With Knowledge Comes Power, But...

We all have heard the old saying, "With knowledge comes power."  But, there are other things that often arrive with it; things like myopia, narcissism, closed-mindedness, reduced learning, and a staleness or creativity... to name a few.

One of the greatest obstacles to improving the public education system is the knowledge possessed by the people in charge of it.  In education, knowledge is key, and in the education system, knowledge is everything.  The person who knows more is put in charge of others, and then the one who knows the most is put in charge of everyone.  In a knowledge accumulation culture this hierarchy can be very successful and puts the emphasis on accumulating knowledge, but it does not maximize the role of learning.

If knowledge tells someone they know, then why would they seek to learn?  What happens to their curiosity, their daring to explore?  The comfort of knowledge and the esteemed stature of its perceived power can actually keep a good mind from advancing.

Much of the dysfunction in our current educational system can be attributed to institutional thinking.  'Institutionalized' thinking is thinking that perpetuates an established basis of purpose when the reason for that purpose is no longer needed or relevant.  Myopia of institutional thinking blinds us to the new opportunities.  We can easily see it when anyone says, 'Because that's how we do it' or 'that's how we've always done it.'  Instead of losing our curiosity and our thrill of discovery we could open our minds to the wonder of 'Hmmm, where are our needs taking us now' or 'what future needs can we head toward now?'  We live in an age of greatly available information and accessible global opportunity.  We do not need teachers who do it the same old way - making us memorize and regurgitate facts.  We need guides who help us find our purpose, talent, and passion... we need enablers of exploration and coaches who help develop student's skills for discovery.

Some who have learned a lot will say, "the more I learn the more I don't know."  Please realize the greater truth they are saying here.  They are saying, the more I learn - the more I realize the enormity of what else there is to learn.  For example, a person who stands in their backyard and looks at the stars can appreciate the view, but when they learn about planets and galaxies they realize the universe is much bigger than the night sky they first saw.  When they bend down to pick a flower they can smell the aroma, but when they begin to learn about pollen and bees and ecosystems they realize they have so much more to learn than what they first thought.

Well, when educators stop rewarding the entrenched beliefs of systemic knowledge and begin wide-eyed exploration for better innovations and creative ways to improve what is offered to students, they will realize the enormity of what is possible.  And they will be able to teach exploration because it is what they are doing, too. The problem with education is the focus on delivery of knowledge instead of the consumption of it.

What if waiters kept going back to the kitchen, filling their trays, and bringing out the same foods again and again without ever asking the customer what they want?  The restaurant would soon go out of business.  Students are the customers and no one seems to trust their natural appetites for learning.  When they become bored and want to leave the restaurant we think they are the problem.  The smart chef would not say, "I know what's best."  The smart chef would say, "What can we create and offer that would nourish them their entire life?"