Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information are Everywhere by William Richardson asks the question that strikes the heart of not only a system, but the heart of a paradigm shift, of our present and future. Truly, “our kids, and ourselves, can now carry the sum of human knowledge around in our pockets” (2012, 512), and so we must explore and re-envision the values and practices within our education system. It is not solely for student “knowledge” of prescribed curriculum, but for students to become learning masters and creators, multiliterate, active citizens in our world today and their futures tomorrow. Only by rebuilding our education system, starting at its very foundations, at its core values and practices can we ensure that the answer to the question “why school?” is a bellowing response: because it is absolutely vital, absolutely necessary, for every child, for our new world(s) and for each of their unique, purposeful futures.

Although as a class we have explored the full text, here is the link to the TED Talks’ Q & A version with Will Richardson and other comments on education: http://blog.ted.com/2012/09/14/why-school-ted-ebook-author-rethinks-education-when-information-is-everywhere/