The Power of Encouragement As a Force for Learning

Huffington Post
March 3rd, 2013
Publication Author: 
Lisa Petrides
Resource Type: 
Articles

As an educator and founder of a nonprofit education institute, I believe, as does recent TED Prize winner, educator Sugata Mitra, that we are better off creating conditions to “let learning happen” rather than creating rigid structures that favor rote learning, teaching to tests, or standardized instruction. In line with the principle that you get the outcome you design for, Mitra’s approach is refreshingly on target. If we want different results, we must change the way we do things. Rather than reiterating the common refrain that education is broken, Mitra contends that the education system itself is not broken, but that it is in fact, wonderfully constructed. And that the real problem is that we just do not need it anymore, or rather, it is outdated for the needs of today.