The current revolution in education seems to confuse those people not directly involved in or up-to-date with the field, in part I think because of the “eduspeak” involved: flipped classrooms, STEM, STEAM, MOOC, Common Core, Race to the Top, project based learning, and so on. This uncertainty mostly affects the Baby Boom generation, people who are indeed puzzled by much of “the new” in this rapidly evolving digital culture. Despite not having a Twitter account or not fully grasping the joys of Instagram, this 50+ generation is nonetheless eager to understand the educational climate, to figure out the language, to be connected. And why not? They are often called upon to take care of their grandchildren, and even pay for their education.
Five Days at Sundance
The air just feels different in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival. Maybe it is the mountains of Utah, but it is also a mood: clear, energizing and optimistic. Liz and I were complete “newbies”--with no expectations but plenty of anticipation for each experience and corner turned (including the age old question: what to wear?). We kept looking around in wonderment: How did we get here? Suffice it to say that Sundance 2015 has been a unique experience, landing us in the midst of creative, socially-minded, and passionate people all interested in the power of film to tell stories, provoke conversations and illuminate issues that, if not important when we arrived, were important to us when we left. I’d love to tell tales embracing our entire festival experience--but that’s for another post.