# Meeting summary for Kerry Turner’s Third Education Innovation Zoom Meeting (02/15/2024)
# Quick recap
The meeting focused on innovation and education, with various participants sharing their experiences and insights. Topics discussed included the competitive nature of education in India, the importance of trust in education, the need for authentic and purposeful learning, and the shift from a control-based to a trust-based educational system. Participants also emphasized the significance of fostering creativity, thinking differently, and building communities. The challenges faced by the education system, such as the necessity of testing all children at the same time and the toxic accountability in the UK's education system, were also highlighted.
# Summary
# Innovation and Education: A Global Discussion
The meeting involved participants discussing their locations and weather conditions. There was uncertainty about Thomson's attendance. Other participants, including **Vishnu Agnihotri** from India, **Christopher Chase** from Japan, and **Tina Farr**, were present. **Kerry Turner** initiated a discussion about the importance of innovation and education, emphasizing the sharing of ideas and strategies to tackle common challenges in various educational contexts. **John Vodonick** shared his innovative project of establishing a new liberal arts college and design school, and **Marc Pierson** elaborated on his work towards relocalizing creativity. Both shared their enthusiasm and faced no significant challenges in their respective initiatives.
# Education, Strengths, BYJUs, and Social-Emotional Development
**Vishnu Agnihotri** discussed the current state of education in India, emphasizing its competitive nature and the need for students to discover their strengths and interests. He introduced his organization, BYJUs, which is trying to shift the focus away from exams towards learning. Vishnu also shared about his initiatives to prioritize social and emotional development of students, including running residential camps and teacher mentoring programs, despite facing challenges such as high costs and difficulty in connecting emotionally with young people online. He expressed their intention to experiment with new models, including hybrid programs and lower-cost models, to increase their impact.
# Education System Strengths and Challenges
**Pille Bunnell** shared her experiences and observations about the education system, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. She discussed the importance of trust between parents and schools, the potential for teachers to have autonomy, and the challenges faced by large institutions. Pille also recounted her involvement with a successful small school that eventually grew into a large virtual high school in British Columbia, and the issues that arose as it grew. The discussion concluded with Kerry Turner expressing appreciation for Pille's insights.
# Education System Challenges and Solutions
**Kavita Tanna** discussed the challenges and solutions related to education systems. She highlighted that students and young people she interacted with were questioning the purpose of school and the relevance of their studies to their lives. She suggested that a possible way forward would be to make learning more authentic and purposeful, and to create a supportive environment where students feel heard and valued. However, Kavita Tanna also mentioned resistance to change from the state school system, expressing concerns about the fear of not adhering to traditional methods and the pressure to conform to standardized metrics.
# Transforming Education: From Control to Trust
**Luke Freedman** expressed a need to shift the educational system from one based on control to one based on trust. He emphasized the importance of understanding children as people capable of curiosity, collaboration, and exploration, rather than seeing them as in need of correction. Luke also shared his work with a co-created democratic learning community, where young people and adults share responsibility and power, and decisions are made based on consent. However, he acknowledged the challenges this approach faces, such as resistance to new ideas about childhood and education, and issues related to funding and resources. Kerry Turner appreciated Luke's work, describing his school as "amazing."
# Innovative Education and Systems Thinking
**Christopher Chase** discussed his involvement in innovative educational programs across the United States and their subsequent decline in favor of high-stakes testing. He emphasized the importance of shifting schools from institutions that alienate and rank children to creative learning communities that foster playfulness, creativity, and collaboration. Christopher Chase also mentioned his work in teaching systems thinking and his efforts to raise awareness about the shortcomings of the current educational system, such as its tendency to overlook marginalized children and its detrimental impact on their well-being. He recommended Ken Robinson's book "Creative Schools" and expressed interest in spreading information about these issues.
# Education, Youth, and System Thinking
Christopher Chase outlined his plans to create a video targeting young people and encourage them towards system thinking, while highlighting his involvement in various online groups for facilitating connections and discussions. **Gary Smith** expressed his agreement with the ideas shared, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and excitement in education, and shared his work on a consensus for a common educational call. Gary also mentioned his intention to share the meeting recording with his group to highlight key stakeholder requirements discussed. The importance of involving young people, especially students, in educational discussions was discussed by Kerry, Gary Smith, and Marc Pierson. Marc shared his experience of creating an extra school for disaffected students who had quit school, highlighting the significance of listening to the views of the supposed clients in any field, including education and medicine.
