Goyal hits on five transformative developments effecting education this year. The one I'm most jazzed about for innovative educators is how students were able to use the power of social media to have a voice in the education conversation.
From Goyal:
The Students Speak Out:
Students around the nation have seized the national microphone and have begun articulating their voices in education. With hundreds of student protests documented, young people are no longer willing to sit idly on the sidelines. In September, I published my first book on revolutionizing education from a student’s perspective. Earlier this month, Stephanie Rivera and few other college students launched Students United for Public Education in an effort to stop the takeover of public education in America. The group even had a protest.
And this past summer, Zak Malamed founded the StuVoice movement, corralling student leaders onto one platform, giving spotlight to their voices, and making some dents in education policy. For one, Malamed, Matthew Resnick, Joshua Lafazan, myself, and a few other students signed a letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo demanding that students be added onto the New York State Education Reform Commission. With the power of social media, we will not stop petitioning, marching, protesting, and rallying until our voices are heard and represented. As educator Diane Ravitch once said, “When the students awaken, the national conversation will change.”
One of the most import jobs of innovative educators is empowering our students to have their voices heard and represented. It is imperative that we ensure students are prepared to effectively use the tools of their world to change their world.
Read the rest of Goyal's extraordinary happenings here.
I'm so glad to hear that students are finally one step closer to getting a say in education policy. It's one thing for all of the "experts" to impose rules and regulations from their cushy administrative positions, but it's totally different to get input from those who are actually affected by these measures and who have experienced firsthand what's effective and what's worthless. Kudos to anyone who has the insight to get students involved. Let's make some changes this year!
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