It is often said that in our society we put the “cart before the horse”. We think that politicians have all the answers to our issues, we think that teachers should have all the answers for students and parents should have all the answers for their children. The education affect is like peristaltic waves in your digestive system; as long as it tastes good and is palatable you continue to eat. However, if something just doesn’t taste right the waves reverse and you learn what you shouldn’t eat. Think about reversing the education flow, what if politicians asked the citizens for proposals and used them. What if teachers asked students to teach the world something and we learned a new concept?
A teacher at East Lee County High School, Mrs. Millie Sowers challenged her students to “create a solution for racism”. They were assigned the task of creating a basic concept, a slogan, and a visual that promoted diversity and decreased racism. I was invited to see the results of their thought provoking projects.
There were several outstanding projects; however one is still embedded in my mind. I learned from group members: Valery Paul, Kevin Aguirre, Joel Ortiz, Jose M. Mantilla and Susan Jordan who created the slogan “Divided We Fall, Together We Rise”. The group’s basic concept is “Let’s change the world”. They explained that it is a little late for their generation because “most of us grew up with ideas instilled in our minds from parents, TV, technology, etc.” “We have to change the world starting with the next generation of kids, our kids”. They stated that we have to start with home and parents, teachers, schools not just media but “real world”.
If you had any doubts about their concept, the exceptional visual summed it all up. A human skeleton is on one knee and rising with a flag in its right hand. Why a skeleton, because it shows “we are all the same bones; no gender, no race, no color”. They described “the skeleton has one foot firmly on the ground and is rising up using the flag pole as support; the flag displays their slogan “Divided we fall, together we rise” and the peace symbol. The skeleton is wearing a long hooded cape that is constructed of a collage of flags from all nations. They concluded that the symbolism is “we can rise together as equals, not separated by color, country or race”.
Thank you to Mrs. Sowers’ class for helping reverse our peristaltic brain waves and learn from the students, not just the teacher. The Education affect can change us all if we are willing to learn. What have you learned from a student, child or coworker lately?