asked the age old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" the discussion is rarely about being healthy and happy and tends to be aimed more at what job are you going to be prepared for. But just like being prepared for your future work (whatever that may be) we must be prepared for life. A key point of his talk is about incorporating this mentality into the education system. Logan was pulled out of traditional schools because of their lack of this focus, but it is just as important.
He also discusses Sir Ken Robinson's "Schools kill creativity" AND Dr. Roger Walsh's 8 TLCs that schools don't focus on that are a important to fostering this happy, healthy life: exercise, diet/nutrition, time in nature, contribution/service, relationships, recreation, relaxation/stress management, and religious/spiritual connection. Coupled with his skiing idol Shane McConky's creative "hacking" of the sport of snow skiing we get what Logan refers to as Hackschooling (Thought I'd never get there did ya...?). It's a way of thinking to challenge and change the system, or as he calls it, a "mindset."
According to Logan, Hackschooling pairs creativity, the 8 TLCs, Technology, and experiential activities to foster a "mash-up" learning environment that can also be used by traditional schools to give students experiences and opportunities to learn in ways that make them happy. Students get some choice in their education. Some freedom.
As a learner and budding professional educator, I hear what Logan is saying. And coupled with technology that brings masses of information to our fingertips, the sky should be the limit (or NOT). We have the ability to create an education that is so much more flexible and opportunistic, we just have to think outside the box a bit...
LaPlante, L. (2013, Feb 12). Hackschooling makes me happy. [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11u3vtcpaY