I had an opportunity a few years ago to visit the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. I knew that this was some sort of structure that raised and lowered boats, sort of like a lock does. However, I really couldn’t picture it and was totally surprised when our tour arrived at the Wheel. It was nothing like what I imagined.
To me, this structure truly represents why authentic teaching and learning is so important. The Falkirk Wheel is totally different from traditional locks. This represents true “outside of the box” thinking.
We are heading into a future that we can’t even imagine. Educating children in the traditional way of “one correct answer, one way to accomplish your goal, color inside the lines using the correct color, stay inside the box” is not going to prepare them for the future. The jobs that many of our children will hold don’t even exist yet. And many of the jobs people hold now, will not exist in the future.
Authentic teaching prepares students for this future world. Make it real. Make it count.
*And riding in a boat that was raised by the Falkirk Wheel was really cool!
The Educational Journey 