# Transforming Education: Fostering Curiosity, Connection, and Belonging
**Tina Farr** discussed her vision for an education system that fosters curiosity, courage, and connection, emphasizing the importance of a psychologically safe environment. She shared that her school has adopted a values-based approach, reducing fear and judgment within the system, and uses an inquiry-based curriculum that encourages challenging beliefs and perceptions. Tina highlighted the need for honesty about not knowing something and promoting curiosity and learning. She also mentioned the school's approach to fostering a sense of belonging and uncovering each child's genius, using the Genius Ball symbol and weekly assemblies to share passions. She also discussed the annual "All of Us" project which deviates from the national curriculum to focus on fostering a sense of belonging. Kerry and Tina discussed the importance of individual conversations and getting to know children, and the potential negative consequences of measuring information. Later, Louise shared her thoughts on the importance of continuous learning and the need to remember that all agents in the school system, including ideas, are in a state of flux. She emphasized the importance of fostering creativity, thinking differently, and building communities. The meeting also touched on the challenges of the education system, such as the necessity of testing all children at the same time and the toxic accountability in the UK's education system.
# South African Education System Challenges
**Claudius van Wyk** shared his experience with the South African education system, emphasizing the historical and current challenges. He discussed the system's division into white and African schools and an initiative in the eighties aiming to fast-track African people into technological careers. Claudius van Wyk highlighted the current dichotomy in the system where private schools are expensive but good, and public schools are underfunded and disruptive. He underscored the crucial role of committed school principals in driving success despite limited resources. Marc Pierson expressed concerns about training children for a destructive global economic system. Kerry Turner expressed gratitude for everyone's participation and shared plans to distribute materials from the meetings for further consideration, emphasizing the importance of collective strength. Marc Pierson thanked Kerry for her efforts in organizing the meetings.
# Next steps
• Christopher will share links and articles on his Facebook and LinkedIn groups. • Christopher will create a video for young people to explore education systems. • Gary will share the recording of this meeting with his group.
# Meeting summary for Kerry Turner’s Education Innovation Zoom Meeting (02/08/2024)
# Quick recap
The meeting discussed the challenges and potential solutions in the education system, with a focus on community-oriented mental health support and alternative approaches to Ofsted inspections. Participants emphasized the need for a bottom-up approach to effect change and the importance of structural change over individual change. Other topics included the significance of experience-based learning, the balance between academic and other forms of learning, and the role of a watchful community in child safety. A technical issue caused the meeting to end prematurely, with the suggestion to reschedule on a different platform. # Summary #Education, Book, and Community Views
The meeting began with introductory remarks and a brief discussion about the weather. The conversation then shifted to a book called "Seeing the Forest for the Trees" by **Dennis Sherwood**, with **Bea Herbert** possibly having read it and it being suggested as a potential resource. **Sue Cooper** shared her views on education, emphasizing the importance of compassionate communities around children and teacher well-being. She also brought up challenges in the education system such as a rigid curriculum and fear of Ofsted inspections. Towards the end, Bea Herbert was invited to share her thoughts, though the transcript does not provide further details.
# Community-Oriented Mental Health Support
**Bea Herbert** discussed the organization's efforts to shift the focus of mental health support towards a more community-oriented approach, particularly in schools. The organization worked with young people to understand the root causes of their emotional and psychological distress, with many citing the education system as a significant source of stress. Bea also mentioned a four-year project focused on young people's perspectives of the education system's impact on their development and sense of self, leading to the development of an alternative Ofsted framework. The discussion was briefly interrupted by a technical glitch. # Education System Challenges Discussed
The discussion revolved around the challenges faced within the education system, particularly the absence of two head teachers, including **Louise Lowings** who retired early due to frustrations with Ofsted. The conversation emphasized the importance of understanding various perspectives to make informed decisions and the difficulties of influencing individuals in power such as Michael Gove, Dominic Cummings, and Amanda Spilman. Bea Herbert expressed concerns about the question of what education should look like, suggesting it should be answered by a community or self-governing body. Dennis Sherwood highlighted the challenge of convincing individuals in power to adopt different approaches and identified breaking into this network of power as the fundamental problem. # Consultant Dennis Sherwood's Education and Systems Thinking Insights
