Drs. Ronald Beghetto and Joel Westheimer discuss how schools are viewed as a place that prepares students for the economy, dependent on standardization and often void of creativity. They talk about the future of education and the challenge Westheimer is committed to: changing the view of education towards one that is more focused on the humane aspects.
Ronald Beghetto and Joel Westheimer have a conversation about what we currently value as a society and how those values are showing up in how we approach teaching and learning. Westheimer mentions how schooling focuses too much on standardized testing and explains that these tests do not tell us what is going on in a school. He further discusses that standards cannot always be achieved the same way by all students, and asks that we see the value in difference and uncertainty. Westheimer invites us to question how we want to live in society, explaining that the pandemic has kind of held the mirror up to our real values, which are qualities of life that are not easily measured. Creativity and humanity require differences that are not standardized. Westheimer imagines a future where schools are more social, humane places, where teachers are offered the best possible conditions to do their job, and students receive quality experiences that create a meaningful life.
You can learn more about Dr. Joel Westheimer’s work by following this link: Joel Westheimer. You can also follow him on twitter: @joelwestheimer