The Marginalian
The Marginalian

Learners Will Inherit the Earth: Alistair Smith on Fixing Education

How to get unstuck, or why being a learner is infinitely better than being a knower.

We’ve previously explored the brokenness of educational paradigms and 10 essential books to rethink education. Now, from the fantastic Do Lectures, one of our 10 favorite cross-disciplinary conferences, comes this brilliant and brave talk on why we need to change the way we learn by Alistair Smith, accelerated learning pioneer and one of the UK’s leading innovators in new learning methods. From the importance of pattern recognition in learning to the practice of practice to smart uses of physical space, Smith — whose book, High Performers: The Secrets of Successful Schools is a fine addition to the essential education reading list — lays out a thoughtful blueprint for reclaiming learning back from the institutionalized and dysmorphic grip of education.

At times of change, the learners are the ones who will inherit the world, while the knowers will be beautifully prepared for a world which no longer exists.”

Getting stuck is not a problem. Staying stuck is. Good learners practice getting unstuck, and here’s how: Turn that around — praise for progress, don’t praise for perfection.”


Published October 27, 2011

https://www.themarginalian.org/2011/10/27/alistair-smith-do-lectures/

BP

www.themarginalian.org

BP

PRINT ARTICLE

Filed Under

View Full Site

The Marginalian participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon. In more human terms, this means that whenever you buy a book on Amazon from any link on here, I receive a small percentage of its price, which goes straight back into my own colossal biblioexpenses. Privacy policy. (TLDR: You're safe — there are no nefarious "third parties" lurking on my watch or shedding crumbs of the "cookies" the rest of the internet uses.)