**Dennis Sherwood** discussed his career as a consultant and his interest in education, particularly in the areas of thinking and creativity. He shared his experience with systems thinking and highlighted its potential drawbacks. Dennis also mentioned a study he conducted on Off Call, a system of grading in the UK education system. He revealed a significant issue where one in every four grades is incorrect, which he believes is due to a reinforcing loop in the system. Furthermore, he criticized the system's inability to correct these mistakes since 2016 and implicated Amanda Spielman, the former chair of Off Call, in this issue. He ended by sharing the backlash he faced for exposing these problems. # Education System Change Challenges
**Dennis Sherwood** highlighted the challenges of implementing change in the education system, stressing the need for a system tailored to users' needs. Kerry Turner shared her experience working on children's education, emphasizing the necessity of a bottom-up approach to effect change and the potential use of financial concerns as leverage. **Marc Pierson** introduced himself and discussed the increasing complexity future generations and current individuals will face, emphasizing the importance of creativity and public engagement. He also noted his availability for quick responses to any questions. # Grassroots Approach to Community Problem-Solving
Marc Pierson, Kerry Turner, Dennis Sherwood, and Bea Herbert discussed the importance of a grassroots approach to community problem-solving. Marc emphasized the need for local action and creativity, the use of martial arts as a metaphor for redirecting energy, and the importance of not blaming others. Kerry brought up the fear that often accompanies systemic change, suggesting that adults often benefit from and are therefore reluctant to change systems. Dennis and Bea added that those in power are often more concerned with maintaining their status than with accountability or efficiency. The group agreed that structural change is key, rather than trying to change individuals, and that community-level solutions are often more effective than involving higher authorities. # Experience, Presence, and Creativity in Learning
**Claudius van Wyk** and Marc Pierson engaged in a conversation about the significance of learning through experience and the role of presence and agility in this process. Claudius van Wyk stressed the importance of co-learning and responding to one's own experience of the world, rather than being lectured. He pointed out the astonishing ability of children to learn languages in an immersive environment. Marc agreed with Claudius van Wyk's points, but disagreed with the assessment that presence is difficult. He suggested making it easy for presence to occur, using the metaphor of a campfire for a business meeting. They also discussed the importance of creativity and the challenge of avoiding academic prejudice. # Breathing, Movement, and Empowerment: A Child Project's Impact
**Sue Cooper** shared about a project aimed at teaching children in their final year of primary school how to breathe properly, using various movements like 'being a rainbow'. The project, which was run with the police force and the local council, had a significant impact on the children's self-responsibility, self-awareness, and confidence. The children, who had been heavily medicated and diagnosed, were able to reduce their medication and even attend their prom. They also became child champions, training other children and leading change within their school community. Kerry Turner and Marc Pierson also contributed to the discussion, with Kerry reflecting on her own childhood experiences and Marc sharing about similar issues in the US with organizations like the Boy Scouts. # Education Balance and Dialogue: Personal Experiences
Kerry, Sue, and Claudius van Wyk shared their personal experiences and perspectives on education. Kerry reflected on her experiences in the Pony Club, emphasizing the importance of effort and presentation. Sue highlighted the significance of extra-curricular education and the risk of over-emphasizing academia. Claudius van Wyk shared the lively debates at his family dinner table, which he considered a valuable learning experience. The conversation suggested a need to balance academic education with other forms of learning and emphasized the importance of dialogue and debate in education. # Childhood Freedom and Safety: A Reflective Conversation Kerry Turner reflected on her childhood experiences of riding horses without supervision, highlighting the lack of rules and freedom during her time. The conversation shifted to how kids used to make money during specific times of the year and shared experiences with chores. Marc Pierson emphasized the importance of a minimum set of rules for kids and the need for a more productive way to help children develop into good citizens. The group also discussed the dangers children face today compared to when they were younger and the impact of a watchful community on safety. Near the end of the meeting, a technical issue occurred, causing the group to suggest rescheduling on a different platform. The possibility of creating causal loop diagrams in future meetings was also discussed.
# Next steps
Explore alternative platforms for the meetings, such as Google Meets or Zoom sessions with longer durations.
# Meeting summary for Kerry Turner’s Education Innovation Zoom Meeting (02/05/2024)
# Quick recap
**Louise Lowings** and **Kerry Turner** discussed their concerns about the current education system, including school inspections, the impact of a single perspective on education, and limitations on teacher education places. They also shared their vision for a more student-centered system and the potential of virtual reality as a new learning tool. **Marc Pierson** emphasized the importance of creating new educational systems rather than reforming oppressive or dysfunctional ones, and a proposal was made for a student-led mass strike to express dissatisfaction with the current system. # Summary
# Education System: Visions, Challenges, and AI Solutions
**Louise Lowings** and Kerry Turner discussed a variety of education-related topics, including their experiences with a project and Louise's upcoming retirement in 2025. They expressed concerns about the current state of school inspections and the impact of a single perspective on education. They also criticized the misuse of cognitive load theory and the limitations imposed on teacher education places, which only teach this theory and are prohibited from teaching constructivism. The conversation ended on a somewhat somber note, with Louise commenting on the problems with the current UK political system. There was uncertainty about Tina Farr's attendance, with the meeting starting without her. They decided to focus on discussing their vision for the education system, their efforts towards achieving it, and what they've learned. Marc mentioned an AI companion that could record and summarize the meeting, which led to a decision to record the session.
