We Raised Our Kids Well: Let's Listen to Them
I have a friend from Ukraine, and when I saw that the movie Winter on Fire was offered on Netflix, I thought I might watch it and learn a little more about where she comes from.
Turns out, it was a very appropriate movie to watch, not only for that reason but also because what happened in the documentary ties in very well with L&LNM's ideas about the future of learning and the need to listen to our youth.
We Are American!
As proud American parents, we encourage our kids to question and challenge. We push them to think for themselves and be independent, to look to the future because they ARE the future. We want them to find their passion and fight for it. Other parents in other countries share the sentiment.
But then our youth do just that -- they speak up. There is no malice or ill intent. All they want is to make positive change.
Time and time again, it is government that can't take the criticism; it sees it as a loss of control/power, and it responds with violence. Until now, military violence held student, and other, protesters down pretty effectively.
But governments can't get away with that anymore, as Winter of Fire demonstrates. People aren't stupid. Social media and other technology have opened up the world to us. We cannot be kept in the dark. We know now that our governments don't necessarily represent the people after all, and the people aren't going to take it.
When the Ukraine government decided to ally more closely with Russia rather than the European Union, Ukrainian students and citizens cried out. This was not what they wanted. They had expected better from their government. They started a peaceful protest, openly announcing their wish to remain peaceful and carrying no weapons.
The government responded with violence. The protesters did not expect that from their government, not in this day and age. Could this happen in the US? Hasn't it already? Kent State comes to mind.
There are many uprisings with students at the forefront that will remain in my memory forever, the most notable Tiananmen Square and the photo of a single student standing strong, refusing to back down to a military tank.
Basically, my message in today's post is this -- We need to listen to our youth!
Let's quit trying to force them to do things the way we do and start listening to them already. Let's quit telling them they have a voice and then squelch it when they speak up.
Our youth know so much more than we do about the technological world and how it affects how we do our work and how we learn. The 40-hour, five-day work week makes no sense to them. Political processes are a waste of time.
Instead of hearing threat in their voices, instead of hanging onto outdated, ineffectual practices, let's open our minds to new ways of doing things. We don't have all the answers. We can't tell them what to expect in the future so let's quit trying to.
It could be quite exciting to start out again as learners, finding our way in a brave new world, led by the very kids we raised. I think we raised them well. Let's listen to what they have to say.
Turns out, it was a very appropriate movie to watch, not only for that reason but also because what happened in the documentary ties in very well with L&LNM's ideas about the future of learning and the need to listen to our youth.
We Are American!
As proud American parents, we encourage our kids to question and challenge. We push them to think for themselves and be independent, to look to the future because they ARE the future. We want them to find their passion and fight for it. Other parents in other countries share the sentiment.
But then our youth do just that -- they speak up. There is no malice or ill intent. All they want is to make positive change.
Time and time again, it is government that can't take the criticism; it sees it as a loss of control/power, and it responds with violence. Until now, military violence held student, and other, protesters down pretty effectively.
But governments can't get away with that anymore, as Winter of Fire demonstrates. People aren't stupid. Social media and other technology have opened up the world to us. We cannot be kept in the dark. We know now that our governments don't necessarily represent the people after all, and the people aren't going to take it.
When the Ukraine government decided to ally more closely with Russia rather than the European Union, Ukrainian students and citizens cried out. This was not what they wanted. They had expected better from their government. They started a peaceful protest, openly announcing their wish to remain peaceful and carrying no weapons.
The government responded with violence. The protesters did not expect that from their government, not in this day and age. Could this happen in the US? Hasn't it already? Kent State comes to mind.
There are many uprisings with students at the forefront that will remain in my memory forever, the most notable Tiananmen Square and the photo of a single student standing strong, refusing to back down to a military tank.
Basically, my message in today's post is this -- We need to listen to our youth!
Let's quit trying to force them to do things the way we do and start listening to them already. Let's quit telling them they have a voice and then squelch it when they speak up.Our youth know so much more than we do about the technological world and how it affects how we do our work and how we learn. The 40-hour, five-day work week makes no sense to them. Political processes are a waste of time.
Instead of hearing threat in their voices, instead of hanging onto outdated, ineffectual practices, let's open our minds to new ways of doing things. We don't have all the answers. We can't tell them what to expect in the future so let's quit trying to.
It could be quite exciting to start out again as learners, finding our way in a brave new world, led by the very kids we raised. I think we raised them well. Let's listen to what they have to say.
Just watched The Square on Netflix...about the Egyptian uprising. I wrote some memorable quotes that spoke to me:
ReplyDelete"Something fundamental inside people is moving them."
"We are not looking for a leader to rule us. We are looking for a conscience."