Is it time to overhaul education? What does that mean to a brand new teacher?

Is it time to overhaul education?

Will Richardson's TED talk was very compelling.  He gave some great examples of how access to on-line learning is revolutionizing our world.  The entire time he was speaking, I was framing his words in my mind with "how I can deliver his message to my students"? 

Many of my students have failed proficiency tests, are credit deficient, have low GPAs, and are at-risk of dropping out of school.  They are the epitome of a failed system.  They are not, however, failures.  They are future entrepreneurs, inventors, soldiers, business owners, politicians, farmers, and firemen (like the one Sir Ken Richardson spoke of in http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity) that make our communities function.

For the first two weeks of school I was blissfully unaware of what their scores were.  I just knew them to be very bright and capable of almost anything.  When I was able to access their scores, I just could not reconcile the students with their scores (I still can't and wish I didn't even have to consider them).  I however, cannot ignore them because many of my students must pass the proficiency tests in order to graduate.  The scores are the yardstick by which we are measured.

The Wall in Berlin

I'd say we need a new yardstick. 



Where does that leave me as a new teacher?

I must show that my students make gains by increasing their GPAs, graduating them, getting them work, enlisted in the military, or enrolled in a secondary education path. 
I must also prepare them with all the soft skills they'll need to succeed on whichever path they choose. 

It's crazy because I've been mostly overwhelmed, and feel very unprepared since I started this journey a few weeks ago.  I'm reading everything in sight and asking colleagues at every turn for advice. I learn a ton from reading posts to our class site (thanks everyone), but sadly it seems as if each teacher must sort of find their own way.  I find myself falling back on what I know, using traditional lesson plans with lots of paper, fill in the blank, and tests on knowledge gained.  The students know what to do and seem to respond by getting it done, but are they really learning?  We are entrenched in what  Mr. Richardson referred to as a "system built for a world that no longer exists" 

I think that the most important things that I can impart on my students is the "life prep" that Will Richardson spoke of.  I need to build in them the curiousity and drive that will make them successful, whatever their vocational choice.  I need to help them to learn how to learn and help them find the resources they need.