Anthropologize

I went to see one of the people I respect most in the world speak this morning. He’s not a celebrity (although, I did have a chance to see a REAL celebrity today too, as I did walk by a line of people at the MOA waiting to see some sort of Palin situation. Remind me NEVER to go to the MOA again? for a thousand reasons including nausea, polyester and some weird aquarium. ok thanks), but I’d travel miles to hear him speak, and I’d sit there for as long as he wants to go on and on. He was speaking about the state of an independent school. I won’t name names.
But it’s the Blake School and his name is John Gulla (oops).
He’s leaving in a year and was asked this morning about the challenges he thinks the next head of school will face. Among other things. He talked a lot about finances, using big fancy words that I do, miracle of miracles and thanks econ 101, actually understand, and he talked a lot about loyalty and retention and achievement and culture and diversities and sociality and pedagogy and SATs and happiness and contentment and success. And he was right and smart and graceful about everything (dear god, can I be him in my next life? ok thx bye).
But what gave me pause. What made me think. What I took away. Was of course when he talked about meaning. MEANING.
He said. And I paraphrase/rephrase/understand:
The role of schools is changing. Students used to come to schools for information. For what their teachers and libraries had IN THEM. They wanted an exchange. They wanted knowledge for their tuition.
But now they have information IN THE PALMS OF THEIR HANDS.
They don’t need information. They can find whatever knowledge they seek on their own.
Now, students come to schools to transform information into something meaningful.
It’s a whole different thing. Meaning. They want identity, they want change, they want growth, they want existentialism, they want transformation, for their tuition.
And this thing challenges teachers. To be transformative, not informative. And this thing challenges students. To be catalysts, not sponges.
Wow. Let’s go ahead and harness that energy, eh?