# Sustainable School Project and Pedagogy Development
**Louise Lowings** from Madeley Nursery School discussed her work on developing pedagogy and a sustainable school project with her Swedish colleagues. She emphasized the importance of understanding ecological systems in school management and practice. Louise also expressed concerns about buying a ready-made solution to solve educational problems and shared her evolving perspective on life and work, including her plans to move on from the school. The conversation also touched upon the impact of primary school education on children as they transition into different systems, with Louise noting that further studies were needed to fully understand this topic. # Education System Limitations Discussed
Louise Lowings and Kerry Turner discussed the limitations of the current education system. Louise emphasized the importance of teaching children to express their ideas and defend them, even if it goes against the norm. She also noted that the current system does not adequately measure a child's effectiveness in the real world, which could lead to problems in the next phase of schooling. Kerry Turner suggested that a wider range of criteria such as the ability to function in groups, self-care, and good citizenship should be considered. They also discussed the role of political influence on the educational system, with Louise suggesting that it is not an educational decision.
# Home Education and Montessori Methods
Kerry and **Nic Matthews** discussed their experiences with home education. Nic highlighted the benefits of mixed-age groups and parental involvement in learning, while Kerry emphasized the enriching experience of home education within a group setting. They both expressed their interest in education and shared their frustration with traditional schooling. Nic mentioned her exploration of the Montessori method and her concerns about the transition from Montessori nursery to standard schooling. As a result, they decided to home-educate their child for three days a week. However, they eventually had a falling out with the home-education setting and had to reassess their approach further. # Homeschooling Challenges and Virtual Reality Potential
Nic shared her experiences homeschooling her son, who may be on the autism spectrum. She highlighted the diversity within the home education community and the challenges faced by home educators, including increased pressure in the UK and bans in countries like France. Nic also discussed the potential of virtual reality as a new learning tool and the benefits of personalized and experiential education. Kerry raised the issue of homeschooling being banned in some countries. They also discussed the impact of the pandemic on education, suggesting that it could be a catalyst for necessary changes. Marc Pierson shared his recent writings on education for the team's convenience. # Marc Pierson's Education Philosophy Shared
**Marc Pierson** shared his personal experiences in education and his philosophy on the subject. He stressed his appreciation for teachers and his belief in the importance of a student-centered approach to learning. Marc also discussed his slow reading pace and his dyslexia and autism spectrum diagnosis, which he believes have contributed to his unique perspective. He highlighted the ideas of Paulo Freire, emphasizing the need for students to teach as well as be taught. Marc also underscored the importance of creating new educational systems rather than reforming oppressive or dysfunctional ones, and treating all individuals as equals to foster personal growth and confidence. # Student-Led Strike for Education Reform Proposed
Marc Pierson proposed a student-led mass strike as a way for students to express their dissatisfaction with the current education system. He also touched upon the topic of homeschooling and the need to negotiate with schools. Marc emphasized the importance of understanding the origin and implications of funding sources and shared his experiences from Spain and Christopher Alexander's work, suggesting community-based and cooperative schools as potential solutions. He also suggested a political action where students go on strike to push for change. Both Marc and Kerry agreed on the need to understand and address the root causes of students' disinterest in the current education system. # Learning, Passion, Community, and Relationships
Kerry Turner shared her personal experiences and learning approach, emphasizing the importance of observing successful people and experimenting. She stressed the role of structure, discipline, and long-term commitment in learning. Marc Pierson highlighted the role of passion in driving actions, which Louise Lowings suggested to add compassion. The discussion revolved around the importance of community and relationships in achieving common goals. Louise pointed out the need for an education system that fosters supportive and nurturing environments. Kerry noted that relationships are the true source of security. The conversation also touched on the inefficiency of traditional training methods in businesses and the importance of apprenticeships. The conversation ended abruptly due to a technical issue with Marc's Zoom account.