The Key Shift Needed in our Outdated Educational System | Donna Vallese | TEDxSUNYGeneseo

Learning in school should look and feel much more like the process of learning to ride a bicycle. We have over a century of research on how people learn that is often not utilized in schools because we are focused on covering content and ensuring students acquire the knowledge they need to pass tests at the end of the school year just to forget the information afterwards. Instead, we should be focused on developing conceptual understanding to help students learn and remember important information. With information accessible at our fingertips and in our pockets, we no longer have the need to be hyper focused on knowledge acquisition. By focusing on conceptual understanding we can ensure students build the skills they need to compete in a global society when they leave our doors. The time is now to shift from knowledge acquisition to conceptual understanding. Learning in school should look and feel much more like the process of learning to ride a bicycle. We have over a century of research on how people learn that is often not utilized in schools because we are focused on covering content and ensuring students acquire the knowledge they need to pass tests at the end of the school year just to forget the information afterwards. Instead, we should be focused on developing conceptual understanding to help students learn and remember important information. With information accessible at our fingertips and in our pockets, we no longer have the need to be hyper focused on knowledge acquisition. By focusing on conceptual understanding we can ensure students build the skills they need to compete in a global society when they leave our doors. The time is now to shift from knowledge acquisition to conceptual understanding. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx