Declaration of Interdependence

Declaration of Interdependence Blog Image

We have massive research and many evidences available...[ie: Diane Ravitch is declaring a bunch of them here, we’ve gathered particular ones here]…that what we’re doing in the name of public education is not serving us well. Perhaps we declare some new laws in regard to public education, in regard to interdependency.


Imagine if we rewrite the law in regard to public education, by redefining public education. As it sits now…it’s mostly about sitting. From this age (5ish) to this age (17ish) -- in order for us to (as always -- with original good intention) help every child to achieve success, they will sit for this many hours in schools, in classrooms, and take in this specified content -- or core curriculum.

Imagine if we redefine public ed to be:

1) why -- a process by which one declares interdependence...everyone is known by at least someone

2) how -- methods to facilitate random/intrinsic curiosities...via a process of detox (if so needed) holding each other(s) accountable to one premise (goal): knowing what to do when you don’t  know what to do, and using that process to create serendipitous gatherings that matter (who’s together in a space -- per choice)

3) what -- indispensable people...who are life-long learners, aka: usefully ignorant (Erica McWilliams)

Imagine a world where we boldly spent our 16,000 hours within public education, focusing on one thing -- learning how to learn. Imagine if there was a means for everyone to become expert (most believe this to happen after 10,000 hours) at embracing uncertainty, that’s it. At becoming self-directed, life-long learners. Imagine if everyone was an expert at thinking for themselves. Ridiculous? We’ve felt a sense of security in pushing a specific math and science (STEM, et al) to that end, and even that, even our most lofty definitions of success are changing before our eyes.

Imagine we redefine better. [I especially love Will Richardson’s 3 bullet points: different assessment -- (perhaps self-assessment - rhizomatic learning); different teacher role -- (perhaps modeling how to be usefully ignorant -- rhizomatic expertise); different school -- (perhaps city as floorplan/school -- rhizomatic spaces)] 

[Like this potentially...perhaps this, more here: declaration of interdependence - slideshare]

A great question for teachers perhaps:

How do I have to be in order for you to be free… - Orland Bishop

[What if one of the answers is -- and again -- especially to teachers, in order for students to be free, teachers need to be free.]







As mentors, listen without an agenda, demonstrating and communicating genuine patience and caring. Encourage the expression of ideas, even (especially) if they are different than our own. Rather than alarm, try to honestly understand the underlying sentiment, in order to more fully understand. For an effective mentor, “I don't know” is always an okay answer. “I don't know” is an opportunity to access and use resources together. When we don't know, we brainstorm together with youth. Keep from developing an inflated view of our roles; there are mentors all around us. The key element is to deliberately not teach, as constant instruction encourages mindlessness. Encourage independence. Youth need time for self-discovery. Time to be. Trust that learning will happen. No, know that learning is happening.Be available to youth, modeling what it is to learn, what it is to be, doing our own thing,exploring our passion, discovering ourselves.As mentors, we should underscore the importance of learning and working for oneself andone's own self-improvement. The youth should understand that they alone assess theirprogress, without outside influence. We also need to recognize the effect of inappropriatepraise. Praise shackles youth to a course of pleasing others, rather than themselves.

- Amy Lewark, unschooling mom


Knowledge, which is acquired under compulsion, contains no hold on the mind.

- Plato


Prepare people for uncertainty.  - Dave Cormier


The rhizomatic capacity of networks to flow around a point in a chain means that teachers may be located in a linear supply chain of pedagogical services but excluded from their students’ learning networks.  - Erica McWilliams [also see Carol Dweck’s Mindset]


The reward is brilliant minds set free, to be.


To foster optimized self-directed learning, mentor alongside: question prescribed learning; just be there, being you; learn alongside, listen; listen without an agenda.

It is impossible to change others...harvest invisible intelligence. 

- Meg Wheatley

Partial Freedom is no freedom.  - Krishnamurti, Education & The Significance of Life 




This networked individualism, or personal data (vs big data) could look like any of the following...

Banner image credit: xgravity23