Overschooled but Undereducated : How the Crisis in Education Is Jeopardizing Our Adolescents

Based on the premise that education has to be about much more than intellectual development, this book calls for the transformation of the education system. > This book synthesizes an array of research and shows how these insights can contribute to a better understanding of human learning, especially as this relates to adolescence. By mis-understanding teenagers' instinctive need to do things for themselves, society is in danger of creating a system of schooling that so goes against the natural grain of the adolescent brain that formal education ends up unintentionally trivialising the very young people it claims to be supporting. By failing to keep up with appropriate research in the biological and social sciences, current educational systems continue to treat adolescence as a problem rather than an opportunity. This book is about the need for transformational change in education. It synthesizes an array of research from both the physical and social sciences and shows how these insights can contribute to a better understanding of human learning, especially as this relates to adolescence. The book was conceived through a series of international conferences, and considers the education systems in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand. Its intention is to shake education out of its two-century's-old inertia. In the saga of the ages, if a generation fails, the fault lies squarely with the previous generation for not equipping them well enough for the changes ahead

By mis-understanding teenagers' instinctive need to do things for themselves, society is in danger of creating a system of schooling that so goes against the natural grain of the adolescent brain that formal education ends up unintentionally trivialising the very young people it claims to be supporting. By failing to keep up with appropriate research in the biological and social sciences, current educational systems continue to treat adolescence as a problem rather than an opportunity.

This book is about the need for transformational change in education. It synthesizes an array of research from both the physical and social sciences and shows how these insights can contribute to a better understanding of human learning, especially as this relates to adolescence.

This book was conceived through a series of international conferences, and considers the education systems in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand. Its intention is to shake education out of its two-century's-old inertia. In the saga of the ages, if a generation fails, the fault lies squarely with the previous generation for not equipping them well enough for the changes ahead. The most immoral thing a person can ever say is: "This will last out my time."

Contents......Page 10 Foreword......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 16 Introduction......Page 18 1 A Fable: The Whole Story in Fewer Than 2,500 Words......Page 28 2 The Wonder of Learning......Page 36 3 Human Nature: A Brain for All Times......Page 56 4 Nurture and Culture......Page 86 5 Hands-on Apprentices to Hands-off Pupils......Page 124 6 Lest We Fail to Learn from Our Mistakes......Page 150 7 Adolescents Left Out......Page 176 8 What Kind of Education for What Kind of World?......Page 212 9 Knowing What We Know . . . What’s to be Done?......Page 242 Appendix A: The 21st Century Learning Initiative......Page 286 Appendix B: Synthesis......Page 294 Appendix C: Prophets of a Future Not Our Own......Page 296 Notes......Page 298 A......Page 328 C......Page 329 E......Page 331 H......Page 332 M......Page 333 P......Page 334 S......Page 335 U......Page 336 Z......Page 337 By misunderstanding teenagers' instinctive need to do things for themselves, isn't society in danger of creating a system of schooling that so goes against the natural grain of the adolescent brain, that formal education ends up trivializing the very young people it claims to be supporting? By failing to keep up with appropriate research in the biological and social sciences, current educational systems continue to treat adolescence as a problem rather than an opportunity. In Overschool but Undereducated, John Abbott examines the increasing need to revolutionize the education system in England and globally. It's simple: education has to be about preparing children to be good citizens -- not merely successful pupils -- and become adults who will thrive at unstructured tasks. In this lies society's -- and the planet's -- best assurance of a positive future. - Jacket flap. Foreword / Prue Leith Introduction A fable : the whole story in fewer than 2,500 words The wonder of learning Human nature : a brain for all times Nurture and culture Hands-on apprentices to hands-off pupils Lest we fail to learn from our mistakes Adolescents left out What kind of education for what kind of world? Knowing what we know, what's to be done? Appendix A : The 21st century learning initiative Appendix B : Synthesis Appendix C : Prophets of a future not our own Synthesizes an array of research from both the physical and social sciences and shows how these insights can contribute to a better understanding of human learning, especially as this relates to adolescence. This book provides information about the need for transformational change in education.