I’m sure this Seth Godin talk STOP STEALING DREAMS at TEDxYouth@BFS has made the internet rounds. In it, he asks the question “What is school for?” With the internet now connecting us all, what is the role and function of the school?

Are we asking students to collect the dots or connect them?

He talks about 8 things that can change, depending on how we answer the question.

• Homework during the day (ask questions/explore with the teacher) and watch world class lectures at night.
• Open book/open note all the time (no point in memorising facts now).
• Access to any course, any where in the world, any time (don’t have to do things in chronological order that is limited to geography).
• Precise focused education, instead of mass batched stuff.
• No more multiple choice exams: measure experience instead of test scores.
• Teach cooperation instead of isolation.
• The teacher’s role transforms to a coach.
• Lifelong learning with work happening earlier and finally the death of the famous college.

It’s an interesting watch.