Appreciation

I spent the better part of last Thursday in conversations and reading documentation that in essence “bashed” our current education system. As anyone reading this blog knows, I am always looking for ways to improve on what we do and to find better ways to reach our students. I do suspect, however, that criticizing the current system is not in our best interest.

I am a fan of Appreciative Inquiry. This is a mode of operation for finding solutions. It was initially used by the CWC in times of crisis because they found through experience that focusing on what is currently working leads to a quicker solution in contrast to determining what’s wrong and how to fix it.

David Cooperrider wrote some of the early books on the topic and there are several institutes around, including one right here in Boulder, Colorado. www.positivechange.org

So if we took some time and explored what is working in education today, maybe we will find the answers to a better education system for tomorrow. I would like to suggest following list as some areas that are currently working well:

• Teachers—I think most of the teachers in the field are committed to what they do and really care about their learners.
• Options—state and federal governments are finally supporting options of all kinds including charter schools, distance learning options, and home schooling.
• Families—more families are supporting learners in their educational endeavors. Parents are realizing the importance of education worldwide and are increasingly supportive.
• Individualization—the Internet, third party organizations, and increased staff at many schools provides learners with the ability to individualize their learning.
• Collaboration—from my perspective there is a greater amount of collaboration between learners and between teachers.

Use the comment field to add to my list!